From: Arkytek (arkytek@ARISTOTLE.NET)
Date: Wed Aug 09 2000 - 13:25:57 CDT
Funny you should ask. We are on our 4th DE in 3 years and rumor has it that
he is preparing to depart after only 2 months on the job.
Our long time, outstanding DE retired in December 97
Council hired a youngster straight out of college. Eagle Scout with no
Pro-experience. He was lazy, unmotivated and ineffective for 6 months and
then left.
A Senior DE from another Dist. in our council transferred in at councils
insistence. He worked well with volunteers. Fully staffed the Dist. Comm.
and initiated a FOS golf tournament that raised big $ for the council. He
also made the mistake of cutting 12 units from the books that didn't
actually exist (as well as their combined non-existent membership of over
100 Scouts and Cubs). He suffered some medical problems that got him a 6
month medical leave and a 6 month probation when he returned. After the 6
month probation he was canned. There is a lot more to this story than I can
tell here. Suffice to say he was good, hard working and trustworthy and now
he is gone.
Council just hired another college grad with NO Scouting experience and he
is supposedly leaving in a month or two due to his wife's upcoming transfer.
At no time were we volunteers contacted for input on hiring. When we gave
our input anyway to our Field Director we got the obligatory "Thank you for
your input. We'll certainly take that into consideration when we are
interviewing candidates" crap.
My District is the largest in membership and area in our council. We raise
more popcorn $ and FOS $ than any other. We staff more council events than
any of the other 6 Districts and we have shown membership growth 3 of the
last 4 years. The year that our Senior DE cut the 12 units we still grew
enough to earn Quality District honors.
Council doesn't listen to volunteers. Of course we have been blessed in
that our current and immediate past council executives were both trained in
the Circle 10 Council in Texas. Maybe that explains the ghost units and
inflated membership numbers that have been shoved down our throats.
Don't get me wrong, we have a great program and one of the finest Scout
Reservations in the Nation. We are going strong and will continue to do so
long after our paid "Professionals" have moved on. This is the result of
many dedicated hard working volunteers, NOT the result of the efforts of our
Pro's.
Anybody looking for a job?
David Rogers
arkytek@aristotle.net
"Sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand."
P71 / T71
"I used to be a Bear" - SR354
-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Mery <vseerror@LEHIGH.EDU>
To: SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU <SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 12:49 PM
Subject: Hiring Practices for professional
>(Forward Note - would prefer this not digress to a commentary on
>Scouting professionals)
>
>What are your council's practice in the hiring/assignment of District
>Executives, SPECIFICALLY as it relates to the level of volunteer (i.e.
>council/district commissioner, council/district chairman) involvement in
>the selection process. Also, your experience in failure/success with
>this process.
>
>Respond in private if you prefer.
>
>Thanks
>Wayne
>
>p.s. Any council/district chairs and commissioners out there?
>___________________________________________________________________________
__
> Wayne S. Mery (vseerror@lehigh.edu -- for vse-l mailing list errors)
> Save a Life..Sign an Organ Donor card
> http://www.transweb.org
>
