hypothetical Pack needs your help!

[dsteele 20]

John:

 

So your question comes down to "what's the best position I can take in the pack to help fix the situation?" That's what it seems like to me.

 

My answer -- is . . .

 

Any one of them. Den leader, Committee Chair, COR, parent, whatever.

 

My previous answer was an attempt to refer to difference between what is supposed to be and what may be. That would be the difference between what the book says is supposed to happen and what actually is the case. Hence the differentiation between "hypothetical and reality."

 

The by the book answer is, become the COR. Then you could appoint whatever leaders you select (with the approval of the chartered organization.)

 

You could become the Committee Chair. Then you're responsible for approving all leaders (unless the CR chooses to sign off on them without you.)

 

What I'm getting at is the difference between position and influence.

 

Position without action = not much

Influence without position = pretty much.

 

You mentioned peer pressure. Interesting stuff, peer pressure. It's what drives the good conduct candle, (in many ways) the patrol method, and our volunteer structure.

 

So what's to prevent you from using it in the pack, regardless of whether you're a den leader, Cubmaster, Committee Chair, Chartered Rep or a parent?

 

Ask some questions -- politely. Such as, "Don't you think our boys deserve trained leaders? The next training is . . ." (This won't work if you bash the training.)

 

Ask about when the next committee meeting will happen. Offer to teach your fellow den leaders how to use the Program Helps. Heck, tell them you didn't get as much out of the last training you attended as you wanted to, and offer to drive them to the next one so you can get the rest of your questions answered.

 

Now that I've attempted to make my point with logic, kindly allow your old Uncle to give you an illustration in the form of a true story:

 

I was the Scoutmaster of a troop for a while. When I took it over, it had 2 boys. Here's the story of how I ended up no longer being the Scoutmaster.

 

In the day when I took over as Scoutmaster, there was no real CR or Committee chair. I talked to the church, of which I was a member, and we recruited a CR. Then a committee chairman.

 

Since I had recruited them, they did what I told them to do. Not the way it's supposed to go, but that was the reality.

 

Fast forward 3 years -- the troop picked up 18 webelos and their parents.

 

One day, an Assistant Scoutmaster called me. He was one of the parents of the new Webelos in the troop. He said, "I was reading the Scoutmaster handbook you gave me. Do we have PLC's?"

 

I said, "No. We should, but I just don't have time." He couldn't see it over the phone, but he was playing into my hands.

 

He said, "I could host one. We could have it at our house. If you'll help me with the agenda, I'm sure we can make it happen."

 

The guy didn't know it at the time, but he was well on his way to being a Scoutmaster. Three months later, I was out and he was in . . . which was by design.

 

Anyone in the unit can affect change within the unit. For good or ill, we are all volunteers in units.

 

My advice -- don't nag or try to take over, but make suggestions that work and bring all the tools you can get into play. Things will begin to turn around or fall apart. Those really are the two options.

 

It's axiomatic -- if you do something, things will either get better or get worse. IF they get better, you're part of the solution. If not . . .

 

Gonna spin off this thread and get into the training thought . . .

 

Unc.