In 2022, the Council Commissioner Corps identified a need to improve Roundtables. Unit attendance at Roundtable has for years been stuck at around 30-35%. That means 65-70% of units in our council were not benefitting from Roundtable. When we began surveying units as to why they were not attending Roundtable, a few common responses began emerging: the date/time/location was not convenient for them, the content of Roundtable was not relevant enough for them to attend, and many Scouters told us that they would be more likely to attend if there were a way to attend virtually and/or watch Roundtable later if the virtual meeting were recorded.

When leaders were surveyed in 2023 for the Unit Health Reporting Tool and Unit Leader Surveys, many responded that they did not like attending Roundtable because they felt that half of the content did not apply to them. By doing separate Roundtables for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA, it allows the focus of each Roundtable to be exclusively on one group.

The All-Council Cub Scout Roundtable began in June, 2024 and will continue through 2025. This new process began because Cubmasters indicated in December 2023 that their Pack leaders would attend more often virtually. Additionally, because of the changes in the New Cub Scout Program launched on June 1, 2024, a single council-wide roundtable seeks to provide the monthly training that our leaders need and provide a consistent message across the council to all of our units.

The Cub Scout Roundtable is broadcast live each month on YouTube Live, and recordings of each broadcast will be available shortly after. You can access past recording on the Great Trail Council YouTube account, and here on this page.

Each roundtable presented live, including digital elements provided to the districts and handouts, will be available shortly after the event so leaders can change and refer to past trainings as needed. The links will be on this page.

It is up to each district whether they wish to present their quarterly Roundtable virtually in addition to in-person, and whether they will be recorded. Should they desire to present virtually, the council Commissioner corps will work with them to help in that presentation. Potential technical limitations at the meeting sites will also factor into the feasibility of virtual options for the quarterly Roundtables.

Scouts BSA Roundtables are still district run, but now with programming guidance and assistance from our Assistant Council Commissioner for Roundtables, to help improve the quality of the program and increase attendance from units. This will also help ensure a consistent message is being presented across all districts.

District Commissioners and Roundtable Commissioners in each district are involved in the planning and implementation of Roundtables every step of the way. Our Assistant Council Commissioner for Roundtables is helping coordinate with the districts on the programs and working to improve quality and attendance.

Each Roundtable presented live, including digital elements provided to the districts, will be available shortly after the event so leaders can change and refer to past trainings as needed. The links will be on this page.

When presented properly, roundtables offer a variety of training sessions on topics such as program development, leadership skills, safety, and more. This training can help unit leaders to improve their skills and knowledge, which can lead to a better Scouting experience for their Scouts. Roundtable can provide unit leaders with support and resources to help them succeed. This may include things like help with program planning, fundraising, and recruitment. Roundtables are also a great way to learn about upcoming events and activities in the district and council. This can help unit leaders to plan their own Scouting programs and activities.

When we surveyed unit leaders in December, 2023 about whether they would be more likely to attend Roundtable if it were offered virtually, either as a hybrid in-person/virtual option, or exclusively virtually, Cubmasters said they and their leaders would be far more likely to attend if it were offered virtually. Scoutmasters said they and their leaders would prefer to still meet in-person, but might watch virtually if they weren't able to attend in-person. Additionally, we've observed that Cub Scout leaders attend Roundtables in our council far less than Scouts BSA leaders. Based on those survey responses and looking at the past attendance reports, we elected to move Cub Scout Roundtable to virtual-only as a way to increase attendance, and to respond to the desires of the Cub Scout leaders who said they would greatly prefer attending virtually.

Going forward, Cub Scout Roundtable will be monthly, on the first Thursday of the month, and all-virtual. A link to the monthly livestream will be presented on this page. The Roundtable will be broadcast live from the Great Trail Council office in Stow, and will be recorded to watch later for those unable to watch live, or who want to review something presented at a later date.

Scouts BSA Roundtables will be quarterly and in-person, on-site, on the same day of the month, time, and location as they have always been. Stambaugh District Scouts BSA Roundtable will still be on the second Wednesday of the month at Camp Stambaugh, Canal District will still be on the second Thursday of the month at Firestone Park United Methodist Church, Crooked River District will still be on the second Thursday of the month at Kent United Church of Christ, and Soaring Eagle District will still be on the second Thursday of the month at Medina United Methodist Church.

All Roundtables will start at 7:00 p.m.

By moving Cub Scout Roundtable to a different day of the month, it will enable those leaders who wear multiple hats in Scouting to be able to attend both Roundtables in those months where both are offered.

With the new Cub Scout program starting in June, 2024, we felt there was enough new material with that program for Cub Scout leaders to enable us to do a monthly Roundtable for Cubs.

By holding Scouts BSA Roundtable only quarterly, it will provide us with an opportunity to present a better, more relevant program that will hopefully lead to better attendance. Should this new format prove successful, we will evaluate holding it more often than quarterly.

In the months that there is not a Scouts BSA Roundtable, districts may hold other activities, such as district awards, district kickoff events, and "social gatherings" that Scouts BSA leaders told us they enjoy. It just won't be a Roundtable.

We will use this new format through the end of 2025, then reevaluate whether we achieved our goals of increased attendance, a better program, and the ability for Scouters to participate virtually if they and their district desire to do so. We will take the feedback we receive from our Scouters to continue to tweak and improve Roundtable. Feedback is a gift--let us know how we're doing and where we can improve!