Starting a new troop

[papabear]

A group of homeschooling parents with boys currently in a troop are considering starting a new troop with a focus emphases on recruiting boys within the homeschooling community. I am looking for comments, suggestions, ideas on creating a troop with this focus.

[Mrw]

Where I can understand wanting to recruit more home-schooled kids into scouting, I do have a question here.

Why are you looking to start a new troop if you are already in a troop? Why not just add some out-reach and recruiting efforts into the home-schooled community from the current troop?

This can still fill the 1st Class requirement for the boys to try recruiting and can maybe earn them Recruiter strips as well.

Starting the new troop would at a minimum require you to find a new charter organization to sponsor your troop, and to have a critical mass of registered adults and youth to get things going.

[9009scoutmaster]

The first question this group of parents need to ansewer is is their a need for a troop in your area with this emphases. The second question should be will every parent in this group stay active in this new troop after their son decides they have outgrown scouting. These parents have to know if they start a new troop they are the adult foundation that unit is build on. That new troop will be their new child that they are responsible for untill the troop can stand on it's own without them. As we all know we have kids that stay with us for YEARS, if these parents at the outset are not commited to this new unit with this mind set THEY DO NOT NEED TO EVEN THINK OF STARTING A NEW UNIT.

[papabear]

There are several reasons for wanting to move in this direction but the main reason is that there seems to be a fundamental difference in some values and ideals that the homeschooling familes hold that other families don't value to the same degree. Also, there is a dissatisfaction with the adult leadership.

[Mad Dog]

There is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the adult leadership in our troop. I contact our DE etc. Basically we were told that unless the CO wants to change the SM (and they don't want to) he has the job for as long as he wants it. They told us if we were not happy to find another troop. We suggested starting a new troop and they told us taht we could not. They were worried about the longevity of the troop. W could probably go to nationmal and get the troop pushed through but that would put us out of favor with the council.

[9009scoutmaster]

We suggested starting a new troop and they told us taht we could not. They were worried about the longevity of the troop.

Was this the responce of the DE. I can understand this responce from the unit committee. New unit would have a different Unit committee and the new unit would have no effect on the longevity of the old troop if the old troop is providing a quality program.

[scoutaholic]

... We suggested starting a new troop and they told us taht we could not. They were worried about the longevity of the troop. ...

I've never heard of a district or council official discouraging the creation of a new unit. I've more often heard of them being over-zealous in encouraging it, because the numbers look good for them and effect their paychecks.

If you and your home-school group can meet the requirements of starting a unit, they shouldn't stop you. You have to have a minimum number of adults willing to take responsability for adult leadership positions. You have to have enough boys to form a minimally sized unit. You have to find a charter organization. (or I believe there is such a thing as a 'community sponsored unit'. Such a unit probably is required to have more committed adults, and has to find a place to have unit meetings.) Someone has to pay the unit chartering fee, and there will be a recommeded amount that your new unit needs to give for Friends of Scouting.

[Billiken]

If you and your home-school group can meet the requirements of starting a unit, they shouldn't stop you. You have to have a minimum number of adults willing to take responsability for adult leadership positions. You have to have enough boys to form a minimally sized unit. You have to find a charter organization. (or I believe there is such a thing as a 'community sponsored unit'. Such a unit probably is required to have more committed adults, and has to find a place to have unit meetings.) Someone has to pay the unit chartering fee, and there will be a recommeded amount that your new unit needs to give for Friends of Scouting.

One of the criteria for Quality District is new unit creation.
I find it hard to believe that a DE would ever say "NO" to new unit creation.

Not knowing all the specific details of this situation, I would not start a new unit. The new unit would also need equipment and TRAINED leaders.
IMHO, it's easier to fix what's wrong with an existing troop rather than starting a new one.

One of my biggest concerns is troops that are barely more than patrols.
The boys in these units are getting very little in the way of leadership, organization, and project planning experience.


Recommended amount for FOS (at the unit level)???
Never heard of that (just finished 3 yrs as District Finance Chairman).
We have district targets, but not unit targets.

[FrankJ]

Recommended amount for FOS (at the unit level)???
Never heard of that (just finished 3 yrs as District Finance Chairman).
We have district targets, but not unit targets.

We have targets at the unit level. They are goals only with no "punishment" consequence for not meeting them. The target are set at the district level with input from unit leaders. YCMV (your council may vary)

[Nuts4Scouts]

FOS goals at the unit level are usually tied into earning free rank awards for the year.

[cballman]

after reading some of these post on this matter I have a few questions.
first exactly what are the differences in the ideals and values that are troubling?

second if the troubles stem from children acting up and no manners then why not try to work with the troop to correct?

third since the adult leadership does not seem good then are you a leader? if not then how can you say they are not good?

fourth if the children are the problem with disrespecting leaders and adults the why not try to teach them respect instead of just giving up on them?

if you want the kids to respect you then in turn you must give them respect. also if you are wanting to shield your children from outside forces and influences then maybe scouting is not the place. I have seen many homeschooled children that have caused or are in more trouble because they finally get away from the iron rule that is the norm at home. I have seen both types of kids and most children at one time or another will try to buck the system no matter where the parents stand. I hate to have made these comments and questions seem so negative but as a scout leader that has seen both sides of the issue then yes maybe I should find out more info before I can give a better answer.

[9009scoutmaster]

Good advise cballman

[Lynda J]

I agree with Cballman.
I can understand the possibility of a DE discourging this type of unit. THis is a unit that probably won't last more then 5-6 years. It will be hard to recruite, since they seem to want to keep it homeschooled boys. The DE probably looks at it like this. "They have 12 boys. Chances are when those 12 boys either lose interest or rank out the unit will fold. Personally I would look at this unit as one that stands a 90% chance of folding. It takes a lot of effort and time to build a good unit. It takes adults willing to spend a lot of time getting trained.

I also wonder it these parents really have the concept of "BOY RUN" It could be that these parents want to run things. To do the planning and not let the boys run things.