JLTC Problem

[Eamonn 61]

I was approached by the Council Boy Scout Training Chair. Last night while I was up at camp. It seems that the council ran JLTC is a real mess.

The JLTC Scoutmaster seems to have lost interest and the staff development so far has been one day last February,one meeting that was canceled at the last minute and one day during an OA weekend where there wasn't any of the adult staff. The reason why I was approached was that I had called him to let him know that my son who is on staff was thinking of dropping out. I wanted him to have a word with my son.

The JLTC Scoutmaster is out of town working as the Camp Director at a out of council summer camp.

I was asked if I would step in. It is only a week and I do have the vacation time.

So far there is 26 Scouts signed up for the course. The two ASM's are not willing to step up to the plate.

I have never ran this course and have only served as a QM, a long time ago.

The MIA Scoutmaster is a unit commissioner in our District. One ASM is our District Commissioner, who tells me that he only signed on to do the administrative stuff. - I'm still working on that one? The other ASM, tells me that he needs the course as it is a big part of his Wood Badge ticket. There is no Quartermaster.

As yet I haven't given an answer as to what my decision will be.

First I need to talk to Her That Must Be Obeyed. She would end up being home alone for a week. Which she doesn't like.

Second I think that trying to get the youth staff up to snuff at such a late date is going to be next to impossible.

Third I don't have much use for a ASM who sees his role as admin.

Forth, so far no one has said a word about the 26 Scouts that are signed up. It seems that they are almost an after thought. I don't think the ASM admin has done any admin in that department.

Looking at the options I see:

1/ Cancel the course. No winners here.

2/ I say no and the course is a shambles.

3/ I say yes and the course is still a shambles but maybe a little bit better. I upset the missing Scoutmaster and I do bodily harm to the ASM admin. In the end I lose a Unit Commissioner and a District Commissioner.

I welcome any thoughts.

Eamonn

[Laurie 10]

First I need to talk to Her That Must Be Obeyed. She would end up being home alone for a week. Which she doesn't like.

 

Eamonn, though you are concerned about your son's interest, your wife matters too. This is a huge commitment, and though you have the vacation time, is it worth it to your family as a whole?

 

Second I think that trying to get the youth staff up to snuff at such a late date is going to be next to impossible.

 

So, if the youth staff are there, ready to do the job, but not up to snuff, will they end up having learned something or will they come away frustrated?

 

Third I don't have much use for a ASM who sees his role as admin.

 

Is there such a thing? If so, sign me up But in the meantime, it sounds as though this person may be in the wrong position. Perhaps committee is better. But how it relates to this week? It sounds like a frustration and time to consider he reevaluate his position and commitment.

 

Forth, so far no one has said a word about the 26 Scouts that are signed up. It seems that they are almost an after thought. I don't think the ASM admin has done any admin in that department.

 

Ok, if these 26 Scouts signed up and are an afterthought, it sounds as though this course was not designed for them. Who put it together? Is it worth holding it now --and I stress NOW-- if it is not set up to teach these youth what they signed up to learn. Don't they pay for this too? Our youth do, and it's not cheap.

 

My thoughts, for what they are worth: reschedule with the appropriate leadership in place in order to provide a program designed for the Scouts who pay for and commit to attending. Be honest and let them know there was a staffing problem, and that if the course were held now, it would not be what it could be. Let them know that in the same way the BSA only solicits funds in fundraising for something of value, you will not accept their funds for training when you know it won't be what it can and should be.

 

Is this course one that may be held in 2 weekends as opposed to one full week? That may help with the timing, or it may create a new issue.

 

Eamonn, tough one, but if this were given to me to do, and I knew that I was the only one prepared and that my own personal preparation was not the best it could be, all things considered, I'd have to reschedule.

 

One other thought: are there enough adults/leaders in place to provide for the needed safety measures? I haven't a clue what they would be in this setting, but that question came to mind.

 

[FScouter 24]

In my opionion a course in shambles is worse than no course at all. You didn't say how much time is left, but if you have less than 6-8 weeks I'd say it's too late to properly make it happen. Ideally, planning for these things should start 6 months or more in advance.

[Eamonn 61]

The Course is in August. The week after Summer Camp ends. One big problem would be getting the youth staff together. So many are camping with their home troop. Then there is NOAC.OJ, comes home one day and is at camp the next.

As I posted they did start working on this in February - They just didn't get very far.

Does anyone know if the new syllabus is out yet? And can the new course be ran over a couple of weekends? That would be a lifesaver. I don't see how the existing course can be adapted to run over weekends. We need a week and school starts at the end of August.

As yet this isn't my baby. But that seems like passing the buck.

Could it be that I need to start thinking out of the box??

Eamonn.

[dan 10]

Eamonn

Do you have the available youth staff? Have most of them staffed JLTC before? If the answer is no it either one, Cancel the course or have it in the late fall. (On 2nd thought that would not work, school would be back in session)

No one in your council has been trained for the new course, I hear that there is a little bit of tweaking still going on with the new course.

Just finished JLTC 2 weeks ago, it was a huge success, We started meeting in January, for the course in June.

 

IMHO there is nothing wrong with someone only doing the admin stuff such as paperwork and phone calls, as long as they do it, spread the work around.

 

You spouse would make a great ASM for JLTC! She would not be home alone that way!(This message has been edited by dan)

[Eamonn 61]

Thanks for the input Dan,

Her That Must Be Obeyed,does not like kids. She makes no bones about it. She has served as a Committee member in a pack for many years. But that's about it.

She did go to Philmont with me one year, but has said if I want to go again she will drop me off and go on to Las Vegas

Having someone in charge of admin is OK. I call that person the Scribe - Not one of two ASM's.

I think that the thing is such a mess that I'm going to pass. I feel bad, but none of what is happening is of my doing.

Eamonn(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

[CubsRgr8 10]

These 26 scouts have set aside time from their summer, committed their financial resources, and (hopefully) prepared themselves for JLTC. In addition, their troops are expecting them to come back in the fall with the improved understanding of scouting and leadership that JLTC is supposed to provide.

 

Therefore, if you have grave doubts about the wisdom of holding your council's JLTC when scheduled, please consider this. I suggest checking out if any neighboring councils are offering JLT that week and if your 26 scouts could attend any of those sessions.(This message has been edited by CubsRgr8)

[Eamonn 61]

I know this is going to come off sounding bad. But other then my being asked to step in at the last minute, what happens to the course is out of my hands.

I am no longer the Council Training Chair and I no longer sit on the training committee.

One big thing that I left out of my posting was that the JLTC Scoutmaster, is the guy that we had last year. I was still Training Chair then. I wasn't overjoyed at his performance and voiced my misgiving at that time to the Boy Scout Training Chair. He informed me that he had agreed that the Scoutmaster could run the course twice.I wasn't happy and offered to run the course. The Boy Scout Training Chair. Said that he had given his word and he gave me his assurance that he would be there to keep an eye on the JLTC Scoutmaster and make sure that he had lots of help.

Sure enough at the first meeting all sorts of people were there: The Council Training Chair, The Boy Scout Training Chair and The Program Director.

Some of the problem is in a way my fault. We had a Chap who had ran the course for years. He was a very grumpy sort. The Scouts didn't like him much, but JLTC was his bag. My first year as Council Training Chair, he ran the course. Then due to problems at home he stepped down. We were unable to find anyone so we sent our Scouts to attend the course at the Council next door. When the Boy Scout Training Chair. Said that he had found this Chap who we have or don't have now? I wasn't overjoyed, as I knew him from his being a Unit Commissioner in the District and much as I hate to say it. It was a case of somebody being better then no one.

While I do care what happens to the Scouts that are signed up, there is a Council Training Chair, a Council Boy Scout Training Chair, two ASM'S and the Program Director to decide what is going to happen. I was just asked to help and I think that while it might still be possible to pull something off I very much doubt if it would be a JLTC.

Eamonn.

[FScouter 24]

Interesting. You expressed misgivings about the course SM last year. You offered to do it yourself. Sounds like they are taking you up on your offer, a year late. A suspicious person might say this was a setup for failure. All the more reason to back away from it.

[Eagledad 2777]

HI Eamonn

 

I guess the question is will the reputation of JLTC be better or worse after this course?

 

As the person who is responsible for all JLT in our Council, I know the SM or course director is everything. I'm lucky that our Council gives me anything and everything I need to run a good course. But I credit our successes from the quality adults and scouts we recruit. A few years ago, our Council killed JLTC (Brownsea at the time) for a couple of years because of bad adult leadership. I was task with developing a quality course and it took about three years to get back a reputation of integrity. I do not believe a bad course is better than no course at all.

 

My thoughts are with you.

 

Barry

[NeilLup 13]

Hello Eamonn,

 

Life is interesting, isn't it?

 

I believe that the new course guide is not nationally available. The new course is scheduled to go national next summer and the regional conferences in the fall of 2004 will be part of the roll out.

 

You are a Wood Badge Scoutmaster. You know what is needed. I might be inclined to say that if you had plenty of youth staff and if the youth staff were well trained and prepared, then you might be able to bring it off by overstaffing and conducting some training of staff during the course (essentially splitting the staff into groups and training some while others work.) This would likely require one adult to be the SM and another to coordinate the staff training.

 

In the good old days, Wood Badge was put on with only one staff training--- starting Wednesday before the course started on Saturday. JLT can be done the same way, but it requires a group that wants to put on the course and do a good job; not a group that feels forced or is only going through the motions.

 

Is there someone likely to be JLT director next year? (you?) IF so, it would be wonderful if that person could be with you this year. That person could then learn of your problems and address then next year.

 

No easy answer. That's why you get the big bucks.

 

Have a wonderful holiday.