Council Key 3 "FireSide Chat"

[OldGreyEagle 5]

At last nights' Roundtable the COuncil Key conducted what was called a fire side chat, they sit and listen to comments and questions and make some questions and comments themselves. The topics of discussion?

 

Poor communication

 

Cost of Uniforms- Our SE says the shirt could be sold for $15 if the BSA bought them overseas, actually is that a problem ?

 

A Cubmaster from a School that also has a Scoutreach Pack complained there was competition for the schools facilities and that the Scoutreach program always seemed to "win"

 

Adult volunteers fighting with adult volunteers and that when this happens its the kids who lose out

 

Concerns voiced that the Camps needed substantial Capital improvements

 

The Scouting Professionals seemed to only focus on numbers of youth and units and not program quality

 

There may have been a few more comments, but as I sat there, I got an immense feeling of Deja Vu, so tell me, was anyone here there last night? it seems most of were, one way or another

[Trevorum 24]

"The Scouting Professionals seemed to only focus on numbers of youth and units and not program quality."

 

That is what I really disliked about participating on the district commitee. At the level of paid employees (ie. "professionals"), Scouting becomes a business with the inevitable emphasis on finances and the bottom line. Scouts are viewed as corporate resources.

[scoutldr 732]

So, were there any "actionable outcomes" or was it just a gripe session of the obvious.

[dan 10]

Cost of Uniforms- Our SE says the shirt could be sold for $15 if the BSA bought them overseas

 

What the heck kind of shirt would that be?

 

I am assuming from this post that the SE believes a scout shirt is a uniform. Did I assume correctly

[blade1158 11]

"Scouting becomes a business with the inevitable emphasis on finances and the bottom line."

 

I'm not here to defend all professionals because I, too, have known my share of truly wretched professional scouters, but I have also been associated with my share of truly fine, dedicated professionals who do care about the boys and adults in the program.

 

I currently have the pleasure of knowing and working closely with two of the finest professional scouters I've ever known, one our DE and the other our council program director and camp director. Both were scouts as boys, one an Eagle, one has a son currently in scouting, he also works as a volunteer with that troop, and though both do have a bottom line to meet, I have never seen it become the main focus of what they do. And, though I don't know him well, our current scout executive certainly seems to be very good at what he does as well.

 

I hope every volunteer will have the experience of working with such top notch professionals.

[Eamonn 61]

These Chats are a good idea.

Of course they do run the chance of being nothing more than a time for the wheels that squeak the loudest to squeak again.

We do have these chats in our Council. Our Council Commissioner and Council President are two of the nicest guys on the planet.However soon after becoming President,the company where our guy works had a lot of changes which meant that he really didn't have time to do much more than chair the board meetings.

The Council Commissioner, is the one guy in all the Council that I have yet to hear anyone say a bad word about. He has donated vast amounts of money to the Council. I really enjoyed being part of the Commissioner cabinet when I was District Commissioner.Still looking back at the meetings it seems the only thing we ever talked about was getting charters in on time.

These meetings do offer the Council Key 3 to get a feel about what is going on in the Council. Which might be more of a necessity in a large Council. Being that our Council is not that large, I think that they do have a feel for what is going on all the time.

I can't help feeling that in many ways these meetings are little more than window dressing.

What would really be a good idea would be for them to share the Council long term strategic plan with the volunteers and show what progress is being made. I really do think if the guys and girls in the units had more of an idea what was happening and what the goals were they would be more lightly to buy into them.

Trevorum,

I think that I feel your pain. However the District Committee is very much about numbers. A District that isn't growing is in fact dying. We need to grow, we need to do everything that we can to retain the members that we have. This is where the Program Chair and his merry band help ensure that we are supporting the unit leaders. Recruiting works best when it is done One on One, to this end our Scouts are the best resources.

Financial support is another area that the District Committee has to cover. Our Council relies heavily on Popcorn Sales and the FOS Family campaign again we turn to our Scouts and their families.

I really do enjoy working with our youth members and doing Scout type stuff,far more than attending endless meetings, eating chicken, sweet talking schools and other charter organizations or could-be chartered organizations. But for the last eight years I have served Scouting, the Council and the District by doing this boring stuff. I do it because it has to be done.

Sure I moan, groan, complain and at times maybe go too far. I do however know that it has to be done. I do ask to be treated with openness and honesty and I do hope that we all remember that this is the Boy Scouts, every-time we mess up we hurt everyone. Be it that we don't follow the G2SS or YP, or we allow the pack treasurer to mismanage pack funds or we allow some twit to doctor the membership. Bad news big and small hurts us all.

Eamonn.

 

(This message has been edited by Eamonn)(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

[Trevorum 24]

Blade and Eamonn, please don't get me wrong. Our local professionals are fine folks and I know they have the boys best interests at heart. It's just that I didn't particularly enjoy the accounting aspect of Scouting at the district level. I'm happy to be back working with the Scouts.

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Dan, how did you make that assumption ?

[dan 10]

I am good at assumptions.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

The Scout Executive was making the point that uniform parts could be redused in price if we bought non-USA. I dont beleive he was trying to make a case that a shirt was the "uniform". In all the discussions we have over uniforms and pants and the like, what would be the thoughts if the uniform was from Bangaladesh and cheaper, how much less would it have to cost before it would be ok ?