"The Roundtable"
One of the most challenging issues confronting Commissioners and Unit Leaders alike is the problem of getting good and accurate information, and continued training for adult Scouters in a timely manner. This has and continues to be the bane and frustration of all Scouters and scouting families everywhere.
One of the best tools available to overcome this problem is the District Roundtable!
Roundtables are so valuable and important that Districts have Commissioners dedicated to providing quality Roundtables monthly. Roundtables are scheduled on the same date, at the same time, and in the same location each month. Roundtables can and hopefully do, provide an excellent forum to provide information and training to all scouts and Scouters in your District. District Roundtable Programs should have two teams selected and trained to provide quality experiences. One team dedicated to Cub Scouting and one team dedicated to Boy Scouting and Venturing.
The Roundtable meeting could be divided into three sections if time location and Team Staffs are available.
1. Section one would be used as great joint Cub (Blue Tabs) and Boy Scout (Red Tabs and Green Tabs) leaders meeting for all Scouters. Here information on upcoming District and Council events could be announced and discussed as well as general questions asked and answered. Once the joint meeting has been completed the Blue Tabs would go to one area and the Red and Green Tabs would go to their respective areas.
2. In section two, the Cub Scouters would conduct training and demonstrations on the current and next months Cub Programs. This is the perfect opportunity to develop skills and techniques necessary for great Den meetings and Pack meetings. This section would be organized and run by the Cub Roundtable Team. This is also the place to ask questions and provide information pertaining to the Cub Scout Program.
3. In Section three the Red and Green Tabs (Boy Scout and Venture Adults) would conduct training and provide information pertaining to development of a better and stronger program for the Boys and Girls participating in the Scouting and Venturing programs. The Boy Scout team would conduct this training.
The preparation and time necessary to put on a quality program is exhausting. It takes very special people who are willing to devote a lot of time and energy! They may be the most important Commissioners on the District Staff.
Roundtables are also a great place to conduct some specific type of training such as youth protection, Scout leader Specific Training, and specialty meetings as space and time allow. The more the Roundtable can be used to offer opportunities for training and exchange of communication and information, the fewer nights people need spend in perfecting quality programs for the District youth!
Roundtable nights are also a great place for District Order of the Arrow meetings. Here the Scouts in this program can meet at a regular location and spend time together with Adult Scouters. They may even be of assistance in training the adults and answering some questions from a youth perspective! Great opportunity!
A well planned and well staffed roundtable can be one of the best tools in training developing and providing information for a large group available. Please add attending roundtable meeting to your regular Scouting calendar. You will find it rewarding and fun!
Katahdin Area Council Roundtables
Hancock District - 2nd Thursday, 7pm, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Ellsworth
North Star District - 2nd Tuesday, 7pm at the basement of TD Bank building,Caribou.
Penobscot Valley District - 2nd Thursday, 7pm at the Armed Forces Reserve Center on Hildreth Street, Bangor.
Penobscot Valley Roundtable Topics 2011-12 printable -> click here
Penquis District - 3rd Tuesday, 7pm at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church, Dover-Foxcroft and 4th Wednesday, 7pm at Medway Middle School, Medway.
Waldo District - 3rd Wednesday, 7pm at Troy Howard Middle School, Belfast.
Washington District - 2nd Tuesday, 7pm at Jacksonville Methodist Church, Jacksonville. | 
