Re: Mutiple Registration Questions
(no name) ((no email))
Mon, 19 Feb 1996 00:18:09 -0600
Ted wrote in response to my posting:
>>Why can't you just get another female adult to come along?
>What an abundance of riches you have had during your life with >Scouting. I
have had trouble getting the second male.
Why, Ted? Didn't your Post come with a Post Committee? Doesn't
your Post come with a chartered partner? Are they AWARE of what their roles
with regard to the Post are?
Yes, I've been *fortunate* that I get more parents to come along
than we would have all liked, but it's ALL in the PLANNING of
a major event. Yes, if your youth members decide that next weekend, they're
going to go camping at the Council's camping facility, *I* would have a
problem going (Jessica would have a
royal fit!! Two Scouting weekends, a military weekend and a free
weekend per month)!! That becomes a major problem and something
that I would definately have to talk with my family AND the Post's Committee
about! (then, I would have went anyway...*grinning*)
However, if you know that you're going camping at the Council's camping
facility, there are some things you can do to make that
trip (any trip) more successful all the way around.
First off, insure that it's PLANNED. Most of us are familiar with
the Post Planning process (it's the same as the Troop Operations'
Workshop with a lot of Exploring-isms added). During that event,
your Post or Ship plans the program for the next six months.
Those events should be publicized, posted and each parent should
get a copy of them, along with any other special information about
the event. Any changes to the dates? Let everyone know about it!
Don't assume that "everyone has Plan B".
ALWAYS have a "Plan B", and during the planning process with your
Post or Ship, make sure that they plan a "What if?" plan as part of the
initial plan. What if the weekend that we had the arena area, that our Order
of the Arrow Lodge wanted to practice for the Sectional Conclave? What if
there's a tornado warning on the Friday of the trip? What if we only get
three adults, including only one female adult (my wife)? "Plan B" could be
to cancel the
event, or to scale it downward from a weekend to a weekday event, or to move
the location to *another Council's camp*. (see where
this planning has to be done with BOTH youth and adult involvement?)
Next, the Post Committee (NOT the Advisor) should be lining up the
neccessary permits, permissions, travel arrangements and adult leadership
neccessary for the event to be carried out by the youth. The
Advisor/Skipper's role is to assist and if neccessary, interprete what the
President or Boatswain's plans are to the Post Committee (in reality, that
President/Boatswain should be there alongside with the Advisor/Skipper) so
that any "last-minute" changes can be handled and a clear picture is given
of the activity: are we camping that weekend, or are we taking pictures? Are
we going to do a cleanup project? Are we going to use the canoes and go on
the water? Swimming? Are we going into "town" anytime during the event?
A good rule of thumb is one adult per FOUR participants, not eight. In this
way, you will have slightly more adults than what you really need and your
Committee can deal with the last-minute
illnesses, out-of-town meetings, and military deployments that
do happen occassionally amoung us adults. The BSA states that
you have to have at least one registered adult as the "leader in charge",
preferably two. That problem should not a major stopper.
Especially when you register a full (at least four member, minus
Chair) Committee, when you have three other Associate Advisors or
Mates, when your Chartered Organizational Represenative is clear about the
fact that this is HIS or HER Post or Ship, and not just
a way for the BSA to "add another unit on the roster", and when
your Post gives out -- and gets back -- a Program Capability Inventory form
from everyone involved...parents, committee, and
those with the chartered organization.
What I've had problems with is parents that want to come along
"just because I thought it would be a great trip....". That's why
I always say to have the Committee handle the additional adults.
(It's their role anyway).
After the event, don't forget to say "thanks" to those parents or
other adults that went with you. A nice certificate, extra patch,
or even that coffeemug is a good "thank you" for taking the time
to come along with the members of the unit. Don't thank them, and
they'll eventually stop coming out...
Yeah, Ted, I've been fortunate that my Posts and Troops have been
rather active, parent, committee and chartered partner-wise. But
I've made them all ALLIES instead of "straphangers". I've told
them all of what their kids and their program's doing. I've made
sure that everyone has a great time, and stopped doing those
activities that the kids seem NOT to like. Most of all, I let the
kids...the youth of the Post and the leaders of the Troop...I let
them dictate how the program will run and then modified MY and my
assistants' support to how they wanted to do things. In some
cases, I had to do a lot more "coordinating". In other cases, all
I had to do is say "I'll be over there", and the program went
out without me shadowing them.
Isn't that the way the program's supposed to work anyway?
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Servics of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
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