Re: Troop committees & ASMs
(no name) ((no email))
Tue, 14 May 1996 13:08:56 -0500
Jim Sleezer asked for a fellow Scouter:
>The SM of one of our larger (about 50 boys) troops asked me to query the
>list about how larger troops organize their troop committees and assistant
>scoutmasters. I think he is looking for such things as whether committee
>members take on very small projects or whether sub committees are organized.
>He's also interested in how the ASMs are organized. Things like do they
>match up with committee positions or are they just organized as the SM wants
>at a particular time.
I have always worked with at least three Assistant Scoutmasters, and with a
Troop Committee of at least seven.
The Troop Committee works as a "committee of the whole" on various
projects, with the appropriate committeemember taking the "lead" on the
work. He or she can "pick and choose" from those within the Committee
to work with him or her on the project, or everyone can pitch in (as it was
in two of the four occasions) on the project.
We had a Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer. When the Chair was absent,
the Secretary chaired the meetings. We had a Membership, Advancement,
Activities and Outdoor Events member. In two cases, we also had a
Building and Facilities and a Quartermaster member, because we had so
much equipment and our own building on the installation that we were
required to perform upkeep and preventive maintenance on.
The three Assistant Scoutmasters corresponded and were responsible
for coaching key youth leaders: The First Assistant (my replacement
for all practical purposes) worked with the Assistant Senior Patrol
Leader and handled merit badge and (back then) Skill Award postings.
He worked closely with the Advancement member and the Secretary.
The Second Assistant worked with the Scribe and Quartermaster, and
with the Treasurer and Outdoor members. The Third Assistant SM
worked with our small Leadership Corps and with our two Den Chiefs,
and with the Activities member.
When I was blessed with more Assistant Scoutmasters, the jobs were
split among the Second and Third Assistant Scoutmasters, so that I
would have perhaps two "Second Assistant Scoutmasters" and two
"Third Assistant Scoutmasters".
The Junior Assistant Scoutmasters (when they REALLY had some
power and influnce!!!) trained with all of the Scoutmasters and may
be asked to pitch in in any aspect of adult leadership and may work
with the Scoutmaster one month, then the Third Assistant Scoutmaster
the next, and so on.
How did I "grade" or "assign" the First, Second and Third
Assistant Scoutmasters? Seniority is one part, but isn't the ONLY
way. Training....the First Assistant SM should (and they did) have
the same level of training as I did. The Second Assistant should
have one-level downward from the First Assistant (which means that
the Second Assistant SM would or should be eligible to participate
in a Wood Badge course sometime within the next year). The Third
Assistant must have completed Scoutmaster Basic (now called
Scoutmaster Fundamentals). The Junior Assistant Scoutmaster(s)
must have completed JLT and *could* have completed SM Basic/
Fundamentals (in two Councils, they allowed JASMs to attend
and complete the course...again, this is back in the middle 80s
and BEFORE the present youth protection policies were enacted!!)
Everyone else would fit somewhere in between. For those Scouters
that would come and say "I can help out", I provided a "statement
of agreement" which they had to complete (and if they were military
personnel, their commander had to endorse "by memorandum or DF"
(Disposition Form, what we used to correspond to each other in
the military by for years). I've posted the Statement a while back
and all it really does is solidify the relationship between Assistant
Scoutmaster, Scoutmaster, and Troop Committee Chair. It cuts a lot
of this *moaning and complaining* out that is usually associated
with managing learning.
Hope this helps out, Jim!!
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
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