My son will be earning his AOL within the next 60 days and will cross over into a troop in the spring. in cubs, you always seem to be looking for adult volunteers, but the troop is not a boy-run group.

so what is the best way to be involved in the troop? (assuming they have the main positions filled and arent actively trying to recruit leaders) join the committee – just sit back and support my son – shoot for an ASM position – MBC?

i was a scout as a youth and was a leader in cubs (DL, CM) – part of me wants to get involved.

i would be involved however needed. ASM is not a role i would shy away from. i think since he is not yet in the troop, i was trying to see what roles are needed at the troop level. in cubs, you grab anyone you can get – but the adults are running the show. done correctly, this is not the case for the troop. i think i want to see how the troop is run to find the best fit. maybe i am trying to be too prepared for this transition.

MBC – i have a few in mind from the start.

seat belts. though my car has 4 – the back seat of a mustang is nowhere to be sitting – especially since i am 6'2" and my seat almost touches the rear seat. :) – ok – maybe 3 can sit in there if my son doesnt grow too much too soon.

committee seems like a logical start and who knows, i may find that being a MBC is the perfect fit for what i want to do.

thanks for the input.

i must have mis-typed something :) what i meant by my statement was boy scout troops are boy run. they are not like cub groups where we have to beg for help and leaders…. maybe i should take a step back before posting.. i swear it made sense to me when i was typing it :)

i do not want a web 3 or 4 den at all…

thanks for the input and for the willingness for an intervention – though i dont think its needed (yet) :)

its funny because i am currently listening to the SMM show #64 talking about 'boy scout stuff' and this topic was coming up. i would admittedly put myself in the energized scouter category of wanting to be involved. not because i want to keep a tie with my son – but because i want to make the program the best it can be. sure we all want good ties with our kids, but it is nice to see them go forth on their own.  if my job doing that is being a seatbelt and mentor – then thats what i will do. if i am needed as an ASM, then i am ready.

my scout is very ready to go to the troop – enough so that he told me last night that he would rather cross over to a troop than do pinewood derby this year. (and he has ALWAYS been excited about derby – so much so that he asks for kits for christmas so he can build and design multiple cars).

as an aside, whenever i have done college campus recruiting for my company, when i see eagle on the resume, they get an auto pass to the next interview.

its funny you just responded since – my son recently joined a troop and i have been 'tapped in' to the committee… and by just, i mean hung up the phone 30 minutes ago. :)

the good thing about committee is that most all of my work is behind the scenes. so except for showing up in the tan shirt, i dont have to be right there with my son. he chose a great young troop that has about 30 active scouts. and, being young, theres a lot that people are learning and theres a great group of adults on the committee who are interested in supporting the program and not making it webelos 3.

as of right now – i am going to be used on the committee as an equipment coordinator. so i am starting to read up on that position. like i said earlier, the troop is young – so they have just started to accumulate equipment and this position hasnt been used yet. any thoughts on this would be appreciated… well – ill start another thread for that :)

YIS,

Jeff