Adult Leader Term Limits

[fishfry 10]

Does your Troop have Term Limits for Adult key leaders? How Long?

[FScouter 24]

Our troop has no formal limits. We all understand however that all adult memberships in BSA are for only one year. At re-charter time, the committee and the COR make the recommendations for leadership in the next year. Most are re-chartered in the same position.

[Eamonn 61]

While we all serve one year at a time. From the start of one charter year till the end of the charter year. Many District and Council positions while still year to year do have term limits that are covered by Council bylaws.

I am the District Chairman, every year I have to be nominated by the Nominating Committee and approved by the District Committee (COR's and Members of the District at Large) Our Council bylaws state that I can only hold the District Chairman position for 3 years.

What I think is odd is that we in our Council don't have term limits on District Commissioners.

I never could work that one out.

We also have term limits on Council Pesidents, Council Vice Presidents. But again not on the Council Commissioner. Which in our case is good he is a super fellow.

Eamonn

(In 16 months I'm going to be unemployed !!)

[fishfry 10]

Thanks for the response. I am looking to see what other Troop/Crews practice or have written into their policies. I understand the recharter process. However in our neck of the woods Recharter is perceived as registration not election or review/replacement of leaders.

[LPC_Thumper 10]

I have been an adult in two different troops.

 

The first one I was the founding Scoutmaster. I served until my minister (COR) asked me to step aside. No hard feelings, he just had someone else in mind. No big deal, honest.

 

The second, I offered to act as the Outings & Activity Chair, and got roped into being the Equipment Coordinator as well. I was then asked to work as the Older Scout ASM. I was then asked to work as the Committee Chair (when my son graduated program).

 

There was never a term limit in either of these units. Now on the District/Council positions I have held, it was for a certain period of time, and I knew that when I accepted the position. When I served with the Regional Office it was for a certain time as well.

[NJCubScouter 1389]

By signing the roster with the list of adult leaders (with any changes), the head of the Chartered Organization (aka IH aka Executive Officer) is appointing (or reappointing) those people for the coming year. (It may be a different piece of paper in different councils, and it may be a different piece of paper in mine now that everybody is on Troopmaster/Scoutnet, but the important part is that somewhere in the charter package is something that the IH signs that signifies the appointment or reappointment of the leaders listed.)

 

The above is true regardless of whether there has been a meeting to review the leadership (which there should be, though in my experience there almost never is.) It also is true even if the IH does not really understand the significance of what he/she is signing, which I have also seen happen.

 

And, to answer your question, my son's troop does not have any limit on the number of one-year terms to which a leader may be appointed. I have never heard of one that does. Such a limit would not really be enforceable anyway because the authority to appoint or not appoint a leader, and the authority to change the rule to allow for a greater number of terms, rests with the same person. All such a rule would really be is an "agreement" among leaders in the troop to "retire" after a certain number of years.

[fishfry 10]

Good Answer. Thank you. You bring up very good facts. Our issue is we are a large unit with a lot of new talented /trained folks. To me they look like buds on a vine ready to bloom. Many of them could/would fill key leader positions but existing leaders will not or do not want to give up their role. I see the new folks wilting on the vine. I've always felt the more adults you can rotate into key positions the more boys you have later in life that can say "my Dad was the Committee Chair or my Dad was the Scoutmaster. This would make them more likely to be Scout Leaders when they grow up thus proliferating the Scout program across generations to come.

[NJCubScouter 1389]

The above is true regardless of whether there has been a meeting to review the leadership (which there should be, though in my experience there almost never is.)

 

I wrote that, now let me clarify it. I have seen this kind of discussion take place in a committee meeting, where it was "agreed" that the leaders would all continue, or that so-and-so would be the new Scoutmaster, or that so-and-so was "elected" to a position. But officially, such agreements or elections are nothing more than a request to the CO by the committee, or a majority of the committee, to appoint a certain person. What I have almost never seen is a discussion with the IH or CR present as to who the leaders should be for the coming year.

 

(And when I participate in discussions of this topic, I always think back to how my father became SM of the troop I was in. Several troop committee became dissatisfied with the previous SM, and eventually a majority "voted" him out and had an "election," in which there were multiple candidates, of which my father got the most votes. But of course, I didn't know everything that was going on, I was about 16 and the ASPL. I did hear that the "old" SM "appealed" to council, but the change in leadership was upheld... so I have to assume that the IH or CR give their blessing to the change in leadership, either before the committee "vote" (which I doubt), after the "vote," or when contacted by council to see what the CO wanted to do. Which evidently was to endorse the committee's "decision.")

[FScouter 24]

There are dozens of things your new people could do. All jobs are important. Create a position for every adult that wants to become involved. There is no limit to the number of adult leaders you can have. They can serve as committee members and get involved in money-earning events, boards of review, equipment, membership, courts of honor. Assistant Scoutmasters can work more directly with the boys.

[fishfry 10]

Thanks F Scouter,

You are correct and we do that. But are key leaders in units across the country serving as Scoutmasters and Committee Chairs and COR's 10 and 20 years?

[packsaddle 753]

Our CO is so grateful not to have to rely on their congregation for leaders, they will sign 'my ilk' on as long as we are willing. Eeeeeeee Haaaaaaa!

[FScouter 24]

10 or 20 years might seem like a long time. If you or someone else has your eye on a position held by a long-time veteran, let your interest be known. My experience in some other organizations is that sometimes people hold on because there is no clear successor. There may be a fear that if they step down, no one will be able to do as good a job, and the organization will suffer. Demonstrate your competency and you may get selected later. Unproven newbies are not likely to get asked.

[fishfry 10]

I'm sure you are right about that. It seems a lot of people don't mind going for the glory spots but fewer and fewer want to take the important positions like Patrol Advisor, Chair for a specific fund raiser and such. To me being a Campmaster on a campout or pulling off a successful fundraiser so the boys can afford a high adventure trip is the most rewarding. I now know you have to br very specific and ask a person to do a particular thing. General blanket pleas for volunteersa tend not to work. Everyone expects someone else to step up.

[scoutldr 732]

There are plenty of jobs to go around...not all at the Unit level. If you have someone who is showing enthusiasm and ability, do your District a favor and nominate them for a District position. Usually the greatest need (at least in my District) is for Unit Commissioners. We can always use experienced (or at least eager to learn) people on the Training Staff. Merit Badge Counselors, camporee chairman, FOS chair or Popcorn Kernal, School Night Chair, Camp Committee, Membership Committee, Finance Committee, Advancement Committee, the list is endless. Your DE will love you for it, I gahr-ahn-tee.

[Eamonn 61]

Not trying to hijack the thread but...

I agree that Districts do need all the help that they can get. Most of the Districts I know would welcome all the help that is offered. I would hasten to add that this is fine as long as it isn't putting a hurting on the unit.

I really do not want to bring up the "My Unit" Or the "Unit that I serve." dialog again. I do think that if we all viewed what we do for Scouting as severing the needs of the youth. We might be able to get past thinking that one position ranks higher then another. I like to think that we all do what we can to meet the needs of the youth. Sure I would love to be back in a unit with the youth, but I can't guarantee that I will be able to make a weekly meeting. This doesn't make me any worse then the Den Leader that is working with the Den week in and week out. Just because I serve on the District level doesn't make me any better.

If someone is serving in a position that they really dislike, I would strongly suggest that they find something else that they would enjoy doing.

Eamonn.