1 Scouting in the LDS Church Program and Training Conference Session 72 October 16, 2010 David Carlson Chief Seattle Council LDS Relationships Chair

2 Scouting Organization The Scouting program is run at the ward level in every ward in the United States. The head of the Scouting program in each ward is the Bishop. He assigns counselors to assist in the Troop and Team He is personally responsible for the Crew. He might assign one of his counselors to assist him with the scouting program in the Primary.

3 LDS Church Organization A congregation in the LDS church is called a ward. The head of each ward is a Bishop, and he has two counselors. Together, they make up a Bishopric. A ward is usually composed of from 400 to 800 members and in the range of 100 to 200 families. There is usually in the range of 10 to 50 young men of scouting age in each ward.

4 LDS Church Organization A stake is composed of 7 to 10 wards. The head a stake is a Stake President. He is assisted by two counselors. Together they make up the Stake Presidency. The Stake High Council is under the Stake President and one council member assists with scouting in the stake. Each stake has a Stake Primary Presidency of three women who are over cub scouting in the stake to assist in training and program. Each Stake has a Stake Young Men’s Presidency of three men who assist with training and scouting in the wards.

5 Each Ward had Two Scouting Organizations Primary Organization: –Cub Scouts –11-year old Scouts Aaronic Priesthood –Boy Scouts: Troop –Varsity Scouts: Team –Venturers: Crew

6 Ward Scouting Organizations Each ward has a Primary Presidency of three women who supervise the Primary Organization, including Cub Scouting and 11-year old Scouts Each ward has a Ward Young Men’s Presidency who supervise the Aaronic Priesthood scouting. –Sometimes they are also the scoutmaster, varsity coach and venturing advisors and sometimes they are the assistants to each of these.

7 Primary Organization All Cub Scout units and the 11-year old scouts are under the Primary. The Primary President will usually ask one of her counselors to focus on the Cub Scout program in the ward. The Primary President works with the Bishop to ensure that the proper people are called, trained and fill the positions in the Cub Scout and 11-year old Scouting program.

8 Primary Bishop consults directly with the Primary President to receive input to ensure that scouting under the Primary well organized and properly run. Bishopric receives suggestions from the Primary President and selects leaders for scouting positions in the Primary.

9 Primary Primary President sees these positions are filled by the Bishop: –Pack Committee Chairperson –Cub Master –Den Leaders –11-Year old Scout Leader. –Cub Training coordinator

10 Primary and Scouting A boy enters the Cub Scout Program when he turns 8. This is based on his actual birthday, not school year. He should be welcomed by the leaders into Cub Scouting and properly started on his path in scouting. A boy enters the 11-year scouting program when he turns 11, also based on his actual birthday.

11 11-year old Scouts 11-year old scouts are part of the Primary 11-year old scouts are part of the troop The 11-year old scouts are a single patrol that is part of Boy Scout Troop. –They meet as a patrol weekly –They attend courts of honor with the troop The 11-year old scout leader reports to the Primary President for the proper running of the new scout patrol.

12 11-year old Scouts The program for 11-year old scouts must be a Boy Scout program. 11-year old scouts work on Rank Advancement, starting at Scout, then Tenderfoot, then Second Class, then First Class During weekly Patrol meetings they work on rank advancement requirements. The goal of the 11-year old scout program is that each scout is a First Class by his 12 th Birthday.

13 11-year old Scouts 11-year old Scouts can do each requirement needed to complete each rank advancement, including the camping and cooking requirements. The 11-year old scouts should not camp or go on outings with the Troop; instead these should be campouts specific to the 11-year old patrol. Under a preferred program, each rank requirement is completed on regular plan on a 12 month rotation so that no matter when a scout enters the patrol, he will complete all requirements for each rank in one year.

14 Scouting Troop is all boys aged 12 and 13. Team is all boys aged 14 and 15. Crew is all boys aged 16 to 20.

15 Scouting Scouting is the activity Arm of the Aaronic Priesthood –“Every boy aged in the ward is to be registered in the appropriate Scouting Unit. by President Thomas S. Monson – Scouting under Church sponsorship must not operate independent of the priesthood and the family. (1997 LDS Scout Handbook)

16 Bishop’s Responsibility The Bishop is to see that all adult leadership scout positions are filled in his ward. The Bishop is the head of the Aaronic Priesthood and Scouting is part of the Aaronic Priesthood. Bishopric selects and sets apart Scout Leaders at every level.

17 Bishop Calls Bishopric selects Scoutmaster, Varsity Coach and Venturing Advisor. –Bishop should receive input and suggestions from the Troop Committee Chair to aid him in selecting scout leaders. –Troop Committee chair should meet with Bishop at least once a quarter.

18 Troop Committee Troop Committee includes: –Committee Chair –Advancement Chair –Secretary –Finance/Treasurer –Equipment/Quartermaster –Transportation –Training Coordinator –Chaplin

19 Troop Committee for Each Unit Under Preferred Circumstances, each unit should have its own committee Troop Committee Varsity Committee Venturing Committee –Each of these committees is fully staffed with a chair, secretary, advancement, transportation, and Chaplin –A Bishopric member and a Young Men’s president sits on each committee.

20 Scout Committee Training All members of the Scout Committee must attend full Scout Committee Training. –Troop Committee training is among the most valuable of all training for a well run troop. –The standard BSA committee training must be taken, not a substitute or LDS special training.

21 Composition of Troop Committee The Troop Committee can be composed of any adult men or women with an interest in Scouting. –They do not need to be parents of the boys in the unit –They do not need to be members of the LDS Church

22 Composition of Troop Committee Each Scout Committee includes a member of the Ward Young Men’s Presidency. Each Scout Committee includes a Bishopric Member. These two committee members can be general members or serve in one of the other positions. The Scoutmaster is not a member of the Troop Committee.

23 Composition of Troop Committee If the Bishop is having trouble filling a full troop committee, he should call one parent of each boy in the Unit to be on that Troop Committee. A calling on the Troop Committee is in addition to any other calling in the church –High Counselors –Stake and Ward Primary Presidents –Each boy in the program should have one of their parents active in the troop committee Parents attend soccer games and football games.They should not miss a troop committee meeting.

24 Registration Each Leader is to be properly registered with the Council before starting to serve in the Scout Leadership Position –When a new scout leader is called, the person extending the call hands them a registration form and asks for it to be filled out at that time. –The registration form is sent by the Bishopric into the Council office. –The person must pass the security clearance before being presented in sacrament meeting.

25 Basic Training Each person must complete the basic Scout Training before they began to serve in that position. It is strongly preferred that they complete the training before being presented in Sacrament meeting. Each Leader must complete the specific leader training in their first few months after being called. When a new scout leader is called, the person extending the call explains the on-line training requirements and instructs them to complete the basic training before starting.

26 Specific Training Each Bishopric member must complete the basic Scout Training before they can properly serve Bishopric members are part of the scouting leadership and thus should complete the basic and specific training for the units they supervise. It is strongly preferred that they each complete Wood Badge training. All Bishops should complete Wood Badge training

27 Common Problem #1 Not enough boys the correct age to fill a unit. Solutions: –A properly staffed and well run scouting unit will attract boys. –A troop composed of just one boy is worthwhile; if there is only one boy, run the entire program correctly.

28 Solving Problem #1 Other ways to solve Common Problem # 1: –Go on monthly campouts with as many scouts as you can. –Have your scouts talk up the unit and bring in their friends. –Recruit Boys; anyone can join a troop chartered by the LDS church. Attend and be part of recruitment nights. Do active recruiting in many places. A troop chartered by the Methodist church does not require or even expect that all boys in the troop are Methodist. It is the same in an LDS troop. –Be sure to include parents of scouts who are not LDS on the troop committee, perhaps as Committee Chair or secretary.

29 Solving Problem #1 Avoid Solving Problem #1 by the following: –Merging scouts in two wards to just have one unit in two wards. This creates leadership and accountability problems. –Merging the different age groups. This creates difficulty in dealing with different age needs. This creates friction between the scouts of different ages.

30 Common Problem #2 LDS Scout Leaders are not properly trained. Get the Scout Leaders Trained! –Every committee must have a training chair or a secretary who tracks training of all leaders. –Run a stake training night. –Have stake or multiple stakes conduct a Little Philmont.

31 Common Problem #3 Varsity and Venturing programs are not running well. Solutions: –Have specific Varsity and Venturing Committees. –Give them the weekly attention that Troops get. –Run an actual Varsity Program –Run an actual Venturing Program

32 Solutions for Varsity and Venturing There are full programs for Varsity and Venturing. –Boys of Varsity Age should do weekly activities that are more advanced then done by Scouts –Boys of Venturing age should do weekly activities that are more advanced then done by Varsity.

33 Varsity and Venturing training Ensure that the varsity coach and venturing advisor attend the specific training for each of these scouting programs. Have Bishopric member over Varsity and Venturing be trained in these programs, including the Bishop. Do not try to imitate the Troop programs in the Varsity and Venturing.

34 Common Problem #4 Scouts do not wear uniform to meetings. Solutions: –Each adult leader wears a proper uniform to all meetings –Reward the boys who wear proper uniforms. Reward can be praise, a troop inspection, a new patch or other reward; it does not need to be candy. –Each boy is presented with a leadership patch to wear on his uniform.

35 Solution to Problem #4 –Meet with parents and explain the importance of uniform as part of the scouting program. –Point out that all boys play who play on soccer team or basketball team wear the same uniform. Ask: Would they send their son out on the soccer field in this street clothes? Which one costs more, a soccer uniform or a scout shirt?

36 Common Problem #5 Adult Leaders change too quickly –Have stake president talk to the Bishops at Bishopric training –Have Troop Committee Chair meet more often with the Bishop and discuss scouting leadership positions.

37 Common Problem #6 Adult Leaders do everything and the boys do whatever. Solutions: –Properly trained adult leaders –Properly trained boy leaders –Treat boy leaders as leaders

38 Solution to Problem #6 A primary role of the Scoutmaster is to conduct training of the Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leaders Conduct official BSA training of Boy Leadership. Hold PLC meetings monthly with the Senior Patrol leader running the meeting.

39 Common Problem #7 Scouts and leaders chartered by other organizations see the LDS troops and leaders as being a different type of scout organization or not being standard Boy Scouts. Solutions: –All LDS troops must study and follow the official BSA plan in all respects. –Ensure that all LDS leaders and scouts are properly trained by BSA trainers. Patrols, Youth Leadership and troops; Tour permits and Camping; Adult leadership and training.

40 Solution to Problem #7 We must not let ourselves, the District or Council get into the mode of thinking that there are two types of scout troops: LDS and non-LDS. Recruit scouts the same way. Have parents involved the same way. Participate in FOS the same way. Be part of the round table leadership, the District leadership and Council Leadership. Be Scouts and leaders who follow the official BSA program in all respects.

41 Questions?

42 David Carlson Chief Seattle Council LDS Relationships Chair