Who's In Charge?

Who's The Leader?

Who is in charge? From the very beginning, Scouting has had a simple answer to that question. The man who developed Scouting believed that the Scouts should choose their own leaders, and have the opportunity to actually lead. This is an important aspect of Scouting. Many other youth organizations were based on the student/pupil concept. The adults did the leading, teaching, and guiding while the youth were simply members. Scouting was unique in insisting that the adult's purpose was merely to guide the youth and look after their safety. The real leadership - the teaching, directing, planning, and deciding - was to be done by the Scouts themselves.

Every year in the Boy Scouts of America, troops are supposed to spend some time planning their annual program, providing training to youth leaders, and welcoming new Scouts to their unit. Traditionally, this is also the time for the adult leaders in the troop to review the way things are done, what they've accomplished, and what they need to do to stay on course. It is a time to set goals and make plans, review, and evaluate. One thing that every unit should be looking at is the state of youth leadership in the troop.

Ask yourself who is in charge of your troop? Is the Senior Patrol Leader really the guy in charge, or does he just implement the orders of adult leaders? Is the program planned and conducted by the Patrol Leaders' Council, or do they simply "go by the book" without altering the pre-formatted meeting plan to fit their needs and interests? Do the Patrol Leaders have real authority in their Patrols, or are they more like a team captain with no real authority? When there's a discipline problem in the troop, do adult leaders step in and take charge, or are the youth leaders given the chance to solve the problem first?

Managing The Group

Probably the most common reason youth leadership in a troop gets out of wack is because the adults lack confidence in the youth. They can't make the leap of faith required to let the youth lead. There are basically four types of troops when it comes to youth leadership:

1. The Sports Team: The SM "coach" runs the troop. Youth leadership positions are filled, but there are no responsibilities beyond "setting an example." In this troop, adult leaders direct the Scouts and the "coach" sets the program. The "coach" sends in the plays, and it's up to the SPL and PLC to execute the "play" the way they were taught.
2. The Corporation: The SM "chairman" heads the troop. He delegates responsibilities and authority to "sub-chairmen" in the form of youth leaders. Youth leaders do exhibit real authority and responsibility, but the "chairman" strictly controls them. The "chairman," who provides strict rules and guidelines for "production," directs everything the troop does. It's up to the SPL and PLC to implement the plan, with some discretion in how, but always answerable to the "chairman."
3. The Scout Troop: The troop follows the Boy Scout leadership concept. Youth leaders are elected or chosen by the youth and are given real authority and responsibility. The adults guide and advise the youth leaders, giving the youth a great deal of control within the limits of health and safety. The SPL and PLC are taught the skills to plan and conduct the program, and are given guidance and a pretty free hand to make decisions and implement the program.
4. The Gang: The troop is completely run by the youth. No limits are placed on their authority or responsibilities. The youth learn to lead by trial and error, receiving no guidance from the adults. The adults act as "supervisors" filling a required role without "limiting" the youth's freedom. The SPL and PLC are in charge, but with no real guidance or training. Nothing is planned, no goals set, and usually nothing is accomplished.

Where is your troop in this list? Chances are pretty good you're in between a couple of the basic types above. Now, ask yourself what direction you're going. If you're between The Corporation and The Scout Troop is the trend toward or away from the Boy Scout concept? The Scoutmaster should know where his troop is on this list, and he should have a plan for developing leadership according to the Boy Scout model. If his troop is something else on the above list, he should know why it doesn't follow the Boy Scout model, and have a plan for working toward the Boy Scout model.

Planning Leadership

We know that every troop is different, and there are occasionally reasons for having a different leadership model. When that is the case, the adult leaders should be working to develop the skills of the youth so the troop can follow the Boy Scout model. For instance, many new troops simply don't have Scouts with enough experience to effectively lead the troop according to the Boy Scout model. In such a case, the troop may be following the Corporation model. But, the adult leaders should have a plan for moving toward the Boy Scout model. Such a plan needs to be reviewed, evaluated, and changed according to the realities of the troop.

Occasionally, we run into a troop that is in decline. The adult leaders agreed to fill in until replacements could be found, never realizing that no one is looking. Some of the adults have been to training, and most of them remember the "good old days" when they had a strong, effective group of youth leaders. They're simply following the lead of previous adult leaders who seemed to just sit back and let the boys take care of things. Such a troop is dangerously close to The Gang model above. More often than not, this sort of thing comes from a lack of understanding, or a lack of training. The leaders will tell you "the book says the troop should be run by the boys." Of course, they seem to have skipped over the part that explains about their responsibility to train the youth leaders to do the job effectively.

Regardless of the individual circumstances, though, every troop should be doing their best to follow the Boy Scout model. Adult leaders should not be concerned about the leadership capabilities of the youth - they should be developing those capabilities. As Green Bar Bill used to say: "Train 'em, Trust 'em, Let 'em lead!"