Innovative Troop Planning Strategies for Scout Troop 1345

 
Quarterly Troop Planning:
Lessons Learned
 
Based on Article by
 
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
 
 
 
 
Spring Break
 
School ends
Summer Camp
 
School starts
 
 
Holidays
 
Fall sports & activities
 
“Traditional” Cycle
(Semi-annual)
 
Spring sports & activities
 
Summer vacations
 
Define the Problem
 
With a “traditional” schedule, patrol sizes can
fluctuate wildly and can fall below “critical
mass” for a particular event
Six months may be a long time to ask youth to
commit
School extracurricular activities can limit Scout
participation for the season
 
Bottom line:
 
The Patrol Method can break down
 
 
Troop 1345 Organization
 
Three established “regular” patrols
Three “feeder” patrols for new scouts
Senior Patrol
 
Troop 1345
POR Elections
SPL
ASPL
PLs
Senior Patrol
TGs and DCs
About 18-20 PORs
 
SPL nominates, SM approves
 
ASM nominates, SM approves
 
“Traditional” Schedule
(6-month Cycle)
 
All PORs serve 6-month term
Elections in May and November
~3 Courts of Honor each year
April, September, December
Annual Planning Conference in July
PLC Retreat in December
 
Other Notes
 
Diverse annual camping schedule
4 car camping trips
4 backpacking trips
4 “other” trips: ski trip, summer camp and high
adventure, family camp, PLC retreat
High emphasis placed on NYLT candidates,
develop future PLs/leaders
OA elections in Nov/Dec
Reinvigorating Venture Scout patrol
Adding girls troop in February
 
Winter sports
 
Spring sports
Spring Break
 
School ends
Summer Camp
 
School starts
Fall sports & activities
 
Winter sports
 
3-month Cycle
(Quarterly)
 
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
 
Fall sports & activities
 
Spring sports & activities
 
Summer vacations
 
Lessons: 3-month Cycle
 
3 month PORs
Too quick for SPL and QM
Never got into a 3-month “routine”
Didn’t Try Yet:
Combined parent meeting and CoH
Quarterly payments & permission slips
 
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
 
 
 
 
Spring Break
 
School ends
Summer Camp
 
School starts
 
 
 
4-month Cycle
(Seasonal)
 
Fall sports & activities
 
Spring sports & activities
 
Summer vacations
 
 
 
 
Spring Break
 
School ends
Summer Camp
 
School starts
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
 
4-month Cycle
(Seasonal)
 
Troop Elections
 
Planning Meeting
 
Family Meeting / Court of Honor
 
Troop Elections
 
Planning Meeting
 
Family Meeting / Court of Honor
 
Troop Elections
 
Planning Meeting
 
Family Meeting / Court of Honor
 
Parent Meeting and Court
of Honor
 
About 3 weeks before the next quarter
During regular troop meeting time
 (1 hr max)
While Scouts prepare for CoH, parents meet
with SM and Committee to go over next
season’s plans (20 minutes max)
Parents asked to bring family calendar and
checkbook, prepare for commitments
One permission slip for all trips
 
 
 
Combined
Permission Slips
 
Eliminates continuous stream of permission slips
(60 vs 240)
Required from each Scout, whether attending
events or not
Pre-payment creates further incentive to
participate (not refundable…)
Important to know who is going/not going to
create a seasonal roster
 
Seasonal Roster
 
Generate rosters for the next four camping
trips
Having a roster that far in advance simplifies
planning
In turn used to build the next season’s plan
for leadership development
Volunteering for SPL/PL/TG means you intend to
maximize attendance and participation for that
season
You can’t lead if you’re not there
Summer season = summer camp (?)
 
Seasonal
Planning Meeting
 
About 3 weeks before the next quarter
ILST for new leaders
New PLC reviews next 4-month schedule
High level of details: places, dates, activities, primary
planners, etc.
All activities on the Troop website
Completed permission slips produce rosters for each
event
Then reviews following 8-month schedule
“Medium” level of details
 
 
 
Solving the Problem
 
4-month (seasonal) cycle
Reduces long-term commitment from Scouts
Minimizes interference with extracurriculars
Provides predictable schedule for families
Provides predictable attendance for events
Allows PLC to review/revise Troop schedule (both
season and annual)
 
Maximizes chances for Patrol Method to work
more consistently!
 
3 Months for Leadership
Development
 
Quarterly plan doesn’t limit length of time in
the same Position of Responsibility (POR)
Participation impacts leadership development
6 mo position with just 3 campouts is the same as 3
mo position with 3 campouts.  Participation
matters.
Long enough to learn the job?
Some POR yes, some not
Nonetheless, expectations are higher and
commitments are more likely to be kept by scouts
elected to PORs for the quarter
 
Patrol Benefit
 
Patrol method works
Full patrols with elected leadership
Old method patrols could quickly fall below
critical mass and had to wait for election cycle
to fix it
Quarterly roster now drives the patrol
compositions
You have scouts committed to the campouts
 
Principles, Practices, Rules
of Thumb
 
Some “fits and starts”, but first year was
successful
Quarterly absolute/fixed rules? No.  Common
sense and rules of thumb prevailed.
90 day commitments are reasonable.
Monthly is too short and yearly is too long.
Had to question some long-held assumptions
about developing youth leaders and the
patrol method
Who are you serving?  Scouts or traditions?
 
Q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
s
?
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Explore new approaches to troop planning for Scout Troop 1345 based on lessons learned from traditional scheduling challenges. Discover the benefits of a structured organization with established patrols and regular elections. Find out how this troop maintains a dynamic schedule with a focus on camping trips, leadership development, and inclusive initiatives like adding a girls troop.


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  1. Quarterly Troop Planning: Lessons Learned Based on Article by Clarke Green http://scoutmastercg.com/a-new- approach-to-scout-troop-planning Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  2. Traditional Cycle (Semi-annual) JAN FEB MAR Spring sports & activities APR Spring Break MAY JUN School ends Summer vacations JUL Summer Camp AUG SEP School starts OCT Fall sports & activities NOV DEC Holidays Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  3. Define the Problem With a traditional schedule, patrol sizes can fluctuate wildly and can fall below critical mass for a particular event Six months may be a long time to ask youth to commit School extracurricular activities can limit Scout participation for the season Bottom line: The Patrol Method can break down Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  4. Troop 1345 Organization Three established regular patrols Three feeder patrols for new scouts Senior Patrol SPL ASPL Senior Patrol Arrow Ninja Trojan Spartan Eagle Jackalope Viper Jaguar Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  5. Troop 1345 POR Elections SPL ASPL PLs Senior Patrol TGs and DCs Voted by scouts SPL nominates, SM approves ASM nominates, SM approves About 18-20 PORs Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  6. Traditional Schedule (6-month Cycle) All PORs serve 6-month term Elections in May and November ~3 Courts of Honor each year April, September, December Annual Planning Conference in July PLC Retreat in December Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  7. Other Notes Diverse annual camping schedule 4 car camping trips 4 backpacking trips 4 other trips: ski trip, summer camp and high adventure, family camp, PLC retreat High emphasis placed on NYLT candidates, develop future PLs/leaders OA elections in Nov/Dec Reinvigorating Venture Scout patrol Adding girls troop in February Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  8. 3-month Cycle (Quarterly) JAN Winter sports FEB MAR Spring sports Spring sports & activities APR Spring Break MAY JUN School ends Summer vacations JUL Summer Camp AUG SEP School starts OCT Fall sports & activities Fall sports & activities NOV DEC Winter sports Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  9. Lessons: 3-month Cycle 3 month PORs Too quick for SPL and QM Never got into a 3-month routine Didn t Try Yet: Combined parent meeting and CoH Quarterly payments & permission slips Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  10. 4-month Cycle (Seasonal) JAN FEB MAR Spring sports & activities APR Spring Break MAY JUN School ends Summer vacations JUL Summer Camp AUG SEP School starts OCT Fall sports & activities NOV DEC Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  11. 4-month Cycle (Seasonal) JAN FEB MAR Troop Elections Planning Meeting Family Meeting / Court of Honor APR Spring Break MAY JUN School ends JUL Summer Camp Troop Elections Planning Meeting Family Meeting / Court of Honor AUG SEP School starts OCT NOV Troop Elections Planning Meeting Family Meeting / Court of Honor DEC Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  12. Parent Meeting and Court of Honor About 3 weeks before the next quarter During regular troop meeting time (1 hr max) While Scouts prepare for CoH, parents meet with SM and Committee to go over next season s plans (20 minutes max) Parents asked to bring family calendar and checkbook, prepare for commitments One permission slip for all trips Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  13. Combined Permission Slips Eliminates continuous stream of permission slips (60 vs 240) Required from each Scout, whether attending events or not Pre-payment creates further incentive to participate (not refundable ) Important to know who is going/not going to create a seasonal roster Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  14. Seasonal Roster Generate rosters for the next four camping trips Having a roster that far in advance simplifies planning In turn used to build the next season s plan for leadership development Volunteering for SPL/PL/TG means you intend to maximize attendance and participation for that season You can t lead if you re not there Summer season = summer camp (?) Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  15. Seasonal Planning Meeting About 3 weeks before the next quarter ILST for new leaders New PLC reviews next 4-month schedule High level of details: places, dates, activities, primary planners, etc. All activities on the Troop website Completed permission slips produce rosters for each event Then reviews following 8-month schedule Medium level of details Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  16. Solving the Problem 4-month (seasonal) cycle Reduces long-term commitment from Scouts Minimizes interference with extracurriculars Provides predictable schedule for families Provides predictable attendance for events Allows PLC to review/revise Troop schedule (both season and annual) Maximizes chances for Patrol Method to work more consistently! Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

  17. Questions? Questions? Troop 1345 the Best Troop Alive!

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