Troop Meeting Planning

A primary goal of the PLC meetings is to develop meeting plans for the upcoming troop meetings. This is an important responsibility for our youth leaders. If our weekly troop meetings are organized, provide an opportunity to learn, and include time for some fun activities, our Scouts are more likely to WANT to come to the meetings.

The quality of our troop meetings has a direct impact on the participation level of the Scouts in our troop.

As usual, the BSA provides a number of resources to help both our youth-leaders (and adult-leaders) as they plan out the troop’s weekly meetings.

As with PLC Meeting Agenda, the troop meeting agenda is a recommended tool for the PLC to use. Of course, it is not required. They can (and are encouraged to) adjust is as needed. However, when adjusted, the Scouts should attempt to retain the key meeting activities called out in this agenda, as they each provide a useful purpose.

The following is a brief overview of each section in the troop meeting agenda. The PLC is responsible for ensuring that there is a plan for each of these BEFORE the meeting.

SM/SPL Conference

If done correctly, the PLC has already planned out the schedule for the meeting, and all preparations have been made. However, it is good for the Scoutmaster and the SPL to quickly review the evening’s plans together before the meeting. This is also a great time to discuss any announcements that will be made during the opening…especially if the SPL will be giving these announcements to the group.

This does not have to be a lengthy discussion. It doesn’t have to last more than a few minutes. However, it does mean that the SPL needs to arrive at the meeting a few minutes early to ensure that this discussion does not interfere with the start of the meeting.

Since this is a recap of the plans made by the PLC, the PLC does not need to do anything to prepare for this portion of the meeting…other than to make sure it happens.

Preopening Gathering

While we typically don’t plan any activities before the meeting, the PLC should not dismiss the idea. Give it some thought, and maybe give it a try. It doesn’t have to be anything lengthy or complicated. Many times, simple is best.

The SPL may want to delegate the leading of this event to another Scout so that the SM/SPL Conference can occur during this time.

Opening Ceremony

The meeting opening typically includes the following:

1) Flag Ceremony

We typically start our meetings with a flag ceremony. While it’s a good idea to keep this as the first thing we do at our meetings, the PLC is encouraged to explore different ways in which it can be done. For example, it doesn’t always have to be in the church basement. It can be done outside at the flag pole. It can also include other items, such as an opportunity to practice folding the flag.

As the person running the troop meeting, the SPL should either lead the flag ceremony or designate another Scout to lead the ceremony. The SPL should use this opportunity to teach the Scouts the importance of respecting the flag and what it represents.

2) Oath / Law / Outdoor Code

The Flag Ceremony is typically followed by having the group recite the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, and the Outdoor Code.

It should be noted that, while our troop typically follows the items listed above, they don’t have to! The Scouts are free to customize the opening ceremony. In fact, it can be different each week! The online troop resources have some suggestions on what to do for the opening ceremony, but the Scouts should also feel free to be creative and make it interesting.

Typically the SPL, or the person who led the Flag Ceremony, will lead the Scouts during this portion of the meeting.

3) Troop Announcements

A brief portion of the opening is spent providing announcements and information about upcoming events to the Scouts, adult leaders, and parents in attendance.

This information is typically provided by the Scoutmaster. However, the SPL is welcome (and encouraged) to provide this information to the troop. It is important that these items are clearly communicated to the group. Therefore, it is important to discuss these items before the meeting at the SM/SPL Conference.

4) Meeting Plans

The SPL should briefly update the Scouts on the plans for the evening’s meeting. While this doesn’t have to be lengthy or detailed, it is an important part of the opening. Not only does it give the Scouts heads-up on what they will be doing that evening, it’s also an opportunity to clarify any expectations the SPL has for the troop during the meeting.

Group Instruction

This portion of the meeting is reserved for special presentations to the group. This could include:

• A discussion from the Scoutmaster or another adult leader
• A presentation from a special guest
• A presentation from another Scout

A group discussion may not be included in every meeting, and the length of the discussion will vary. The PLC may choose to skip the skills instruction portion of the meeting if a lengthy group discussion is anticipated.

When planning meetings, the PLC should try to think of different topics and speakers for this portion of the meeting. The Scoutmaster and other adult leaders can help with the coordination of this.

Skills Instruction

Troop meetings are a great opportunity for the Scouts to learn something new, and that’s the focus of this portion of the meeting. The skills instruction will typically follow one of the program features, but it doesn’t have to. Regardless of the topic, it is important for the PLC to plan ahead to make sure this time can be beneficial to all of the Scouts.

The PLC should identify one Scout to lead this portion of the meeting. While it may be tempting to have a group of Scouts do this, that approach often does not work as well. Having a single Scout lead this activity will help to ensure that a clear message is provided to the group.

As the title implies, this should start with instructions to the group. Depending on the topic, it will then either be followed by having the Scouts practice the skill hands-on, or if that is not possible, it should include a group discussion that involves everyone. The details will vary by topic, but the PLC should ensure that preparations are made BEFORE the meeting. This may require additional communications before the meeting between the SPL and the Scout leading the instructions.

Don’t forget to incorporate the EDGE teaching method!

Breakout Groups

This is the time when the actual patrol meetings occur. The patrols should use this time to plan their involvement in troop activities, and to make sure their fellow patrol members are progressing in their rank advancements.

The monthly PLC meeting should be used by the patrol leaders as a time to plan out the items they wish to cover during this portion of the meeting. This gives the patrol leaders the opportunity to not only seek help/advice from their fellow youth leaders, but they can also let them know if the patrol has any special needs of the troop.

Patrol leaders should be in continuous communication with their patrol to learn about and understand their needs and desires. The patrol leader can then take this information to the PLC meeting for discussion with the group.

Game / Challenge

Each meeting should include a game or some type or fun activity for the Scouts.

There is a tendency for the Scouts to limit these activities to games they can play in the gym. The PLC is encouraged to think of other activities for the Scouts to do. The troop resources website has an entire section on activities and challenges for the Scouts to do at meetings. The PLC should reference this information in order to get new ideas on what the troop can do.

It is important for the PLC to plan these at the PLC meeting, not during the troop meeting. Many of these activities require planning and props/equipment. This requires coordination and planning BEFORE the meeting. If the PLC simply waits until the end of the troop meeting to decide what to do, they will mostly likely just keep repeating the same things over and over again.

Closing Ceremony

This is the time for the troop to come together again to retire the colors, have the Scoutmaster Minute, and make any last-minute announcements that may have been missed at the beginning of the meetings.

Luckily, this is one of the sections that does not require any planning by the PLC, other than possibly trying different approaches to the retirement of the flag or the closing prayer.

After The Meeting

After the meeting, the PLC members are encouraged to briefly meet to discuss how the meeting went. It can be tempting to skip this step, but having this discussion can be very beneficial to the group. It’s an opportunity to highlight the things that went well, and identify the ways in which we can do better in the future. This simple step can have a big impact on the quality of future meetings.