Re: How to dismiss a SM
Mike Walton (blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET)
Sun, 30 Mar 1997 21:31:49 -0500
(Sorry Ginny...I sent you two copies of this posting without my
responses...I'm using a different software package and I haven't
used it in a while...I'll be glad when I finally get my copy
of Eudora Pro in a couple of weeks!!)
You asked the list:
>I would also like info on dismissing a SM.
Then you explained why you want this information. Some of it,
like the controlling way he's been "running" the Troop, I can
understand and emphasize with you; other things, in particular, the
below, I can't and I explain why not:
>His sons are no longer Scouts.
I have NEVER had a son of mine to serve in my Troops when I was
Scoutmaster. They were too young, for one, and the other, I would
feel that I would have a "special interest" in the Troop otherwise.
So, the fact that all of his sons have left the program have little
to no bearing on his service as a Scoutmaster.
A lot of Troops do well with the father-son Scoutmaster-Scout
combination, and I've seen a lot of them in action. I've also seen
a lot of "demanding Scoutmaster insisting that HIS son becomes
center of Troop operation" stuff too. The successful
Scoutmaster-Scout relationship centers around the Scoutmaster
telling his son BEFORE he joins that "I'm going to try to treat you
like you're any other kid in my Troop; when I feel that I can't,
I'll have some other adult to work with you and I'll concentrate on
others that need my help more than you. This is NOT because I love
you less; it's because I love you more". (I actually heard that
from the mouth of Ken Carr to his third son on the occasion of
Steven Carr's graduation from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting. As far
as I could observe, Ken kept to his word)
*I* could not do it. I would want to have my son to do more
because I get to work with him before and after Troop meetings too.
That's why despite his mother's suggestions and cajoling me to "be
your son's Scoutmaster, he needs you", I've always answered, "he
needs me as a father. He needs to see other adults as Scoutmaster;
besides, I want to be there as his Dad to give him his Eagle card!"
Bottom line: Just because he has NO son in the Troop, doesn't make
him less effective as a Scoutmaster. Remember: we have a lot of
adults that DO NOT have children serving successfully as
Scoutmasters!!
>Troop committee carries out all the work with the Scouts, while SM
>runs other meetings not to related to Troop (church activities
>etc.) in adjacent room.
As I've explained here before, Ginny, the role of the Scoutmaster
AND his or her Assistants, are NOT to "run the meetings" or to
"tell the boys what to do"; that's the job of the BOYS in that
unit. The others elected them to be the leaders. That's what they
are supposed to do, lead, and the role of the Scoutmaster is merely
two-fold: to train, coach and assist WHEN NEEDED those youth
leaders and to have an environment that is free from injury or
harm. Obiously, this man feels that he has such an enviornment,
so I personally do not blame him for going to do other things.
He's got youth leaders in charge, and if one of them has a problem,
I am sure that he knows where to find an adult if not the
Scoutmaster himself, to help out with resolving the issue.
I try to sit as far away and preferable in another room while the
Troop meetings are going on. I drink coffee, read and look at
computer magazines, and talk with my Assistants and the occasional
Scout that wanders in there seeking a "Scoutmasters' Conference".
The meeting belongs to my Senior Patrol Leader, and I have fifteen
minutes at the end of every meeting unless HE asks me or my
assistants to provide a program (which we do once a quarter).
Otherwise, I stay out of his way and let him do "his job".
>He has a wall of our Eagle's pictures which he refers to as
>"his Eagles", and he shows them off to anyone who walks through
>the door.
I *envy* this man, for at least he has a wall of Eagle Scouts.
I and many other Scoutmasters, even on this forum, are waiting for
our FIRST Eagle Scout. Believe me, Ginny, I would be just as
proud of each of "my Eagle Scouts" as I am proud of my three
Exploring Acheivement Award reciepients (I have photos of them, and
I do keep them in my scrapbook and will post them to my web page
when I have time to do so). It is part of being a Scoutmaster,
that pride in knowing that YOU had a part in developing their
lives. If I had a WALL of Eagle Scouts, even though I may not
have had a hand in their attainment, they will always be "my Eagle
Scouts" only because I'm the Scoutmaster presently. That may
be a bit of being overly proud and self-centered, but as I
explained, not EVERY boy in your Troop becomes an Eagle Scout and
when it finally does happen, you as Scoutmaster are not only
relieved, but you have a prideness about yourself that can only be
shared by other Scoutmasters that have Eagle Scouts or by the
parents of those Eagles.
> Unfortunately, the 3 leaders who do the work with the
>Scouts will be leaving the Troop.
"...do the work", as in what, Ginny?? If they are "running the
meetings", telling Scouts how to get things done or doing the
program, that's wrong in the eyes of the BSA. They want those
BOYS in your Troop, including your son, to "do the work with the
Scouts", not a bunch of adults. That's a large misconception about
the program: the youth of the unit RUNS and DIRECTS the Boy Scout,
Varsity Scout, and Exploring programs. They get direction and
occassion coaching and help from the Scoutmaster and his or her
Assistants, and from Troop Committeemembers and others. But it's
the kids that actually DO IT ALL.
Or it *should be* that way, and your Troop should be moving toward
that direction.
You asked how to "get rid of him", and here's how you do it.
Before you "get rid of him", however, you should have ONE LAST
CHANCE with him AND the rest of the youth AND adults in your unit.
Your unit needs to have a special meeting with the youth leadership
and the adult leadership in the unit. This meeting needs to be
ran by your unit's Chartered Organizational Representative. Who's
he or she?? Look on your copy of the unit's Charter. You'll see
his or her name right at the top part of the Charter, right under
the name of the chartering partner organization. This is the
man or woman that represents the organization or group (school,
church, civic group, groups of citizens, or whatever) that asked
for and received a charter from the BSA to co-run that Troop.
If you have one "on paper", that is, he or she only is there to
"sign the paperwork at rechartering time", this is a GRAND TIME to
get this person involved in HIS TROOP. Yes, HIS or HER TROOP. This
person, NOT the Scoutmaster, not the Troop Committee Chair, decides
on hiring or firing of ALL of the adults. It says so right in the
current BSA Rules and Regulations. This person is responsible for
certifying that ALL of the adults registered meet the standards of
the BSA. No signature from this person, the application won't get
approved in most cases.
Okay. So now you have all of the players handy, this is what should
happen: the COR explains the reasoning for the meeting. Both sides
should explain their "slant" to the story, and the COR decides what
to do next. Don't like his or her decision? Then take it up with
the head of the organization that chartered your unit, because
that's who the COR works for. He or she agrees with the COR? Take
it up with the Council Scout Executive, as the "co-chartering
partner".
One thing is obious from your posting. EVERYONE there needs to
take Scoutmaster Fundamentals, and that's including the 15-year
Scoutmaster. Things have changed radically since the late 70s.
We've embraced youth protection, a new advancement scheme, and new
program options. We've taken on a new way of training and coaching
and have returned to "basic Scouting" (or getting that way). He
needs to be able to proactively COACH, as well as his assistants,
his youth leaders and let THEM do "the work". He may be doing that
now, in which case, you need to let him do his business. However,
you're correct in that his financial handling needs to be modified
and he needs to learn how to "let the Troop's Committee" handle
many of the things that he's been "handling" in the past for them.
Hope this all helps, Ginny...don't be too hard on the guy. From
your posting to all of us, it sounds like this person is scared to
let the Committee handle stuff because either he's never had a
proactive committee or because he feels that he'll lose input into
producing what you called "one of the best programs". You need to
reassure him that you were proud to come over here to his Troop,
but feel that somewhere down the road, that he's not letting others
"share the workload". There's a LOT of Scoutmasters out there,
Ginny, that are caught up in that same situation. "Booting him
out" is an answer, but it's not the "optimal answer".
Counselling and coaching this guy to "get back on track" IS the
optimal answer, and he's NOT the only one that needs to get that
message!!
Settummanque!
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
