Organizing an IOLS for 50 to 100+

[moosetracker 132]

My son MIB may chime in here I gave him this training to be the organizer for. It falls in the empty weekend between Woodbadge weekend #1 & #2 and I am on WB staff for the first time..

 

I scheduled an IOLS & OWLS for Fall (before being asked to be on WB staff).. I just am figuring out I am the ONLY district offering the course this Fall, yet it is needed by many for Journey to Excellence, and though National moved their required training date for direct Leaders off a year, our council (under advice of National) has not..

 

And our council does not allow the test out, although I am promoting an alternative to the normal IOLS, which may make this a little lighter, but not much as our Council has many large things going on it the fall, so few will be able to run the alternative this Fall..

 

So, everyone in the council is looking for a course and "I'm the only one" (and no I am not a tigger)..

 

So, family & I have been brainstorming..

 

We have a premeeting one evening befor the IOLS weekend to do the skills for cooking & Backpacking and have the patrols sit down to organize equipment & meal planning and purchase of their food..

 

With this possible number we need them to still organize their own food, no way we will have the ice chests or space in our vehical to organize food for 50 to 100 people..

 

Possible solutions are:

 

1) to ask the other districts to hold the 3 hour preplanning meeting, not do food cooking, but just talk about meal planning, food prep & storage and the backpacking, so there are satalite places times people can go to and the pre-planning meeting is not a 3 hour drive for a 3 hour meeting in which they need to get there by 6pm (taking off time from work)..

2) A CD with the skills on it (sort of like on-line training).. With a quiz to make sure they did watch it, and have them organize food & equipment by email..

 

Then during the weekend, having a patrol cooking competition where we go around and they explain what they did and maybe something where all the patrols can try what everyone else made.. So they are getting ideas from each other.

 

Also during the IOLS weekend, we were looking at having multiple trainers for each skill and breaking them into smaller groups. And having some of us going around all the different groups makeing sure they know how much time they have left so they finish up at similar time, and helping where needed..

 

We drove up to look at the site I choose for it (never was there) and the place seems big enough to accomidate..

 

Any other suggestion on how we could possibly open this training up to all who need it this Fall, not put a max number of participants on it.. But make sure the training is up to the standards it should be at, and not have our total newbies get lost in the crowds but get the personalize individual attention that they need..

[ctbailey 10]

Moose - has the Council Training Chair been asked for resources? She may be able to round up several other District training committees to come and help... and maybe even bring "their" students?

 

All the districts are in the same boat - train train train!

[moosetracker 132]

Well I am planning, but I am also hoping that our Council Training Chair (CTC) also comes up with other solutions to lesson the burdon..

 

1) This mandated training is now not mandated by National but by council, so if no one else can swing a training this fall, can we drop our mandate?

2) Put together a council organized one and pull together all the districts who can't swing one on their own to unit into leading one..

3) have her tell me my max.. But we had a district run one for 50 this Spring..

 

Or maybe she can pull something out of her hat I have not thought of..

 

The district that had 50 participants thought it was a fabulous turn out and training.. So I plan to get suggestions from them also..

 

In my district I have a count of 63 who will need it before December registration.. I figure there will be those who just will not take the training and push the council to see if they really will drop the unit.. But I already am getting emails from other districts who see my training scheduled and are asking why my registration page is not up.. Answer, because I can't put a price tag on this training until I figure out a general idea on how we will run it.. (And since my son is the organizer, any suggestions made has to come under his approval)

 

I guess I am planning for the worst, and hoping that sometning happens that it will not come to that..

 

If you had to put a minimum number on the course.. Would you do :

1) First come, first serve..

2) SM first (they are the direct contact), ASM second, those currently in neither postion 3rd.

3) People in your own district first.. Everyone else second

 

Problem with 2 & 3 is that there are procrastinators, and I can't see makeing everyone wait to see if they got into the course or not.. Although 2 is more fair to who really needs the course by recharter time, 3 is probably selfish it is not fair to punish the unit leaders because their districts don't run a Fall course.. (And it seems to be that too, since I was told last Fall I was the only one running IOLS, someone did run OWLs though)

 

 

[ctbailey 10]

I know we in Arrowhead have been discussing this for months - the fact that we are going to have a rush of people to get trained this fall.

 

The Commissioner service is readying ourselves to be prepared to assist the district training committee if and when asked.

 

I would aim high, and not look to cap the attendance. Since the weekend is between WB1 and WB2, it only makes sense to utilize Hidden Valley if the OA hasn't all ready booked that weekend. I know the valley is very popular, so try and secure it as soon as possible. The canvas will still be up, and the kitchen can be fired up. (You'll need kitchen workers, of course in addition to your faculty.)

 

This way when the attendance eventually hits 200, you will have the facility to handle that many people.

 

i would set up the meals so they are "modular," and you can simply scale them up. I would also try and cut a deal with the Council food supplier, and have your produce and food delivered, similar to the way they supply the camp while in operation.

 

Then entire council needs this training, and "Direct Contact" includes EVERY REGISTERED LEADER except for registered committee members.

 

As for recruiting the training staff, you can not wait on this. You'll need to contact each District Training chair directly. You've met them all at the coordinated meetings in Concord.

 

This could be the best training event the Council has ever seen, and you'll be a hero! Commissioner staff's from each district are not the primary resource for trainers - the District Training committee is the first place to recruit trainers from.

 

Good luck - this is going to be epic! (When can I start encouraging the units that I provide commissioner service to to plan on attending IOLS in September?)

 

 

[moosetracker 132]

ctBaily,

 

Not yet, our CTC is out of town until around June 22, We were suppose to have a council Committee meeting May 30th, but it was put off as she was out of town, we will be holding it June 22 on her return.. One of the things on the agenda is how to get everyone trained before recharter, and my suggestion for an alternative for our experienced scouters, since we are not offering the test-out for them.. Until this meeting I really can't get ahold of her..

 

Yeah, if we go with multi groups breaking up our large groups into smaller groups, I will be looking for the other districts to ask if any of their trainers can help us out..

 

My problem I scheduled between woodbadge weekends. Alot of our District training Chairs, and a good number who staff their district trainings are staffing WB including me.. If it was ME, I don't know how gung-ho I would be to give up my weekend for resting. But, I know there are many who staff IOLS that will be free..

 

My biggest worry is the Plants & Animals. I have a list of 12 people, but I am hard pressed to get one of them on staff, they are all people who work weekends as tree cutters, or firemen or forestry etc..

 

We might have "Train, Train, Train" but with a Fall line-up of WoodBadge, a Jamboree (every 4 years), and another Air Show we are hosting I think all our trainers took the Fall season off, even though it is the season before our council is pushing manditory training at recharter time.

 

I was not going to do BS specifics, but have had a few crys of "Please" and will most likely be adding it..

[ctbailey 10]

Moose,

 

You've got a huge task ahead of you.

 

IMHO, you should approach this less like a district event, but more like a mini-UOS.

 

Sure, there are alot of people on WB staff - about 30, maybe 40? There are thousands of registered people in the Council who are not on WB staff - and there are a huge amount of folks who are not allowed to be on WB staff, because they have not been through WB21.

 

Don't let anyone poo-poo a huge undertaking, just simply because "it has never been done before" or - "we don't do it like that."

 

You've go my email. Let me know how I can help.

 

craig

[moosetracker 132]

ctbailey - You sound just like my son who I am putting in charge of this.. I told him to come to the forum, to talk to you.. I know you two will hit if off with the intense excitement for this that is going to match his..

 

The spot we selected Pemi fish & game, would hold 100, but not 200.. If you guys really want to ramp it up, then fine I don't see why it would not hurt to call council and see what they have, although I know that last time I tried for HV one year in advance, nothing was available on any weekend for one and ahalf months.. We ended up at Bell, which wasn't too bad for us..

 

To plan something as big as getting the camp to supply food, my son can check with our Park Ranger/chef out there, then decide if we provide, or they organize as patrols..

 

Some of this I have to tread carefully, I have a tendancy to hand of a project to someone, then make some decisions I think are minor, to have my organizor upset with me not coming to them.. So I have to learn to make suggestions, and then leave it to my organizers to figure out what & how to get it done.. So some of the "you" is not "me" but the person I put in charge, as in contacting the other district trainers.. Good idea, I can nag son a little (not alot) about following that recommendation..

 

But, I do think my son will need to organize and surround himself with a group of people who have good knowledge in organizing large gatherings to pull this off. He is gung-ho, but young, and should work with an expirenced staff who is not (mom & dad) especially if we go large and as you state "epic".. Although Mom can stomp on him a bit, being the Council Training Chair.

 

It will be great exposure for him, but I do have some of OGE worries.. (where did his prediction of disaster go??) If we can pull it off it would be awesome, but if we do not organize it well, and by well I would like to see some expirenced scouters on staff at the early planning stages.. It could be a disaster..

 

Just remember.. Jamboree, WB, and Air Show.. We are spreading our expirienced scouters throughout our council very thin currently and on through the Fall season, as there are currently running planning committees for all of them..

[MoosetheItalianBlacksmith 13]

Dont worry....I'll get it together.....I like big....big is cool.

 

Ive already come up with some of the ideas on how to make it work. Like the video for the cooking demo with quiz. I did this since it is impractical to have everybody drive to us 2ce to get a basic training. But the quiz is going to be implemented due to the fact that it is a part of the course and they need to view it but if the video is sent to them they have far too great a likely hood of never watching it.

 

I figured we can set up patrols and give them each others contact info so that they can meet or communicate over email in order to plan for whose bringing what for camping supplies and food. I want them to cook as part of the IOLS is to teach them how to go out into the woods and camp and make food for themselves.....if we do it for them then they dont learn anything from it.

 

I will admit finding trainers for this event will be a little harder than usual especially seeing as they way I look at it some stuff will have to be round robined and we quite often have trainers come in teach 1 course and then leave again. I know a few people that arent on training lists that might be able to help out. And I myself have had experience in all of these areas being an eagle scout.

 

It will take some more planning but I think it will still turn out well in the end. Bigger always makes for more interesting.....and a lot of fun. But just because its bigger doesnt mean we can skimp them on any training they should get the full experience and I dont see why they cant have it. They have a right to the same great training as everybody else.

 

[Basementdweller 608]

big can also be a waste of time.

 

Big does not allow for individual attention

 

Big does not allow for discussion

 

 

I would rather run multiple IOLS courses of 10-20 participants instead.

[moosetracker 132]

I think ctBaileys email is on the contact list I gave you. Talk to him, he may have some different ideas..

 

Video is an option but not quite sold on it yet.. I think I am more partial to the small satalite 3 hour trainings, in different parts of the state, Or when people register, asking them some questions, and making sure an expirienced Scouter who just has not taken IOLS is on each patrol & made patrol Leader, to organize the equipment & food.. But, CT has some ideas for providing food which does not have to be jammed into our small utility wagon with all the other paraphnalia, and it would be worth listening to.. I am a little leery of organizing for last minute registrations though..

 

Some problems I have with the video, is that everyone is demanding all on-line training.. The IOLS is not something to be on-line, but if we start down the avenue of making a few things on video, they may start looking for more & more, until we get to that digital campfire program.. Sort of a slippery slope.. And one, I see other districts frowning on it.. If we invite trainers from other districts, you want them to feel the training was done in our district the right way..

 

Just things to think about, and a reason to check out others ideas on the subject, before deciding on any specific way to go. Door is open to ideas and peoples veiwpoints on good ways to handle it at this point...

[moosetracker 132]

Basement - you are right.. Which is why if we go big, we have to splice off into small, or it will not work.. As CTBailey said sort of Scouting U style, where there is alot of people, but small individual classes.

 

If we can not do small individual classes, and personalized attention it would be better to downsize..

[qwazse 4345]

MIB - you're spot-on with the cookin.

 

The challenge is to make sure you have diverse patrols. Get info on students' outdoor experience when they sign up so you can assign well.

 

That's what our district did when I took this way-back-when, and we had a fun patrol. I think we learned as much from each other as we did from the staff.

 

I credit the staff in that course to the start of my geocaching odessey. (The guy just mentioned it obliquely in the orienteering demo, and I was hooked.)

 

Look for youth staff (maybe the O/A lodge chief or local camp directors know a scout or venturer who showed exceptional teaching skills -- or was good at teaching a particular skill). There is nothing worse than a bunch of outdoorsmen watching an adult trainer fail to start his demonstration fire.

[5yearscouter 52]

Just helped with NYLT,

and in our council we have patrol boxes with pots, pans, gear, lanterns, stoves, etc. we have 10 patrol box set ups, and can train about 100-120 scouts assigned to patrols that way, without worrying about equipment.

 

Just a suggestion that you've probably already thought of. If you had access to that kind of supplies thing, you could break your groups into patrols, send out the patrol list of members that live close to each other, have them make their menu, email it for approval(if you do that) and have them take care of sharing payment for their own food for the patrol. advise them to share tents and bring the proper gear for an overnight campout however the patrol is able to figure it out. Of course you would need them to meet and determine their patrol leader before doing this. you could appoint a training staff troop guide to each patrol ahead of time, to make sure they've done as much prep work as they need to do ahead of time.

 

Then rotate them thru training sessions by patrols, or 2 patrols together at a time to make it easier to instruct.

 

 

 

[MoosetheItalianBlacksmith 13]

That would be why were going to have the round robin going..so they are in smaller classeswhere more discussion and individualized attention can take place.

 

I understand that people can get lost in a crowd. But by breaking it up you dont have the crowd effect going on and we dont have the pain in the ass time of setting up multiple courses.

 

When you dont have enough trainers due to other things going on or just plain not enough trainers ..Its hard to set up multiple training courses. In some cases its easier to set up a bigger course so you dont have to do everything multiple times. Even the people in charge of training are volunteers.

 

So by doing this we have one difficult event we need to plan for and people get trained and still have their individual attention. Instead of multiple courses and multiple times it needs to be set up.

 

It the best of both worlds..and Ill repeat its just plain cool.

 

 

Even this way they get more individual attention then if they were to take an online course (not that they offer it for IOLS). They meet new people that they can turn to with questions or when they need help long after the course. Both Trainers and their individuals in their patrols..they may even make friends outside of their own patrol. They will get individuals experiences of what works and what doesnt.

 

It will be big and focused on the individuals while having a lot of comradery.

 

If you look at the fact that Wood Badge is a big training course and they still get their individual attention and discussion time. Then what is the problem with a large IOLS course.

 

The training of a few with the comradery of many!!

 

Go big or go home!!

 

[MoosetheItalianBlacksmith 13]

The previous message was directed at basement dwellers post all the other ones since then showed up while I was writing.

 

I am going to be splitting people into patrols as we always do in IOLS I have no interest in bring food for them which is why a cooking demo needs to be done before going so they can all get together and figure out in some way via email or actually getting together what they want to make and whose bringing what.

 

I dont picture the video for cooking being a problem due to the fact that it needs to be done before going to the training and a lot of this training cannot be done online. We dont have to put it out for everyone just for the individuals that are going to be coming to training. For smaller courses the pre meeting would work fine. But Im very leery of that for the bigger course as were not sure whos gonna be in what patrols and if they are going to pre-meeting I want them to meet with their patrols.

 

I have to go to my law class but I thank you all for your suggestions.if you have more just let me know and Ill try to respond when I can.