Too busy to take training

On my councils local forum there has been a thread going about adult training.

With our council going to mandatory training many adults are complaining that they do not have the time to take training classes.

I know the person who started this thread. He became a adult leader when he turned 18 in 1975 after being in the troop since he was 11.

He took SM Fundamentals that year and admits he has taken very little training since.

He has never had a son in the program (and never will) and only has one older teen daughter.

It seems like there are many adults like this ans wanted the council to offer alternative training. (at Summer camp and at camp-o-rees were some suggestions)

Many have said that they need to take time off from work to attend a training class on a weekend.

Over the weekend I meet a Scouter and this topic came up. We both felt that when we agreed to become leaders that training was part of this commitment. If we were going to be responsible and liable for other peoples children that we should have the proper training to do in a proper and safe manner.

I think guys like this poster are hurting the program more than helping. If your not willing to take the training you should not commit to being a leader.

We are here to serve the youth and deliver a program.

Yeah I don't really buy in to the "too busy" thing either, as long as council is being flexible in terms of when and where they offer training, and as long as we're talking about the basic training and not a million add ons (as useful as those might be, the more "mandatory" stuff the harder it is to implement).

I've noticed that getting a whole group of enthusiastic, new (younger?) leaders to training sometimes rubs off on those stick in the mud types who went to training umpteen years ago - if at all - and never thought about it again. Guess if I were working with your council that's where I'd place my emphasis at first. Get all, or nearly all, of this year's new leaders trained first and then let them go back and be catalysts for change in their own units.

PLus this allows you to take a positive tack - look what great stuff we're doing with these new leaders, rather than a grumpy, negative one (why won't these darned "experienced" leaders get trained, grumble grumble). Positive seems to work better and is certainly more fun.

Lisa'bob

As the old saying goes If you really want something done, give it to a busy person. It is really just a matter of commitment. People can find the time if it is really important to them. That does not mean everyone can take the very next session that comes along. Schedule conflicts do exist. Make a (training) plan and work the plan. That is all we can reasonably ask.

Anything worth doing is worth some sacrifice, or at the very least some inconvenience. I take something away from every training. If nothing else you will meet some great people there.

Often, your District Training Staff wants to help reach for the 100% trained level, too, and will BRING IT TO YOU. Ask! It never hurts to ask. The worst they can do is say no. Our District routinely takes it TO units on a date they choose. This is when you really find out who was too busy and who has no intention of attending. Those District Trainers are volunteers, too, and find time to be trained and share that knowledge on!

If training isn't required you will always have people who are too busy.

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

Here We Go Steelers~

Our council, don't know if it's BSA wide, allows for Outdoor Skills to be completed via a mentorship program.

I had no intention of scheduling an "additional" weekend for Outdoor Skills, but they made it easy...

Is it BSA wide?

If training isn't required you will always have people who are too busy.

Yah, and that either means that

a) you have some folks who probably shouldn't be adult leaders, or

b) you have some folks who probably shouldn't be trainers.

Good, committed adults find all kinds of time in their busy lives, but only for training that they perceive is high-quality and worthwhile.

As a district or council, you really can't affect (a). But you should take a really hard look at (b). Over da years, I'll have to say that I've found quite a bit of da BSA training I've done neither high-quality or worthwhile. One bad session really discourages repeat and word-of-mouth customers.

Hello Eagle 1973,

I took our district's outdoor skill training last fall, and thought it was outstanding.

I learned some of the suggested Boy Scout means of using an axe and sharpening a knife that conflicted with my own techniques. I had a tendency to comment that the suggested method was the way plaintiff's lawyers would want people to chop wood in court...

But the contact methods suggested ARE safer, especially for younger Scouts with their limited physical skills. A don't think much of the recommended method to sharpen a knife by holding a stone in one hand while holding the knife with the other ---that seems like it's inviting a cut hand.

So I was exposed to the current Scout methods for doing things whether I liked it or not. That probably would not have occurred if another old salt had been mentoring me.

The most valuable part of the course was putting adults in patrols and camping and functioning as patrols. There is no better way to make the point about the patrol method.

The second most valuable thing was the effective use of Scouting rituals throughout the course. Another underused means of influencing boys... and adults.

The third most valuable thing was demonstrating the uses and benefits of campfires and campfire planning.

So I thought there were lots of things to learn by attending that training. In my opinion, too much emphasis is placed on selling Wood Badge, and too little on attending the outdoors skills training, which makes the same points in far less time.

Seattle Pioneer

"Our council, don't know if it's BSA wide, allows for Outdoor Skills to be completed via a mentorship program."

What, exactly, does a "mentorship program" entail?

We do all of our Outdoor Training, outdoors, over a weekend, at our local council camp.

The Leadership Training Committee booklet gives several ways training may be delivered to scouters who need it.

I wonder how a leader who doesn't have the time to take training has the time to be a leader?

Everybody has 24 hours in their day. EVERYBODY.

The "I don't have time" excuse is pure bovine soil.

My kid deserves a trained leader and so does yours.

My lawn doesn't get mowed rugular but I got time for training. My children are driving me nuts! I'm driving them everwhere. I had time for Wood Badge. In seven years they'll both be gone. Then I'll have the nicest lawn in town.

Two things that can inspire a leader to take training are: 1. A personal invitation instead of a generic letter and 2. positive word of mouth from those that have already taken the training.

Nothing beats the personal touch from a fellow Scouter they know and trust.

uz2bnowl -- RIGHT ON!

We all have the same amount of time. Sometimes those trainers are missing a soccer game, GIVING UP THEIR TIME, to offer training. Our kids DO deserve trained leaders...people who know how to deliver a quality program, safety issues, etc.

We chose to have these children. Now choose to make a quality life for them! And what a wonderful time we can have with them. They are FUN! Even other people's kids are fun. (Waaaay more fun than mowing the lawn! lol)

emb021, you say it well too, with "I wonder how a leader who doesn't have the time to take training has the time to be a leader?"

If they don't have time to get training, how can they possibly have time to be a quality leader? Aaah! There is is! But the truth is, if they would only get trained, they would have more time to lead, because they wouldn't have to constantly re-invent the wheel.

Scouters talk alot about "Delivering the Promise", it's tough to deliver the promise if you don't take the time to find out what it is.

Scoutnut: The mentorship program in our council allows for designated trainers, in my case our SM, to sign off on the required skills at our regular campouts, vice going to a special training weekend.

Not sure how our SM was designated as a "certified trainer".

Unfotunately, I can't find the qualification check off sheet while at work, nor can I find it on our council website. But it basically was all the skills the Scouts must learn/do outside, Tenderfoot to First Class.

Seattle: I agree, the "old salt" was certified by council to make sure things were done our way vice his way.

Also agree the SM's should function as a patrol, we do. In fact, we came up with a cool way to demonstrate our patrol method to the Scout patrols. We have a cooking contest, we pick a meal, we pick the main course. All Patrols cook the same thing, at the same time, but adding their own twists.

The winner gets to eat the same meal (not menu) with the SM Patrol at the next campout. We cook, we clean (their messkits too). The cool thing is that the Scouts can see a Patrol function without the bickering, etc. It's paid great dividends.

(This message has been edited by Eagle1973)