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One of the most common things I am asked about…
.. is how to manage the transition from adult-led to youth-led Scouting. In this first of three podcasts talking about this transition I’ll point out that the process begins with education ourselves as to how Scouting is constituted, how the game is played. What we will learn is youth leadership youth leadership is central to achieving our aim as Scouters and we ought to do all we can assure we respect and encourage our Scouts authority and autonomy.
What about Troop neckerchiefs?
I’ll also answer an email question about exactly who decides whether the a troop wears neckerchiefs or not.
In This Podcast
From Adult to Youth Leadership Part 1 [3:13]
Who decides whether the a troop wears neckerchiefs or not [9:45]
Scoutmaster’s Minute- Lessons from sticks [14:14]
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Podcast Notes
Uniform and insignia guide on neckerchiefs
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Good call on the bylaws thing. Every troop will have some guidelines (in line with national guidelines) and some traditions. These should be mostly unwritten.
Great questions Allan!
See the next post for my answers
http://scoutmaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/three-questions.html
Clark,
Greetings from Oklahoma. I think I have known since Woodbadge how a troop should look, but getting there is another matter. I have three questions for you to comment on:
1. Youth leaders elected, but reluctant to lead. I have had 2 successive SPL’s who would not prepare, would not work, canceled most TLC meetings, and who did not treat their fellow scouts very well. The last one was rarely seen at summer camp this past summer, preferring to hang with friends in other camp sites or at the lake. I felt like firing him since he did not seem to care about his leadership role. But I let him hang on until the August troop elections.
2. Small troop. Out troop is small with 6 to 8 scouts. We basically act as one patrol, since we average 6 scouts at meetings and 4 on camping trips. Our new SPL will be acting the part of the Patrol Leader until we can recruit more scouts into the troop and form two working patrols. This will not alter the youth leadership principle, but the patrol method is always described in terms of multiple patrols. How will this work for a troop?
3. What are the limits of constraints we adults must lay on youth leaders. I have always reserved the right to veto activities and choices made by the boys that either are not safe, are not allowed by the BSA, or are contrary to the aims and methods of scouting. I think that, if left to themselves the scouts would vote to play paint ball rather than camp, abandon the uniform, and treat the scoutmaster like a Weblos den leader, to do all the planning and leading.
Thanks for the well thought out and even entertaining pod casts. Because of your use of them, I have obtained and read the third edition of the Scoutmasters handbook, and the book “Be Prepared”. I find tons of stories to tell my scouts from these. Keep up the good work. Where you get the time to do a regular, weekly , quality show; plus the other scouting stuff, plus life, I do not know. thanks.