We’re into the time when our Webelos brethren have made or are making the decision about continuing on in Boy Scouting. There’s always a range of interest levels among our incoming Scouts. In my experience, about half are coming over with great enthusiasm and are looking forward to the adventures ahead, earning ranks, going on campouts, and having fun with their friends. The other half approach with some level of trepidation – not knowing what lies ahead, apprehensive about the outdoor experience, wondering just what they’re getting into or being befuddled by the changes the Boy Scout program brings. Continue reading ““And,” not “or””
Update on Boy Scout program changes
A bit over a year ago, we wrote about the five-year BSA 4-1-1 Strategic Plan that looked at all aspects of the Boy Scouts of America and provided ways for volunteers and professionals to provide input on the future of our programs and processes. Several of the changes proposed in the plan have been put into place, and more details are coming forth about other changes to the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs over the next couple years. Continue reading “Update on Boy Scout program changes”
Committee chair timeline: January
Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday season and maybe enjoyed a little break from weekly Scouting, or perhaps a change of routine if your troop planned any special activities. You’ll be back at it soon enough, so here are a few things to think about as we head into the new year: Continue reading “Committee chair timeline: January”
What are you asking your committee?
There are two basic definitions of the term committee. One, a legal definition, refers to someone who has been placed in the charge of another person by reason of insanity. While Scouting can sometimes drive us to the brink, or so it seems, the more common definition describes a group of people assembled to perform a specific function. In our context, that function is the management of our unit.
A unit committee is typically a collaborative body, which works together to solve the problems associated with supporting the unit’s program. The committee chair is the chief facilitator, whose mission is to provide or arrange for the resources needed by the rest of the committee members so they can more effectively do their jobs. Continue reading “What are you asking your committee?”
We have to get it right!
What if the coach of a basketball team let eight or nine players play at a time? Or let them shoot into both baskets? Have you ever seen a baseball game where the batter could swing at as many pitches as he wanted to until he got a hit, or keep running the bases after she was tagged out? Would a band director let the trombones play the flutes’ score if they liked that music better?
These are all absurd situations. The rules of various sports are clearly defined, and the game has to be played by those rules. A band or orchestra has to play the score pretty much as it was written, or cacophony would result.
So why do some Scouters fail to understand how a troop works, or disobey the rules because they think they know better? Continue reading “We have to get it right!”