What is the purpose of roundtable?

[JerseyScout]

What is the purpose(s) of District Roundtables? What should be going on at them? I recently attended my first one and it seemed to me to be an absolute mess. I suspect that its either because a) I've never been to one and don't know better or else b) my district is in more trouble than I thought.

 

But I don't know what I'm supposed to me attending, maybe it was run perfectly.

[John-in-KC]

Roundtable is a function of the Commissioner's Service. It's first major function is to present the National Program for the coming month(s) to direct contact unit Scouters.

 

To do that, each major program (Cub, Boy, Venturing) has a designated Commissioner for the event, and each RT Commish has a staff. I've never seen a Varsity Huddle, so I cannot tell you about those.

 

How Districts implement RT depends on the District. In mine, we share a facility and a night. We also share a common area "the District Mall." Each RT commish ensures we train the program, but we also have a host of breakout sessions. In the District I serve, we strive to provide the Unit-serving Scouter "one-stop shopping:"

 

- Cub Scout RT is running a model Pack meeting, and has breakout sessions for T, W/B, Web and Pack leadership.

 

- Boy Scout RT has sessions devoted to the Program theme, as well as specific skill trainings, as well as a host of common displays (MB of the month, first aid skill of the month, Knotmasters, and on, and on, ...)

 

- The Professional staff has a table, and will take anything that needs to go to Council.

 

- The District Commissioner has a table, but you'll usually find him gripping, grinning and listening around the building

 

- The District Advancement Operating Committee does Eagle Leadership Service Project reviews.

 

- The District Training Operating Committee furnishes:

-- This is Scouting

-- Youth Protection

-- Merit Badge Counselor Orientation (together with the Advancement Committee)

 

- The District Relationships Operating Committee provides a Religous Emblems Display coordinator. (He's also up on religous emblems programs going on in our District).

 

- The District Activities and Camping Operating Committees have tables and sometimes more (like when Camporee or Webelos Woods rolls round).

 

- The OA Chapter meets concurrently (it's a rides thing)

 

 

We typically have 250 Scouters and 50 Scouts between everything going on.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Wow. We say the Pledge, do announcements, sing happy birthday and have cookies.

[emb021]

John in KC pretty much covered it, but basically Roundtables are ongoing supplemental training. Note that: its training. If its been turned into nothing but announcements, someone has lost sight of the purpose of it.

 

 

 

Varsity Scout Huddles are just like Boy Scout RT, but they are focused on Varsity Scout Leaders.

 

Venturing RT (now called Monthly Program Forum, but most still call them Roundtables) are different in that its for both youth and adults. So some will have breakouts for just youth and just adults, and everyone together. Its also a means for crew leaders to met each other and prehaps pool resources.

 

[eaglescout1996]

Wow John! I only wish our RTs were that together.

 

For us, I think it's sort of a staff thing. Many of the RT "Commissioners" are UC and have to do double duty. My wife, who is only two months into Scouting and serves on the district committee doing PR work, was wrangled into working as a CS RT staff member.

 

We cover about 75% of what you do, along with having the Chapter meeting at the same time/place...and only have about 1/5 of the turnout. I was visiting a Pack meeting last night and trying to convince the new CM and some DLs to come to RT...it being only two blocks away from the Church/School that they meet. Only problem, all the adult leaders are members of the K of C Council that meets at that church, and it's the same day and time as RT...which the reason I don't go to my K of C meetings.

[Mafaking]

 

"Wow. We say the Pledge, do announcements, sing happy birthday and have cookies. "

 

 

Sniff! I wish we got cookies. All we get are old Wood badge cups and pens that usually say "Jerry's Tires and Service". And we have ti stay til 9:00 to get the stuff.

 

You go because you know you will see Mr W or Mr X there and you want to go over Y and Z items with them.

 

 

 

 

[BadenP]

John's roundtable is more the ideal rather than realistic, after serving in four councils and six districts I have never seen a roundtable as well organized as John describes. Most roundtables attract about 10-15% of the district volunteers, and most of them are Cubs, a handful of troop leaders, and very few venturing leaders. The purpose is to share news, information and resources on the local, regional and national level, and to exchange ideas with your fellow volunteers. Even a roundtable with a small turnout can be very worthwhile if it is well organized by the roundtable commissioners.

[John-in-KC]

Baden,

 

I invite you on the First Thursday of each month, 730PM opening (7 pre opening) to the Internationally Famous North Star District, Heart of America Council District Roundtable. We meet at the Cerner Corporation River Port Training Center, I-435 and Missouri 210 Hwy, KC, MO.

 

2 RT Commish back, we had a guy who did his Commish College thesis on integrating RT as one stop shopping. It's been our working vision ever since.

 

OH! We don't do EBORs because our District uses Unit EBOR with District Guest.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[gwd-scouter]

Wow, John, I have to say I've never in my sixteen years of Scouting ever attended a roundtable such as you describe. Talk about the perfect world of Scouting!

 

Here in my District, where the real world seems to have settled, the same ol' folks come to hear the same ol' announcements. I go because I need to speak to the DE, talk about something with another SM, bounce an idea off another, or just to say hi to the the folks.

 

We don't get any cookies or prizes either. Sheesh.

 

edited for typo(This message has been edited by gwd-scouter)

[BadenP]

John if I am ever in KC I will look you up, you are indeed extremely fortunate to have such a talented visionary as your roundtable commish. Maybe he/she could give classes or create a dvd to train other RT commissioners how to do it right.

[John-in-KC]

I'll make sure to put a note in when it's time for our 2010 Commish College. We do the RT Staff/RT Commish program annually. My District has been the core of the staff for some years.