SM tips - Beyond the Usual Suspects

 At our last troop committee meeting, our Scoutmaster announced that he's ready to step down. He has done a great job in his four years or so at the helm, but he has also traveled the path from on fire to burned out.

Three names immediately surfaced as likely replacements, but then someone suggested one of our 20-something Eagle Scouts as a possible candidate. And that got me to thinking about another of our 20-something Eagle Scouts who

would do a great job. And that led me to writing this tip.

When we're recruiting people to serve as Scoutmaster-or in any other role in a troop-we are all too quick to "round up the usual suspects" (to quote Captain Louis Renault in Casablanca). That category can include Eagle Scouts, parents of active Scouts, assistant Scoutmasters who never miss an event, leaders who have a truck with a trailer hitch, etc. While the right candidate might be in that category, he-or she-might not be.

A far better approach is to take a step back and think about the position you're trying to fill. What is the job description? What traits should the person have? What would success look like?

Only when you know what you're looking for can you decide who should fill the role.

Republished with permission, These tips come from the tips list is a free service for more information, visit www.eaglebook.com.