Troop 24 JLT

After a two month delay, we finally did our Junior Leader Training
workshop. We followed the syllabus/video for the most part, with
a couple of extra chunks thrown in (more later).

But one of the highlights was the role-playing exercise between Tommy
(the Patrol Leader) and Sam (the unwilling go-fer) [For those of you
unfamiliar with the BSA JLT workshop video, Sam explodes when Tommy
assigns him water duty again, then stomps off. The role of the
exercise is to invent a solution to the problem that makes everyone
feel satisfied.]

When the scenario got translated in our workshop, it went something
like this:

PL: OK, you two will go do the suicide bombing.

Members A & B: Right!

PL: And you two will sacrifice yourselves to the volcano gods.

Members C & D: Gotcha!

PL: And you and I will go do latrine duty.

Member E: OK.

PL: And Sam, you need to go get the water.

Sam: WHAT! WATER DUTY AGAIN! You ALWAYS make me do that! I QUIT!

and so forth....


As for the additions, we made two insertions into the workshop. The
first was a review of the troop goals set by the PLC back in May.
Not so much that we wanted to revise them, but to remind the leaders
that they needed to keep them in mind. To see the goals, check
http://www.emf.net/~troop24/calendar/goals9899.html

First, we went around the circle, asking each Scout to describe one
way in which he personally was going to help meet the goals. Then,
around a second time, each Scout (remember, these are the troop
leaders) had to describe one way in which he was going to help others
to meet the troop goals. It was a very interesting exercise, and it
got them to thinking about their role in the troop.

The second addition was a breakout session just before the closing
video segment. The SPL and I took the patrol leaders aside to review
the eleven leadership skills and talk about how they could use them
in leading their patrols. One of my ASMs took the rest of the leaders
and did a couple of exercises on communication skills and effective
teaching.

This was our seventh year of using the BSA JLT workshop syllabus &
video, and despite the fact that some of the Scouts have now seen it
six times (hard to fool them with the magazine trick anymore), it is
still a valuable tool. Twice we started the year without it, once
by intent and (this year) by a too-crowded calendar, and the results
showed in a much slower than normal gelling of the patrols. But
there was a lot of good energy coming out at the end of the workshop,
so I have high hopes for the next six months.

YiS,

Alan R. Houser ** troop24@emf.net
** Scoutmaster, Troop 24, Berkeley, California **
** WWW page ** http://www.emf.net/~troop24/t24.html **

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