Who assigns District/Council Positions

[SWScouter 34]

In another thread about LDS scouts and accidents, it was mentioned how LDS scouters are called to service by their bishop. I mentioned how that really would only apply to LDS unit scouters. It was mentioned that maybe, an LDS scouter might be called to a district position at a stake level. How could this be since, I imagine, whoever is in charge of the LDS stake, probably doesn't have any responsibility for district or council positions.

 

So, for scouter positions in a unit, the COR has control over who will be that CO's scouters and what positions they will hold. It's easy to see how an LDS bishop can assign LDS adults to positions in the ward's units.

 

Who is responsible for assigning scouters to district or council positions? Who has control over who will or won't be a scouter at that level, is it the DE? Besides being a WL, I am on the Cub Roundtable Staff. I just filled out a registration form and gave it to the DE. There really wasn't any recruitment involved, I basically just said I would like to do it and someone said great.

 

SWScouter

 

 

[Bob White 20]

Charter organization Representative would be a District and council committee member and would be chosen from the church. But that would be the only position that I know of That would be a Distict/Council position not chosen by a nominating committee, the dist. chair, dist/council. Commissioner. or voted in by the dist. committee.

[FScouter 24]

Expaning a bit on what Bob related.

Chartered organization reps are automatically members of the district committee. All other members are members at large and are elected annually at the district annual meeting.

 

A nominating committee is selected by district chairman, and approved by council president. They meet with the DE as adviser to form slate of nominees for district chairman, vice district chairmen (if any), and members at large. They also select a nominee for district commissioner. (The district commissioner nominee is approved by the council executive board, not elected.)

 

After the election, the incoming district chairman appoints the chairmen of the operating committees (membership, finance, program). Those chairmen appoint chairmen of various functions (FOS, Camp Promotion, Activities & Civic Service, Training, and Advancement & Recognition, etc.) All of these appointees come from the pool of members at large that were elected.

 

If these chairmen dont understand their responsibilities or fail to act, the DE may have to step in and make the appointments.

 

The LDS bishop may "call" someone to be a nominee for member at large, with the understanding that he will fill a specific position.

 

In our district, the election is a formality. All the members and committee chairman have informally been determined in advance and the incoming district chairman simply waves his hand and says youre all duly elected and appointed. If we have no district chairman that year, the DE waves his hand.

 

I dont like this approach because it starts to look like the DE is king of the district and no one get on the committee without being appointed by him.

 

The power is with the CORs and volunteers, but if they dont exercise it, the DE will.

 

Refer to The District #33070C and District Nominating Committee Worksheet #33157D available at the Scout Shop or through the catalog.

 

[jkhny 10]

IN THEORY, most District and Council positions are supposed to be chosen by volunteers - if only through "nominating committees." "Elections" occur only in the sense that you'd see in a pseudo-"democracy" - with the WHOLE slate approved or voted down.

 

The catch is that too often the paid staff - SE and DE control who's on the "nominating" committee. Stack the Committee and you get who you want. Even where reps vote whole slates down - detailed in a post under Dictatorship or Democracy - you can have the volunteers will blocked.

 

Most COR's do not participate and vote so this can happen. On the other hand given that the LDS DOES actively use their COR status and represents a large number - if not majority of units - in some locales, I would bet that they have a large voice in who fills District and Council spots.

 

In a "good" Council with good paid staff who listen to their volunteers with a high level of participation and involvement you will get good people chosen for positions that they are appropriate for - in skills and temperment. There's no real problem with "the system" in that case. It's something of a "benevolent" all-encompassing autocracy with the involved that actually do the work having roles in filling positions.

 

However if you get stuck with autocratic leadership, you're stuck with whoever Council leadership chooses. In our Council's case that means too many positions are filled with novice short timers (who don'e have a clue what's going on) who were chosen only for their willingness to do as our SE wants - leaving real work undone. Too many positions are filled in name only with people not seen in decades or complete unknowns. Our "new" Assistant District Commissioner is a guy who now lives 6 states away for most of the year - otherwise inactive in Scouting for the last decade. In the last 2 years, of the 30 "District Representatives" - only a half dozen are real Scouters and they were left in place only because a complete broom sweep was impossible. But any vocal critics were ousted and most of those named haven't been seen anywhere doing anything.

 

"Democracy" at its finest.....

 

If it's not your council, be glad and make sure things don't end up that way.

 

 

[FScouter 24]

"Most COR's do not participate and vote so this can happen."

 

The ultimate power lies with the chartered org reps. The nominating committee develops the slate. If they abdicate that responsibility to the DE or SE, then your district chairman has appointed the wrong people to the nominating committee. If your district/council elected the wrong district chairman, that is solely the fault of the voting membership.

 

If things are truly as bad as you say they are, the chartered organizations will direct their COR's to vote out the district chairman and any members at large that are not doing their jobs. If they're content to let things go as they are, that calls into question your dire descriptions of the situation.

[fgoodwin 23]

My experience (two Councils, three different districts) has been that most districts are way understaffed and would welcome almost anyone who volunteers for a position, "nominating committees" not withstanding.

 

I think the district chairperson is appointed by the DE after being nominated, perhaps same for the Dist. Commissioner. But basically, all other positions are open to whoever wants to volunteer for them.

 

If there is a district position you want to fill, I suggest you let your wishes be known -- odds are, the person doing it may be wanting to get out anyway. District committees are always looking for more volunteers -- same for commissioner corps.

[Bob White 20]

Sorry FGoodwin but your information on district/council committee selection is incorrect.

 

The DE and the sitting District Chairman select the nominating committee. The Nominating commitee offers a slate consistiting of a recommended District Chair and District Members at Large who are elected and approved by the voting members of the District or council committee (the current members at large and Charter Organization Representatives).

 

The District Chairman then selects his own cabinet of committee chairs. They are non-voting members of the District. Each committee chair is free to select his or her own committee members (also non-voting).

 

The Selection committee also gives a recommendation for District Commissioner to the Council Commissioner for approval. The Disrtict Commissioner selects and approves all commissioner positions in the District.

 

The District professional, District Chairman, and Distrcit Commissioner form the "Key 3", the executive board of the District.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[fgoodwin 23]

Thanx Bob -- I was mistaken regarding the Key Three.

 

You said the District Chairman fills the committee positions -- I agree with that. I was pointing out that many slots go unfilled and that willing volunteers are in short supply.(This message has been edited by fgoodwin)

[acco40 95]

Do the volunteer positions of the "Key 3" (District Commissioner, District Chair) exist on a one year basis, at the will of the SE, or what?

 

In our district, there seems to be an unwritten three year tenure rule.

[Bob White 20]

While a three year committment is often sought, ALL BSA memberships are on an annual basis. Most Councils have as a condition of their corporation bylaws the requirement for annual election of officers as described previously.

 

So even though it may appear as a three year term it is in actuallity 3 consecutive 1-year terms, which can be interrupted if the vote of the committee does not support the continuation of that person in office.

 

 

 

 

[Eamonn 61]

As a District Chairman, who is on the way out! My third year ends this year.

We have had Nominating Committee Meetings going on for a little over a month.

Our new District Chairman has been serving as the District Finance Chair. For a little over a year. In in his real job he is the president of a local small town community bank.

Sad to say the new District Commissioner, that came on board in January resigned and we are still looking to fill that position. We also need to find a new finance chair.

I felt very strongly that we shouldn't ask a unit leader to serve on the District Committee. My feeling was that the District Committee is there to serve and support the units and if the committee was made up of unit leaders we were not supporting them, in fact we were hurting them.

The Chairman elect, has never been a Scout or a Scouter and I am almost sure that he isn't going to go out and buy a uniform or attend Roundtable meetings.

He will chair the committee meetings and hopefully work closely with the DE and the new District Commissioner.

We have a very strong Activities committee. The Advancement Committee does a good job. Training could be better. Finance does great. Membership needs help.The camping committee does OK. Overall the District is in good shape.

We could do with a few more people to get involved with Training and definitely need a New Unit Organizer.

We have a rookie DE along with a rookie Field Director. So far other than the DE attending the Nominating Committee meetings, no one from the council has said a word.

The District Commissioner when we select one will be approved by the Council Commissioner (Who has been invited to sit on the nominating committee) and will be approved by the Executive Board.

As for me? I have spent almost nine years as a member of the key 3 (District Commissioner and as Chair.) It is time for me to step down.

The Council nominating committee may or may not ask me to remain on the Board. That is up to them. I will remain a member of the District at large and will help if I'm asked.

I serve on the NE-region Area 4 Committee.

Maybe for a while that will be enough? But maybe I'll get back into doing something at the unit level.

Eamonn.

[SWScouter 34]

Thanks for the responses, I found them helpful and interesting.