Adult Leadership Issues

[BrandonR 10]

Hello, first time poster here. I'm currently Senior Patrol Leader of a troop out in New Jersey that has A LOT of issues right now. Two of our adult leaders are the most negative and unwelcoming people you will ever meet, despite what they say. They have scared Cub Scouts away from the troops and we have not had any Cub Scouts join our troop as Boy Scouts since the winter of 2004. Many parents have complained about these two leaders, but the Scoutmaster simply says "if you would get involved then I could get rid of them". Obviously I have to agree with him here, since the commitment level from parents is pitiful, but the fact remains that if something is not done then this troop could be dead by 2008. Does anyone have any reccomendations on how to block these people out so they can stop scaring away the children? I'm the Chief of Sakuwit Lodge 2 in the OA and I've found it's easier to run a Lodge than it is to be SPL of a troop. Curious, isn't it?

 

Thanks in advance.

[baden 10]

Welcome to the forum Brandon. It is great to have a Scout participate.

 

On to your problem. You are correct in your assessment. Cub Scouts are the life blood of a Troop. You need to do all you can to get these young guys to transition to Boy Scouting. As to your frightening leaders, have you discussed this with your Scoutmaster? He must be aware of the situation. As far as blocking these adults, there is very little I can think of for the SPL to do that would be effective. The person that has the power to do something is the COR (chartered organization representative). They have the authority to approve and/or remove adult leaders. You might ask your Scoutmaster to talk to the COR.

 

One reason that it is easier to run a Lodge is that the people that are active in OA especially at the chapter or Lodge level tend to be very committed Scouts. Best of luck with your Troop

[BrandonR 10]

The Scoutmaster has been consulted on this issue numerous times in the past, yet he simply says "well, if I had more active parents, we wouldn't be in this situation". Rather arrogant, if I may say so myself. Let's take tonight for example. The Scouts were talking to Cub Scouts who were visiting about the upcoming Klondike Derby. The adults were getting pretty loud, loud enough to where I couldn't hear what the Scouts were saying. I was no more than six or seven feet away from the Scout. So, I interupt him for a moment and ask the leaders if they could quiet down just a bit, which I have every right to do as Senior Patrol Leader as it is my meeting. However, the Scoutmaster took it upon himself to tear into me and embarass me in front of my Scouts before going down to the lower level pissed off like a Daisy Scout. How am I supposed to talk to that?

 

Great leadership skills, old man....

[frank10 12]

Brandon,

Welcome to the camp fire. I feel your pain as I have seen this kind of thing bring down a great program...

One reminder, what you post here will still be on line long after the problem is solved.

[local1400 10]

Welcome Brandon and WOW I've got to say that I have never heard of this before but I am sure you're not alone. You're absolutely right you do run the meeting and must maintain order. I would suggest a meeting with all your Green Bar Scouts, all leaders, and the Troop Committee. Get it out in the open tactfully. I'd rather see hurt feelings than a dead troop. Use all the reference materials available to you including SPL/PLC handbooks. Always keep the Scout Oath and Law in the forefront and good luck to you.

[Gonzo1 10]

BrandonR,

Welcome,

It seems like you have a great challenge ahead of you. Have your parents volunteered? Also, talk to a couple of the parents of boys you like and know. Maybe they can help.

 

Good luck, I hope this works out.

 

Gonzo1

[SemperParatus 1]

It sounds like at least four folks in this unit have a bit of an attitude. As others have said, as SPL you have virtually no influence over which adults serve in volunteer positions. You do have major influence over how you will react to people you find to be disagreeable. What are your options? You can complain about them, you can confront them, you can go behind their backs and trash talk them down, you can ignore them, you can smile and work with them. Which option squares with the Scout Law?

[Lisabob 13]

Brandon, this sounds like a tough situation. I think you need to be careful about calling meetings of the scouts in your unit with the purpose of discussing the adult leadership, as a couple of people here have suggested. This is highly likely to backfire. As SPL you are in charge of the youth in the troop but like it or not, you have no voice in matters of choosing adult leadership, and the other scouts in the troop have (if possible) even less of a voice here. I'm sorry if that sounds a little harsh. But I think it is important to ask what the likely outcome of any course of action would be and, except for the momentary pleasure to be gained from venting, I don't think this is going to net you much benefit. Conversely, it may cause greater harm.

 

Now here's the other thing. It also isn't really the SM's job to recruit adult leadership. That's the chartered-organization representative's job (your sponsoring organization). In many troops in practical terms, it falls to the committee chair. In fact, the SM may be feeling like the weight of the world is (unfairly) on his shoulders if he is expected to be in charge of the youth side of the program (with you, of course) AND be involved in recruiting and retaining new adult leaders too. That might account for some of his apparent negativity. So if you feel you must discuss this situation, maybe include the committee chair in the conversation (this might also help keep things from devolving into a gripe session on the SM's part). But don't broaden it beyond there or it may become a free-for-all.

 

Now from the perspective of these parents who are scaring away new scouts. Bad policy on their part! But on the other hand, do they have legitimate concerns about how the troop is running? There may be long-standing issues that you aren't aware of here (I'm supposing that you have been SPL for under a year, is that right?). What they're doing sounds pretty unhelpful but from their perspective maybe they have good reason for warning people about the troop, given the dynamic you've described so far! Who would want to join that?

 

The committee chair's challenge, then, is to see whether a) some of these complaining people's energy can be put to more positive use in a way that is supportive of the SM rather than destructive of the troop (see a problem? ok let's work together toward fixing it) and b) to have a serious sit-down with the SM (without you) and try to come up with a common vision/plan for moving the troop forward in a positive manner. Without the SM's buy-in, forget it.

 

Part of leadership is being able to work with disagreeable people and getting them to perform well, as part of a team. Sometimes that requires you to bite your tongue and try again from a different angle. "Losing it" almost never works even if it makes you feel better in the very short term. In the situation you describe it is unfortunate that you are having to learn this with adults who should know better. Reality is though, there are a lot of misbehaving adults out there in the world!

 

On a very practical note - can you hold your meetings in a separate room from the adults? That might help with the immediate noise issue, and will remove the dynamic of you having to tell the adults what to do (like it or not, some adults just won't respond well to that even if you're within your rights as SPL to do it).

[John-in-KC 311]

Brandon,

 

If folks look closely at the Boy Scout Leader Fast Start video (I've not looked at the BSA online FS for boy scouts), one of the scenes is a troop committee meeting before a campout. The SPL is in attendance, reporting on program readiness under the supervision and coaching of the SM.

 

Brandon, carefully, and with deference to the adults, you might ask the SM to attend an upcoming committee meeting. I hope he'll say yes.

 

Next step will be to ask for a BOR including the Chairman and the SM. Never, ever, ever, blindside a key leader. That's a life lesson for you! Share your concerns with them before you go to the committee. Seek out ways the youth can contribute to solving the problem, especially the dying unit problem.

 

Assuming you are ok'd to go to Committee, DON'T attack the adults. You'll lose your credibility before you're done with your pitch. Instead, identify two challenges you see to effectively running your meeting and the life of the troop. If I read your post correctly, the two biggest challenges are:

 

- Too much noise from the adults.

- No Cubs joining.

 

Ask for committee assistance in solving these challenges.

 

Be prepared to offer up assistance to solving the challenges. Lisa offered one (separate areas for adults and youth).

 

Here's one for the Cubs joining: If you do not have young men already out in Packs serving as Den Chiefs, offer to twist Scouts' arms to put Den Chiefs in the field. Boy Socuts reaching back to Cub units are one of the best recruiting tools in your toolbox.

 

Keep us informed. Know we are rooting for you!

 

YIS