National Benchmarks for Districts

[Eamonn 61]

While looking at the Jamboree pages on the BSA, National site, I clicked on the 2003 Annual Report and then went page on Leadership.There is a very nice story about National Capital Council.It covers how the Council has one of the most active district leadership cores in the country. The council serves over 54,600 youth members in traditional Scouting programs with over 20,000 adult scouter's.

The article goes on to say how the growth is primarily due to the Councils district operations policy.The Council maximizes service by dividing districts when they meet National Benchmarks.

It goes on to state that there is a goal to provide one DE for every 40 -60 units or 1,000 youth members and a 1-to-3 ratio of volunteers to scouts.

I do think that the Council deserves a pat on the back for reaching so many youth members. I have not checked out National Capital Council web page but a council with 55 DE's? Wow!! But wait later on it goes on to say that over the past 13 years the Council has gone from 13 to 26 districts, with five service areas.

I have never seen the National Benchmarks for Districts.

Math may not be my best subject but with 54,615 youth and 26 districts they have a little over 2,100 youth members in each district.

I can't help feeling that I'm missing something?

Mean while back in our sleepy little hamlet we have 44 units and 943 youth members with more on the way!! I don't have on hand the count of volunteers that we have in the district, but I kind of think that we are above the 1-to-3 ratio. I also don't at this time have a count of the total youth membership in the Council. We as a district have a DE along with the services of a Field Director (well - we will have after Nov 1st.) A Program Director and a Scout Executive. There is no way that we have 54,000 + youth members, but we don't have districts with over 2,000 youth members. I wonder why National chose to put a council that clearly is not meeting what they clearly state (One DE per 1,000 youth members) is the goal as the poster child?

Where do I get a copy of the National Benchmarks for Districts?

While I can see the advantages of large councils, I have to wonder if 54,600 is maybe too large? I do think that our council with 10,600 total youth membership of which about half are traditional members, with the other half belonging to LFL programs is maybe too small. Still a Council ten times the size of ours? Boy that scares the pants off me!! My big concern is of course money. If we only have a traditional membership of 5,300 and we have a annual budget of over 1.2 million dollars, we are a very expensive commodity.$4.00 a week per member is a lot of money. I do know that I'm not including the money for the LFL programs, but even $2.00 a week is high.

I suppose with us being at over 5,000 traditional youth members, we ought to be thinking about preparing for a new district. Which would of course cost even more money.

Eamonn.

[Eamonn 61]

I thought this was dropped before everyone had a chance to reply.

Eamonn

[cubbobwhite 10]

I don't have the answers to your questions.

 

I am in a one district council. We have 42 packs and 38 troops. The last I remember we had about 1000 volunteers. I don't know what our youth numbers are.

 

We have two DEs and an SE.

 

CBW