Roundtable

I went to round table this past week and started thinking. In the last two and a half years I've been to nearly every round table meeting there has been. I think I missed one or two about a year ago because I temporarily forgot which day it was. I still showed up, I was just a week late.

Anyway, what got me thinking was the number of people who weren't there. There are 30 registered Venturing Crews in the district. All of them chartered to a priests quorum in an LDS ward. Each crew should have, at least, an advisor and associate advisor. That means there should be upwards of 60 people at each round table. Since the Bishop is the president of the priests quorum, it would be entirely appropriate to have the Bishop in attendance as well. Now, I don't expect that there will ever be a time when every person who should be there will be there. People often have work or other scheduling conflicts that would prevent their attendance. Even so, I would think that the majority of those involved should be able to attend the majority of the time.

So, with around 90 people who could be at round table each month, and 60 who really should be there each month, guess how many people we had last week.

Go ahead, guess.

You're probably guessing too high.

Try three. Four if you count the instructor. In the last two and a half years I don't recall ever attending a Venturing round table that had more than ten. Most of the time there are less than five.

I don't really understand it. Round table has been, for me, one of the most helpful meetings I've attended. I get to meet with others who are having similar challenges. We get to talk about what works and what doesn't. We share ideas and give encouragement. I don't know how anyone can effectively lead a scout group without the support and help of other leaders, and for me that has come principally through round table.

I have often told other people that it took me at least a year to learn what it is I am supposed to do as a Venturing leader. And another year to learn how to do it. Without round table, I'm sure it would have taken much, much longer.

I simply don't understand why more people don't come.