In this month’s Boy Scout Breakout at the Tuscarora District Roundtable, we talked about Basic Training. Of course you have to take the online training, the Scoutmaster Specific and the Intro to Outdoor Leadership, and all of that is good for a general overview of the program, but what do you need to actually do? These documents can help guide you!
Scout Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan and Outdoor Code
This is the basis of the Scout Program, we played a game where we tossed a ball around a circle, the leader starts with “A Scout is…” and the when the ball is tossed, the recipient must respond with the next point in the Scout Law. Scouters need to know this better than the Scouts, we are the referees of the game of Scouting and these are the rules, everything rests upon this foundation.
Chartered Organization Agreement
This is the agreement that is annually signed by the organization that charters a scout unit. We pointed out the first line that the Chartered Org agrees to: Use Scouting to further the Chartered Organization’s aims and values for youth. This is important, because of two things. First, it is explicit that the Chartered Org is to partner with the Scouts. Scouting is a curriculum of rules and activities. The Chartered Org helps define the rules. The Scout Law might take on subtle, but significant nuances depending upon the Chartered Organization. Second, the Chartered Org is liable for everything the unit does. As a leader for the unit, you are representing that organization and you should be familiar and comfortable about this and they should be the same with you.
I just threw this in to show you that it wasn’t always this way. There used to be a pretty straightforward expectation that a Scouter would embark upon a three year journey to be fully trained.
Every boy deserves a trained leader, right? These are the basic requirements that need to be fulfilled if you want to consider yourself trained.
Obviously having a successful Scout program is the goal, where happy scouts skillfully manage themselves to First Class and to Eagle as you sit in your chair and whittle. But on the way to Scout Shangri-La, before the first fruits are apparent, how do you know what you are supposed to do? As you work with your SPLs and Committee Chair on annual plan, show them this document and work together to hit these check boxes.
For those that have earned the Training Award and Key, this award encourages you to build a relationship with the Chartered Org and the community as well as have a succession plan in place.
This award helps you understand the annual goals of the troop. You have to work together with your committee as well as the PLC to get this one done.
BSA National Outdoor Challenge
You have to earn this to get the Key, but once again, it is a great document to use with the PLC as you develop your annual plan.
A primary responsibility of a Scoutmaster is to train the youth leaders. This document can be used as a guide to help the Patrol Leaders understand what their Patrol should be doing.
An Hour a Week.... left over after Scouting 