Troop 25 Goals for 2001-2002
The following goals for the Troop were discussed and agreed upon by the PLC at the Annual Planning Meeting, June 2001
|
Goal |
What it
means/why it is good goal |
Comments/What
we will be doing about it |
|
1) Have more of the content of Troop meetings and events reflect the Scout program |
-keep in mind in PLC planning of each Troop mtg -keep in mind in planning content of camping trips, so that some program/advancement activities can be done on trip |
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2) Provide more structured opportunities for advancement (ties in with #1) |
-keeps mtgs focused -support more steady advancement -requires good planning of mtgs by PLC |
-more detailed focus in PLC to make sure that instructional time is well spent and well-focused, including the assignment of who will be teaching what, etc. |
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3) Strengthen the patrol method; provide guidance to boy leaders on planning, organization, leadership |
-Adults should help junior leaders -SPL and ASLP keep the focus on working by patrol -patrols work together; respect is given to patrol leaders |
-all patrols should have patrol leader and asst patrol leader -by encouraging more camp out participation, we should have more “true” patrols on camp outs -patrol competitions in meetings and on camp outs |
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4) Increase interaction between older and younger scouts, with older scouts mentoring younger scouts |
-need to get better connections so that young scouts have role models -need to make older scouts role models to help stimulate good behavior by them |
-work on Troop Guide and JASM assignments to promote this connection |
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5) Have a more explicit assignment for Troop Guides – assign each Troop Guide responsibility for a specific list of new scouts? |
-a clear assignent make sit more likely that it will get done; no confusion -better for younger scouts because they know who to look to |
-we have 2 troop guides now -assign 2 or 3 more older scouts in this role -assign each guide 3-4 younger scouts to mentor -have a specific goal for the training and advancement of each younger scout -possibly use 1 or 2 scouts currently designated as JASMs as guides |
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6) Have a “catch-up” program in the fall for new scouts that did not attend summer camp – to get up to the level of the scouts that did attend camp |
-new scouts who do not go to camp historically have a hard time catching up and do not continue with the program |
-based on PLC discussions, set goal such as having all new scouts up to Feb Ct of Honor -have a JASM supervise this program and work with troop guides to implement -this will be kept in mind as the specific instructional activities are planned by PLC |
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7) Have a better understanding of the role to be played by JASMs |
-can be confusing to distinguish between troop guides and JASMs |
-Mr. Dew says that even JASMs should report to SPL Mr. Dew wants JASMs to have greater responsibility than guides -in discussions with older scouts, decide who wants to take a bigger role as JASM, then set roles of each JASM and troop guide |
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8) Provide more activities to interest older scouts (ties in with #4-7), including a few high adventure trips just for older scouts |
-older scouts have not had any special activities -older scouts have less reason to be interested and stay active -if older scouts do not stay active, we lose the benefit of their experience |
-Mr. Stone will focus on doing a limited number of more advanced high adventure-type activities with older scouts (in addition to Philmont) -need to have a meeting with older scouts to decide what type of activity they will want to do -to be eligible for these more advanced activities, scouts must meet the Philmont criteria (i.e., First Class and either 14 or finished 8th grade) |
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9) Increase the depth of training at all levels: a) Committee – basic b) Uniformed adults – basic, Wood Badge c) PLC – Troop JLT |
-(a) and (b) are Committee issues -(c) is a scout issue – get more scouts familiar with the ideas of the patrol method, leadership, etc. |
-talk to Peter Keays and line up a weekend program |
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10) Try to have all scouts within a Patrol at approximately the same level of advancement |
-wide differences in advancement levels can make it more difficult to work as patrol -approx equal levels of advancement makes instruction easier |
-make sure that in planning instruction/advancement opportunities, scouts have the chance to catch up -scouts will need to take initiative |
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11) Have more camp out participation |
-more people means more fun -more people means we can do more stuff like patrol competitions |
-good planning of events, so that details will be known well in advance -good publicity to get people enthused -get scouts thinking of events as not only fun but good for advancement -PLC members need to go on trips!! -older scouts need to go on some trips |
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12) Have better control of Patrol boxes |
-we now have more patrols (7) than boxes (6) -too expensive to buy a whole additional box -need to develop a system to keep track of which patrol uses a given box, together with a system of making that patrol responsible for the condition |
-make sure there is a Quartermaster assigned before summer -Quartermaster should organize effort over the summer to finish the process of making inventory for each box -Quartermaster should develop check-out system -at start of each trip, SPL will keep track of what patrol takes each box -after each trip, Quartermaster will inspect each box to make sure all equipment is present and in good condition -plan on checking boxes on the Monday after each trip |
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13) Have more merit badge work at Troop meetings |
-this is part of instructional opportunity, especially for more advanced scouts -many Troop mtgs could have merit badge work for older scouts while less advanced scouts work on advancement in scout manual |
-take this into account in PLC planning process -use resources within troop -- get troop parents to teach |
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14) Improve communications within PLC and within Troop as a whole |
-less confusion -better attendance at mtgs and events |
-have a more set schedule to reminder phone calls with PLC -have calls earlier in week -have phone chain to assure full coverage -discuss whether e-mail is a practical way of communicating among scouts -discuss whether Web Site is practical way of communica- ting within Troop -consider setting up an Easy Board account to create private discussion forum for Troop -Mr. Dew plans on a monthly newsletter to remind people of upcoming events |
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15) Have better behavior at Troop meetings |
-need to have more respect for SPL and other leaders -need to show better behavior to guests -better behavior will allow us to have better focus during meetings -better behavior means less wasted time -better behavior is part of Scout Law |
-respect starts with Patrol Leaders – they must show respect to SPL and ask respect with in patrols -adult leaders must support SPL -try to avoid formal disciplinary program unless it turns out to be necessary |
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16) Have SPL/PLC term last for full year instead of six months |
-more consistency -shorter term means SPL is just getting the hang of it when he leaves the job -full year term means that new SPL doesn’t get dumped into the tail end of the schedule set by earlier SPL |
-have SPL/PLC elected in May 2002 -New SPL will NOT run the Troop program for May and June 2002 – that remains the job of the outgoing SPL -New SPL will plan and lead the Annual Planning meeting in June |