an opportunity to help

[cad-guy 10]

Hello everyone. I am in need of some guidance.

My son is in a small troop (7 boys). We have a scoutmaster who has been with the boys for about 2 years. His work

 

schedule has changed and it is hard for him to be at the troop meetings as well as a lot of the weekend events.

 

There is an awesome assistant, who is serving as committee chair but basically is acting SM while the SM is out.

 

THis chair knows more about scouting than I will probably ever know. There is also a guy in the assistant SM

 

position, but I never hear him say a word, and I get the impression that he is just there to watch his son.

 

I feel as though I am being led (or called) to help. Most of the other parents are nonexistent when it comes to

 

helping. I have been on a couple of campouts, and try to hang around the meetings in case help is needed, but I am not an "offical" help per sey.

 

I am pretty confident that I can help, but have not been trained. I was never a scout, so there are many things about scouting that I am still learning. If I ask them to let me help, I am afraid that I'll be put in a high responsibility position like an assistant SM. Truth is that I don't know if I am the right guy for the job. My wife and I are very active in our church, helping with the youth and children, so this would just be one more thing to do.

 

Is there a place online that I can see the responsibilities of the assistant SM and committee members.

 

(OK....after reading the draft of this message, it sounds like I DON'T want the responsibility, which is not true!) I'm just looking for guidance from those in small troops that need help)

[Bob White 20]

Yes you can go to the BSA's on-line learning center and take the fact start training for Boy Scouting as well as the troop committee Challenge training for committee members.

 

https://scoutnet.scouting.org/elearning

 

 

[Dizzy ona cliff 11]

It is a very good thing to have adults with a variety of talents advising a troop provided that they can figure out who fits where and how to work together. Hopefully you will have someone with some good outdoor skills and someone that is good at encouraging the older boys to take responsibility. Your silent leader may be fulfilling the role of the geezer with the stern glare (maybe just a doer not a talker) or he may not know what he should be doing. The main role of an adult leader is that of patiently providing a good example to the youth by using the methods of scouting, which include abiding by the oath and law while using the patrol method to learn leadership and other skills while having fun.

[scottteng 11]

You get to pick what you want to do. In your place I would recommend a place on the committee to start. Go thru the online trainings. There is a large need for good committee people who take on usually one specific task such as tour permits, treasurer, secretary, fundraising, camping, gear. The extra help takes the load off the scoutmaster. If you want to do more later go for it. The other place where adults even ones that don't want to be involved even as much as comm member is as a merit badge counselor. Everyone has one or more vocations or avocations that will fit with a merit badge take a look at the full list.

[NeilLup 13]

I would only add that Scouting tries to make it possible for an adult with no previous experience to function extremely well as a leader. There is a training program and plenty of literature. I have known people with no experience who started out as the Scoutmaster or Cubmaster in a Pack (not the assistant, the head person.) They got trained, ideally before taking the job, read the material and did what it said. They went to roundtables and cultivated some experienced leaders. They got to know their Commissioner and their training chairman.

 

They did a fantastic job.

 

It certainly is possible that you feel that lots of experience is necessary or even that the leaders in your unit are leading you to think that lots of experience is necessary.

 

It helps, but it is not necessary.

[rjscout 11]

One great benefit that you have already found is right here. Last volunteered to help the Pack with a few things (camping and Pinewood Derby). Then the whirlwind started (Outdoor Activity Chair to ACM) and I am just a few months away from being the Cubmaster. Asking questions and reading this forum and has definitely helped me to feel prepared for my roles. Jump in to where you are comfortable. You can always take on more responsibility as you feel ready.

 

 

[insanescouter 10]

I can tell you that being a BSA volunteer is fun, rewarding and always a learning experience. BSA offers more trainings then you could ever take and with all of us human resources available online and offline such as through your local roundtable you will never have a hard time finding someone to talk to, bounce and idea off of, or ask for advice.

 

I also suggest if you do decided to help, don't jump in. Help one step at a time, take on one thing, and slowly expand. Trust me if you said yes to every request that will be made of you - well the "1 hour a week" will become your free time if you are lucky. So my second suggestion is to be ok with saying no - you dont have to like saying no, but understand that you have to now and then for the sanity yourself and your family.

 

Like many have suggested start with the online training, and find out when your local boy scout leader essentials is - take that.

 

Also no matter how small the Troop is make sure it is youth ran!

 

Anyway thats my wacky input... hope it helps...

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

[Gold Winger 9]

"I also suggest if you do decided to help, don't jump in."

 

Where were you with this advice ten years ago? Sheesh!