A New (Re)Start

[pargolf44067 57]

Well, last night was my first official meeting as the returning SM.  We had a parent/committee meeting that I gave my report at with all the events that were coming up, while the SM I am replacing was working with the boys.

 

I think the old SM knew some of the things that we had done in the past were going to get resurrected and he was great about it.  The boys separated themselves into two patrols.  Although we supposedly had patrols, they never sat together or camped together, so this was an important first step. They even came up with their patrol names (one of them crazy sounding to me, but I am an old fart!).   As I came into the meeting from the parent meeting I heard him tell the boys that they were going to have to start doing more detailed planning and asked me when we were going to do the annual planning meeting (something he hadn't done in the two years that he was SM).  He actually seemed relieved last night that he wasn't the SM going forward. I also heard that he went over the individual positions with the boys and indicated that if they got a position they were going to really be held accountable to their duties, again, something that didn't seem to be done recently.  I appreciate that he is helping to transition the boys back to the patrol method/boy led troop that we had before instead of pushing against it.  

[LeCastor 641]

Congratulations, @@pargolf44067, for stepping up as Scoutmaster.  Did you have a discussion with the out-going Scoutmaster prior to his talking with the Scouts about being "held accountable to their duties," "doing more detailed planning," etc?  Or was that just his take on things?  I'm merely curious.

 

I hope the outgoing SM will stay on and help you implement Scouting as it should be.  You can never have too many volunteers, right? 

[pargolf44067 57]

@@LeCastor,

 

The outgoing SM actually replaced me and saw how the troop was working when he was ASM and I was SM before.  He changed things to a point where we really weren't in patrols and it was becoming boy led.  When I agreed to come back, he and I had some discussion and I asked questions about the patrols and how the planning was being done.  So I think he kind of knew that I would be going back to how it had been done and was more than willing to help facilitate that.

 

He is staying on as a volunteer.  He still has two boys in the troop and he really enjoys working with the boys.  He had some work issues and I really don't think he liked all the administrative stuff that went along with the position.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

Good luck!