Maboot38 23 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 Hi all! I recently became Scoutmaster of our Troop in Maine, and joined this forum because our Troop has some great strengths but also some glaring challenges, and I'm sure I'll need plenty of advice. I'm trying to repair the patrol method in this troop, and bring things back to being truly scout led. I'm looking forward to future collaboration and conversation on this forum!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
RememberSchiff 3680 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 7 hours ago, Maboot38 said: Hi all! I recently became Scoutmaster of our Troop in Maine, and joined this forum because our Troop has some great strengths but also some glaring challenges, and I'm sure I'll need plenty of advice. I'm trying to repair the patrol method in this troop, and bring things back to being truly scout led. I'm looking forward to future collaboration and conversation on this forum!!! @Maboot38 welcome to scouter.com. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
DuctTape 1231 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Welcome. Pull up a stump to the virtual campfire and grab a cup of coffee. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
InquisitiveScouter 1656 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Welcome! Link to post Share on other sites
AwakeEnergyScouter 247 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Welcome! What is happening instead of the patrol method? Link to post Share on other sites
Maboot38 23 Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 19 hours ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said: Welcome! What is happening instead of the patrol method? Good question. So it's a long story, but I'm going to try not to write a novel to describe it. Essentially, our Troop has a number of problems. The first is that there are 2 troops, a girl troop and a boy troop, and prior to my joining, it was decided that the two troops would function as one, with the girls being a single patrol in the boy troop, and that there would be TWO SPLs!!! So that's part one where the methods break down. The second problem is that the troop does everything as a troop, not as patrols. Patrols don't plan together, don't shop together, don't cook together....and rarely really learn from each other. This troop has been very much adult led, with adults telling them what events they have coming up, leaving only the small details to the PLC to sort out. I'm trying to take all the adult cooks out of the kitchen and let the kids have a turn to make decisions. This is no easy chore. Some of our adults go so far as to strain pasta for their kids who are scouts on campouts, and pack their tents and sleeping bags. I'm trying to ask adults to be hands off, and just let me coach the SPL and Patrol leaders to TRY to lead. We have adult leaders who are incredible passionate and well meaning, but telling them they are doing it wrong an coaching them to be hands off and let the kids fail to learn is so difficult. We have a committee chair who insists on doing everything, and doesn't really want to delegate. They LOVE doing the work, so they don't complain, but there's no reason not to share responsibilities with the rest of the committee. I don't want the CC to burn out, but when I suggest that someone else could collect money, or track advancement, or coordinate a fundraiser, the CC always says "I've got it." I don't want to tell the committee what to do, because just as I want them to stay out of my lane with the scouts, I need to stay out of their lane and let them committee....so my main focus is to get the adults to leave the kids alone and go through me...at least until the scouts begin to feel like they are running the show. Link to post Share on other sites
InquisitiveScouter 1656 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 50 minutes ago, Maboot38 said: Patrols don't plan together, don't shop together, don't cook together....and rarely really learn from each other. This troop has been very much adult led, with adults telling them what events they have coming up, leaving only the small details to the PLC to sort out. I'm trying to take all the adult cooks out of the kitchen and let the kids have a turn to make decisions. This is no easy chore. Some of our adults go so far as to strain pasta for their kids who are scouts on campouts, and pack their tents and sleeping bags. You, my friend, are experiencing Webelos 3!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
DuctTape 1231 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 3 hours ago, Maboot38 said: Good question. So it's a long story, but I'm going to try not to write a novel to describe it. Essentially, our Troop has a number of problems. The first is that there are 2 troops, a girl troop and a boy troop, and prior to my joining, it was decided that the two troops would function as one, with the girls being a single patrol in the boy troop, and that there would be TWO SPLs!!! So that's part one where the methods break down. The second problem is that the troop does everything as a troop, not as patrols. Patrols don't plan together, don't shop together, don't cook together....and rarely really learn from each other. This troop has been very much adult led, with adults telling them what events they have coming up, leaving only the small details to the PLC to sort out. I'm trying to take all the adult cooks out of the kitchen and let the kids have a turn to make decisions. This is no easy chore. Some of our adults go so far as to strain pasta for their kids who are scouts on campouts, and pack their tents and sleeping bags. I'm trying to ask adults to be hands off, and just let me coach the SPL and Patrol leaders to TRY to lead. We have adult leaders who are incredible passionate and well meaning, but telling them they are doing it wrong an coaching them to be hands off and let the kids fail to learn is so difficult. We have a committee chair who insists on doing everything, and doesn't really want to delegate. They LOVE doing the work, so they don't complain, but there's no reason not to share responsibilities with the rest of the committee. I don't want the CC to burn out, but when I suggest that someone else could collect money, or track advancement, or coordinate a fundraiser, the CC always says "I've got it." I don't want to tell the committee what to do, because just as I want them to stay out of my lane with the scouts, I need to stay out of their lane and let them committee....so my main focus is to get the adults to leave the kids alone and go through me...at least until the scouts begin to feel like they are running the show. Yikes! You have your hands full. In order to enact change you will need (at least) one other adult on your side else change will be futile. You will also need the authority to make the hard (but correct) decisions. This requires the unequivocal support from the IH. With these two pieces, you have a chance. You then need to get all your ASMs trained in the Patrol Method. Link to post Share on other sites
Maboot38 23 Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 13 minutes ago, DuctTape said: Yikes! You have your hands full. In order to enact change you will need (at least) one other adult on your side else change will be futile. You will also need the authority to make the hard (but correct) decisions. This requires the unequivocal support from the IH. With these two pieces, you have a chance. You then need to get all your ASMs trained in the Patrol Method. IH? I actually have the support of pretty much every adult in the troop but it is somewhat challenging because the girl Troop has a scoutmaster and therefore we have two scoutmasters and two senior patrol leaders and it’s kind of messy. Link to post Share on other sites
DuctTape 1231 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 IH = Institutional Head. Basically the head honcho. If you have the support, have a sit down with the girls troop SM and do a full split. Then have an individual session with each ASM to get them on your page. Do not try to do this as a group. If the ASM is not on board, thank them for their service and let them know they are no longer needed as an ASM. Harsh? Yep. But their job is to support you. If they are not on board, they will undermine you every step of the way. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
scoutldr 732 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 You seem to have a good grasp of how it should work. Congratulations! Scouts BSA is NOT a co-ed program and was never intended to be. The boy troop and girl troop are separate units and should operate that way. Anyone who disagrees is in violation of BSA policy. Good luck and welcome. Link to post Share on other sites
AwakeEnergyScouter 247 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 This doesn't seem to be an everyone together problem, this seems to be a too many cooks of the wrong kind in the kitchen problem. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Maboot38 23 Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 2 hours ago, scoutldr said: You seem to have a good grasp of how it should work. Congratulations! Scouts BSA is NOT a co-ed program and was never intended to be. The boy troop and girl troop are separate units and should operate that way. Anyone who disagrees is in violation of BSA policy. Good luck and welcome. Yes, the problem is that prior to my time here, this is how the troop was set up, and there are currently 5 girls in the girl troop, and they do not have their own resources, so they really are very embedded in the boy troop. I know this isn't what BSA wants, but I do know that the girls do not want to go 30 minutes away and merge with another troop, nor are they really able to be fully self sufficient, and I don't want to crush their passion for scouting. Currently working with our Unit Commissioner to fine a solution. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Maboot38 23 Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 1 hour ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said: This doesn't seem to be an everyone together problem, this seems to be a too many cooks of the wrong kind in the kitchen problem. Yes and yes Link to post Share on other sites
Armymutt 217 Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 A 5-Scout troop is doable. I know a troop near St. Louis that hasn't had much more than that for the past 25 years. It actually made logistics easy. You'll have to coach the kids a bit more if they are inexperienced, but it can be fun. As far as resources, what do you mean? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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