creating a strategic_direction_for_your_troop
TRANSCRIPT
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Creating a Strategic DirectionFor Your Troop
Steve MyersScoutmaster, Troop One, Akron
Crew Associate Advisor, Crew 2001, Akron
[email protected] trooponeakron.org
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
TroopOneakron.orghttp://TroopOneAkron.org/univofscouting.html
http://trooponeakron.org/policy.html
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Learning Objectives
• Learn why a troop needs a vision
• Sample write some vision statements
• A written troop policy is critical to achieve the vision
• Strategic directions are the fine tuning of the achievement of the vision
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• The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Boy Scout Oath and Law.
• It is the Vision of the Great Trail Council to reinforce traditional family values through the delivery of Boy Scout programs that will foster creativity, promote family unity, and inspire and motivate our Boy Scouts to develop the skills that will provide the foundation needed to become productive citizens. February 11, 2012
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Try to write a vision statement
February 11, 2012
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
What Issues Do Your TroopRevisit over and over?
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
What Issues Do Your TroopRevisit over and over?
• Aren’t you tired of always revisiting the same issues over and over?
• Doesn't anyone remember how we used to do it?
• Doesn’t anyone remember the direction you set last year?
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Where Do You See Your Troopin the next 3 to 5 years?
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Do you have a Vision for your Troop?
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
A troop without vision lacks direction
How can you know where to go if you don’t know where you want to end up?
So lets see how the goals and vision are achieved by a group of boys called Boy Scouts.
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
What are the steps to creating a vision and policy for your
troop? • Formative Action
– Initial• Brainstorming and • Collection of Best Practices
– On-going• PLCs• Strategic Direction nights (2 per year)• Policy voting (twice per year)
• Summative Action – Distribute Strategic Directions & Policy with Goals– Remember to Evaluate (quarterly PLCs, Annual
Goal Setting, Annual Planning conference)
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Formative Action
– Initial• Brainstorming and • Collection of Best Practices
– Where and when might this happen?– Who should be involved?– Write down the collection of best practices– Include a statement of vision– Distribute to PLC and a few adults (such as Adv.
Chair and CC)
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Formative Action
• On-going– PLCs
• Every month the PLC has an opportunity to effect the direction of the troop.
• Remember the good ideas for the Strategic Direction night.
– Two nights per year (Friday night of JLT, the Friday after SPL elections and on the 3rd Friday of March and Sept.)
• Strategic Direction nights • Policy voting
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Summative Action
• Distribute Strategic Directions & New Policy with Annual Goals– March and September COHs– Usually put on the web or posted to
[email protected]– Policy is distributed every 6 months in the T1 JLT
notebooks• Remember to Evaluate (quarterly PLCs,
Annual Goal Setting, Annual Planning conference)
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Strategic Direction NightsAnnounce Results to the Troop
FamilyStrategic Directions is a term we in Troop One use for the process and the results of a discussion among the boy leaders of the troop at two dates in the year. Those dates occur during the Junior Leader Training weekend held in March and September. These statements below recognize problems or concerns with the running of our troop. Solutions are presented that represent the will of the boy leadership as to how the troop operations will be conducted. Sometimes, Strategic Directions, after being tried in daily operation are voted on by the PLC and given the force of Troop Policy. Our troop policy is available on the web at http://trooponeakron.org/policy.html. Every Leader coming to Troop Junior Leader training gets a notebook with the policy printed out.
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Strategic Directions
• Let’s look at some examples• Notice how they were voted to policy or
dropped after 6, 12, 18, … months
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New Policy: Uniform for campouts.First proposed March 2001, approved for policy inclusion March 2002 after 12 months of trial.
Problem: Some scouts continually show up unprepared for campouts either by lack of preparing or lack of understanding.
Policy: It will be the rule of this Troop that anyone not wearing boots on Friday evening or the date of departure on a trip will be required to return home to get their boots or will not be allowed to camp. “No boots, no camping.”
Further we travel in full Boy Scout uniform and we wear scout pants, scout belt and scout socks. Uniform inspections will be regularly held. Exceptions may be made by the SPL.
Current status: policy
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
New Policy: Eligibility for elected officeFirst proposed March 2002Approved for policy inclusion, Sept 2002, after 6 months of trial. No scout may hold elected office if at anytime during their term they turn 18 years of age. The term is assumed to run between the dates of the elections, that is, between the 3rd weeks of March and September.
Current status: policy
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Strategic Direction #2: GamesFirst proposed March 2001, revised September 2001 Problem: We do not play enough games. Solution: The PLC will plan a game into every meeting time on the Troop One Meeting Planning Sheet unless the nature of the evening activity makes a game impossible. The SPL is asked to enforce strict time control over both the scouts and the adults as the program is executed. The program patrol is responsible for running the game. We will attempt to use more Boy Scout games on campouts as well.
Current status: dropped
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Strategic Direction #4: Only Scouts May Sign Boy Scout HandbooksFirst proposed in PLC, passed September 2001, approved for policy inclusion March 2002 after more than 6 months of trial. Problem: Many scouts who complete a requirement are never required to exercise that skill and be put in the position of a teacher of other scouts. No where is this more apparent than in the skills most often taught and signed off by an adult. The problem is having all older boys not being responsible for the advancement of younger scouts. Solution: Only scouts may sign Boy Scout handbooks indicating that a requirement has been completed. Adults may instruct but a Scout must sign. It is our desire that the adults that have so much to give will concentrate on training the older scouts to train the younger scouts and to serve as mentors of the teaching process. Scoutmasters retain the right and obligation to sign for Scout Spirit and Scoutmaster Conference completion and the Troop Committee retains the right and obligation to sign for completion of the Boards of Review. The only Scouts empowered by the PLC to sign books are those Scouts meeting both of the following requirements. (1) The scout must be a first class scout, and (2) the scout must hold the office of Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Troop Guide, or Instructor; or be a Patrol Leader and have the expressed consent of both the Scoutmaster and the SPL. Rights to sign can be at anytime be removed by agreement of both the SPL and the Scoutmaster.
Current status: policy
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
How can you capture the Vision?
• It happens in slow incremental steps• It gets written down• It gets remembered• It settles arguments• It empowers your leaders• It protects your boys from the adults• It introduces democracy in action since on
any issue the minority has to follow the will of the majority for at least the next six months.
The University of Scouting February 11, 2012
Creating a Strategic DirectionFor Your Troop
Thank you. Now go and do likewise.
Steve MyersTroopOneAkron.org
Or email [email protected]