Re: When is a "clic" a "clic"?
Cheryl Singhal (csinghal@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Mon, 12 Feb 1996 10:14:51 -0500
On Sun, 11 Feb 1996, Gary Rayson wrote:
> Greetings fellow scouts and scouters,
>
> As many of you, we recently had our district awards banquet and presented
> many awards to scouters within the district. As the nature of such
> presentations, not all the "deserving" people were recognized. That is a
> characteristic of the "beast". However, it was later questioned as to
> how the receipients were selected. There seemed to be one significant
> correlation (not to imply cause-and-effect). Each of the receipients
> were "good" friends of the district chairman/commissioner (the same
> person was assuming both roles by self proclamation) and the selection
> committee was comprised of that same person and others of "very similiar"
> minds. The most "interesting" of the selections was for the District
> Award of Merit, the Chairman's "significant other". Although the
> receipient has been active in the district and will undoubtedly continue
> beyond the past year, the perception of a "clic" is there.
>
I will reluctantly step onto the soapbox marked FEMINIST VIEWS, but I
will be brief.
How many of you active Scouters who spend "1 hr a week" at Troop
meetings, Committee meetings, DIstrict meetings, Council meetings, Troop
outings, Troop fundraisers would be putting in that kind of time if you
were single-parents? Without the ACTIVE support of the "significant
other" in your life, you would be cooking, cleaning, washing, grocery shopping,
supervising homework, driving car-pool and so on instead of having a good
time. <G>
Stepping down now ...
> My question to the list is this. When is the influence of personal
> friendships in the awarding of accomplishments detrimental to the
> program? I have heard numerous "grumblings" regarding this event from
> several volunteer scouters in the area, none of which I would describe as
> conducive of a positive attitude. I have attempted to deminish those
> comments and focus on the more positive aspects of the program as a
> whole. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for those "outside
> the inner circle" to continue to give the time and resources to the
> program with the perception that "it isn't what you do, its who you know"
> regarding recognition. Granted, we do what we do for the boys in the
> program, but it is the truly exceptional scouter that does not appreciate
> a little recognition now and then.
>
It seems to me that there is indeed _Perception_ of favoritism. And
there may well be favoritism. OTOH, it is only fair to admit that when
one is deciding who gets awards, the persons best known to the selection
committee, or those recommended by someone well known to the selection
committee, is more likely to receive an award that someone the Committee
does not know who is recommended by someone else the committee doesn't
know.
Still, a quiet bug in the ear of the appropriate party might not come
amiss. May even help.
Just my opinion, of course.
** || "You are my son. **
|| csinghal@capaccess.org ** It was no effort." ||
** cheryl_singhal@cpafug.blkcat.com || **
|| Cheryl.Singhal@f422.n109.z1.fidonet.org ** ST: IV. ||
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
