Re: Adult leadership time requirements (formerly ...same
(no name) ((no email))
Sat, 2 Jan 1999 23:15:33 -0600
Aw man....here we go again; it's GOTTA be a new year!
But so *soon*??? *heheheehehe*
The bottomline question is:
"How is TENURE counted for various training awards?" (that's the
only thing that has "time" counted toward it...other awards may be
based on time served serving youth, but it's all cumlative time)
The answer is, as it was the previous times answered here and on
other forums, is "it varies from local Council to local Council",
since training awards are NOT "national awards" but rather under
the pervue of the local Council's Training and/or Advancement
committees (it SHOULD be under the training subcommittee of the
Program Committee; but then, we can get into another conversation
WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN ASKED OR DISCUSSED HERE>>>> about "which
committee is responsible for approving and developing training
awards?").
Why does it vary "when National has put out requirements and
standards for the awards?"
Simple. While there ARE standards that are published (the actual
standards are found within several of the BSA's training
publications), each local Council has the authority to "mold those
standards" to meet the needs of the volunteers there.
This "molding" is done to allow the Council to better manage how
training and coachings goes on through their Council, and to allow
for the largest numbers of volunteer to be recognized for their
training and performance as a Scouting volunteer. It has been
shown that those volunteers that have received a training award
within 18 to 24 months in the program tend to stay longer and
exhibit more willingness to serve than those whom are not
recognized. This is the reasoning behind lowering the years of
service from 36 to 24 months for most if not all training awards
and the addition of the Scoutmaster, Explorer Advisor and Venturing
Award of Merit at the 18 month point for adult volunteers serving
as "key adult" (Scoutmaster, Explorer Advisor, Venturing Advisor or
Skipper).
*the Cubmaster Award requires two years service now if I'm not
mistaken*
(For those now aware, the Scouters' Key Award as Cubmaster was
discontinued a while back, replaced by the Cubmasters' Award;
likewise the Cub Scouter Training Award has been replaced by a new
Cub Scouters' Award, which anyone registered as a Cub Scouting
leader (to include parents serving on the Pack's Committee) can
earn for two years' service and completion of basic training and a
few performance projects.)
Basically, those standards prohibit me as a Scoutmaster from using
my tenure as a Scoutmaster toward time for a Cub Scout, Exploring,
or now Venturing training award, unless I'm primarily registered as
a leader in one of those other programs. If that was the case, I
could not use the tenure served as a leader in those other programs
toward a Scouters' Key Award as Scoutmaster.
Huh?
Okay. I'm presently serving as Scoutmaster of Troop 000, North
District, Cardinal Council. However, the Cardinal Council's
registrar has me as Committeemember of Pack 000, North District,
Cardinal Council. I'm doing two DISTINCT roles in TWO SEPARATE
units. The problem is that I didn't PAY to be Scoutmaster; I am
listed as a "mulitple" member, because I DID pay to be a
Committeemember of Pack 000.
I can use the three years I've spent as Committeemember toward the
Cub Scouters' Award. I CANNOT *under the BSA's written policy* use
that time toward the Scouters' Key Award as Scoutmaster. In order
for me to do this, the BSA says that I should have a "primary
registration" (paid registration) as Scoutmaster and "multiple"
with the Pack.
That's what the BSA says. However, the Cardinal Council (like many
of your Councils) says that "if I'm registered (paid or not) as
Scoutmaster and as Committeemember, I can use that same three year
period toward both Scouters' Key as Scoutmaster AND for the Cub
Scouters' Award as a Cub Scouting leader." Their justification is
simple: They want to recognize me (the TRUE PURPOSE BEHIND THE
TRAINING AWARDS, NOT TO WEAR A KNOT) for my tenure and service and
training and performance in BOTH positions. The Training Award
program is the cheapest and best way to do this. How do they
"square this" with National?? They don't *have to*, since its THEIR
Training Committee Chair which approves all training awards for the
Council and recommends awards to the Scout Executive for signature.
Other local Councils are holding fast to the BSA's written policy
and some even goes further than this: they say that "You cannot
use time for one award for another. Period. End of comment." In
other words, according to their "interpretation", I can't use my
three years toward the Cub Scouter Award (two years' required
tenure as a registered Cub Scouter) and THEN use the other year
toward, say, the Den Leaders' Award UNLESS I change my registration
after the end of last year to that of Assistant Den Leader in Pack
000 (because the requirements for the training award calls for a
person to be registered for two years as Den Leader or one years as
Assistant Den Leader and the other as Den Leader; there's not a
provision for "any other registered Cub Scouting leader").
Such varied interpretations causes a lot of confusion, and
rightfully so. That's why when we've talked about this topic in
the past, I've urged folk to ask their *local Council* to see how
they're "reading the policy and procedure." While many Councils
use the "Cardinal Council's" interpretation (it's easier to manage
and provides the Councils more "hits" for their tally of training
awards presented!), there are some Councils that either read the
policy as written by the BSA or interpreted by the Council Scout
Executive of that Council.
Let's move to the other part of this discussion: service at the
Regional Area, Regional or National levels. They don't count, for
the most part, toward *any* training awards. Why?? Because you
cannot be "primarily registered" anymore simply as a Area
Committeemember or a National Committeemember. Your registration
in those additional roles are "multiples" based on your PRIMARY
registration with YOUR local Council. For instance, even though
I'm registered with the Southern Region's Exploring Committee
(which doesn't exist anymore after yesterday; it's now the
Venturing Committee), my registration is based on my *primary
registration* as Committeemember, Pack 000, North District,
Cardinal Council.
So, what about being registered both with a Council (or a District)
and with a unit?? The BSA has been trying to get us primarily
registered as UNIT adults as opposed to District/Council adults.
We and they have been resisting this, partly because Councils are
required to report two times a year the number of District
Committee and Commissioners and Council members-at-large and
committee members -- those numbers come from us; and partly because
those positions are "high vis" positions in the eyes of our fellow
Scouters.
The rules of thumbs are:
*You count the tenure where you've PAID for the registration. Pay
for registration twice, I don't know of a Council that won't allow
you to use the tenure toward two distinct training awards or keys.
*Your Council determines how they are going to apply the tenure and
other requirements toward a training award, good or bad. ALL
Councils are supposed to go by the written policy which is
published by the BSA in several training documents; in reality this
isn't happening, which is a sore point for some volunteers (and
professionals too, let's not forget there's a training award for
them, and DEPENDING ON LOCAL COUNCIL, a professional MAY work
toward a training award if he or she is REGISTERED as a volunteer
with that unit (for instance, a District Executive serving as Den
Leader in a Cub Pack in his or an adjacent District).
Hope this helps you out, Ed!!
Settummanque!
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3085
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@server.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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