Doing my best, doing what I think is for the best.

[Eamonn 61]

We talk a lot about the Boy Led Troop.

Over the years there have been times when I have thought that I got this and had it down to an art.

Only to find that I was wrong.

I've used the PLC as what might be called "Carrier Pigeons".

They have attended PLC meetings and I have told them what we are going to do and had them return to their Patrols to inform and sell the ideas to the Scouts that they lead.

I have played the role of a coach.

While maybe not as directive as the message giver and maybe more open to hearing and receiving input from the youth members, still I felt that it was my game, my ball and for the most part I called the plays.

The times when I have been willing to truly pass on the running of the Troop to the PLC have been few and haven't lasted. Mostly because the faces at the PLC change and either I haven't trusted the new faces or they just weren't willing to get the job done.

In these days of Leadership Lingo, I suppose that I have failed to get the PLC to the "Performing Stage."

I could beat myself up about this.

But I don't.

Most times I'm way to busy doing whatever it is that we are doing to give all this stuff any thought what so ever.

Like it or not most Troops I know tend to do stuff that interests the adults that are around at the time.

I like messing around with line, rope and pioneering.

I don't know that many kids who can't wait to join a Troop and build a tower or floating flag pole.

I'm guilty of selling them the idea and then developing an interest in it so what comes next seemingly comes from them.

I don't like the cold. Is it then kinda strange that winter hikes have never been a big part of the program any Troop I've been associated with?

I'm not saying that it has never happened, I have allowed the PLC to talk me into it every now and then, but it's rare.

 

I read all this about what National says and how Scouts are not doing this, that or the other?

Truth is that I don't give a monkey's uncle.

What National says has as much to do with what we do as a Troop as the Troop down the road has.

If a Scout in some other Troop some place, some where can become an Eagle Scout without ever camping, cooking, wearing a uniform or some other silliness? I just don't care.

The program we (I) come up with is for the Scouts that I'm involved with.

Like it or not, at the end of the day I'm very much at the wheel. Maybe more like the conductor of an orchestra? The baton is in my hands. The music is there on the sheet, but how I along with the other players choose to interpret it? Is down to me.

I can choose to cut corners, look for loop holes and that sort of thing.

Or I can do my best to do what I think is for the best.

All the time knowing that when all is said and done the buck really does stop here.

Ea.

[Basementdweller 608]

Eamon

 

I feel your pain and understand.....True boy led troops can be a real difficult thing to see especially if they don't have experienced PL or SPL in place.

 

I have observed a number of PLC's.....and stood there biting my tongue.

 

 

But you know when they have success it is very rewarding.

[skeptic 1004]

Yep, I understand completely E. Over the years I have had a few PLC's that actually functioned close to the ideal, but rarely. In the past though, most did a moderately good job with enough prodding. I am a bit alarmed at the more recent groups though, as they appear to almost "be afraid" to actually make suggestions or decisions. It seems a reflection of the overprotective society that has arisen, along with the idea that somehow making mistakes is not acceptable. Of course, we all know that learning is built very often on understanding the mistakes we make.

 

Part of this can be seen in the changes in National policies that have taken many of the original PLC responsibilities away, or modified them to a point of having little significance for growth. One example is the BOR, once done by the PLC with an adult observer. This was not only an efficient process, but a huge element of leadership growth. This included an occasional disciplinary review to deal with troublesome scouts. We adult leaders, as monitors, seldom had to step in except to possibly make small modifications; but they were generally very fair, and much more acceptable to the scouts. And, overall scout participation in "their" program, and reactions to "their" discipline was good.

 

But this has been discussed ad finitum. It would be great if we might go back a bit and re-implement some of the basic things that let them actually make them grow without too much interference, other than for real safety.

[Eagle92 110]

E'

 

Feel the pain as I expereinced with the OA chapter. Just when you get the youth trained and ready to go, they leave and you start with a new batch.

 

It can be depressing.

 

But when it succeeds, "OH WHAT A FEELING, WHAT A RUSH!"

 

In reference to troops, I was fortunate in that my troop was established, and had a history of keeping older scouts around who mentored and trained us younger guys. Some of those older scouts made Eagle, some didn't, but ALL of them I would be willing to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere with and have to deal with the situation.

 

My questions for you are the following.

 

#1 Are the scouts happy with what you are doing?

#2 Do you think you are making a difference?

[CalicoPenn 729]

Without trying to be critical, because all of us have gone through it, I wonder how many of us go into "carrier pigeon" mode or act on the belief that "it's my game, my ball and I call the plays" because we're afraid that if the PLC fails (and it will, many many times) it will be a personal embarrassment to us, as if we failed - and if we feel that way because our society no longer sees the value in failure. Imagine if Orville and Wilbur Wright had given up after their first public failures trying to fly an airplane.

 

Do we step in too quickly to salvage an outing at the last minute because we already made the reservation at the camp ground rather than just letting it flop and letting the Scouts know that the reason the camping trip was cancelled was because they failed to plan and perform? Are we too quick to take on the Scout's failures as our own?

 

Do we try to hard to make every thing perfect to keep the parents happy - especially the parent's whose only participation is to drop-off and pick-up their Scouts? In my experience, most parents who are also active in the Troop and get the program are far more understanding than those that aren't.

 

Perhaps we need to change the culture - maybe cancelling an outing is too big at first, but if the PLC and SPL hasn't got the Troop meeting planned out well, wouldn't it be better to just pull the plug at the beginning than trying to salvage the meeting with last minute ideas or letting the meeting devolove into an hour long kickball tournament?

 

If we're ready to jump in to save the day, what message does that send to the PLC - that they can do a half-donkeyed plan and Mr. SM will rescue us? Maybe we need to be more willing to take some heat from the parents to give the Scouts a better oporrtunity to grow.

[AvidSM 11]

There is a point in leadership development where a person has built up so much experience and knowledge that there is no model to explain how they do their job.

 

The same thing happens with great conductors. They command respect and draw out the best in each member of the orchestra. Most of their work is done during rehearsals, where they dictate exactly how they want the music played. During a performance they set the pace, keep the group together and give them visual cues to reinforce what was said during rehearsals.

 

Being a good scoutmaster is so much more than keeping a troop boy led. It is caring about each boy and his success. It is about earning their respect through service and friendship. Scouting is ever changing, but this does not change.

 

 

[jtswestark 11]

E youve been active on this forum long enough to have read much about this topic, and Im a little surprised to read it hasnt changed your perspective. When I started off as SM I knew my unit needed more boy leadership. It was easy to conduct during those days as all I had to do was tell them what to do all the time. But then I recognized I was micro-managing everything, including how the committee was trying to function... and it was wearing me out! But each year I backed off a lttle more and more. Kept upsetting the apple cart. Butted heads with many well intended adults that thought I was going too far and causing all kinds of emotional harm to those utes.

 

You know the old saying: 'Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions'; I had one ASM that would proudly add his own sentence: "And a bad experience makes for former Scouts." That was the rationale to keep the safety net in place. It didnt fly and eventually he left the Troop.

 

I didnt care as the proof was in the pudding: the SM job was actually getting easier, our retention and recruiting got easier and numbers grew, our program got better and more active each year, our next Eagle was stronger than the prior, and more quality adults started showing up seeing what a wonderful thing we had. When I handed it off it was a smooth transition. All I had to do was tell my successor Dont let the adults mess it up.

 

You do whatever you wish, but I cant reiterate enough what the old timers told me youve just got to try it. And they were right. Thats the real paycheck as far as Im concerned.

 

[Old_OX_Eagle83 212]

I hear ya, the endless cycle of boys coming and going to make having a well run troop very difficult. However, let me pose a few questions:

 

1. Is all that time building a boy up to just see him move on a waste, or is it training for success in life?

2. Are there more lessons in failure, or success?

3. Is there a more potent motivator then overcoming adversity?

 

The first time a bird spreads its wings to fly, it crashes to earth, often painfully. The parent picks up the bird, pushes it to the brink again, and urges it to flight. This process may need repeated many times, but in the end an Eagle takes flight. That success gives the Eagle the courage needed to be prepared for life. However, the true satisfaction belongs to the one who dusted that young man off, and pushed him to his limit, allowing him to realize his potential.

 

Sure, the grizzled old SM gives a sigh of weariness with each new group of crossovers, but he rises to the occasion. It is in such a way that we are challenged, our limits pushed, and we grow. Sometimes we fail, and crash to earth , sometimes painfully. The difference is we know what we are capable of, and pick ourselves up.

 

[bnelon44 17]

It is hard to see your Scouts move on. But it is extremely rewording to hear your name called out behind you and to turn and see a young man holding his first born and thanking you for all you did for him!