The model troop in our stake has gone into the crapper
 

A bright, motivated young adult with no kids, working fulltime and going to school turned around a non-existent program in a ward that was half-Hispanic. In three years time they were over 20 strong, about 50% non-member with a non-member assisant scoutmaster, and a nice trailer with their logo on it, secure finances. Absolute incredible job by that scoutmaster. Now, 6 months after her left, troop is in the crapper with only 6 boys left, and the Asst. SM (nonmember but who attend church, at least some of the time now) seems disaffected.

It's like Rome was built in 3 years, and collapsed in a month.

I've seen a worse collapse. My mission. I left same time as my mission president. About 3 months later, the mission had collapsed from it's alltime high to absolute doggishness. Sometimes it really is the personality and force of one man who keeps something going.

As they say, never follow a legend. My successor doesn't have to worry about that.

When I was about 27, I got called to be the scoutmaster in a Ward I'd just moved into about 2 months prior. When the Bishop asked me to do it, I said I won't turn down the calling, but I don't like scouts, I wasn't a scout as a youth and I have no experience. Hint, hint.

Well, he called me anyway. I did the best I could - I really did. It was hard and I didn't have the slightest idea what I was doing. I was in that calling for six months and the scouting program went downhill significantly.

My point: Forget "inspiration" when deciding on a SM - rather ask him flat out how he feels about scouting and how much experience he has in scouting. On a scale of 1-10, if he's below a 5 in both aspects, find someone else. Maybe a requirement could be that any potential SM be an Eagle Scout.

I feel terrible about the shape I left that scouting program in, but I honestly don't know what I could have done differently given the lack of knowledge and passion I had.

I agree with this. Scouting is WAY too complicated in terms of training and bureaucracy, to be successful without a ton of support, and a lot of personal enthusiasm. No experience + no enthusiasm = disaster.

Sometimes you get the situation where someone starts with a lot of enthusiasm, but not a lot of experience. Experience can increase, while enthusiasm decreases. Parents nitpicking can also decrease enthusiasm quite a bit.

This is one of the reasons that scouting it headed the way of the dinosaur. There are simply too many competing demands these days. Too difficult to find either leaders or scouts with sufficient time or enthusiasm.

The varsity and explorer programs are better models of where we should be headed. Plan simple activities that the boys enjoy and work primarily on developing fellowship and leadership skills. Stop all of the nonsense with knots, merit badges, uniforms, rank advancement, etc.

In my case, I am just now, after two years, becoming semi-competent. and I will soon probably be leaving my calling (and the ward).

It is doubtful that the next person called will last two years. But you never know.