As I mentioned on the Troop One page, we had a boy-led troop. Although national didn't agree, our troop had a Mothers' Auxilliary, whose main function was raising money for the troop. Each year, one of the main expenditures was sending one Scout to the National Junior Leader Training Camp held at Schiff Scout Reservation, a national camp near Mendham, New Jersey. When I went, it was called NJLTC. The I was added later, when my brothers were chosen to attend.
While the mothers funded the experience, it was the boys who chose the attendee. The mothers made a reservation "for a Scout to be named" in about December of each year. In April, troop elections were held. They were not a popularity contest (or I probably wouldn't have won). The boy elected as Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) knew he'd be going to Schiff before taking office. If you didn't want to go, you didn't run for the office. The result was a troop that always was led by a boy freshly returned from national leadership training. It was then his job to train the Patrol Leaders under him. There's still an NJLITC at Philmont, and I'd strongly advise EVERY troop to follow this lead.
Several years ago, I was chagrined to learn that the BSA had sold Schiff. Real estate in that part of New Jersey was quite valuable and the BSA needed the money more than it needed another national camp. It's a good thing I wasn't on the National Council at the time, because I'd have cut executive salaries instead.
If you went to NJLTC at Schiff in the late 1950's, write to me at: don@shorock.com
Return to Don's Scouting home page.
Return to Don Shorock's home page.
Return to the Shorock family home page.