Re: Age rules vs. Reality - Question
settummanque, or blackeagle (blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET)
Tue, 17 Jun 1997 18:18:28 -0500
Marc Solomon stated:
>You are mistaken here on a number of things, Chuck. Joey never 'needs'
>JLT. It is not required for any advancement or to hold any position of
>leadership.
I *strongly disagree* with your statement, Marc. That's like telling a
Scoutmaster that "You don't have to go to Wood Badge...it's not required for
any advancement and the best Scoutmasters out there never attended Wood Badge".
Junior Leader Training exists not for the incumbent to "get trained". It
exists so that that person attending the weeklong course can go back to his
Troop or Team and TRAIN AND COACH OTHERS in his own unit or within the
District in which he belongs. It's the same concept as Wood Badge for
adults: Give the concepts, the application, and the background.
Send them home to their units to apply and coach others. Watch their
personal and Scouting development increase with each successive month.
Not only do I as a former Scoutmaster INSIST that my Senior Patrol Leader
attends the Council JLT, it's a *requirement for candidancy* to Senior
Patrol Leader. The Troop pays for the leadership course, and the Scout is
not only expected to serve as "senior youth leadership trainer" in my Troop;
but he's expected to share what he knows with OTHER Troops that could not
afford to send their Scouts to such a special leadership course.
This brings a new level of exposure to that Scout, for now not only is he
a leader in his own unit, but he's NOW a leader among SEVERAL units in the
District. What a great leadership development (and Scouting retention tool)!!!
I've never had a SPL or ASPL that have went to our Council's JLT course that
decided that afterwards, that he wants to quit Scouting or wants to move to
Exploring. Most of them don't even want to do OA stuff, because this new
"position" of "youth trainer" is more exposure to him than anything else
he's done in Scouting up to that point.
Finally, I as his Scoutmaster, gets to glean a little off of him and what he
brings back to my Troop. I find that the maturity level of those sent to
our JLT courses have increased, and I find myself doing *even more* coffee
drinking and "chilling out" during the weekly Troop meetings because of the
increased ability -- and confidence -- of my Senior Patrol Leader and his
Assistant.
A small price to pay from the Troop to send him for a week of training with
other SPLs and other Troop leaders.
>With the proper coaching (something that would be required whether >Joey
took JLT or not), Joey can be a great SPL even without JLT. I have
>known many Scouts who were great leaders but never had the time to go >to
JLT. It is not JLT's job to create leaders anyway (although it is their
>goal), it is the Scoutmaster's job. JLT is a tool (a very good one,
>too) available to Scoutmasters but they can do their job without it.
True. Very true. But those that *go* have more opportunities to see what
Troop operation is REALLY supposed to be like, because for that week,
they've LIVED IT COMPLETELY; not just "taking my word (as Scoutmaster, or as
a District leadership development trainer) for it".
>Most JLT programs I have heard of have such restrictions. AND yes it
>makes sense, even in this case.
If Chuck can't talk the staff advisor to place Joey on a "space available
list" (most will do that, because as we all know, money runs the train and
if they only have 39 participants and the budget calls for 40, Joey will be
accepted to attend!), perhaps he would be willing to take Joey to a
neighboring Council's JLT course.
>Joey needs coaching _now_ to be a great leader. From what I can see,
>the resources to receive that coaching are available (Chuck, look in
>mirror). If, and when, Joey takes JLT, he will still get a lot out of
>it (maybe more, since he'll have a practical knowledge to work from).
Joey needs to also be exposed to how Troop operations are REALLY supposed to
be conducted, without the constraints that many Troops have in implementing
the Troop Operations plan. This can be accomphished in two or three ways:
the National Jamboree, Philmont, and the Council's Junior Leader Training
course.
That's why we have them, Marc....if the Council sees that it has more than
40 participants, they should strongly consider having TWO or THREE sessions
instead of one. That's a COUNCIL's problem.
If Joey or any other Scout wants to attend this special course, then the
unit to which they belong should pay for it, they should attend and be
encouraged to bring back and share the training they received with their own
unit...and others around them!
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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