Scoutmaster Conference Review

[scubascout]

As a patrol leader, I want the scouts in my patrol to advance in rank without any problems. Recently, a scout in my patrol was doing his SMC when the scoutmaster noticed that he was missing one or two of his requirments
Because of this, i am going to go over my scout's books before there SMC and make sure that they know some basic and simple things. What do you guys think ?

[wagionvigil]

Excellent idea

[gwd-scouter]

Great idea. We've started doing that in our troop, at least for the T-1st class ranks. When a Scout has finished the requirements for a rank (and I should note that our SPL, PL or Troop Guide can sign off on those early requirements), then the Scout asks to sit down with an older Scout and go over the requirements to make sure he has actually completed them.

This is working very well, not only in ensuring the Scouts are learning their stuff, but giving our older Scouts more or a sense of mentoring those younger Scouts.

Congratulations to you as PL for taking charge and looking out for the guys in your patrol. Wish all of our junior leaders took such initiative!

[WeeWillie]

Scubascout

Want to move to SE Arizona. Not much water for diving, but I have a troop for you.

[jr56]

Excellent idea. Good to see a patrol leader doing a good job.

[outfoxed86]

Its the patrol leader that should let the SPL know when a boy is ready for a SM conferance. Then the spl will let the scoutmaster know.
Wayne

[hacimsaalk]

sounds like a pretty good idea for maybe tederfoot and 2nd. however, i feel that once they start getting up there in rank, they should be responsible for getting it done themselves. also-iwould reccommend reviewing the week BEFORE the review, b/c if you review the same week, just minutes before he goes to review, it really isnt a test of what he has taken to heart, just what he remembers from 10min ago.

kudos for be willing to help out in such a way. good job

[ASM-142]

... iwould reccommend reviewing the week BEFORE the review, b/c if you review the same week, just minutes before he goes to review, it really isnt a test of what he has taken to heart, just what he remembers from 10min ago. ...

The scout master conference should not be a test. If a requirement is signed off then it has been completed.

[hacimsaalk]

... iwould reccommend reviewing the week BEFORE the review, b/c if you review the same week, just minutes before he goes to review, it really isnt a test of what he has taken to heart, just what he remembers from 10min ago. ...

The scout master conference should not be a test. If a requirement is signed off then it has been completed.

I thought the SM confrence was suppossed to be a re-test, and not the BOR?? am i correct. if the SM doesnt feel the scout knows his stuff well enough, he doesnt have to sign off on it.

[ASM-142]

read http://usscouts.org/boyscouts/smconf.html to find out what a SM conference should be.

[Mrw]

It is great if the PL is checking the books and re-checking the knowledge before a boy requests a SM conference. But this only works when the patrol leader out-ranks the other boys in his patrol.

If the boys in the patrol elect someone to PL who is a lower rank than the rest, he really isn't in a position to re-check their requirements. We have a couple patrols in this situation in our troop right now. We have 42 on the roster and about 36 are active and present on at least a semi-regular basis. So 4 patrols and a handful of older boys who help out the younger guys at meetings, but aren't really in a patrol at all at this point.

As advancement chair, I do occasional bbok checks to see what is holding up the kids who are not advancing and let the guide or instructor working with that patrol what is being missed. It is the boy's responsibility to know when he is ready for a SM conference and BOR though. And his responsibilty to put his name on the SM's list to get the conference. And I do hound the SM a bit to make sure they get done regularly.

[joat]

The Boy Scout Handbook tells boys what a Scoutmaster Conference is all about. That's what I go by and it works very well. See pages
11, 60, 109, 165, and 175.

[t305spl]

One thing when I was SPL I initiated was a program for the older more experienced scouts in leadership positions to check off the younger scouts. The young scouts would complete all requirements except the Being Active/Living by the scout oath and law, SMC, BOR. They would then arrange to meet with their PL, ASPL, or SPL. At this meeting the older scout would talk about the troop and how the older scout feels the younger scout has done. This is supposed to be an information meeting and it will help the scout be an active member of the troop.

The older scout will then sign off of the Being Active/Living By The Scout Oath and Law requirement and then recommend the scout for an SMC.

It seemed to work well and kept the scouts informed.

[hacimsaalk]

sounds like a good idea. i never thought of that. we are having problems currently, that this very well may solve.

[evmori]

The Scoutmaster Conference isn't a pass/fail thing! It's a do thing.

[hacimsaalk]

The Scoutmaster Conference isn't a pass/fail thing! It's a do thing.

then why even have one, if you always pass it when you do it.

thats like having all the requirements just a "do" thing. you cant pass, you cant fail, as long as you tell somebody you want to do it, you get it signed off.

[ASM-142]

The purpose of the SM conference is for the SM to get to know the scout.

[kman362]

I have already posted this in a topic in the campfire section, but i think i fits it this topic as well.

When i was 14 and going for Life, I "failed my SMC twice, once was for scout spirit, me and a few other had been picking on this younger scout, and my SM didn't think i was showing good scout spirit. A few weeks later when i went back to him, he asked me to tie a taut line (a tenderfoot not) i could not, so he told me to go home and practice. I went home and went through all the knots in the handbook and new them all. I went back for a third time, and he didn't ask me anything just signed the book.

6 years later, and an Eagle Scout I know a lot more about the program. I know that SMCs are not to be a retest of the requirements, and I also know they are not sapos to be pass/fail. However, I do know all the boy scout knots like the back of my hand, which if it wasn't for my old Scoutmaster making be go back and study I don't think i would have ever learned them properly.

-Kyle

[Mrw]

When our SM declines to sign after a conference, he tells me that they didn't finish the conference and the boy still had some work to do and they will finish in the nest week or two.

Usually this gives the boy a chance to re-asses his attitude or readiness and he is more ready for a BOR the next week than I was expecting him to be.

[evmori]

The requirement reads "participate in". It isn't pass/fail. If you SM doesn't sign off for Scout Spirit, that is a different requirement. You can't fail a SM Conference!