When I was a young boy, my family instilled in me the value of being helpful. By my parents example they showed us how to be of service to our community, to our church, and to our neighbors. They were active in social functions that typically came with a cause. My Dad is a pretty good handy man and would often drag me to helping those that needed cabinets fixed or other repairs. We spent the better part of the spring of 1979 working in a Monastery doing odds and ends and the pay was great. Onion Soup.
I never once heard my Dad complain or ask for compensation for anything he ever did. It was just a part of the deal. Even to this day my parents are advocates for helping other people at all times.
And so as I grew up this attitude of service has stayed with me. In church they always ask of people to give their time, talents, and treasure. I always jokes that my treasure is limited but my time is free.. oh.. and limited talent too.
And so it is in Scouting. Saturday at our Program and Training conference I sat in and listened to a discussion about Friends of Scouting. The presenter asked the question why do we or why do we not give to FOS? A few answers went around the room. “To attain Presidential status and get free camping”, “To get a patch”, ‘To get the free advancement patches for our unit” were just a few. The common theme.. To Get.
Most people Give to Get. And that is the wrong approach when giving. We give for the program. We give so that our Council can maintain its outreach programs, maintain the camps we enjoy, and provide program for those that maybe would otherwise be left out. We should not give because we get something in return, we give because we can.
Back in 2008 I had the good fortune to give to the Council’s endowment through the James E. West Fellowship. Many Scouters half-joking could not resist to tease that I bought a knot. It was and is not about the knot. After thoughtful discussion with my wife, we decided that we could afford in our budget to give the $1000 over the year to help our Scouting programs. Knowing where the money goes was important to me and knowing that all of it would be used for bettering Scouting programs in our Council was the answer I needed. So we gave. Yes, we got a knot, but that knot to me is a demonstration, just like my parents showing me how to give and be of service, people who know and understand what the James E. West Fellowship is see that I am a servant leader. I wear it to be an example of giving. I put my money where my mouth is.
Many families take advantage of all that Scouting has to offer. We teach that “A Scout is Thrifty” and he pay’s his own way. But many families make excuses that the economy is bad, or we can’t afford this or that. I understand that times are tough, but times get tougher when we make bad choices. This may offend, but tough times are tougher when we make a choice to be lazy, wait for hand outs, or not accept our part in whatever it is that you value. Time and time again I hear Scout parents talk about how expensive Scouting can be. How much did you pay for those cigarettes? The average price of a pack of smokes today is $4 to $6. For the $60 spent on a carton of cigarettes you could send your kid to camp in a month. But who am I to tell you how to spend you money? The fact is, smokers value it over other things. No one needs to smoke, they make a choice to smoke. But for the money they literally burn, they could help their son have a great Scouting experience. Now, I’m picking on smokers here, why? Because they are the easy targets. You can see the dollars physically being burned with them and I can’t help but pick that out when they say they can’t afford Scouting. Truth be told, It pisses me off when they make excuses about money then light up a cigarette. I wonder about priorities and that obviously they are being selfish. That goes for lots of things. How many times do you eat out a week. I know for my family that’s at least a $40 to $50 trip. So you limit that activity and use the money for something better. I’m not suggesting that a night out is not called for here and there… but isn’t Scouting worth it?
Dollar for dollar you will not find a better value than Scouting. If you believe that, and make an effort to support that, than doing what it takes to keep it going should be a priority of yours. If not, then keep letting others do it for you…and the beauty is that you can expect everything that is offered.
I give, and expect nothing.
I love the Scouting movement and think that there is no better place for our young people to learn and practice what they learn to be productive members of our Country. Learning skills, teaching, practicing leadership, developing a sense of citizenship, and becoming men and women that value Character and understand that it certainly does matter.
I do this without pay or the expectation of compensation. My reward comes in seeing these kids grow up.
The fact of the matter is that to do this it costs and who better to provide than people who know and understand the value of the program?
But why expect something in return? Is that the spirit of giving? I have heard it said that “The only thing that take with you is what you leave behind”. I saw a great example of this in August down at the Philmont Scout Ranch. Now I do not think that I will ever be a millionaire, and I don’t think that I will ever be donating major tracks of land to the Boy Scouts of America. But what I do know is that my time is free, my talents are available, and my treasure, well I give what I can. And I think that is all one can ask for. With no strings attached, and nothing expected in return.. We give.
I am once again on the Wood Badge staff, and once again I give of time and talent, and I am sure some of the treasury will be spent. This is something that between my wife and I we have decided is good. It is good for us, it is good for those that come to the course, and it is good for Scouting. We both understand that the value of Scouting is greater than any dollar amount. The program is greater than any one leader. Scouting is life changing and worth every penny, every hour, and everyone’s talent.
Give. Not to Get, but because it is part of being a servant leader.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Category Archives: Scouting
Potential
The other night at our weekly Troop meeting we did something really out of the ordinary. The Scouts did their thing.. that was normal.. but we held a parent meeting and then Parent break outs for the Scouts going to Philmont, and the Scouts going to Summer Camp. Out of the ordinary in that we dedicated the entire evening to the Parents.
I feel that we do a pretty good job communicating, but with the move to the new church (meeting place) and the high pay off events just around the corner, it was a great time to get all the parents in one room together and talk about some of the issues that are currently being addressed by the Troop.
I did most of the talking.. duh… but I thought it was important for me to personally communicate certain topics to the parents.
Some of the things I talked about was the fact that all of a sudden the Scouts are getting a bit “relaxed” in their uniforming. Many of the younger Scouts are deciding for themselves that the uniform is not important while the Troop does feel it is important. The PLC addressed this issue a month ago and was having a hard time getting some Scouts motivated to comply with the Troop uniform policy (as outlined by the PLC). So I explained why the uniform was important to our team to the parents and asked for their help in getting little Tommy Tenderfoot to wear his uniform.
We also talked about bang for your Scouting buck.. simply put the dues are not pro rated based on your attendance.. so you should attend everything and get the most out of your Scouting dollar.
Now, I know that asking to be at everything is unrealistic, but in recent months we have seen a drop in our attendance for camp outs. Some of the younger Scouts have had ‘other plans’ on some of the fun camp out weekends and then I hear them complain that the guys that went on the camp out got lots of stuff signed off in their books, while they did not.
The point to the parents was this; if you participate you will get a lot out of Scouting. If you Scout ala cart.. you don’t get the full meal. You get out of Scouting exactly what you put into it.
I was challenged by a parent saying I should do a better job encouraging the boys to go. And I do.. but I won’t beg a Scout and I certainly won’t beg a parent. They all have a calendar, they all know when we meet, they all know a year in advance when the camp outs are. Part of Scouting’s lesson is self-reliance. If Scouting is not that important to the Scout and/or their family, well then they simply will miss out. I have said it many times. I want them all to attend.. but at the end of the day, I would rather have 15 Scouts that are motivated and having fun then 45 that I have to drag along fighting their attitude. Is that to say that I give up on them.. certainly not.. But once again, I asked the parents to be excited about Scouting and encourage their boy to hit the trail with us instead of staying home.
So I will continue to encourage.. but not beg.|
This subject of participation led to me telling the parents that our Scouts have a ton of potential. Some of the older Scouts have expressed that I have been “riding them”. And yes, I suppose that is true, but then again, I guess it depends on how you define “Riding”. You see, I see lots of potential in these Scouts, in particular the current leaders of the Troop. Yep, I said potential… not performance. They have the necessary skills, tools, and knowledge. What they lack is want to.
So when they say I am riding them what it really means is that expect a lot out of them and will not settle for them being lazy, I will not settle for them to not do their job, and I will not settle for them to set this example to the younger Scouts.
Now it should be clear. I never belittle them, I never yell at them, I never make them feel like they are failing. I just stay on them and expect them to perform their position of responsibility.
Does it get old for them? Sure does. Do they do well when pushed? Sure do. So I define “riding” this way…
I am extracting performance from their potential.
Once they start performing it becomes a habit and then they are moving the troop along with a full head of steam.
They get it. They just need a gentle push from time to time.
I felt the need to communicate this stuff to our parents. They have a big influence on the participation level, the attitude level, and the support that we as Scout leaders get from the Scouts and Scouting families.
Coming out of the meeting I felt that the parents were once again on our team. They were encouraged with our program, and they all gave me a great feeling of support.
I closed by expressing my love for Scouting and the Scouts in our Troop. They will all be developed, protected, and loved in our Troop.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Messengers of Peace
Timely.
As some of you may know, but now you all will… My oldest son, John, the Eagle Scout made a huge decision recently to put college on hold and follow in his Dad’s footsteps and join the Army. Not just join the Army, but do exactly what I did in the Army. Airborne Ranger.
While I am proud of him and excited for the adventures that await him, and know that there will be many. My heart, like that of any father wants him to be safe. I have served my time in combat and know what it is like. And as much as I loved my time in the Army and know that he will do well, I don’t want him to get hurt.
Having said that, it causes me to reflect on Baden Powell’s intent for Scouting. A World organization for peace. It is with that thought that this morning I stumbled on the BSA’s “Messenger for Peace” Site and thought to myself.. if only this works. My son (and your son’s and daughters) would not have to go to war.
I am on board with this. Check it out and see what you can do to be a messenger of peace.
From the BSA Website:
Fellow Scouters,
In 1920, just two years after the most terrible war the world had ever known, 8,000 Scouts from 34 countries came together for the first world jamboree. At the closing ceremony, Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell called on participants to carry the spirit of the jamboree home “so that we may help to develop peace and happiness in the world and goodwill among all Scouts.”
The Scouts of the world have been answering that call for more than 90 years.Today, Scouts in dozens of countries are working for peace by solving conflicts in their schools, building links between divided communities, teaching their peers about health and wellness, and repairing environmental damage. To recognize their efforts—and to inspire more young men and women to help Scouting create a better world—the World Scout Committee has launched the Messengers of Peace initiative. The Boy Scouts of America is proud to join this effort in 2012.
How can BSA units participate? All they have to do is go online and register the MOP-related community service projects (including Eagle Scout projects) they undertake. Doing so adds pins to a global Messengers of Peace map, which Scouts from around the world can click on to learn how their fellow Scouts are making a difference.
Scouts who complete MOP projects will be eligible for a special recognition: a ring patch that goes around the World Crest. That patch will symbolize their participation in an ever-widening circle of Scouts who are not just visualizing world peace but are helping to make it a reality.
The Scouts of the world have always been a powerful force for good. This initiative lets us celebrate what our Scouts have already accomplished and inspire them to accomplish even more. Please join us as we work together to create a better world.
There is a cool recognition for this program also. You can read more about it on the Byan on Scouting Blog.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Prepared. For Life
As everyone that reads this blog knows, the BSA’s new(er) slogan is as the title reads… “Prepared. For Life”. I have often stayed away from advertising gimmicks and jingles.. “An Army of One”, and “Be all that you can Be” come to mind. But this one hit home as I thought about how Scouting does impact our lives. Yesterday was my first day back from vacation and so I spent a little time catching up on emails, reading my favorite blogs, and cleaning camping gear. My good buddy Adam posted a piece about his vacation last week. It is a great article and illustrated just how Scouting is Preparing us for life.
I was and I suppose still am reluctant to tell this story in light of Adams blog post, but once again I find myself in need of sharing this wonderful thing called Scouting.
Last week we spent at Glacier National Park. If you have never been.. GO! It is truly an amazing place. So as you can imagine when I go camping I go prepared. We are ready to sustain for a week in comfort and have a good time out in the woods. This time was no exception. Since it was family time, I went a lot heavier than I am used to, the big cabin tent, the big stove, the coolers etc. But I still had my day pack which had my 10 essentials in it and since we were in Glacier NP, a canister of Bear spray.
One afternoon as we sat in camp, a scream came from the road in front of our camp site. The boys were throwing a football around and one fell. HE ran straight into our site crying. Why our site and not to his parents.. I don’t know. Maybe instinct told him that I had just completed the Wilderness First Aid course, or that I was a Scoutmaster, or he had no idea where he was.. either way.. here he ran into our site bleeding from the hand.
I had him sit down and told him to look me in the eyes. Josh, my youngest son, had already got to my day pack and retrieved the first aid kit. I told this youngster to relax and that he was going to be fine. His alligator tears started to dry and I just kept talking to him. Found out that in three days he would be turning 9 years old and that he was from Canada.
All the while I gloved up and started treating his cut. He had fallen on his hand and took a good layer or two of skin off his palm. Cleaning the area and bandaging with non stick pads I was done with the bleeding part. Then I started looking for possible fracture. He asked why I was poking and pressing on his wrist and hand.. I told him I wanted to make sure he was ok. He was. Right about that time, his dad came into our camp. He said he had heard the scream and started heading in this direction. I told what I had done and that I think everything is going to be ok, keep it clean and if he needed I would change the dressing the next day.
He saw the Scouting stickers on the back of my truck and made a comment about them stating that his son had run to the right place. “Who else would be ready to anything”, he said referring to the stickers.
So all of this got me to thinking about just how we Prepare our Scouts for life.
It’s not just first aid and camping skills, but as the mission statement states, Making ethical choice throughout their lives.
I often talk in this blog about character and making choices. Being fit and healthy, being of service to others, and of course skills that will help them get through life.
Scouting is a great platform for this learning, discovery, and practice of the life skills that these young men will need as they go through it. Being Prepared for as Baden Powell said.. Anything.
So it’s not just about camping and fun. It truly is a game with a purpose and all of us should remember what that purpose it. This new(er) slogan.. Prepared. For Life. Is the Boy Scouts of America mission statement in three words. It is our call to action as Scouters. It is what we are here for.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
My Son, the Eagle Scout
Tonight my son was presented his Eagle Scout Award. I can not express in words how very proud I am of him. Over the past 11 years him and I have been on a great adventure. At times the trail was rocky and hard to navigate. At other times the trail was smooth and wonderful to pass.
Over the past couple days we have been gathering the memories of his Scouting career. He had a great experience in Scouting and I am glad that I was able to come along.
This video is the presentation that we showed at the Court of Honor tonight. After the video he was given the Eagle Challange and Charge and repeated the Eagle Oath. This was presented by my father, John’s Opa and our Troops Eagle Mentor. He was presented his Eagle Certificate by my father in law, an Eagle Scout. The voices you hear in the video are my wife (John’s mom), his twin sister, and me. John’s brother, currently a Life Scout was the master of ceremonies. There was a great crowd of Scouts, Scouters, family, and friends in attendance. I am a little biased, but it was one of the finest Eagle ceremonies I have seen. John delivered a wonderful speech about his Scouting experience and thanked many people for helping him along the way.
Enjoy the video. I am so proud of this young man, he’s the kind of young man you would love to have as your son… but he’s mine and I am proud.
Going over the Edge!!
I NEED YOUR HELP!!
I do not want a penny from you for personal use. I have never used this blog as a fundraising tool.. but the time is NOW to help Scouts and help me do something real cool.
Yes.. I will benefit from this in that I get to have an extremely cool adventure.
Let me break this down for you. I am in the Cascade Pacific Council. The CPC sits in the heart of a city (government) that has no values, no support of conservative efforts and, while the CPC is a large council with many youth and adult participants… the city in which it resides is not a big supporter of Scouting. And that is one of the reasons this is so cool!
We are going over the edge of the US Bancorp Tower in downtown Portland.. there is NO WAY that the city will be able to not see this great event that supports Scouting!
I pledged to raise $2,500 ! Your support will help us impact young lives with values like… On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my Country. These words have been the foundation of our organization since 1910 and reflect the values that are critical to the healthy development of our youth. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.
You can help me rappel 500 feet down the US Bancorp tower and help Scouting!
Go to my site and see if you can help. I really believe in Scouting and need your help. And yep.. the mic will go with me down the tower.. the first ever Scouting podcast from 500 ft and dropping!
Here is a link to my site where you can make your tax deductible donation.. every penny helps: http://cpcbsa.kintera.org/overtheedge/schleining
I know that most of you are Scouters and support your local council. And I thank you. $2,500 is not that much when we spread it out among the great readers and listeners of the Scoutmaster Minute. Please Help!!!
This is the US Bancorp Tower in Downtown Portland. Its the second tallest building in the city at 536 feet!
I really want to rappel down that 500 ft tower!
Thanks for anything you can do!
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Founders Day 2012
When we teach our Scouts about setting goals and accomplishing tasks, we always start with their vision. We ask them to take the time in their mind’s eye and see what the outcome is going to look like. What do they want to see in the end.
Imagine with me for a moment what the vision in Lord Baden Powell’s minds eye looked like for Scouting.
What a wonderful program BP founded. What an awesome movement, one unlike anything the world had seen, and one that stands the test of time, governments, wars, economic hardship, and prosperity.
Happy Founders Day to all of my Brothers and Sisters in Scouting!
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Preaching to the Choir
During this last years recharter we had an extremely disappointing turn in of the Journey to Excellence form. As a District committee we chalked this up to a couple of things.. perhaps it was that many people were not aware of the change in program. Maybe some Scouters did not receive proper or inadequate training on the subject. It could have been that the program was not communicated effectively. Another reason may have been that some Scouters just don’t care enough to fill it out. Then again, it may have just been that there are units out there that really are not delivering the promise and would not fill out the form for any reason.
I will go on record and say that the answer is All of the Above. (In my opinion).
So rather than simply complain about it.. I figured that the right thing to do, because I love Scouting and believe in the program, would be to tackle the issues and start with training.
So I volunteered to teach about the JTE program and give out all the tools that would make a unit successful in at least getting the 2012 form in with their charter in November.
So back in January, I announced that we would hold a JTE session at the February Round table. I made arrangements with the Round Table commissioner and we decided that this would be a great class. We could have all levels of Scouting attend and present the information in a clear and easy to use format.
I made copies of all of the materials and even used my own Troop as an example. I made copies of our spreadsheet JTE tracker and our goals for this year. A sample budget was included as well as the Pack, Troop, and Crew requirements for 2012.
Last night at Round table, the room was set and I prepared to teach this subject of which I have developed a passion for. 7 people showed up for the training. 7. 2 of them were Assistant Scoutmasters from my Troop, 1 was a Scoutmaster of a high performance troop that is using the JTE tools and is delivering the promise of Scouting. 2 were Cub Scout leaders that I assume got a lot out of the class. They had great questions and seemed to be very interested in getting this ball rolling within their Packs. 1 was an Assistant Scoutmaster of another Troop that is always in the hunt for Troop of the Year, and finally a committee member from on of the LDS units in our District. She had never heard of JTE and took lots of notes. She informed me that she thought that this was all done at the Stake level.. but wanted to know more so she could get the program started with the Troops she worked with.
7 Scouters.
85 units did not bother to fill out and turn in the form during the last recharter process.
So essentially last night I preached to the choir… again.
As I drove home from Round table last night my mind was filled with disappointment which of course drove me to thinking about the other areas in which we fall short in our District, Council, and of course the BSA.
Mostly I think it comes down to training. We do a fantastic job of getting people to help. Just look at the numbers.
1.1 Million volunteers currently serve the youth of Scouting. 1.1 Million. Now I am no fool, and I know that in any population you will never get 100 % of the folks to do anything, but we need to try right?
So we have lots of Scouts that deserve the best, and we have lots of volunteers that have at some level made a commitment to give their best, and yet we don’t.
Lets assume that my District (which I consider a real great district) is representative of most if not all districts in the BSA. First, lets throw out some numbers again… bear with me here. Remember that I said 85 units in my district did not bother to turn in the JTE form. My district has 129 units in it.
In 2010 the BSA reported that there were 47,259 Cub Scout Packs, 40,099 Boy Scout Troops, 8,539 Varsity teams, and 18,856 Venture Crews. That would be a total (in 2010) of 114,753 units in the BSA.
So assuming everything is equal, 40,000 units within the BSA did not turn the JTE form this last year. Now I do not know this to be true.. I am just looking for a solution. IF that big a population within an organization that makes it its business to deliver the promise of Scouting to the 2 million (plus) Scouts that come to us allows this to happen.. then I think it is worth a review. Not a change in the Journey to Excellence program. It is rock solid.. after all its all about making every unit the best. It follows the methods and places its focus on what is important.. serving Youth!. No, it does not need to change. What needs to change is how we present, train, and work with units to ensure that the program (both the Scouting program and the JTE) are being followed. Units that are in need of help need to get it.
I think this is where the commissioner service comes in… and there again.. we are preaching to the choir… assuming again that your district is like mine.. where are all the commissioners? We are in need of good commissioners that are dedicated to making every unit a great one.
There are many ways that we need to attack this. I think that we have a huge disconnect here and it will not get better as long as we keep preaching to the choir. The choir is fine and is singing loud and clear. It is the folks that don’t want to sing that we need to reach. It is the people we never see, it is the countless applications that come through the council that never get a hand shake or a visit. It is the volunteers that are not reached by hands on training or a friendly invite to Round table.
As much as I am a big fan of computer based training.. I think we may have lost some of the contact by going away from class room training. We need to connect with the 1.1 million volunteers, or what ever that number is in your District and not only fix this JTE problem, but get more leaders trained, active, and taking on rolls that complement their skills, attitudes, and level of committment within the District. We need commissioners that actually pay visits to their units. Commissioners that do not wear multiple hats in Scouting. Commissioners that can take the time to work with and mentor unit leaders.
We need to get a bigger choir! I’ll have more to say on this later… I am curious to hear what you have to say about all this… leave a comment!
Have a Great Scouting Day!
JTE revisited
As with many of us we wear multiple hats in Scouting. First and foremost we wear the Dad (or Mom) hat, then the hat appropriate to our unit, like Scoutmaster or Committee Chair. Then there often times is some District level hat, whether that is part of the District Training team, a District event, or serving on the District committee. Some are active within their Order of Arrow Chapters or Lodges, and so another hat is hung there. And for some, and the numbers narrow here, the Council comes a callin’ and more hats are added to the hat rack of Scouting. This is all well and good as long as the person wearing all of those hats can A. balance and manage the time, B. give full attention to all the positions that he or she has volunteered for, and finally C. Remember that this is Scouting and it is still a game with a purpose.
All of that to say… I am putting on my District hat right now for this post.
Thursday night at our District committee meeting I was asked to take on an additional responsibility, that of the District Committee Chair while we are looking to replace our retiring District Committee chairman. I currently serve as the District Program Chairman, so this was not to far a stretch and so I accepted the interim role.
That is neither here nor there when it comes to the subject of this post, other than to say that in the role of both the District Committee Chairman and the Program Chairman one of the reports that our District Commissioner gave disturbed me to no end and I am looking for solutions.
That report was on the Journey to Excellence status of units within our District. I’ll jump right in.
In November our Council wraps up it’s rechartering process. This way all units are good to go heading into the new year. If done right by the units, this is a nice way to end the year and start their Scouting calendar year off clean. Maybe it’s because I do not know anything else, but this works well for me.
In November we also close out our now Journey to Excellence (Former Honor unit, Quality unit, Centennial Quality unit) report. Now of all the programs listed in Parenthesis.. I like Journey to Excellence a lot. It is a fair way to rank and rate your unit. It is a good measure of how your program is delivering the promise of Scouting. In the Thunderbird District we have 129 units that rechartered this November.. well 124 actually turned them in on time.. we are still waiting on 6 of them… which will add to my point here real quick. Out of the 129 units only 35% of them turned in the paper work for their Journey to Excellence. That’s only 45 units (Packs, Troops, and Crews). 45!
So the question has to be WHY? The score card is easy to use, the goals are fair and offer a sliding scale from Bronze to Gold so that units have a way of stepping up their programs with rewards for small and large success’s. But why would only 45 out of 129 units report how they are offereing up the program?
Is it a lack of knowledge? A lack of training? A lack of buy in? Or does this tell us that the 84 units that did not report are not providing quality programs and do not want to tell that to the District and Council? I sincerely hope that this is not the case. I know that there are great Scouters out there in our District and I see the units around doing activities, service projects, and outings. So why not report.
My thoughts went back to the Good turn for America program. Our District struggled in getting units to report there also. We asked a volunteer to chase down units and assist with their reporting.. read.. do it for them. And amazingly, or not, the numbers went sky rocketing. Now I am not suggesting that this is all about numbers. I certainly am not, what I am hoping is that the Promise of Scouting is being delivered in the 84 units that have made the choice not to fill out the form.
In talking with one Scouter, I came to the conclusion that he just did not know how the process worked. So a lack of training on his part led him to not being able to go through this with his unit. I call BS on this to a certain degree. The program is not that tough to just figure out. He asked about tools that could be used to help with the process. I told him to go to Scouting.org and look up the Journey to Excellence. There he would find an easy way to set the goals of the unit, track the progress of the unit, and print the final report. Along with definitions, Frequently Asked questions, and support. I also reminded him that the number one function of the District is to support units and he could always call us.
Here is what I like about the JTE program. If you use the tracker, and I mean break it out monthly and see how you are, as a unit progressing through your program based on your goals. You will achieve success. The tracker allows the unit to see potential problems or short falls before they happen. It allows Troop committees to make adjustments, it is a nice tool for the Patrol Leaders Council to stay on track with their program. After all the main emphasis of the JTE is in program and participation. Most of us have a competitive gene in us. Our Scouts certainly do. So the Journey to Excellence plays on this part of the game. There are incentives within the unit to continuously improve. Better Performance means better Scouting for youth! Better Performance can earn a higher level of Recognition, and Key requirements are tracked and improvement can be quickly identified so they can see where they are on the field. It’s kind of like being in a 3rd and long and waiting to punt or 3rd and short and know you can score!
I also like that each year the requirements will change. Each year, the requirements will be reconsidered to reflect the improved performance by units. This is why it is important that ALL units report. Right now in my District 45 units will set the performance measurement for the rest of the District. New standards for 2012 are already out. You can see the Troop score card here.
So I am looking for solutions to this problem. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment or drop an email.
Share your Journey to Excellence success’s also in the comments section of this post.
Like I said. I know that there are good Scouters out there doing the right thing. But the Journey to Excellence program will help make Scouting better. Better for the main thing… Scouts.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
One Door Closes
It is said that when one door closes.. another door opens. Much as one chapter of a book leads to the next chapter we had a door closed last night opening the door or moving on to the next chapter in the history of our Troop.
Last night when I arrived at our Troop meeting, I was greeted by our Charter Organization Representative and another member of the Knights of Columbus. They were friendly and said that they were paying the Troop a visit. After I had met with a few Scouts that showed up early, they asked if I had a minute before the meeting started. “Certainly” I said. We went into a private meeting room. I thought this was a great time to talk about all the great things that the Troop has been doing and to give him an updated calender of the 2012 Troop events. So I started in with how we were doing on recruiting and advancement, then went on to talk about our run for “Troop of the Year” kind of going over our Journey to Excellence Score card.
About half way through my impromptu presentation, the COR asked if we could talk about recharter. “Of course, I would love to talk about recharter” after all, our recharter packet is due to the District on Wednesday. They said that the Knights had discussed and voted to renew our Charter. “That’s great I said.. we would hate to lose the charter partner after 8 great years”. Well, they said.. no problem, we are going to sign the charter.. HOWEVER… Yep.. here it comes.. the slamming of the door…
“The Knights” they started… “Voted to renew the charter, but you can no longer meet in the Knights Hall.” My jaw hit the floor.. “WHAT?”
“Well, we [the Knights] held a discussion, and the Knights felt like you [the Scouts] no longer needed the Hall.”
“What the heck does that mean?” I asked. I was completely dumbfounded. The more I asked why, the deeper and deeper the COR and Brother Knight hummed and Haa’d and danced around giving me an honest answer.
I think it is fair for me to say at this time, that I have been a Knight for 19 years. I loyally served the Knights of Columbus as Grand Knight for several terms and as District Deputy for a term, not to mention being the Scoutmaster for the most successful program the Knights Council has.
They went on to say that we could still use the basement to store “all our gear”.. to which I replied, “What gear?” They said, that this was the best they could do and unfortunately there was nothing else they could do for us. Then they said, but we really want to recharter you.
I asked them what for… if we have no place to meet, we don’t need you. As much as you are done with us, we also must be done with you…
Part of the responsibility of the CO is to “Provide adequate and secure facilities for Scouting units to meet on a regular schedule with time and place reserved” Here are the Chartered Organization Responsibilities”
By receiving a charter from the Boy Scouts of America, the chartered organization agrees to:
- Conduct Scouting in accordance with its own policies and guidelines as well as those of the BSA.
- Include Scouting as part of its overall program for youth and families.
- Appoint a chartered organization representative who is a member of the organization and will represent it to the Scouting district and council, serving as a voting member of each.
- Select a unit committee of parents and members of the organization who will screen and select unit leaders who meet the organization’s leadership standards as well as the BSA’s standards.
- Provide adequate and secure facilities for Scouting units to meet on a regular schedule with time and place reserved.
- Encourage the units to participate in outdoor experiences.
At that point I heard the Scout Oath being recited, so I thanked them for the 8 good years and told them I had to get out to the meeting. They asked me not to be mad or upset. I told them that I was not mad, nor was I upset, I was disappointed in them, in the organization that I thought had a dedication to both youth and community. I was disappointed that they could feel that this was the “right thing to do”. I am disappointed in the Knights for displacing their Troop. I told them that I was not mad and that this would be all that needs to be said. They told me that we had till the 1st of the year. I told them that in 24 hours we will have another Chartering Partner and they could rest assured that nothing will slow our program down and the Scouts will not be impacted by their decision.
One door closes… another door opens.
Today, I received many phone calls discussing the situation and it appears we already have a new place. A bigger, better facility, and a Chartering Partner that values the Scouting Program.
We have not locked anything in yet, we have feelers out to two other organizations so we want to keep the options open. After all we have 30 days to make the move. We did have the Knights sign to get the charter in on time, but the Council knows we will be changing in the very near future.
Another door opens.
I am amazed at how our Troop committee mobilized in this effort. Last night before the end of the meeting, they had a plan of action in place and things were on the move. The Assistant Scoutmasters were already making calls and seeking the new location. Today calls went out and we spent a good amount of time exchanging notes and discussions. We are the move and not looking back.
One of the mom’s of the Troop has already volunteered to take the Charter Organization name off the flag. Yes, they said we take everything with us. They want nothing.
So the door is open, another chapter begins in the life of our Troop.
Last night I have to admit I was mad, disappointed, and upset that this chapter had closed. But today is a new day and a new chapter, a fork in the trail.. the path to a new adventure.
One Door closed.. another Opened Wide!
Have a Great Scouting Day!
