Merger question -Reply
Seacout-Net List Manager (listmanager@seascout.org)
Sun, 17 Jan 1999 16:10:46 -0500
Original-From: "Bruce C Johnson" <bjoh@loc.gov>
Original-Reply-To: seascout-net@mail.sea.scouter.com
Original-Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 07:18:22 -0500
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Dave:
Let me first give you the literature references and then I'll give
you the answer. Every council was given a copy of 'Sea Scouting
Council Guide' at the "All Hands" meeting in August. In it, there is
the answer. Additionally, the upcoming 'Handbook for Skippers' has
the answer in detail. Unfortunately, with the reorganization of
Exploring, the scheduled 1998 publication date was changed to 2000.
Now the answer: There are basically two ways to go, one of which
works, the other doesn't. I will only talk about the way that work
(since I know today is going to be a very busy one for me). Your new
council (once the dust settles) is going to have to organize some
manner for supporting the old youth program. Up until recently that
would have been (in most cases) the council Exploring Committee.=20
National is giving local councils a lot of flexibility in deciding
just how to handle that, but the larger councils really have a better
shot at doing it right since they usually have more manpower resources
to draw on. The committee that might be most directly relevant to us
would be a council Venturing Committee, headed by a council Venturing
Chair or Vice President for Venturing.
The council Venturing Chair may, at his/her discretion, appoint a
council Sea Scouting Commodore, who in turn can appoint a council Sea
Scouting Committee. If you really like to use the old terminology, a
council Sea Scouting organization is a "Squadron", so this could be
called the Takeany Council Sea Scouting Squadron Committee (fill in
your council's name 'Takeany').
The council Sea Scouting Committee should not be a group of
Skippers trying to do what a council committee should be providing.=20
It should be individuals who are tasked with helping the Skippers (and
by extention the Ships) in the council. This is very important. I
have seen many council Sea Scouting Committee function essentially as
Wardrooms. While they do get things accomplished, they are taking
resources away from Ships, and that is possibly the biggest mistake we
can make.
The council Sea Scouting Committee provides support in five areas:
1. Service - quality control of unit operation
2. Sales - organizing new Ships and assisting existing Ships with
publicity and recruitment
3. Program - activities
4. Training - both adult and youth
5. Boat & Gear - coordinating vessel procurement and maintenance;
liaison with Coast Guard; develops local council Sea Scouting vessel
operator standards
In some councils, each of these functions is managed by a Vice
Commodore. The correct way to express the position would be "Vice
Commodore (Service)," etc. These titles should not be honorary
titles. The last thing we need are people walking around saying "I am
Commodore so-and-so", all the while everyone seeing that they're doing
nothing for Sea Scouting. That reflects badly on the Sea Scouting
program as a whole, as well as them personally.
One of the key things to remember is that the Council Commodore is
NOT an elected position. He/She serves at the pleasure of the council
Venturing Chair/Vice President, and serves on the Council Venturing
Committee (or its equivilant). While I have heard more than a few Sea
Scout officers chafe that this relationship, it is in our best
interest to make it work. Where Sea Scouting works cooperatively with
Venturing to make Venturing stronger, Sea Scouting also is stronger.=20
(I think someone wrote "All for one, one for all" sometime.)
Council Sea Scouting Committees are essential for adequately
supporting our program. They are not for ego trips. The pay is no
better at the council level than at the Ship level, and the authority
vested in being "Council Commodore" really only amounts to the level
of credibility that you engender within and outside of the Sea
Scouting program. Speaking from personal experience, the rewards can
be great, but the work is VERY time consuming. =20
Northeast Region has a couple of training programs in development
right now. S.D. Broder is working on a trainer certification program
just now. Once that has been finished and implemented, we will be
focusing on another training program for local council Sea Scouting
committees. Unfortunately I think that is a year or so away from
being ready to go. If you are coming to the Winter Training Weekend
in Maryland next month, feel free to bend my ear.
Bruce Johnson
Commodore, Sea Scouting
Northeast Region, BSA
commodore@seascout.org
Bruce Chr. Johnson
Library of Congress
Cataloging Distribution Service
Washington, DC 20540-4911 USA=D00D
bjoh@loc.gov
202-707-1652
>>> "David T. Minasian" <dminasia@bellatlantic.net> 17 December 1998=20
12:26 am >>>
Greetings Bruce,
Our council is fortunate to have voted, along with three other
neighboring councils, to merge into one mega council. The long term
benefits of this merger will be substantial. In the near term it poses
many challenges.
Now, instead of one Ship in the Council there are now five. My
question
is, what acceptable (meaning sanctioned or traditional by National's
interpretation) intra-council organization can be formed within the
new
council to better coordinate Sea Scout activities and needs? Over the
years I have heard such terms as flotilla, fleets, commodores,
squadrons
etc., but are they "by the book", or just a manifestation of Sea
Scouts
"doing their own thing" with or without the blessing of National?
Have a great holiday season and a very happy new year...to all
Dave Minasian
SSS 104
Wayne NJ
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