Here’s an email I got from a couple who were just called to be Eleven Year Old (EYO) Leaders of an LDS unit in Sacramento, California. Sheri wrote:
My husband and I have been called to teach 11 year old scouts in the LDS church. I am looking for an outline for the year of what to do every week. All the boys are new so we are starting from scratch. We are supposed to take them from Scout to First Class by the time they are twelve and we have no clue what to do.
This was my response:
Unfortunately, that’s not surprising based on similar situations I’ve heard about from other LDS units: the Bishopric gives someone a calling in Scouts and offers no roadmap of what they need nor how to get started. I’m glad you searched the web and found my blog. I hope I can help.
The good news is that many, many others before you have already figured it out so you don’t have to recreate the wheel. That said, I would begin by looking at the different Advancement Plans for Eleven Year Old Scouts that have been organized by veteran scouters for this exact reason. The requirements have changed a little for 2016, but that should at least get you headed down the right path.
The 2nd thing I would suggest is to attend your area’s monthly Roundtable. These meetings are a plethora of helpful resources and useful information. Read more about WHY to attend.
Finally, I would *strongly* suggest you attend Wood Badge as soon as possible! Like I said, these things have already been figured out, so don’t waste even 1 minute “alone and in the dark”. Tap into every resource you have out there to minimize your learning curve and to make the most of this important responsibility. I can’t emphasize that enough here and here and here.
I really do hope this helps and isn’t too overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time and you’ll get there. It won’t happen overnight but hopefully your Bishopric understands this to AT LEAST know to keep you in that position long enough to be successful and consistent.
If you are reading this as a brand new Scoutmaster (or Assistant SM), here’s my list of top 10 things you’ll need to get your wheels on the ground and rolling in the right direction.
Got more ideas? Post them in the comments below…
