Re: "Ownership" of Scouts

Please pardon my lateness in jumping in on this thread, but I
have just gotten to read the digests from the last few days.
I fell victim to a mailserver problem, and a homework assignment
that quickly absorbed _all_ available time.

The discussion on this subject opens a _very_ sore spot with me,
concerning a series of incidents that occurred when I was an
inexperienced Webelos leader. The CC of the Cub Pack was the
wife of the SM. The two of them virtually controlled both
organizations. I don't remember exactly _who_ the COR was, (at
that time it was called "Scouting Coordinator") but that person
was hand picked by the CC/SM to follow their lead on _everything_.

I first ran afoul of these two when I found that the position of
SC was open. I asked one of the other leaders about it, and was
given a sheet detailing the responsibilities of this position.
I made a few more inquiries, and found that the position had
been filled. The CC went to the Parish Council and told them that
"John Doe" was the one they wanted for SC. "Don't ask Chuck, as
he is a troublemaker."

When my son got into Webelos, the CC/SM were no longer involved
with the Pack. I became the Den Leader by default, when the
previous WDL was unable to continue. Having been a Webelos Den
Chief when a boy, and knowing the value of one to the Den, I asked
the Troop for one. They were too busy, didn't have enough boys
who were qualified. I asked a few other things of the Troop, and
got a similar response.

Then my son had a _major_ falling out with one of the boys who
used to be in his Den, who was now in the Troop. The result was
that he asked if he _had_ to go to _that_ Troop. Of course, I
said no. When it came time for the Webelos Den to visit Troops,
I took them to "our" Troop, as well as the Troop I currently work
with. I would have taken them to others, but couldn't find _any_
others in our area who were interested. When the boys graduated,
of 8 boys, 4 went to that Troop, 4 came with me. At about the
same time, that Troop merged with another.

In talking Scouting with a coworker a year or so later, I found
that his boy had been in my old pack. I mentioned that I had been
a WDL in that pack a few years earlier. The he asked me if _I_ knew
who the WDL was that wrecked the Troop! When I asked him what had
happened, he described _my_ situation, but added a few things that
_I_ had never heard of - like that I was supposed to have agreed
to become the new SM, then renigged. This was all according to the
previous SM, and what he was saying after it happened.

My point in relating this story is to emphasise that if the Troop
wants to inherit the Webelos from the associated Pack, It needs to
show an interest. The presence of a Den Chief from the Troop would
have certainly helped their image. Active recruitment doesn't start
around crossover time - it starts when the Cub first goes in to
Webelos. If the boy (or his leader) doesn't feel that you are really
interested, they may look somewhere else.

It is also _essential_ for the SM and the WDL to know what the other
expects of them. If you want that WDL for your new SM, you'd better
tell him so before he becomes disenchanted and finds somewhere _else_
to go.

There is much more to the story than this, but the rest of it is not
relevant to this discussion. Also, this is only the perspective of
_one_ one time WDL.

YiS,

Chuck Bramlet, ASM Troop 323
Thunderbird District, Grand Canyon Council, Phoenix, Az.

I "used to be" an Antelope! (and a good ol' Antelope, too...) WEM-10-95
Please E-mail any replies to: >> chuckb@aztec.asu.edu <<
Member DNRC
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