Re: A couple of exploring (HA) questions
settummanque, or blackeagle (blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET)
Sun, 10 May 1998 20:21:05 -0500
Hey Dan Moser!! I hope this gets to you today; my mail server's been
downloading FOUR copies of EVERY posting (four times 331!!).
You asked some great questions about Exploring in general and
"high-adventure" ("outdoor adventure") Exploring in particular:
You asked:
> Is a post supposed to operate the same as a Troop with elected youth
>leadership running meetings and planning activities?
Yes, but on a different level and different organization than what you're
used to with regard to Boy Scouting. While each and every Explorer Post is
slightly different, here's the default organization:
An Explorer Post is led by an elected youth President (Commander) (Chief),
(etc.) The adult counterpart to the Post President is the Post's Advisor.
An Explorer Post can have as little as two or as many Vice-Presidents (etc.)
as they need to successfully operate their particular Explorer Post. As a
youth, I was one of seven Vice-Presidents of one particular (TV/Radio)
Explorer Post; as a adult, I've been Advisor to Posts that have had two
Vice-Presidents (one for program and the other for administration, which is
the default), five VPs, and four (they made the secretary and treasurer VPs
for Finance and Correspondence).
There should be one or two adults that work as Associate Advisors for those
officers; the ideal is to have one AA for each elected officer. Yeah,
right...it's hard just to get TWO AAs to work with a particular Post!!
Some Explorer Posts, particularly outdoor posts, have a Program Committee
headed by a VP-Program and this committee does the overall work for the
development of the Post's program. Other Posts do it in the "whole"
concept, which is the default. The membership of the Post determines what
the program of the Post is, and together with those adults, directs, plans
and implements THEIR PROGRAM.
Other Explorer Posts, particularily those tied to national speciality
associations, also have an elected "EOA (Explorer Officers' Association)
Representative and an elected "Speciality Association Representative".
This is done so that other youth than just the officers get to attend
Council and National Exploring events and activities and so that they can
attend speciality association meetings, competitions, and events.
The default is that the President and/or First Vice President attends those
meetings and activities on behalf of the Post.
Adult Consultants are appointed by the Post's Committee to work closely with
youth members on specialized areas. For example, a Consultant to an
Explorer Post would teach Explorers how to swim. This is different than a
Merit Badge Counsellor, because the "program" is directed by the youth
membership.
There may be youth Consultants, usually senior Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts in
the case of an outdoor Post, that would do the same kinds of things, but
under the supervision of an adult member of the Post's Committee.
>Is there a training program for youth and adults similar to what exists for
>Troop operations, fundamentals or JLT?
Of course, there is!! Exploring adults attend Explorer Leader Basic
training which is conducted in more successful Councils three times a year.
In less successful Councils, only once a year or so. Youth leader training
takes the form of Post Planning Workshops, conducted by the Advisor and Post
President and similar to the Troop Operations Workshop for Boy Scouting
units. There's additional training programs offered for youth and adult
leaders and a "Leaders' Exchange" ("Roundtable") that more successful
Councils run once a quarter.
Training is also offered by regional Exploring Instructors (like myself or
Kathie Cerevany) to local Councils and to units; by attending the National
Exploring Conference and the Training and Service Conference at Philmont.
The training is available for both youth and adult Exploring leaders at
those levels as well.
What should happen is about the same as what would happen at a Troop
meeting, except on a more adult-like model: I call it a cross between a
monthly Rotary or Lion's club meeting and a Troop meeting.
Hope that these answers help you out, Dan!
Settummanque!
(c) 1997 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201
(settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle
241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net
kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil
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