It Just Don't Work!!

[Eamonn 61]

As some in these Forums are aware the love I have for the person who holds the title of Field Director in our Council is what might be termed a little less then over flowing.

Add to this that I at times am very much an old stick in the mud. So when this Boy Blunder starts thinking creatively,I bite my tongue and shake my head.

One of his creative ideas was to start new units in difficult or financially depressed areas. The idea is a good one and the cause is a noble one. I am behind the idea 100%. I don't like the term "Where they need it most." As I think that Scouting works for every kid no matter where he comes from.

Starting new units is not easy and I will admit that this is the weak or soft spot that we as a District has. We as a District working with and through the District Membership Committee were looking at starting a pack in a subsidized housing development.One that is in the news for drugs, shootings and other not so nice activities.

The Membership Chair. The DE and Your's truly had meetings with HUD in the community center. We knew that whatever we did, it was not going to be easy.In fact even getting the parties involved to attend a meeting was like pulling teeth.

HUD was willing to be the Chartered Organization and would provide the community center as a meeting place for the pack that we wanted to start.

The lady that was paid by HUD was to be the COR.

We met and all agreed that the idea was good and we left, leaving them with the task of recruiting the adults that they would need to get the pack off the ground.

Weeks past with us calling and no returned calls. We went back a couple of times to the community center and found out that the paid HUD person was gone. I don't know where, but she was gone. Make matters worse the HUD guy was gone too.

By now we were disheartened and while we still thought it was a good idea, it was one that just wasn't going to fly.

In steps the Boy Blunder. He bypasses the District. Goes and finds one of these Americore Volunteers (Paid volunteers??)and next thing we know we have a new pack.Boy Blunder is now on a roll, working with HUD, he starts another one in our district and one in another District. I meet with him and express my feelings that this is a good place to start but we need to be moving these units from being Dependant on us to becoming everyday normal traditional units. The sort that have leaders and details like that. Pompous Twit, is too busy telling me how he done this for my District and what a good job he has done. These units meet right after school and I explain that we don't have Commissioners that can get to the meetings. "That's OK" He tells me. I ask when their committee meets and I volunteer to attend so that we can start moving them to becoming a traditional unit." They don't have a committee." He tells me.

Our DE does get to a couple of meetings and informs me that there is four or five boys that are meeting. No Cub Scout program, but the Americore guy has a craft for them and some Kool Aid.

By now my old Stick in the mud attitude is in play and even though these two units are in the district I'm content too leave them in the hands of the Field Director. In fact I look at it as this is my only choice.

The Americore guy starts missing meetings. Field Director wants the District Commissioner to find someone to run the meetings. As a Key3 we explain that we don't have anyone, that most are at work and even more are scared to even drive in there.

Boy Blunder fires the Americore guy.

Our DE, phones me and asks what I know about building Pinewood Derby cars? I pass on the wealth of my knowledge not adding that OJ's car never made it past the first run. When I ask why she informs me that she is now running both packs and asks where she can get a Pinewood Derby track?

I tell her that it is April and everyone has packed them away. We hold the District Pinewood Races in February. She says that she has to have one as the Field Director has Pinewood Derby races on the program for these packs. I ask how many boys are attending the meetings she tells me about four in each pack.

I now have a Senior District Executive, running two packs. We have a District Golf outing in June. The invites need to be done, we are planning a fund raising dinner for the fall. We have a major Tiger Cub recruiting campaign in the works. We have the tail end of the FOS to wrap up.We just found out that the Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster of one of the biggest packs in the District just resigned and our DE is busy running a Pinewood Derby for two packs.

That makes no sense to me.

Worse still is that these two packs have no foundation, none of the adults or parents are involved. We really are not running a Cub Scout Program, just a after school activity once a week.

I feel like the clean up man that cleans up after the circus has left town.

The idea may have been a good one, the cause is a noble one. But it isn't Scouting and it just don't work.

Eamonn

[Twocubdad 665]

Brother, I feel your pain.

 

Our council has a separate special needs district that does basically what your field director is doing. The rely heavily on paraprofessionals (i.e., paid volunteers) to run the units. While a good chunk of money goes to support the district, at least they're not taking away time and attention as the twit is doing to you.

[SR540Beaver 116]

E,

 

Tell your DE to look into the BSA's Learning For Life program. He is trying to reinvent the wheel. On second thought, ask your Scout Executive to look into LFL. It is geared more to what your DE is trying to accomplish.

[evmori 11]

Eamonn,

WOW! I guess your Boy Blunder never bothered to contact my council to see how they run their programs in areas like that?

 

You're right. It ain't Scouting just another after-school program that happens to be run by the BSA.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[FScouter 24]

Two more units added to the roster - mission accomplished.

[Eamonn 61]

I have said at grrrreat length what I think of the LFL program.

The LFL program that the Council offers for children of Elementary school age is ran in the schools. I like the two Ladies who the Council pays to run the program. I just hate the idea that my money is used to do it. Kind of like taking the car into the garage to be repaired and finding out they aren't using the right parts. When the LFL program starts using the promises and oaths that the traditional program uses I will get down off my high horse.

I must have got out of the wrong side of the bed.

Where is that other posting??

Eamonn

 

[Eamonn 61]

I have said at grrrreat length what I think of the LFL program.

The LFL program that the Council offers for children of Elementary school age is ran in the schools. I like the two Ladies who the Council pays to run the program. I just hate the idea that my money is used to do it. Kind of like taking the car into the garage to be repaired and finding out they aren't using the right parts. When the LFL program starts using the promises and oaths that the traditional program uses I will get down off my high horse.

I must have got out of the wrong side of the bed.

Where is that other posting??

Eamonn

 

[Eamonn 61]

I have said at grrrreat length what I think of the LFL program.

The LFL program that the Council offers for children of Elementary school age is ran in the schools. I like the two Ladies who the Council pays to run the program. I just hate the idea that my money is used to do it. Kind of like taking the car into the garage to be repaired and finding out they aren't using the right parts. When the LFL program starts using the promises and oaths that the traditional program uses I will get down off my high horse.

I must have got out of the wrong side of the bed.

Where is that other posting??

Eamonn