Rogue ASM

[kb6jra 10]

I''d thought I would share this issue and get some objective advice, too. Sorry in advance for the length.

 

Every summer our troop plans and carries out a high adventure trip. Our previous Scoutmaster is a legendary backpacker. He started the troop as a Backpacking only troop, and since I''ve joined and taken over as Scoutmaster, we have made few changes in the way we approach our outdoor program, simply because it works.

 

When we recruit for new boys and parents, we invite Webelos dens to hike with us for the day. We usually start out with a flat city day hike of 5 miles RT or less. We play ball at a park, or Frisbee, just have some fun with the kids, then we hike back to the meeting place for a BBQ. The second hike is in the mountains, sometimes the first wilderness experience for the boys and their parents. We want them to know what we''re all about before they make a commitment to join, that way there''s no misunderstanding about our program.

 

This last summer we tried to plan 3 separate trips for 3 ability levels of our scouts. Only our Regular Scout patrol''s trip went through, the others disintegrated when the boys dropped out and made the trips un necessary. This trip had 5 scouts and 3 adults (The previous SM, and 2 ASMs) participate. Althought it was only 20% of our troop, it was a wonderful trip to be sure and they all came back with lots of stories and great memories.

 

They also came back with a plan to change the troop. Somehow they got to talking about how much fun they had, how they wanted to keep this feeling going and what they thought about their troop mates. A lot of this rhetoric was started by the adults, particularly the previous SM and his nephew, an ASM. The conversation morphed into changing the patrol structure of the troop. These 5 boys were to pick 3 others to make a full patrol and they would become the high adventure patrol. Sounded like a great idea to them, and not too bad as ideas go. What happened next is the issue.

 

On their return, the previous SM called me and told me about the trip, how proud he was of the boys, how they''d become great backpackers and how they performed as a team. He ran down all the great things that happened and then he talked about their plan to re-distribute the patrols. I said it sounded like something we could work on and make happen for them. I wanted to have it presented to the PLC first however, so they could have some good input. He agreed that would be the best way to go.

 

That night he spoke to his nephew, an ASM Patrol Adviser for this group of boys. His patrol has 9 boys in it, only 5 could attend this trip. The previous SM told his nephew that I was on board with the plan and that all they needed todo was present it to the PLC and it was a done deal. The ASM called the 5 boys and their parents, told them about the new patrol, how it was a forgone conclusion, then he called the 3 boys they wanted to invite and their parents and had them all show up an hour early before the next meeting.

 

I arrive at the next meeting and there is just a huge crowd of people. I really didn''t think anything of it, it was nice to see so many of the boys actually show up early. I arrive typically 45 minutes early to get the place opened up and available for kids to get stuff signed off. A couple of the kids from this group had started a conversation with the previous SM just before the meeting. I walked up to say hello, the previous SM pushed them toward me and said "you should talk to the Scoutmaster about this". They were lobbying me about the plan, they had a few good ideas but no real answers about how the rest of the troop would be handled. That never really crossed their minds.

 

Anyway, we started the meeting. I walked into the meeting room, the SPL had things under control it seemed, so I left for a short conversation with a parent. Upon my return the room was oddly segregated. I noticed they had formed the "new patrol" and left the leftover boys at their patrol tables without any leadership of any kind. The SPL was wondering what was going on but didn''t question it because the boys had been moved around by the ASM (previous SM''s nephew). I asked what was going on, the boys told me that Mr. X had told them to make the change. The "leftover" boys were looking a bit discouraged and I''d say disenfranchised. I gathered them up into one group and asked the SPL to give them some special attention.

 

At this time I went out of the room and spoke to the ASM that made the change. I said "I don''t like what I see, there are boys in there that are lost and they have no leadership". His answer was that "Well, I''ve basically cherry picked the troop" and grinned. I told him it wasn''t going to work out. "We''ve agreed to disagree on these points in the past" he said. I looked at him in disbelief. He tore my troop apart and could have cared less. I told him that he had no right or authority to make these types of changes, and that at any rate being the Scoutmaster I would have liked to be consulted at some point.

 

After the meeting the previous SM approached the PLC and they were discussing the change. I walked up and (fuming) instructed them that we needed to sit down and work out all the problems before they would be able to make the changes, and all issues needed to be addressed to my satisfaction.

 

I locked up, the previous SM waited with me and asked what was bothering me. I chewed on him for a good 30 minutes and let him know how disappointed I was in him (he''s 71 years old) and his nephew for doing this horrible thing to the boys, not to mention what they did to me. He told me there must have been a misunderstanding, because after our conversation we "agreed" that a reorganization would work. I reminded him that we were sit down and work it out on paper, just like we''ve done in the past, making sure we had all the bases covered. He acknowledged that we didn''t get it right this time and he apologized.

 

I sent out an email the next day to the ASMs and told them we''d have a meeting to discuss this issue, and that we would div up the responsibilities of the new patrol structure accordingly. I listed my dissatisfaction of the night before and how horrible I had felt for the "leftover" kids and their parents, how the parents had come to me and asked what it would take to get their kids in the "A" group. I had no answers for them, but I would certainly figure it out.

 

The meeting didn''t happen right away because I was ill for it, so we re-scheduled. In the mean time we had our committee meeting. The ASM had purposefully avoided me all night, made his report on the HA trip to the committee, and left the room without so much as a hello. I gave my report and then talked about the issue from the week prior. I told the committee what the boys had decided and how we were going to approach the issue.

 

After the meeting, a few of the parents of the boys who had been picked for the new patrol came to me and said "ASM X asked us to go into the committee meeting and ask that you step down as SM" "he said that unless we run you off, nothing will get done". Well I didn''t see that coming. Luckily they didn''t bring it up in the meeting. They were ashamed that they were even asked it seemed.

 

The ASM sent an email two days later resigning, explaining it was because of poor management and yada yada yada...

 

His uncle, the previous SM is now lobbying me to ask him back. So far I''ve kept my cool and my resolve to never see this man again. Why would I want someone in my ranks that has planned a coups against me?

 

Am I missing something? I feel so soiled after this.

[jr56 92]

Sounds like a loose cannon to me. He obviously has no interest in working with anybody else, and only wants to advance his own plans.

He has resigned thankfully, good riddance, now try to repair the damage he has caused.

[John-in-KC 311]

1) Share with your Committee Chairman. A united front matters.

 

2) Share with your COR. A united front matters.

 

3) Share with your UC. A united front matters.

 

You''re the Program Officer now, one of those basic understandings is that other adults give you deference in program decisions.

 

Parameters of a decision, which can allow youth to fail but not to put the Troop in jeopardy, can be part of things. There are ways to accommodate an array of HA activities, not the least of which is limiting by age, rank, or qualification.

 

If your SPL feels like he was blindsided in this (and he is one of your primary foci as SM), then something is wrong, and the decision merits revisiting.

 

Since you''re this far down the road though, accept this truth: Someone will be upset whatever you do. Short term, you will in lose/lose. That is sad, from what you''ve written, someone has set you up for failure.

[Oak Tree 15]

I''ve had an experience like this in my troop. Well, nothing like this in the specifics, but exactly like this in terms of having a leader who hears every "maybe" answer as "yes". You said, "Sounds like something we can work on", and he hears "Sure, go ahead."

 

I found that I had to be very blunt if I expected my message to get across. But it took me awhile to realize this. In your case, it''s all water under the bridge. From your post, it sounds like you did just fine. For others in your situation, I''d just advise them to be very clear with people like this. Sometimes people get so eager to help out and run with a great idea that they just miss any nuances in your response.

[kb6jra 10]

Yea, this is a lose lose somewhat. He was good with the HA products we delivered, but he was a huge problem when it came to dealing with the boys. It appeared he just didn''t like kids after all, and being a "my way or the highway" kinda person didn''t help that along. The kids didn''t like him either and were actually glad that he''s no longer associated with the unit.

 

I did whine to my CC and to my CoR. CC''s a good friend and CoR and I are in the same Rotary Club, so I see him weekly.

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Not whine... crosstalk. You two need to understand each others visions and goals for the program and the support side. That way, you feed on each other, and set up the boys for long term program success. Knowing what your roads look like, the learning point failures of the youth in the program are just speed bumps that you''ve planned in

 

It''s sometimes called looking out for each other''s backs...

[Gunny2862 11]

I second John''s comment.

 

It isn''t whining when you express concerns or blow off steam or even whine up the "Chain of Command". It''s "Scoutmaster''s decompression time".

 

Just never ever blow steam or whine down the chain.

[Beavah 205]

Yah, kb6jra, you did good.

 

You listened to and considered new ideas. You intended to pursue new ideas thoughtfully. You stepped in when someone went "rogue" and when you recognized a problem. You communicated well.

 

Sometimes young ASM''s who haven''t had enough time in the real world get a bit carried away. This was quite a bit carried away. They need da school of hard knocks as a learnin'' experience.

 

I''d say if the ASM was otherwise a good contributor, give it a couple weeks to cool off and then have coffee with him. Explain the bigger picture, and reinforce the lesson that "going over the boss''s head is a good way to make enemies and get fired" no matter what line of work you''re in. Feel it out. Maybe he gets it, is contrite, and could still be an asset if he apologizes all around. At least until the next time he gets carried away .

 

Or, yah, maybe he''s still too immature to serve effectively as an ASM. You know the situation best. Make the call.

 

Beavah