How long should pack meetings last? What about troop and crew meetings?

I’m thinking of a number between 45 and 120 minutes.

This magic number is the ideal length of time for a pack, troop or crew meeting. A perfect meeting is somewhere in that Goldilocks zone — not too long, not too short.

Too short and there’s not enough time for skills instruction, campout preparation and fun. Too long and you risk losing your Scouts or Venturers for the rest of the meeting — or for good if overlong meetings are the norm.

The BSA suggests 90 minutes as the maximum pack meeting length. That’s probably a good rule for troop and crew meetings, as well.

With pack meetings, adults plan everything. With troop and crew meetings, the senior patrol leader or crew president runs the show, so keeping an eye on the clock is up to him or her (with some mentoring from you).

Parents will thank you for ending your meetings on time. Your fellow adult leaders — who, like you, have countless other commitments — will appreciate it as well.

Your thoughts?

It’s Tuesday Talkback time, so answer me this: How long should pack meetings last? What about troop and crew meetings?