Large troop troubles

[yarrow 10]

How do you all work sign offs in large troops. There is very little time before the meeting and after breakouts. My boy has tried for 3 weeks to get some rank requirements signed off(community service, POR completion, and Merit badge req.s). She has all the records so she needs to do the sign-offs. Just as he gets close to the front of the line after a badge breakout or program they call to fall in for closing. The advancement chair packs up her stuff and that's the end of it. We are not huge but are well over 60. How do other large troops handle this. Do you have two advancement people, computers programs, other people designated to sign off on rank........what?

[eisely 13]

Do I understand from your post that your advancement chair is doing all sign offs? Or is this person handling sign offs for a specific requirement where she was handling a specific activity? I would find it odd that any advancement chair would handle all sign offs.

 

We do use a dedicated laptop for record keeping and our advancement chair is generally available at all troop meetings. We too are a fairly large troop with about 50 registered youth. This has never come up for us. Boys get their books signed off by either youth leaders who might have taught a requirement or by the cognizant adults. The boy then puts his book in front of the advancement chair who records the progress on the laptop. I believe that we are using the "Troopmaster" software.

 

Another thing our advancement chair has done is provide a printout annually by mail to the parents. This provides another opportunity to reconcile and update the records.

[yarrow 10]

In our troop currently the advancement chair has all the records. I know my son has his community service hours + for the rank but she must varify it and sign it. I know he has the requisit merit badges for the rank but she must varify it and sign off and record it. I know he has had PORs for the required length of time and will of course continue in the current position until fall because of our election terms. She must sign and record it. Even if we had someone else sign the book she must still record from his book and there doesn't ever seem to be time. The line is too long. Your group sounds like it is working well. Wish ours worked more smoothly. We are adding software but she doesn't seem to have time to enter the data.

[eisely 13]

Maybe you need a new advancement chair.

 

One thing that I always did with my own sons was to write in the margins of their handbooks those activities they in which they had participated, both outings and service projects.

[jmcquillan 10]

Our troop is down to 48 at the moment, but in the past 15 years we've been as high as 74 Scouts. Getting things signed off was never a problem. Why? Because the Senior Scouts who were approved by the Scoutmaster for signing-off, and the adult leadership, including the Advancement Chair, always, always stayed at the Scouthouse long after the meeting was over. Meetings started at 7:00PM sharp, and ended at 8:30PM sharp. Those I've mentioned were usually at the Scouthouse until 9:30PM on meeting nights for any number of reasons, but the prime reason was to serve the Scouts who might not have been able to get adult or senior scout attention during the meeting. Adult leaders have to make the time to attend to the needs of the client (Scouts) when the rest of the schedule is so full that things like advancement don't get attention during regular meeting times.

 

Oh, and once a month, one meeting would be set aside as an "Advancement Night". On this night, any type of advancement could be attended to. Teaching was accomplished. Proving competency could be attended to. Merit badges, rank advancement, anything could be worked on under adult and senior scout supervision and instruction.

 

Eisley's probably right, though. If your Advancement Chair has her own schedule as a top priority on meeting nights, and not the scouts, then it might be time for a change.

[Mike Long 10]

I agree with the other posters.

 

 

We have the same meeting times as jmcquillan, 7 till 8:30, and if I (and the older Scouts and adult volunteers) actually go home by 9 it is a miracle. Not to mention the all the times we showed up at 6 to help boys work on merit badges. If boys are being left out I haven't noticed and no one has informed me of the fact. As Scoutmaster I welcome all to present to me their issues so we can work them out, your son should talk to the scoutmaster about this problem.

 

As Scouters I would hope that everyone understands that our primary purpose would be to serve the boys. I know that everyone participating here understands that. The honest truth is that if you can't be inconvienced then you should not volunteer halfway. Sometimes being a Scout leader is very inconvienent but we all made a choice and set a priority to serve the boys of our troops.

 

It sounds as if your advancement chair does not understand this. Even if your son does talk to the Scoutmaster and get signed off it is still time to make some polite noise at a committee meeting and voice your concerns. With a system like what you described other boys must be being left out too. How many have quit out of frustration because of not being able to get signed off?

 

Be prepared, you may have just volunteered as the new advancement chair.

[Uncle Bob 10]

The Troop I am associated with allows older Scouts First Class or higher to sign off on rank requirments. (works well) For Star and above the Scoutmaster takes the time to make sure that if a Scout needs something signed of it is done.

 

Now for your advancement chair person. You know those those pesky gnats that always seem to be in your face on long hikes ...

 

Well maybe she just needs a little help.

 

Good luck.

 

YIS

Uncle Bob

[yarrow 10]

Thanks for your replies. I made some "polite noise" at a committee meeting as suggested and I believe we are getting someone to help her enter the data on our newly purchased software program. We also broke the new scouts out of the book for sign off by the adult working with Eaglebound. It is a start. Thanks again.