For me, mandatory initiative or not, as a District Cub Leader Trainer, I've grown troubled by the difficulty of connecting people with training, and the resulting struggles. No blame.  Just troubled.  Looking to see if there are ways to improve it.

So, and with mandatory training, and the upcoming arrival of full on line training options for Cub Leaders — of course, Scoutmasters will have to wait until Wii issues the upcoming "Wii Axe Yard 2011" and "Wii R Pyros Fire Building 2012 ;^)  — plus mandatory YPT before Adult App and any involvement with youth, all of this is leading me to push the idea of a "takin' it to the streets" phase of Cub Leader Training. While I'll still have "Total Cub Leader" classes in my District at a central location, following the "all Scouting is local" theme, I'm going to push to eliminate the Trainer / Commissioner / DE silos by having both Trainers and Commissioners (well, the ones who are fun and don't yell at people) bring training to the Parents and Units, at their Pack meeting location, to get an advance peek into the Unit's own unique dynamics and roles and challenges before they go there, so that those Commissioner/Trainers (or Trainer/Commissioners) can see the opportunities and tailor the presentation to the local circumstances.

– Too often, I feel like the data dump of a Training is like Salieri's quote about Mozart: "Too Many Notes!"

– Depending on where a Unit is at, I don't want to overwhelm them with "here, do all of this . . . " when there may be (and probably is) stuff that they are doing just fine, that they can build on and don't need to hear a trainer go on and on and on about, so in my session I would rather focus on (a) praise for what they're doing great, and (b) filling in on what they really need to take it to the next level.

–  Yes, we'll "cover" the whole syllabus, but dwell on the most productive parts for the unit at that time.

By conducting training for more leaders and parents there with a connection to their Unit evolution (and re-evolution), they can "get it" more, and latch on to some key points that will be useful to allow them to be successful. Ideally, that will include training Pack Trainers who can then pass on the word to others (since there will be an on line version and DVD of the CSLPST syllabus, which will make it easier for more to train more), and not have to wait until the next visit.

– And by enlisting Commissioners as Trainers (and Trainers as Commissioners), hopefully there will be follow up so that the lessons "almost" learned can bake in in a follow up visit.

Now, backing it up one more step, on Friday I'm proposing to my DE that a Training Team member and/or assigned Unit Commissioner start working with parents/teachers/sponsors before, and then at, the School Night for Scouting events (especially for new units), meeting the parents, saying at the Sign Up Event "OK, when is a good time for you? . . . let's pick a date next week for a training party, and we'll get 'er done" . . . and everyone leaves with a date certain when we're coming back to knock out the training (maybe have a cookout or social too) and start playing the game . . .

– Hopefully we'll actually have identified those who are most "on board", so that we know when they are available.

– Nothing like having a few in the audience ready to say "let's do it next Saturday!"

– Maybe even willing to make it a group picnic or something to make it fun for all so that we can lure more folks in.

– That will help ensure "yeah, they got YPT", plus they get it "live" and on time!

And it dawns on me . . . why not have kids around when we do some of the "faux den meeting" stuff. Yeah, we'll run 'em back outside when we start drilling down on the boring stuff, but since the Training is built around "doing it like a den meeting", we can bring the kids in for Opening, and Games, and Songs, and Awards . . .

. . . I recognize that even if we schedule this out, it's not gonna happen some of the time or most of the time, and some Districts (and some in my District) will say "not my job", but if we put it out and do it more of the time rather than hitting the professed "goal" that CS Leader Position-Specific Training is done 60 days after signing up a leader — by which time, I suspect, some Den Leaders tried and failed and dropped out so that's why they don't bother going to training — it seems like greater success would result.

– And . . . with just the meeting plans in the new Guide, that failure rate should drop, training or no training . . . but training plus Guide is better.

So, if all Scouting is local, why not have the corollary of All Training is (done) local . . . (or at least some) . . . ?