Troop historian,job discription/responsibilities

[cheffy 10]

WE have a Scout who has asked to be Troop historian for his POR. Since the Troop has been around for 40 years and we have not had a Historian in probably the last 8 this may be a good idea. I'm looking for ideas on how to make this position work and not just be one of those "fluff" positions.

Any ideas/thoughts

[Eagle92 110]

Off the top of my head some ideas.

 

1) create a scrap book/year book with photos, stories, COH covers, etc. This is one POR i'ld recommend the SPL make a year long one, and maybe have an assistant.

 

2)start researching the past via talking to older /previous members/leaders. Get their photos and stories recorded.

 

3 start indexing everything.

[moosetracker 132]

My son took on this position, He was the first in our troop in ages too. I believe it was the one position he really loved.

 

He did start talking to the alumni of the troop. Got some of that done but ran into one that had been SM for 20 or 30 years like 10 years back. He gave him his old scrapebooks which had items in it even before his days as a sm. In fact someone back in the 1940's had done a something for one year with a picture of each event and something about the event. The 1940 scrapebook was in better shape then the SM's years in, as he put his in those self-sticking photo albums that the glue breaks down over time, deteriorating the pictures with them.

 

So son spent hours at a cardtable in our livingroom. Carefully trying to get the photos out without having the picture peel off stuck to the plastic front cover. Then put them into a new scrapebook that he reseached for good preservation quality. Then he copied each page. The troop has the copied scrapebook. The original scrapebook was given to the CO to keep safe.

 

He also took alot of pictures at each event and at COH would do I don't want to just call it slide presentation, as it was with music and the photos had some movement to zoom in on something funny taking place then move out to show the whole photo.

 

His first COH, he had only been in the position for a few weeks, so he got up and talked about the events they recently went on and some of the funny things that happen.

 

Since then, other scouts have not been able to do the slide show, but they were told they did not need to follow. Pictures on a Posterboard, or on a web site. or the verbal account at the COH.

 

One scout after our son also got into the Troop Historian position and did alot of interviews with alumni, since our son got very busy with what the one SM had provided, he never completed finding alumni. In fact this scout continued looking for an meeting alumni well after his POR was completed.

[Knot Head 10]

Our troop historian job duties:

1. Take pictures at each troop or patrol event or assign someone to do it if he cannot attend the event. Collect photos from all who took a camera to the event. Upload all pictures on the troop shutterfly account.

2. Write up a one paragraph or more summary of the event (eagle work day, campout, patrol hike, etc.) and submit this along with one or two digital photos to the local weekly free newspaper. This paper will often publish this since they are looking for local news and they dont have to do any reporting. If they do publish a photo or article then the troop historian cuts the article and places it in the troop scrapbook.

3. Select a few good pictures of the event for the troop website.

4. This is a relatively new one. Put all photos during his tenure on a CD.

5. Put together the COH slideshow(This message has been edited by knot head)

[EagleBeaver 10]

Historian could gather and preserve contact information for scouts that age out of the troop so alumni can be sent newsletters, invitations to Eagle CoHs, and the like.

We have a board listing all Eagles and the Historian adds new names to that.

We have adults volunteer to take photos at events, so the scout historian can participate fully rather than be photographer. But, he is responsible for publishing photos online in the troop website.

[shortridge 184]

- In talking with local alumni or past leaders, consider doing formal oral history interviews. Record them with an audio or video recorder, edit them and put them online or incorporate them into a slideshow or video.

 

- Develop a troop history timeline running parallel with the history of Scouting in general.

 

- Contact the Council offices and set up an appointment to review old charters and rosters to get a sense of how the troop grew and shrunk over the years. Create a "history wall" or book with the names of all Scouts and leaders, past and present.

[Mike F 10]

Wow - lots of great, solid ideas here!

We haven't had a Historian for 8 years, but I'm going to talk to SPL about reconsidering.

 

Be careful about one idea to make the position a year-long. If you state this as a requirement to get credit for rank advancement, you are adding to the requirements which say 4 or 6 months. Scout (likely with parent pushing) has the right to come to you for rank credit signoff after the minimum number of months in the position.

 

You might have to be a little more creative in how you help the scout develop his skills in this POR to help prepare him for the next level.

 

Instead consider developing a written agreement with scout on expectations for successful completion of his tour of duty. All the above ideas are great to get you started. After he has done those things and has served 'at least the minimum time', he gets credit. If he doesn't make sure the troop activities in a certain month are documented, he owes you another month of successful completion. I wouldn't sweat a few bumps, but if he's not showing the responsibility to get things done, he's not ready for the next rank.

I would also tailor the expectations based on whether he's First Class or Life. Again, not with intent of slowing him down. Simply to help him grow into the next level.(This message has been edited by Mike F)

[Eagle92 110]

of course after the required time for rank advancement is doen they can get credit. But in one case I've seen it used, it was a year long responsibility. That way everything in that year was consistant.