Minutes

Troop 10 Committee Meeting

Aug 12th, 2007 6:00PM

Blue hills Country Club - 777 West Burning Tree Dr.

 

 

Members Present

 

John Ahart, Doug Ball, Scott Bower, Gary Barnhardt, Chip Buckner, Rich, Caffrey, Mike Coffrey, David Contag, William Easley, Chuck Gibson, Bill Haner, Denise Holt, Bob Key, Rick Korvick, Bob Lehietner, John McCabe, Jeff Muchow, Kevin O’Farrell, Brent Reynolds, Ken Roberson, Dan Schorgl, Jim Shetlar, Garrett Shropshire, Greg Spies, Tracy Thomas, Jim Vano, Jim Wasko, Rob Wheeler,

 

Meeting Chair           Jeff Muchow

Called the meeting to order at 6:05  Thanked John McCabe for outstanding job as Bartle Campmaster this summer.  Thanked Bob Key for accepting position as Bartle Campmaster for 2008.  Chris Ottinger is stepping down as Yellow Team ASM as he will be entering an MBA program this fall.  He will be a backup to Michael Flanagan in developing the religious award programs.  Scott Weaver is completing his work as Scoutmaster and Greg Spies has accepted the position as new Scoutmaster for Troop 10.  Jeff Muchow announced that Blake Williams has accepted the Committee Chair position and will assume the new duties in October.  Jeff recognized Donna Wilson and other adult leaders for their assistance and help during his position as Committee Chair.  Several position changes are in progress and will be announced at the September committee meeting.

 

Scoutmaster              Greg Spies

Greg introduced four scouts who asked to make a presentation to the committee: Robert Dennis, Simon Bucner, Jacob Maase, and Michael Luchen. They presented the following report titled “Troop 10 Problems/Recommended Changes”

 

  • Accept Eagle scouts and older scouts (15yrs old +) as “adult leaders” no matter if they have a leadership position in the troop or not.
  • Allow boys to make more decisions for the troop than the adults.
  • Must not allow the SPL to become a “puppet” or a “figure-head” for the adults. It is apparent and many scouts, younger ones included, recognize it.
  • Have open PLCs to anyone in the troop who wants to voice their opinion.
  • The SPL/ASPLs need to be able to stand up to the adults who don’t know that Boy Scouts needs to be boy lead and run.
  • Some of the things the troop does need to die. For example, the adult run meetings at troop meetings/campouts/Bartle, the troops obsessive focus on merit badges for older scouts, and most importantly the troop’s tight grip of control on the scouts at meetings/campouts.
  • Through our scouting careers, we have seen many other troops through hearing about them, talking to other scouts from other troops, and even visiting other troops at Bartle. It is apparent that our troop’s attach rate for older boys and Eagle scouts is unacceptable for such a large troop. At Bartle, to our knowledge, the oldest scouts were sixteen-years-old. Other troops that respect the older scouts and basically do what we are proposing, have a lot better attach rate. One scout we talked to has many scouts in his troop who stay in till eighteen. Another scout one of us has talked to from another troop is seventeen and still going strong. Both these troops are not as large as our troop, but still have many scouts-just around ninety scouts.
  • A chunk of the adults need to change and respect the Eagle scouts and older boys. One such older scout, who will not be named, told one of us at Bartle, “I don’t like reading my magazine under my sleeping-bag with a mini-flashlight at 10:30 at night and having an adult come in to tell me to put it away. It’s not like I am up at 2:00 in the morning running around making noise.” He is upset with the way troop is and doubts he will continue in scouts for at least one more year.
  • The troop needs to allow scouts to explore. The troop is actively demonstrating a horrible definition of the word, “scouting.” More hikes and more freedom need to be allowed so scouts can be allowed to have a great time, explore the world, and create memories in Boy Scouts.
  • Part of the older scouts responsibility is to help the younger and weaker, thus shouldn’t Eagle scouts and older scouts help the younger and weaker more often? The problem is it is hard to help younger scouts when the respect for the older scouts is minimal from a lot (not all) of the adults. To solve this problem, which can immensely benefit the troop, is to allow the older scouts and Eagle scouts to fit in with the adult leadership system at meetings, campouts, troop events, etc.
  • People on the committee need to stop being so business-like with scouts, they need to focus more on the true virtues of scouting.
  • All in all, the troop is great, it creates many Eagles, has great funds, but in recent memory, it has become corrupted in many ways-mainly because of a chunk of the adults in the troop. The troop, if it so wishes to survive as a true Boy Scout troop needs to perform a major overhaul to the committee and adult leadership system. They need to loosen their grip and allow the troop to actually function as a true Boy Scout troop.

 

The scouts would like to make the troop a scout run troop.  The committee is in agreement but stressed the importance that the boys enforce troop policy.  The committee encouraged scout leaders attend the committee meetings and participate in the discussions.

 

1st meeting will start with SPL vote, runoff vote and then we will break into patrols by color team for patrol leader and Quartermaster voting.  Mr. Spies is making some changes in that Troop 10 will have only one Assistant Scoutmaster per color team with ASM working across several of the color teams as needed.

 

SPL qualifications are Life and high school. Only den leaders can repeat sessions to a maximum of two. All other leadership positions will be for one term only.  Brent Reynolds is changing requirements for each leadership position.  Monthly reporting will be required.  William Easley will be the new leadership chair.

 

Advancement            Brent Reynolds

All 500 completed merit badges have been entered and partial will be completed soon.  Thanked Bob Key and Doug Ball for stepping up at Bartle on advancement

 

Discussed the pace of scout advancement is to fast.

 

Clarence Krantz – not present

4 scouts sitting for Eagle Boards on Thursday at 7 and 8.  Volunteers were selected. Bob Key, Greg Spies, Dan Shorgal, Doug Ball and John Contag, Scott Weaver. And Clarence Krantz.

 

Treasurer                  Kevin O’Farrell

Fiscal year ends this month and a full report will be presented at the committee meeting on September 9.. 

                                               

Outdoor                     Tom Baker

Discussed changing the bike campout date to later in the year.  Denise Holt thanked Tom Baker for sharpening the kitchen knives and installing knife guards in the equipment boxes.

 

John McCabe Bartle Campmaster

John summarized the Bartle camp session and thanked all the leaders.  He suggested that next year there should  be only two movie nights and two camp fires.  A Bartle job description would be very helpful for continuity and John agreed to help develop it.  Pop corn worked out well and special thanks to Greg Spies for designing an awesome popcorn popped for the troop. 

 

Grub Master              Rick Korvick, Denise Holt

N/A

 

Equipment                 Chuck Gibson and Leroy

Scheduled to load the truck on September 8th.  Need to upgrade the propane stoves.  Need grates for the boys to cook over open fires.  Most of the tents were returned and some need to be retired.  Truck will be loaded on Wednesday.  We will add collision and comprehensive insurance added to the truck.

 

Philmont Update       Jeff Muchow

Great experience with all participants returning without injuries.  Still working with Philmont administration on request for credit on deposit for Troop 387 crew moved from August to June.  Financial summary will be available at the September committee meeting.

 

Membership              Greg Spies

Donna Wilson has agreed to assume the duties as membership chairman for the troop as Greg Spies becomes the new Scoutmaster.

 

Honor Camping         Greg Spies / – Mic-O-Say

All scouts did a great job at camp.  We had some attendance problems.

 

Dave Contag – O/A

Coup of the long trail will be handed out at the bike campout.  Sept 14 -16th is OA Fall Fellowship.  Adults are encouraged to attend.

 

Adult Training           Blake Williams (not present)

Check Web site for several adult training sessions offered this fall.

 

Rotary                         Ken Roberson

Discussed the situation with Leawood Rotary as Troop 10 sponsor and their hesitance to use their 501c3 non profit organization to transfer gifts made to Troop 10.  Ken will pursue further discussions but advised the committee that we may have to seek another sponsor.  Jeff Muchow informed the committee that preliminary discussions have been initiated with Leawood Lions Club.  We will await further feedback from Ken Roberson on the issue.

 

Community Service  Deb Dellinger

Not present

 

Round Table             Scott Bower

Scott is taking over the Trailhead District round table programs.  Requested we consider pop corn sales.  Scott asked that Troop 10 arrange for a short wave radio demonstration at the camperee.

New Business:

Ø      Bill Haner contacted the KC Star to develop a news story on Scott Weaver as our Troop 10 Scoutmaster.  Watch for the story in the Saturday section of the paper.

Ø      Discussion on the scout presentation conducted at the beginning of the meeting.  Greg Spies will take the lead in determining what changes are appropriate for future direction of programs involving the boys.

Ø      Scoutmaster will form a committee to hear from the boys.

Ø      Greg Spies discussed a booth at Renaissance festival to raise $10,000

Ø      Greg was officially voted in as Scoutmaster.

.

Jeff Muchow adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted

 

Robert J. Key, Secretary

 

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Next Committee Meeting September 9th 2007