Another step toward Boy-Run

[gwd-scouter 11]

Apologies in advance for the long post.

 

Whatever you call it, Boy-Run, Boy-Led, Scout-Led, etc., our little troop made one more step toward that goal.

 

Without rehashing my posts from the past two years, I will state that we are a young troop and have always been a small troop. I have been SM for almost two years and am the 5th SM in about nine years. Troop began well, all young guys aged 11-12, eager SM, ASMs and Troop Committee. But, aside from setting up a couple of patrols and having SPLs, PLs and other leaders (in name only) that's about as close as our troop ever came to running like a Boy Scout Troop.

 

By the time I came along, SM was doing all the planning and pretty much every adult leader position. He even bought and most of the time cooked meals for campouts. Boys just came along for the ride. Very few outings per year since almost everyone had lost interest.

 

For the past two years I've been writing on the forum about the ups and downs of our progress of changing our troop to follow the Boy Scout methods.

 

The first year was our "hold it together" year. Didn't give the boys much responsibility. Mostly tried to revive our nonexistent recruiting efforts, work toward getting at least three guys to commit to an outing each month, and spoon feed program content to the SPL and the few other youth leaders we had. Also worked endlessly on the adults - trying to get them to see "the vision." (Funny, but getting the adults to change around has actually been harder than the boys).

 

This past year, the spoon feeding continued, but they are beginning to get the idea. Lost a couple of older scouts (Eagled or aged out), but managed to recruit four new Scouts at the end of Spring. Had our first ever planning campout (August 2005) and as of our White Water Trip last month, have done every outing the guys put on the calendar. Now, they still didn't do all of the planning for all of those outings, but they did do the majority of them with a lot of helpful hints from the adults.

 

 

Last week, new leaders were elected/selected. Last night they had a PLC to plan the agenda for this weekend's annual planning campout. This is the first REAL PLC this troop has had in years. Meeting was originally schedule for Tuesday night. Our regular meetings are on Monday, but since it was Labor Day, the guys figured it would be better to schedule it for Tuesday. I was impressed when the SPL later called to ask if it was OK to have the meeting on Monday instead since he and one of the other scouts had a soccer game on Tuesday. I know, it isn't much, but it's communication, it's compromise, it's taking control of their troop, it's a great big step.

 

So, meeting was held Labor Day evening. After an introduction (by me) to what it is they were expected to do, the 2 ASMs and myself went upstairs and had our own planning meeting and left the scouts to themselves.

 

We heard a lot of discussion. Guys talking over each other. But, about an hour later, I went back downstairs to see about their progress. They said they were just wrapping up and began to tell me the plans. I have to say, I could have done it better myself, but not by much. The schedule they came up with was fairly close to what I would have done. They did include a few more blocks of free time, but explained that those times were for when disasters happen. And, as the SPL said to me, "you know Mrs. B, there are ALWAYS disasters." Their reasoning was that if any of the work/planning time gets out of control and/or the scouts begin to lose interest or focus, they will just eat into the free/fun time.

 

Before we left, I explained to the PLC that they must plan to have such a meeting once a month, a few weeks out from an upcoming campout, at which time they will plan the campout and the weekly meetings leading up to it. So, before leaving last night, the PLC already decided that they will have their meetings on the Monday following a campout. This means, of course, that their very next PLC is next week (following this weekend's campout) and they will work on plans for the fall camporee scheduled for October 13-15.

 

I left last night's PLC with high spirits. I left with the feeling that these guys finally get what I've been trying to do these past two years. In many ways, their level of commitment is beginning to match my own.

 

But, I also left with a little bit of fear. Of all the changes we've made over the past two years, this is the scariest point we've faced. Am I truly ready to give and are the boys truly ready to receive the reigns of this troop? I think so. It won't be easy, but it is the right thing to do. They are ready. They will make mistakes, but they will learn more from those mistakes than any training I have given them.

 

Yep, we're ready for that next big step. Can't wait to see what happens! :-)

[t158sm 10]

Congratulations. Progress toward boy led is great, isn't it?

Yes gwd, it can be scary and hard to let go. But the rewards are worth it. Keep up the good work and hold the course. It's worth the effort in the end.

[orennoah 11]

The BEST, the absolute BEST, time being a Scoutmaster is when you can sit back just watch the Troop run itself, without any obvious further input from you. Of course, they'll ask when they need help and you'll, at times, appropriately make an observation or - if needed - a suggestion.

 

Train 'em and let 'em lead. You'll be amazed at where they go.

 

(Besides. It's the best ever situation. If the Troop screws something up, the boys take the blame. After all, it's a boy-led troop. However, if the Troop really excels, it's to your credit. After all, you're the Scoutmaster! You simply CAN'T lose.)

 

- Oren