Your chance to decide what happens in the troop

The troop leadership forum or TLF is a meeting in which all PLs and APLs meet to make decisions about the troop. It is often used to plan activities and events within the troop and is therefore your chance to choose what happens in the troop. If you have a problem with something, itching to do something, want to change how the troop is run or think someone would make a good APL, you can make it happen here.

How is a TLF run?

A troop leadership forum is run like a committee. This means that there is a Chairman and Secretary are appointed and sometimes a Treasurer. The meeting follows an agenda, which means there is a set time to talk about a certain topic. An agenda will normally follow a format like this:

• Appointment of Chairman & Secretary - This is normally done democratically with the agreement of everyone there.
• Matters arising since the last TLF - This is where we look at things that have happened since the last meeting. Were things like activities a success or a failure? How can they be improved? Should we do them again?
• Future activities (outside of troop nights) - This is where we plan up and coming activities such as camps, trips, sailing, shooting, etc. We also look for who will organise them.
• Future activities (troop nights) - Here we plan what we would like to do on troop nights.
• Any other business - This time is reserved for anything else that we wish to discuss that could not be talked about at any other time in the meeting.
• Plan a date for the next meeting - We finish by pencilling in the next date for the TLF to meet.

The meetings are chaired by the Chairman who is normally the SPL or most senior PL in the troop. Their job is to:

• Maintain order in the meeting.
• Keep the meeting flowing and stop people talking about things that are not relevant.
• Decide who can talk.
• Make a ruling decision if voting is tied.
• Make sure that everyone has their say.
• Keep the meeting to schedule.

The Secretary is elected at the start of the meeting and their job is to:

• Note who was present at the meeting.
• Record the main points that were discussed.
• Record the responsibilities (e.g. Chairman, Secretary) of the people present at the meeting.
• Record any decisions that are made.
• Make a note of what responsibilities (such as organising a wide game, sorting out the menu for a camp, organising equipment for a game, etc) that someone has taken on.

The notes or 'minutes' that the Secretary has taken will we then written up for the next meeting. This means that the TLF can look back on the last meeting and see if they have achieved what they have planned.

Normally at least one Leader is present at a meeting. They are not there to run it, but to help you make decisions. They can tell you if something is possible or allowed. They can also throw ideas in to solve problems. The concept of the TLF is to let you and other Scouts run your own troop and give you an opportunity to take responsibility for something.

What is my role if I am not Chairman or Secretary?

What you do if you do not have a formal position is take in everything that is being said and not disrupt the flow of the meeting. It can be awful for someone who is talking to have other people not listening or talked over.

You also have the role of helping plan events, activities and throwing in ideas. If you take the responsibility to plan or organise something, you need to make sure you do your best to achieve it as everybody will be counting on you.

What if I can't make or miss a TLF?

If you can't make it to a TLF, tell a leader as soon as you can. It will be noted in the meeting and apologies for your absence will be given.

What should I do between TLF meetings?

Members of the TLF should in between meetings:

• Keep notes of things that their patrol members would like to be contributed at the next meeting.
• Work on anything that they have taken responsibility for.
• Note if any of the activities went well or not.
• Think about if anything needs changing in Troop nights.
• Tell a leader if there is anything major that they want raised in the next meeting.
• Make sure that things that were planned are going to plan.

What should I bring to a TLF meeting?

You should make sure you bring a pen and paper to note anything down. You should also bring any notes you have made prior to the meeting including any ideas for activities that your patrol members have told you.

Confidentiality

Anything said in these meetings is treated as confidential. If you are attending one of these meetings should be a responsible member of the group and we expect them to respect this rule.

Does attending a TLF contribute to any badges?

Yes! This depends on what your role is in the meeting though.

Attending a meeting normally works towards Administrator and the Chief Scout's Gold Award. However, if you take on responsibility for organising something there are many more badges that you could work towards.

If you are the Chairman this does not necessarily help any more towards badges but taking the responsibility is great for things like the Chief Scout's Gold Award.

If you are the Secretary, you are also contributing to the Writer badge, IT Staged badges and the Creative Challenge.