Selecting Youth Leaders and Scouters

Some pretty major changes in the way we plan to select Youth Leaders and Scouters this year.  If you’re up for a long read, here is the process broken down:

1) Assemble the pre-trip Leadership Team to decide on general trip requirements and to create a “Selection Team”.  The pre-trip Leadership Team has traditionally consisted of the Troop Leadership Team and representatives from other sections sharing our trip.  For Europe ’19 we had a Cub and 2 Vents join the TLT.   They decided the “Selection Team” will be a group of Scouters and youth.  Youth are to be selected based on experience attending major trips and overall leadership experience.  Scouters are to be selected based on trip experience and more importantly, they need to have consistently demonstrated their commitment to youth leadership.  if possible, they want an equal youth:Scouter split, but absolutely there cannot be more Scouters than youth.

2) The Selection Team will meet and discuss what criteria each position would require based on the trip requirements set out by the pre-trip team and also based on the details of the trip.  These criteria would be communicated to all the youth before the voting.

3) All youth attending the trip will vote for the youth they would like to see in a leadership position similar to what we did for CJ’17/Ontario.   NEW is that on the ballot they would also have the option of indicating positions that they would like to apply for.  Also new is that all the Scouters interested in attending the trip will be asked to vote for youth as well.  The Scouters ballots would have their name on it and would only be used to provide the Selection Team with an additional perspective.

4) The Selection Team will tally the votes, and also compile a list of youth that were interested in positions.  If a youth received a lot of votes but did not apply for a position the Selection Team will reach out to them to encourage them to apply.  All youth that apply and generally meet the criteria for the position will be “interviewed” by the team.  Likely more of a roundtable approach than an interview, but it will give them valuable experience to help with real interviews down the road and will also allow youth to really sell their strengths and push for the position they want.  I appreciate that this will take some time, but I think the end result will be well worth it!

5) The final role for the Selection Team would be to decide on the youth leaders for the trip.  This will NOT be based purely on votes, but also on their interview and how well they would fit in as part of the ELT.   They would select one Expedition Leader per pre-trip (if we have more than one pre-trip) and also the Patrol Leaders we need for camp (based on number of youth registered).  Each Expedition Leader would choose an assistant, and this would make the Expedition Leadership team.  The Patrol Leaders would also need to decide amungst themselves who will serve as the Haarlem Jamborette Expedition Leader (or lead Patrol Leader).

6) First job for the ELT will be to select a Scouter to be responsible for the trip (Lead Expedition Scouter).  This would replace our current policy of always having the Section Lead attend.  The Scouter chosen to lead the trip will be responsible for being the primary parent contact, the one to make arrangements, complete paperwork and applications, etc.  While it is likely that at least for now the youth will choose the Section Lead, it won’t always be the case and allows for greater flexibility in years to come as it will encourage other Scouters to offer up trips and adventures.  Once they have a Scouter that will accept the role, the Scouter will pick an assistant so they have someone they know they can rely on and work well with.  The ELT could of course veto the choice for assistant but it would be unlikely.  These two Scouters would be VOTING members of the ELT.  The idea is here that the youth leaders would REALLY feel like the Scouters fully had their back as they would all be on the same level in the same team.  The Scouters would only be two votes while the youth would have 5 or more votes, so no danger to youth led.  Just an increase in adult support.

7) The ELT will meet to finalize the requirements for Scouters to attend the trip, then hold a vote with all the participants.   The Scouters will also vote (like they did for the youth leaders, once again only to provide additional perspective).  In addition, Scouters will be asked to mark their interest in participation.

8) The ELT will tally the votes, and also compile a list of Scouters that are interested in attending.  If a Scouter received a lot of votes but did not apply for a position the ELT would reach out to them to ask them to apply.  All Scouters that apply and generally meet the criteria for the position will be “interviewed” by the ELT.   This allows Scouters that may be newer to the program or have previously been part-time an opportunity to explain to the ELT why they would be a great fit for the trip.  Once again the decision will not be based purely on votes – the goal is to build the best possible team.

9) Once sufficient Scouters have said “yes”, we have our team and can announce it 🙂  Now the REAL work begins, lol!

Sounds complicated I know, but it will allow us to build the best possible team to facilitate our trip of a lifetime!


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