Training Advice

[JJ--Life for Life]

First time poster here, long time lurker! I have recently been asked to teach the Troop Advancement Chair training class at an upcoming University of Scouting that our council is having. I have never taught at one of these events. Unfortunately I am not the Advancement Chair for the troop that I am associated with. That being said, I do keep up with any advancement changes that are implemented by BSA and feel that I can do this justice (I am a teacher for a living). I just want to make sure that I provide material that troop advancement chairs will deem useful and informative.

 

My question to those on this forum is this: What do you expect from a training such as this? I want to make sure that what I present is appropriate for the session and useful to those that attend.

 

Thanks,

 

JJ

[LeCastor]

Welcome, JJ! Personally, I enjoy when a presenter engages the audience in a discussion rather than simply lecture to the crowd. Also, it's great to get a list of resources I can use when I get back to my house, office, Troop meeting space, etc.

[qwazse]

First and formost References. That would include contact info the council advancement committee and district advancement chairs. If you could invite any of them to drop by the class, it would be a big boost.

 

Secondly, you want low tech and high tech solutions. So if you know how a troop handles each, two case studies would be good. If your council has best practices, you want to promote them.

 

You might be the only training this person will attend, so your personal philosophy matters. If you believe (as I do) that advancement is best tracked first in a boys handbook, then he brings it from time to time to the Advancement chair to copy into the troop's record, say so sometime in the beginning, middle, and the end of your talk.

 

If you think differently, open with "Unlike those whacky scouters in internet land ..."

[TAHAWK]

Great advice.

 

I would present advancement in its context as one of the eight BSA "methods." (I work with a SM who thinks Scouting is only about advancement,)

 

Try to leave time for Q&A. Some of the best learning comes out of discussion as LeCaster suggests. (If neither you nor a participant has the "A," don't be afraid to say you don't know but will get back to them.)

[fred johnson]

Agreed. Mix it up. Some low tech. Some high tech. Some "What ifs".

 

Mix it up also about technical details (rules, paperwork, etc) versus philosophy versus how to run a program.

 

Here's a great video that I'd use during the presentation ... It's from BSA and it's about three minutes ...

 

Tracking advancement ... Stick to the main official stuff. Scout handbook. Blue Cards. BSA online advancement. Teach them how to use each or at least introduce. I'd avoid TroopMaster or other tools as they just duplicate what must be done. I'd mention the other tools, but don't waste too much time. There are many scouters like myself who believe TroopMaster does way more damage than it helps.

 

Teach them how to get the answers for themselves ... BSA Guide To Advancement.

 

Teach them about Ask Andy, BSA Advancement News, Scouter.com, MeritBadge.com and other useful sites where you can learn more.

 

Good luck. I think you are teaching a great course and if you do it well you can really help the future of many scouts.

 

[SSScout]

Would Scouts join and STAY in Scouts if there was ONLY advancement? Earning little colorful scraps of cloth?

What is the PURPOSE of "Advancement" ? One of the methods? Methods for WHAT? Is a Merit Badge, all by itself, "advancement"? Does a Second Class Scout really show he has "advanced" if he is awarded the First Class patch? "Advancement " , the word implies going forward, or improving.... forward ? from what lesser state? Improving? Getting better.... at what? Building a fire? Tie a knot better? Faster? Be ready to apply first aid?

If some one KNOWS you are a Scout, does your "advancement" to a higher rank mean they should expect MORE from you, as a Scout?

Just a few questions for your discussion......

[T2Eagle]

Please be sure that you are clear on when you are giving verified BSA policies and practices, and when you are providing an example of how you or your troop do it. See for instance some of the recent threads about Blue Cards, BORs, etc. Months, or even years from now, you don't want to be the source for someone saying "well in training they said we could ask a scout to come back another time if we just didn't feel he was 'Star material' yet."

[JJ--Life for Life]

Thanks for all the great advice. I will definitely take everything suggested and keep it in mind as I prepare my lesson. Hopefully the participants will leave with useful information.