Realignment

[ScoutNut 147]

Have any of you heard anything from your council on the Realignment from 312 to 106 (currently) "high capacity" councils? Are they keeping their volunteers in the info loop on this? Are any of you in "early adopter" groups?

 

This is the current working Resource Realignment map that National is working with -

 

http://www.alamitosmarina.org/Realignment_map.pdf

 

It is a big file so give it some time to load.

 

Councils have until 06/01/06 to submit any changes. Changes will be hashed out by National & then the final council boundaries will be approved by the National Board in 08/06. I would think that after that they will work to get the new councils up & running by Oct '06 and the new GS year.

 

Looks like lots of changes coming in 2006-07 for GSUSA.

 

 

 

[Tami the Mom 10]

Our council is an early adopter. We're not sure how things will shake out, exactly, but we might as well make the best of it. From what we understand, as the councils merge, most of the paid staff will be trimmed down. However, a lot of things will become "regional" where they were before considered "council functions".

 

As far as keeping us in the loop- yes, absolutely. We had a meeting last week with a council rep who told us as much as she knows at this point. Our specific concerns were how they will handle "council" functions- our every-third-year council camp, and some of the bigger programs. She says we'll all see how that will work together. Our council happens to sit geographically right in the middle of all of the ones that are merging, so hopefully we will now be able to take advantage of everyone's programs.

[ScoutNut 147]

At least your council is letting their volunteers know what is going on. Many councils are not. Some volunteers are still under the impression that the only councils that will be merged are the ones in financial trouble.

 

There are more changes coming down the pike too. My council is the trial council for VISTAs. National is planning on doing to Service Units / Neighborhoods what it is doing to councils. They will be merged into large VISTAs that follow the United Way boundaries. The VISTA manager will even be called the United Way Ambassador.

 

I see the whole thing getting more & more impersonal. I just hope that, with the consolidation of assets & properties, we don't end up with more girls & less facilities.

 

 

[AnneinMpls 10]

ScoutNut, what's a VISTA?? Havn't heard a thihng about it...

 

It's my understanding that the council realignment process is on the range of 3-5 years, with final map due this October.

 

Our council has held 3 meetings for volunteers to get the information that was presented in Orlando.

Anne in Mpls

[ScoutNut 147]

VISTA =

Volunteer Information Support and Training Areas

 

As of April 1, my council merged 45 SU's into 15 VISTAs. This was done as part of GSUSAs Strategic Priorities for Governance and Organizational Structuring and is being used as a pilot by GSUSA. When the bugs have been worked out, it (or something similar) will be implemented nationwide.

 

The new Realignment map will be approved by the National Board in August of this year. The Early Adopters, like Tami's council, are starting to work on the merging process now.