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Understanding Scouting's Hierarchy


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Everyone

 

As I am unfamliar with most aspects of Boy Scouting Hierarchy, please help me understand. What is the typical length of term of a District Chair?, Council Persident? Council Committee chairs? District Chair?

 

The more I learn about Boy Scouts, the more I realize I dont understand near as much as I should.

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OGE:

 

Every chartered organization receives an annual charter from the National Council granting that organization the right, privilege and responsibility to operate a local unit utilizing a Boy Scouts of America program.

 

In the same fashion, every local council also receives an annual charter from the National Council granting the local council the right, privilege and responsibility to provide service to each of the chartered organizations and their units within the geographic boundaries of the local council. As far as I am aware, each local council's charter year matches the calendar year.

 

Just as each unit has an annual charter review and renewal process, so does each local council. Therefore, all local council positions expire at the end of the council's charter year. Just as a youth member or unit level volunteer may be re-registered for the next charter year, local council volunteers also may be re-registered for the next charter year, and they may be re-elected to continue to serve in a particular position.

 

Each local council has an annual business meeting, at which the Chartered Organization Representatives elect the local council Executive Board in accordance with the local council's bylaws. Committee chairs are appointed by the local council's Executive Board.

 

I would not venture to guess as to what customary lengths of service in various positions might be. Locally, it is common for District Chairs, Council Committee Chairs and other Council Executive Board members to serve several annual terms. Our past few Council Presidents have been re-elected for a second annual term, with a new Council President elected after the second term.

 

I hope this is helpful!

 

 

 

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I think part of the answer may lie in that magic word, "bylaws". Presumably national has certain minimum requirements, but state laws governing non profit corporations also play a role. If you view the annual chartering process as setting a maximum legal term of one year, then that is the answer. What happens in many non profits is that people simply become entrenched with informal power networks that render formal terms in office almost meaningless.

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Unfortuneately in our council, and from what I have heard over the years, in most councils, the COR is a paper tiger. They seldom ever actually exercise their vote at an annual meeting. And there does not appear to be much interest by the professionals to see that they do. I have heard of a couple of instances where a volunteer got their dander up and gathered a true represenatation from the sponsors. A good portion of the executive boards, and the head executive suddenly found themselves voted out. This is probably an area for a new thread; but it does relate.

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District Chairpersons are chosen by a selection committee and accepted or rejected by the voting members of the District Committee. Those voting members consist of Charter Organization Representatives, and District members-at-large (who by the way are also chosen by the selection committee). The typical length or office is one year, after which the selection committee may ask the District Chairperson to return or may select a new candidate. Total length of service is at the pleasure of the selection committee and the voting members.

 

The Council President works the same way onnly by vote of the members of the council committee. Sub committee chairs at the council and district level serve at the pleasure of the council and district chairperson.

 

The exception to all this is the commissioner staff. The District Commissioner is selected by the nominating committee and approved by the Council Commissioner.

 

The Council Commissioner is selected by a nominating committee and in most cases approved by the Council President and the Scout Executive.

 

ADCs and Unit Commissioners are selected and approved by the District Commissioner and serve one year at a time. The Rountable Commissioners are selected by the District Commissioner and are usually approved by the Council Commissioner. Roundtable staff are selected and approved by the District Roundtable Commissioner for the specific program they serve.

 

Bob White

 

 

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Answering for Bob, of the positions mentioned in Bob's post, only the "Scout Executive" is a paid position. All the rest are volunteers. Conceivably some Chartered Organization Representatives may be on the payroll of the Chartered Organization,e.g., an assistant pastor of a church, but that is not BSA's nickel.

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