Scouting, Volume 77, Number 3, May-June 1989 Page: 8
50, E1-E12, W1-W32, [36] p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Front
Line
Stuff
Troop Committee
Member C.F. asked a
question about the
Scoutmaster-troop
committee
relationship in our
January-February
issue. His troop's
Scoutmaster, he said,
'goes contrary' to the
active committee's
suggestions. 'How do
we handle this
problem?' he asked.
.t is obvious the patrol leaders' council
is not working in C.F.'s troop. If the troop
has a troop operation workshop, and if the
PLC's annual program plan is reviewed and
approved by the troop committee, then it
would be the PLC's way—not the Scoutmas-
ter's way.
If the Scoutmaster is ignoring The Official
Scoutmaster Handbook and the new Woods
Wisdom program, he is probably cheating
the troop leaders and Scouts. I cannot envi-
sion a Scoutmaster or troop committee try-
ing to re-invent the wheel, because there is a
Flarge quantity of program materials available
from the BSA's national office.
Let us not forget, in Boy Scouting the boy
leaders run the troop with guidance from the
Scoutmaster and troop committee. Once you get
this working, then the Scoutmaster and troop
committee will find their work much easier and
can become almost a rubber stamp.
This comes from a Scoutmaster who once be-
lieved I knew what was best for the troop—until I
developed real boy leaders, thanks to Troy,
Kevin, Eric, Todd, and Ed.
Scoutmaster L. E. P.
Moberly, Mo.
As 0 Scoutmaster, I must defend the man who
"does it his way" because C.F.'s letter could
easily have come from members of our troop
committee. First we must define "active." Yes,
they come to meetings, plan fund-raisers and
courts of honor, and sit on boards of review, but
are they trained and do they understand the pro-
gram?
My answer to C.F. is to take training, get out
on camp-outs, and be active in the program, not
just on the committee. That's the way to help the
Scoutmaster and the boys. Your suggestions will
then come from experience and may carry more
weight with the Scoutmaster.
You can offer to handle the suggestions your-
self rather than give the Scoutmaster something
else to do. You may also gain a much greater
insight into the program and find that some of
your suggestions are unworkable or unnecessary.
Scoutmaster T.S.
Illinois
The unit commissioner should be the first person
consulted when problems arise between unit
committees and unit leaders.Through his peri-
odic visits to the unit and his knowledge of unit
personnel and their training, he should be able to
properly evaluate the situation and provide the
appropriate solution.
It appears that either the committee or leaders,
or both, do not know their respective relation-
ships and functions. If the unit leader is not fol-
lowing the suggestions of the unit committee, I
would conclude that he is not communicating
with the Scouting coordinator [now called "char-
tered organization representative"] or trying to
have the Scouting program achieve the objectives
of the chartered organization.
The unit commissioner must see that the unit
leader, Scouting coordinator [chartered organi-
zation rep.], and unit committee are properly
trained and coached in their respective responsi-
bilities.
Council Commissioner J. R. P.
Waco, Tex.
C.F. should re-examine both the nature of the
suggestions and the role of the troop committee.
It seems likely that the Scoutmaster is in closer
contact with the best principles of running a
troop than is the committee. My experience is
that committee members are civilians, so to
speak, while the Scoutmaster is at least semipro-
fessional in his role.
Second, the role of the committee is quite dif-
ferent from the role of a corporate or educational
board of directors or trustees. As I see it, the role
of a troop committee is to back up the Scoutmas-
ter, chiefly in helping to provide such things as a
meeting place, financing, supplies, and assis-
tance, rather than telling him what to do as
Scoutmaster.
Troop Committee Member H. C.
Lebanon, III.
HOW CAN PACK DIVIDE THE SPOTLIGHT?
Whenever our Cub Scout pack has an activity, the
same three or four boys always seem to be out
front carrying off" the "honors." The other boys
are getting frustrated. How can I let each boy
know that he is important and can contribute
uniquely to the pack?
Cubmaster G.A.R., Charles City, Iowa
Send your solution to G.A.R. 's problem to Front
Line Stuff, Scouting magazine, 1325 Walnut Hill
Ln., P. O. Box 152079, Irving, Tex. 75015-2079.
Selected responses will be printed in the October
issue of Scouting. The magazine also solicits
new questions and pays $50 for each question
used in Front Line Stuff.
May-June 1989 *<• Scouting
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 77, Number 3, May-June 1989, periodical, June 1989; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353552/m1/8/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.