Hedgehog

If necessary, how about a polite, "I think the boys would have more enthusiasm about the program if they had a some input in planning it." Or maybe the meeting is just the adults planning for adult things -- Mr. Hedgehog will be our new SM at the end of the year; Mrs. Rabbit will be stepping down as treasurer in September and we need a replacement; We would like to welcome Mr. Chipmonk and Mr. as new ASMs and let them know when the council training will be. Oh, we also need a new popcorn chair after Mr. Squirrell ate all of the carmel corn last year. We can hope, right? Better yet

That view is not very reverent or respectful to others religions and I'm pretty sure that type of comment is what Pope Francis was addressing when he said: I faced the opposite type of ignorance when I went to college when some evangelical Christians asserted that Catholics werent Christians. If someone believes that Christ is the Son of God, they are a Christian.

I think this is the way to go.

A scout can work on Merit Badges at anytime according to the guide to advancement: 7.0.0.3 The Scout, the Blue Card, and the Unit Leader A few merit badges have certain restrictions, but otherwise any registered Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or quali ed Venturer or Sea Scout may work on any of them at any time. The Guide to Advancement says that you are not permitted to add requirements to advancement: No council, committee, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to, or subtract from, advancement requirements. and that it is the Scout's decision when to

I think you answered your own question. Good luck tonight. You might need to bring donuts to go along with the coffee.

Because eight is the maximum number of names you can remember to figure out who is missing when you count seven boys as being present. That is the difference with servant leadership. A servant leader's job is to encourage 100% of the people to do 150% of the work. Suceeding as a team is more important than just suceeding. In many of those 20% situations, the remaining 80% of the people want to make a contribution but they either: 1) don't know how they can contribute (lack of the leader coordinating skills with tasks); 2) they tune out because of the leader just giving order

There is a lot to be said for encouraging them to think outside the box. Even more to be said for reminding them there really isn't a box. Our incoming SPL and one of the ASPLs were over my house the other night because they had questions about the NYLT program my son attended in June because they were going in August. After they were done talking to my son, I told them that they should use what they learn to transform the Troop and that if they had any ideas how to change things in the Troop that I would back them up. We then talked about the leadership campout. I mentioned an id

It is interesting. Our Troop has electons on an annual basis. I see some value in that because the boys grow over the course of the year. However, I see the value of what Stosh is saying too. Our Troop elects PLs on a Troop basis and then the SM assigns people to the patrols. I suspect the results would be different if each patrol elected their own leaders. I do see the prestige or resume factor in the Troop-wide elections. I also see the popularity factor in those elections. I can understand how the process would be substantially different if the patrols would make their own selection

As part of our leadership training this year, I was going to do something different when we go over the BSA organizational chart. I was going to set it up as a human organization chart with the people filling in posiitons and having rope between who reported to whom. I was then going to tell them that it was backwards and that they needed to turn around. The SPL is responsible to support the PLs and the PLs are responsible to support their patrols. When you turn around that way, you realize who is supposed to have your back. I think your biases might be influencing your reading of

If I had any influence at Irving... let's just say there would be a lot of suggestions.

Now you just have to come up with an urgent project that the adult-led faction needs to handle durng the meeting to keep them occupied - like getting all of the black off the Dutch Ovens.

@@Stosh - no offense taken. As Gordon Sumner sings, "Poets, priests and politicians have words to thank for their positions." As a lawyer, I freqently labor over the best way to express something. Although my point was about how we (scouters) explain the program to others effects their perception of the program, your comments ("one's comments"?) are well taken. My writing tends to mirror the way I speak -- even more so on a forum where I view the written posts as a discussion. As result, using the word "you" reflects how I talk. I tend to use the word "you" when empowering

Ours has a retreat at the beginning of the year for training and planning (this year we've up it to a weekend campout) and meets the first week of every month for 45 minutes prior to the Troop meeting. It really isn't a hassle to arrive for a meeting a little early. I think this is critical. The PLC needs to plan the meetings, otherwise.... yep, you know where this is going... the adults will.

In reading this topic, I can't help but think of how, as a lawyer, we prepare people to have their depositions taken. A deposition is where the other side gets to ask questions and the witness has to answer those question. Our preparation goes through what to expect (the introduction the other side uses, what we can object to, the fact that is is being recorded) and how to answer questions (Rule #1 - tell the truth). We also walk them through a "mock" deposition which is designed to be more difficult than the actual deposition will be. At an Eagle SM conference, we explain to them that

One thing that I've found is that the language we use both reflects our perspective and informs our actions. So some suggestions: The subtle differences in language are part of the paradim shift. A gentle correction to someone else's language (or even correcting your own in front of them) is a gentle reminder of the way the program works. I know what you mean and how you are operating, but being aware of what we say helps keep other in line. So when the SM says "you're in charge of the meeting and get the SPL on board" your response is "I will. I'll talk to the SPL and tell hi

Thank all of your for your suggestions. My comments in red below:

See responses in red.

I've ordered the book (along with the Venturing Guides and some other stuff a ScoutStuff. Thanks for the recommendation.

Meant to give you a +1 but hit the wrong button. Serves me right for trying to use my phone. At some point trying to appeal to everyone causes loosing the ability to appeal to anyone. BSA should be focused on citizenship, educutation and leadership in the outdoors. One of my favorite questions I've heard asked at an Eagle BOR is what citizenship and camping, hiking and backpacking have in common.

This is the problem. How does a patrol counselor differ from a patrol leader? It is an invitation to interfere. This is one of my pet issues with our Troop. The adults sitting in on the patrol meetings get too involved because they feel it is necessary to get the right result (I've been in that situation) not recognizing that as @@Stosh says the right result is the ones the boys come up with. Get a big banner for your next meeting that says "Never do Anything a Boy Can Do for Themselves - And That is Pretty Much Everything."

Thanks for the tips. I explained what I think the difference between an advisor and a Scoutmaster is to my son last night. A Scoutmaster may initiate a discussion with a youth leader but an advisor waits for the youth to ask them. My son and I watched the Venturing Youth Orientation video. It was awful because it spent most of the time discussing paperwork and procedures. It seems some well meaning person at National developed 20 pages of forms to help a crew figure out its activities. The meetings as described sound absolutely tedious. It also seemed to have the officers doing the plann

You will not suceed by merely coaching the boys because an interfering adult will always take charge over a well prepared boy. I think that it is time for the adults to sit down at a table and reach a common vision. Start the discussion by asking if we want the troop to be boy-led. Hopefully there is some agreement. Then use this chart and ask where everyone thinks your troop is on the continuum: http://scoutmastercg.com/ladder-of-youth-leadership-infographic/ From what you said, probably between a 5 and a 6. Recognize that everyone is trying to make the Troop succeed but ackn

What benefit do you get from refering to the unit as "Boy Scouts"? What parts of the the BSA program do you find essential to your school's youth group? Wouldn't you have more freedom to craft a youth program without the guidelines and restrictions imposed by the BSA? Our church youth group is not affiliated with the BSA and it very much thrives. Why not just call your youth program the "[Name of School] Outdoor Adventure Program?"

I've always figured it was a matter of time. Last year, on the way back from our 50 miler my son and his best friend were texting two of their girl friends and talking about how the four of them should do a backpacking trek. A couple of weeks ago, my son and one of the girls were over our house and she started talking about how Girl Scouts really lacked adventure. I mentioned Venturing and her eyes lit up. She mentioned a couple of other names, one of which is the daughter of another ASM in our Troop. The next week, I mentioned Venturing at the end of an e-mail to that ASM. His response

I actually told the Camp Program Director that I was getting confused when they kept using the word "Leaders" to refer to the adults. The camp pretty much told the adults the same thing at the "Leader" meetings that they told the SPLs at the "SPL" meeting (actually, the SPLs seemed to get more specific information).