New Scoutmaster - Old Troop

[FrankH]

I've been asked to become Scoutmaster for our local troop. I kind of saw this coming since the current SM expressed a desire to leave which is why I've been stopping in and reading the messages here. I can tell from what I've read so far that training is very important and I plan on getting training as soon as I can but in the mean time I still need to get things going.

The current SM/Asst SM are a husband/wife team with a son in the troop. None of the other parents are involved. I'm from the church that sponsors the troop and I'm not related to anyone. I'm afraid I'll be seen as an outsider.

In addition, I've been reading the Scoutmaster's Handbook and the Boy Scout Handbook and I realise things aren't the way they should be but I'm concerned that if I go in and start doing things "The Scouting Way" everyone might balk. The troop has been around a few years but basically does very little. There are only around a half dozen Scouts and it's been that way a long time.

I've been to a few meetings and all they seem to do is sit around and plan a program that never happens. From what I've read so far, the BSA emphasizes good planning. I want to put together a good plan but I'm afraid to sit down and plan with the Scouts themselves for fear they will peg me and themselves into the same little holes they've been living their Scout lives in already.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The Scout Shop isn't very far away so if there are any books you think may help, please mention them. Also, pointers to web sites with information that might help would be great too.

[don]

Congratulations!
First if you plan the program it most likely will not work well. Because it is your plan and not the scouts.
Have the scouts plan the meetings and campouts. Push them to follow their plan. After the meetings meet with the SPL and talk about what went good and what could have gone better. And how HE (the SPL) will make it better. Same thing for the campout. The Scoutmaster handbook, has a good plan for a new troop meeting, maybe you can use that, the other place is the Scouting magazine, every month it has ideas for meetings and campouts.

[wagionvigil]

If there are some really good troops within a decent driving distance you may want to pay them a visit and see what they do. Take the Youth Leadership along for the ride with another adult. Get your fast start on line and your Youth Protection there also.

[scoutmasterbob]

I am the SM in a LDS Church sponsored troop. 4 Years ago I was made Scoutmaster, when I arrived their troop meeting consisted of basketball at the church. That was the limit of their activity. I was fortunate to find some great ASMs and we got things back on track, we started by planning the few months activities ourselves so the scouts could begin to see our intentions were to move towards a more Scouting program.

We held elections, and got the boys into leadership positions. We started to let them get into the planning of activities, 4 years later we still have some difficulty with the boys getting activities done with out our intervention, but they are learning.

We even earned the Year Round Camping Award one year for camping 10 out of 12 months.

One thing I found that really helped us was to have a active gung ho ASM who is over the New Scout Patrol, in the LDS church program we call them 11 Year Old Scouts, in our troop around 80% of the New Scouts come into the troop First Class or better, so as SM we need to only concentrate on advancement afterr First Class. That helped out troop alot.

Good Luck!!

[Billvann]

Don't forget JLT (Junior Leader Training) for the youth so they understand the scouting way as well. That way you'll be working from the same page. (hopefully)

[commish3]

I can share with you what my experience was in the same situation. I sat down with the three scouts who I felt had the best understanding of what scouting was and what the other scouts wanted to do. We brainstormed until they came up with 3 great adventures to do. Then we designed troop meetings around the skills that a person would need to succeed and enjoy the adventures.

These three then shared the plan with the troop and were esaily elected to leadership positions to become the first LC the trop had ever had.

So we had four troop meetings to learn the skills that lead to the adventure and then we had the adventure to apply the skills. That became they PLCs model for program planning. We started off with 9 scouts, three years later we had 38.

By coaching and mentoring the scouts to learn how to do the things THEY wanted to do, rather than the things that an adult would want them to do, scouting became real for them.

You have taken on one of the best things an adult can choose to do. Just remember that you are doing this with them and not FOR them. By that I mean it is their troop, their program, their adventures. Help them to learn to it it themselves.

Best wishes,

[riverwalk]

I think our unit is about to deal with this. A recent meeting found an ASM present, doing the SM's usual Minute and such. Youth were reminded of one outing that was cancelled because they showed no interest in planning the meals and things. Now the SM has emailed all Scouters regarding a Planning Day meeting, where adult duties/resposibilities will be discussed. Hmmm maybe this is "it". Anyway, there is no lack of training, printed resources, Roundtables, available. So it will work out as long as there are adults there for the kids. The Committee should be very involved (leading this search) because they must determine if this will be in the Troop's interest or not.

We only have a Unit if new youth are coming in and want to be in the Unit. But the Unit can not be created or continued without Scouters, male and female. The only thing left in that case will be the Troop's history scrapbooks.

[BM_Crawford]

Congradulations, it will be tough at first but once everyone gets used to you being that position I think you'll have fun!

[KB1KOI]

It may help out that if you didn't already do it, do woodbadge. the last two SMs (now who are ASMs) 'got their ticket', the current SM has his, two other ASMs have it, and my dad is going for it.

Just a general question: Do the SM's in your troop, who no longer want to be SM, step down to ASM, or leave the entrie troop picture?

[Lynda J]

TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING. Get yourself trained ASAP. But also remember it is the boys program. YOu may be suprised how the boys may respond it you start letting them do the plannng. We have PLC meeting tomorrow night. Monday night I gave out SPL some information that came out of Round Table (another thing you need to attend). They are things comingup in our council and district. He will present them to the PLC and hopefully a couple will be included in our troop activities.

[Mrw]

If all they do is plan, but the plans never work out, you should suggest to the boys that as SM you want to see some of these activities happen. If they start going places and doing things, you should have a happy and growing troop in no time.

[scout_momx2]

Our troop is going through a similar situation. A health crisis has forced a resolution, though.

I'm a highly-trained mom who has also come to realize that for many troops, people talk the talk but don't walk the walk. People will sign up for activities but now show up or not sign up for activities that they themselves had suggested. As for your fear that your enthusiasm will turn off members, would you really lose anything if they quit? If anything, it doesn't sound as if they're committed members anyway. Once word gets out that you're committed to a quality program, interested Scouts will return and get involved. You'll also find that new members will show up at your doorstep, eager to get involved. Before you know it, you'll be offering a successful program!

I'd also suggest that you encourage/require parents to get involved. (Some troops insist that parents sign up for at least one annual activity. They must have an excellent reason for not participating. Then you can offer those people the option of paying a fee for not participating.) Like our troop, yours seems to have earned the reputation of "Babysitters of America." If those people leave, it's unfortunate, but not necessarily a big loss. BSA is an organization comprised of like-minded individuals who readily volunteer to help youth. That means lots and lots of people must be involved. No program, no troop!

Get trained. Go to Roundtable. Consider going to Philmont Training Center. (It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience!) Involve your unit commissioner and DE in redirecting the troop. They'll be happy to assist!

And lastly, be sure to involve the interested Scouts in your revamping plans. Start small, maybe 2-3 months at a time. Don't overextend yourself or your resources. Have the Scouts plan fun, meaningful activities. Your program will flourish.

Best of luck. Thanks for volunteering!

[scoutaholic]

I dealt with a similar situation when I joined our troop. I joined the troop as ASM. When I started attending meetings, I found the troop was not exactly what I had expected. I saw no evidence of any youth leadership. I don't think there were any youth leaders assigned/elected. If there were, they did nothing. Most meeting were just meetings. The boys would come and sit in the meeting and 'listen' to the SM. These meetings were the only mention I ever heard of advancement. Activities were just a time for the SM to go hang out with his 12-13-year-old buddies. I was appauled when I went with them on the first camping trip. We drove a long ways and paid alot for the traditional-annual camp at the hot springs. When we arrived, and checked in as troop ...., was the last mention of scouting for the weekend. After tents were setup and the fire built, the SM and other ASM sat around the fire with the boys to tell dirty jokes. The next day day they sat talking in the hot-tub while the boys played in the pool (with no lifeguard).

Soon after that camp the SM stepped down, as he was moving out of the area. I became SM, and started intoducing other things into the program. All camps and activities had a purpose. Advancement became a focus of more activities, and meetings became activities with an advancement purpose. We got some youth leadership, and started giving them assignments and planning responsibilities. I bought TroopMaster and started tracking advancement info.

It took some time for the boys to adjust to the changes in the troop, but I didn't hear any complaints. As the older boys moved into the Varsity Scout program, the newer scouts coming in (and their parents) knew what to expect from the scout program. Now the expectations are set higher, and I don't think I could get away with running the program the way it was before I started.

[WeeWillie]

Frank

Four years ago I became SM for a troop similar to what you described. Pace yourself for the long haul. You wouldn't be able to fix everything overnight. Pick one or two objectives that you have a reasonable chance of achieving your 1st year. That will give you and your troop an opportunity to be sucessful. After that, success builds on success.

On the down side you will have Scouts and parents grumble and drop out. You will doubt it is all worth it. On the upside you will see the spark of Scouting ignite in a few Scouts and their parents. They will be the core of year two. You will realize that it was worth it.