The Importance of Advisers

Venturing Adviser and Scoutmaster:

Our advisers lack something.  Either they have no drive, we are not giving them enough responsibility or they don't understand the importance of their role.

My adviser's attendance is about 50% leaving me not follow Youth Protection last week when we were learning how to play handball.  This isn't the first time either.  His job and his wife's job seem to be in the way of him showing up every week.  My only requirement for an adviser is just to show up every week.  

This week ASM sent ASM son to my house because he wasn't finished eating dinner and then we left to go play handball (which was AWESOME!!!  I mean it was so much fun!!!!) he showed up at my house 20 minutes late after we had left.  I needed him for rides.  When my wife told him where we were, he went home because he wasn't dressed for the activity and didn't have his cell phone to call me.  I had 11 boys at the activity last night and I needed all hands on deck with the advisers that were here and I didn't get it.  I had ride issues partly because my adviser brought his kids but we would have still had ride issues even if he had not brought them.  I pilled more boys in my car than I had seat belts for TWICE!  ASM son absolutely melted down last night because he was "hurt" - ASM should have been there to mentor his son.  And he received a ton of ridicule for the way he played the game - the Scouts plus Varsity Scout J demoralized him.  Then he acted hurt when clearly he wasn't for attention's sake.  A couple of the shinning moments was Varsity Scout T telling me he was going to punch Varsity Scout J's head off because he was ridiculing ASM son (I appreciate him standing up for him).  And Venturer L let ASM son score on him in goal on purpose though I am very sure ASM son didn't know he was allowed to score.  

And where is Venturing Adviser II?  Shouldn't he be mentoring the boys that will be in his Crew soon?

Had I had more adults at last night's activity I might have been able to address the Varsity Scout J/Varsity Scout T issue and the Deacon/ASM son issue more fully than I did.  My adviser spent most of his time making sure his kids were OK and not focusing on the boys.  While the boys minus ASM son had an AWESOME time, the leader side left something to be desired.  The boys didn't see the behind the scene issues other than having to squeeze into my car when they were all sweaty.  And had my wife gone to YW last night, I wouldn't have been able to get them all to the hockey rink because of the size of my car.  We need leaders to show up when and where they are supposed to.  

I know these emails mostly go unanswered so I guess this is an FYI.

Fishgutts