[philmont] Team Building Skills

I'm glad to see a post on the importance of teamwork at Philmont.

Working as a team - teamwork - a group of guys working together as friends
- is one of the great experiences a crew can take from Philmont.

A key ingredient to teamwork is good and frequent communication. Yes, there
is a crew leader, but most boys going to Philmont could easily serve as the
crew leader. In a Philmont crew individuals who communicate well among
themselves and with the crew leader are going to get more out of their
Philmont experience.

Giving a copy of the itinerary plan to each crew member is one way to
communicate. Sharing "thorns and roses" is another way to communicate.
Sharing observations on flora and fauna seen on the trail is still another.
Sharing insights into the scenery is another. Posting a menu plan at
mealtime is another. Many other ways to communicate to build teamwork
could be mentioned.

It's particularly important for crew members to discuss among themselves how
each person is doing physically. A crew that "eases" its way into a trek in
the early days and stops for rest breaks
at regular intervals with foot inspections is going to more easily meet the
physical challenge of the later days of the trek.

Team building skills can be learned and practiced in preparatory hikes taken
prior to Philmont. To make it clear what these team building skills are it
helps to write them up and pass them out prior to Philmont. The Scout
Promise and Law are all that is really needed, but outlining specific team
building skills and working on them prior to Philmont is a very good idea.

It's my great hope that all crews going to Philmont experience what a great
thing it is to be a member of a team that works well together.

Joe Jansen
JAJansenJr@gmail.com
Philmont 1965; 1978

>From: abthomson@comcast.net
>Reply-To: philmont@troop47.com
>To: "philmont List Member" <philmont@troop47.com>
>Subject: [philmont] Team Building Skills
>Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:08:08 +0000
>
>John LeBlanc writes...
>
><snip> It is imperative that the leader of these crews set up team
>building as it's number one priority above all else. Above hiking methods,
>cookiong methods, above everything. <snip>
>
>Comment...
>
>Exactly! THE primary purpose of shakedown hikes and activities is team
>building.
>
>Secondary purposes include hiking methods, etc., and in the case of hikes,
>assessing the physical preparedness of each crew members. But physical
>training is NOT a purpose of shakedowns - each crew member needs to be
>doing that outside of crew activities.
>
>Other crew activities, like trek selection, can also include team building
>aspects as a secondary purpose.
>
>Successful crews are cohesive units with everyone pulling together to
>accomplish the needs of the group. Less successful ones are collections of
>individuals that need to be reminded of what the group needs.
>
>As was pointed out, unit based crews have a leg up over provisional units
>on team building, but even they need to have it as a focus.
>
>- Al Thomson
>
>
>
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------
>Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
>Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
>-------------------------------------------------------
>Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
>Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
>List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
>List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
>-------------------------------------------------------
>To Unsubscribe send text email to:
>
> To: listserv@troop47.com
> Subject: unsubscribe
> Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
>-------------------------------------------------------
>
>As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
>Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
>loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
>cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
>-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
All-in-one security and maintenance for your PC. Get a free 90-day trial!
http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000002msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.windowsonecare.com/?sc_cid=msn_hotmail

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------

As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Thu Nov 2 11:30:11 2006