Re: Awards and "cheap" councils
(no name) ((no email))
Sat, 6 Mar 1999 02:59:16 -0600
Tom Petric hit the nail squarely on its head here, folks!
With some deletions only for specific content, he stated:
>At the moment my Exploring/Venturing dinner is being planned and
>everything is ordered. I have to have the kids budget to cover the
>cost of the awards they made up PLUS dinner PLUS the District
>Award of Merit, Exploring Leadership Award, and Venturing
>Leadership Award. BESIDES THAT, they have to come out in
>the black enough to cover the two Spurgeon awards and the Young
>American award that will be presented at the Council Banquet.
>
>A BS/CS District will have a couple hundred people to spread all
>those kinds of costs over. Exploring/Venturing booked a room for
>55.
Part of the reason why we "almost beg" people to attend the
District and Council recognition dinners is to help the local
Council or the District to pay for the awards being presented.
Those things don't come cheap, and while the Council DOES budget
for some of its awards, the budgeted amount and the actual amount
frequently don't even come close to even matching!
>And for those worried about costs of awards, go out and price a
>couple of Spurgeon headstones. I'll project sell this, most of it,
>somehow. I just don't know where.
I would start with the key chartered organizations supporting
Exploring in your Council, Tom. Next would come organizations that
deal in leadership development (like various services' recruiters
and "Project Leadership" organizations that many larger cities have
(Project Leadership is a way that communities can "grow their own
future civic leaders." Participants pay for a years' worth of
seminars, special meetings and group discussions with city, state,
regional and in some cases national leaders. This could be an
ongoing relationship between the Spurgeon reciepients and the
Project Leadership folks.
To respond to those Scouters feeling "cheated" out of getting the
AWARD (let's call it what it is...the "ribbon" is the ACTUAL AWARD.
The square knot nor certificate is NOT the AWARD...the MEDAL is the
award for many of our training awards and keys!), you need to
approach your professional and volunteer staff that manage the
leadership development program of your Council and TELL THEM that
those that spend two or three years working in a leadership
development plan DESERVE a $4.25 MEDAL and that if it's not
budgeted into the Council's budget, it should be or should be
budgeted under the costs of the annual District or Council dinner.
The square knot is NOT the AWARD, no matter who says it is or how
well they pretty it up. The AWARD is that medal, pendant or plaque
that the Scouter receives for many awards; in some cases, it may
take the form of a backpatch or lapel pin. But the CERTIFICATE is
just that...the CERTIFICATE for the AWARD!!
(the District/Division Award of Merit has a small plaque which goes
with it; the only award I know of that doesn't have a "physical
award" is the Professional Training Award's certificate but they
have other incentives toward earning that award!)
In *my opinion*, NO VOLUNTEER receiving a training award, key or
other award for service, should be FORCED to "pay for their own
award." What's the "benefit" there if you're PAYING FOR YOUR OWN
AWARDS?? In those cases, we can just tell them to go down to the
Council service center and purchase the things RIGHT NOW and not
even wait until the requirements have been met!!
No, we do the BEST RECOGNITION when the Scouter is:
*trained, coached and realizes that he or she has met requirements
for a training key, award, or "stepping stone recognition" like the
Commissioner Arrowhead (this involves giving the Scouter the
appropriate tracking card, making sure that the Scouter gets
"signed off" when completing or participating in tasks associated
with the tracking card/requirements, and insuring that once all
requirements are met, that the tracking card is signed, a copy is
made for the volunteer AND GIVEN TO HER OR HIM, and turned into the
Council office for tracking and preparation of the recognition
pieces in a timely manner)
*recognized for his or her accomphishment in FRONT OF HIS OR HER
PEERS AS WELL AS IN FRONT OF YOUTH MEMBERS (there should ideally be
one formal presentation, and that presentation should be done
equally across the board for ALL Scouters in ALL volunteer
positions; and ideally that presentation should be made in front of
the youth that he or she serves and their parents so as to
encourage those others to do likewise and to earn their OWN
recognition....and that the recognition is COMPLETE, MEANINGFUL and
SINCERE and not something like "Here ya' go....you've got the
unmpthy-umphth Award!" handed to the Scouter in an envelope during
the two minutes before everyone grabs their car keys and start for
the doors at Roundtable!)
*And MAKES THE PERSON GLAD THAT HE OR SHE DID THOSE THINGS TO EARN
OR RECEIVE THE AWARD!!
Someone told me, when I presented these elements (and their
brothers and sisters) during a Commissioner's Conference that
"it'll make for a REALLY LONG CEREMONY!"
I responded "No it won't," and I used this example as an
illustration.
In 1989, I attended a District Recognition Ceremony in Clarksville,
Tennessee. The place was packed, and beforehand, all of the awards
that were to be presented were layed out on a table along with 4x6
cards with the names of all of the reciepients except for a few
which were labeled "blue envelope." During the presentation
portion, Scouters whom were recognized with various awards stood
while on either side of the stage, overhead projectors with images
of the award flashed on the walls, since they were already
presented with the award during unit dinners, courts of honor, or
Pack meetings.
When it came time for those awards to be presented to "special
Scouters", "hosts" at each table would hand out "blue envelopes."
Inside those blue envelopes were the names and "award citations" of
those receiving everything less the District Award of Merit and
Silver Beaver Awards. The presenters merely explained that "we
wanted each of you to read and to share with others the many
accomphishments of these special volunteers; therefore, we won't
read them again to you this evening."
It made the evening go a lot faster and even became a "take home
token".
In other Districts, the names and units of those receiving training
or other recognitions are printed in the program.
So, it *can be done* and done to a degree of high recognition as
well as to "keep the award show movin'!"
Settummmanque!
(c) 1999 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3068
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonmi@usarc-emh2.army.mil
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