Team building among leaders

As a new Group Commissioner, one of the things I am trying to foster is a sense of community among all the leaders in our group - leaders in each section tend to know one another, and some sections have a good 'team sense', but there is not enough connection between leaders in different sections. I started Scouting as a leader in another group and Area, where the sense of 'team' among the leaders was strong, and you knew that if you needed help, you could ask - to fill in for a sick or absent leader, to help with camp or activities, or whatever.

I have started with hosting social events for the leaders and spouses ( evening dinner party), and leaders and families (potluck and BBQ with games). Our Cub pack also hosted an evening of Laser tag, and when the Cubs went home, a group of Leaders carried on. What other sorts of events or ideas are there out there to foster community and team building for groups and sections?

>As a new Group Commissioner, I find its the sense of 'team' across the leadership that's missing - there's a tendency to a 'silo' approach between sections, and I am trying to encourage not only linking activities, but social activities among the leaders and their families, to build a sense of team and community for the whole Scouting group. (The next 'leaders and families' BBQ is this Saturday; then I'll host something in October to include the new leaders with the continuing leaders).

This is quite common, unfortunately. I've seen groups that are very integrated and have lots of group wide activities, and others where the sections practically go out of their way to frustrate each other. The silo mentality is probably the norm, where each section only wants to worry about themselves. The leader BBQ idea is good, we have done it a few times, but it can sometimes be hard on leaders to dedicate another time to Scouting when they are away (hopefully) so many weekends as it is.


Allan.

Our group shares a common mailing list/bulletin board for leader-to-leader communications so everyone can know what the other sections are doing. Leaders from any section can contribute, and often do.

This year we've tried creating the role of "linking czar" in each of the sections. That person is responsible for keeping in contact with the adjacent sections, advocating linking opportunities for their youth to the senior section and facilitating linking opportunities within their own section for the junior section. Hopefully the role will evolve to one of mentoring the Kims and Keeos since managing the linking activities is a natural fit for them as part of the leadership team.

We do Wii Nights... tons of fun for the leadership team, and the leaders kids have a blast seeing their parents act like goofballs..

Also once and a while after a pack meeting we will go watch the hockey game at someone's house!
But not as fun as Wii nights.. Bring in a Office projector and put it up on the wall !! Its a blast!

Marc
www.knwcubs.com

We had this in the past, but this is where a strong group committee consisting of leaders and parents come in. Common linking activities like group swim night, group halloween party, group skating (you get the picture) help link up the sections in a more social setting. Add in the all-section or part section camping, and you have a lot of linking going on. This involves organization from the group committee and leaders, and even parents. If a section is "silo'ing", then the group committee can invite the section. It may aggravate some leaders, but are we doing this for the kids OR for the egos of leaders. The whole basis of scouting is the progressive advancement of the youth, and leadership fostering this, through linking and team building, is essential. I have witnessed too many egos destroy sections or entire groups.

I want to encourage more of this as well but at the area level and not just the group. As commissioner I often discover that there is a strong disconnect between groups that are almost next door to each other geographically. My local laser tag facility has offered free use of the place to hold some meetings so I'm thinking of inviting a bunch of leaders and group commissioners to come out and have some fun. I'll supply some pizza and we'll talk about what we can do to grow, improve quality and reduce wheel reinvention that is often occurring.

Garth