Committee Chairs, Bobwhite Blather, Page 5

July 7, 2014July 7, 2014

Motivating volunteers to commit

Has this ever happened to you? You spot a parent at a troop meeting, chat with him or her and decide they’d be a good fit for a particular task you have in mind. After discussing it, they agree to take on the job, and you give some basic direction. Later that month at the committee meeting, they either don’t show up or report that nothing much has been done. We tend to brush it off as “everyone’s busy” and let it go, but as the weeks go by, there really isn’t any further progress. You really hate to bug them – they did volunteer, after all – but something has to move forward.

Sound familiar? Continue reading “Motivating volunteers to commit”

June 30, 2014

Placing process before results

A smooth-running troop is the dream of every Scoutmaster. Every Scout doing what he should do, youth leaders firmly in charge, and the senior patrol leader taking direction from the Scoutmaster and leading the other youth.

Most troops don’t fit that image, however. Patrols seem to vary from adequately prepared to barely functioning. It can be frustrating for a Scoutmaster to not see the Scouts getting anything done.

The same can apply to the troop committee. You see committee members not doing things the way you’d do them. You’re tempted to micromanage or just do things yourself.

When this happens, it’s time to step back and understand the real aim and the best approach to let the process take its course, rather than trying to fret about the end result. Continue reading “Placing process before results”

June 2, 2014

“I quit!”

Last month I stepped down as our troop’s committee chair, a role I’ve held for over seven years. After selecting my replacement, I made the announcement in front of the committee at our monthly meeting, and informed our troop families a couple weeks later at our quarterly court of honor.

I was tempted to take the floor and announce loudly “I quit!” and walk off, but the announcement by itself would have sent the wrong message. Continue reading ““I quit!””

March 31, 2014

Committee chair timeline: Every month

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve picked up on our monthly summary of things the committee chair needs to give attention to for the following month. We finished up the year last month with the March version, so we’ll take one last look at the committee chair’s job with our list of details that need to be looked at each month. Continue reading “Committee chair timeline: Every month”

February 24, 2014

Committee chair timeline: March

March is nearly here, and with it longer days and the urge to get outside. But before we lace up our hiking boots, let’s talk about some of the business items the committee needs to tend to this month.

Your primary happening this month will be welcoming the Webelos Scouts who are headed your way. Cub Scout packs are having their crossover ceremonies, and hopefully the bridge leads to your troop. If you’ve been doing your homework, you have had many prospective Scouts and their parents come and check out your troop at a troop meeting, court of honor or an outdoor event. Be prepared to welcome these new Scouts to your troop! Make sure your committee members who have a role in welcoming new members know their part in the process. Continue reading “Committee chair timeline: March”