1. New Approach to Troop Planning
Extracted from Article by Clarke Green Dec 13,

2. Program Participation Challenge
Competing with crowded family calendars
Unpredictable Scout/Scouter participation
Incomplete patrols at outings/events

3. Cause? Author made the following observations:
Not a lack of spirit
Families are not too busy
Program is not flawed
Family commitment to the program was not the issue
Author determined the root cause was how his unit built and managed their calendar
Troop planning needs to cooperate and not compete with other activities
Their planning practices were outdated, not the Scouting program

4. Participation is Everything
Solid program is certainly the foundation to make others want to come
Need to create and manage opportunities
Calendar defines the opportunities
Participation in turn drives the quality of the program
Lots of scouts equals lots of fun and full patrols
Past fun equals future participation—provided the opportunity is defined in sufficient time

5. How Other Activities Operate
Two common themes
A schedule roughly corresponding to school quarters
A financial commitment (paying for lessons, buying sports equipment, etc)

6. How Scout Troops Work Annual plan Ala carte pay-as-you go
In the annual plan once a year, we try to deconflict as best we can
Changes ineffectively conveyed
Chase permission slips to the last minute
End up serving the calendar more than serving the members

7. The Quarterly Solution
Still have an annual plan
Cornerstone event each quarter
Backpacking in the Fall
Skiing in the Winter
Featured Spring trip
Summer Camp
Leaves two trips each quarter for PLC to plan
Hold quarterly parent meetings and exchange monthly permission slips for quarterly permission slips

8. Quarterly Parent Meeting
Combined parent meeting and CoH 3-weeks before the next quarter
During regular meeting time
Told to prepare for commitments and bring family calendar and checkbook
Scouts prepare for CoH while parents meet with SM and Committee to go over next quarter’s plans.
1-1.5 hours for both (same as regular meeting)
Permission slips for all three trips

9. Quarterly Permission Slips
Eliminates continuous stream of permission slips
Payments creates further incentive to participate (not refundable)
Required from each family whether attending events or not
Important to know who is going/not going to create a quarterly roster

10. Quarterly Roster Generate rosters for the next three camping trips
“giddy feeling” having a roster that far in advance
Quarterly roster tells who is participating
In turn used to build the quarterly plan for leadership development

11. Quarterly Plan for Leadership Development
Unrealistic expectations for full involvement through a full 6-month leadership tenure
Quarterly Youth Leader Elections
Advancement requirements aren’t continuous
Creates more opportunities
Commitment demand realistic
Results: 90% participation by SPL and PLs
But is 3 month’s enough?

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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?

15. Questions?