"No email" policy?

[fgoodwin 23]

Our troop recently implemented an unwritten and unannounced policy that "all troop" email must go through the SM. Email from any individual in the troop (other than the SM), to the entire troop, is not allowed. Allegedly, this is to prevent email abuse, spam, etc.

 

Its not clear that email from an individual to another individual (or group of individuals) is allowed, and if so, how large a group is considered OK; for example, is email from an individual to a group of (one less than the entire troop) allowed? I don't know, but probably not.

 

Is email from one person to another (or two or three) allowed? Again, I don't know for sure, but probably is.

 

I have no idea where the line is drawn between "all or none". You might ask how I found out about this policy if its both unwritten and unannounced -- of course, because I didn't know of the policy, I ran afoul of it when I sent a group message to all.

 

Do your troops have a policy (written or otherwise) on troop email?

[scoutingagain 20]

Hmmm...these must be new authorities granted to scoutmasters under the Patriot Act. I didn't know SMs had the authority to direct who can send e-mail to each other.

 

While I can understand the desire to have a consistent message given to a group, the creation of unwritten unannounced rules usually doesn't work very well.

 

Out of curiosity how does the SM enforce this new policy? Does the Black Helicopter unit of the BSA come in and confiscate your computer? If so, I'd like to find out how an individual SM can get in touch with this branch of national. I may have some assignments for them myself.

 

About the only e-mail "rule" we have encouraged, is that when any adult leader e-mails a youth member, i.e. SM or CC to SPL, or ASM to PL or any other electronic communication between adults in the troop with youth members, that they copy another adult leader on the communication. We don't want any misconceptions with respect to adults communicating with youth. Frankly, this is mostly for protection of the adults involved with the unit.

 

 

SA

[Lisabob 13]

Gimme a break. This SM is doing the electronic equivalent of sending out the thought police. Not only is this not likely to work out the way he hopes, it is likely to cause big problems. Someone needs to tell him - gently or otherwise - about the first amendment to the Constitution. If it were me, I'm not sure I could do it with a straight face though!

[SR540Beaver 116]

fgoodwin,

 

It sounds like you might be using a list server for your troop e-mail. Our troop does this. Instead of having to maintain a personal list in our own personal e-mail software, we use a list server where our webmaster maintains a variety or e-mail lists for us and keeps them current. If you want to e-mail the Goober Patrol, you would type in the e-mail address of gooberpatrol@troopxxx.net in your e-mail. We have lists for the patrols, the whole troop, the adult leaders, senior leadership, etc. I do know we have had a problem with the list server having limits to how much mail it can or will send out in a given time period. It was discussed at a committee meeting to limit our use to necessary e-mail for troop communications. We didn't want to be in a position where there was something urgent to send out and we couldn't because someone used it multiple times to send out puppy pictures, jokes and cartoons.

 

My disclaimer is that I could be all wet on this and AntelopeDud could tell you much better than I could since he is our CC. It could be that your SM is the keeper of e-mail lists and such in your troop and that is why he wants things to funnel thru him first so he can police it.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

"implemented an unwritten and unannounced policy"

 

Why am I reminded of Dean Vernon Wormer of Faber College putting Delta House on Double Secret Probation?

 

If the key to running a successful organization is good communication, and good communication is defined as the accessibility of information, why would any one want to hinder that process?

[fgoodwin 23]

Thanx for the support -- of course, you're only hearing my side, and if my SM were here, he'd almost certainly see things differently.

 

In any event, my fear is that enforcement for the next violation may come in the form of my removal as ASM (after all, I serve at the pleasure of the SM), or complete dismissal from the Troop.

 

In itself, that wouldn't bother me (much), as long as they don't also boot my son out (a Star Scout, close to Life) because he really enjoys the troop.

[orennoah 11]

When I set up our troop's website, I included a number email list serves, for everyone, for each patrol, for the adults, for the PLC. In each one, I (as SM) am subscribed.

 

Hence, I know what is being sent through the listserves.

 

I encourage their proper use, as they're a great way to communicate. In addition to the phone tree (which never works as designed), a Patrol Leader can send out a single email to his patrol.

 

IF there were abuse, I would deal with it. So far, there has been no abuse, so no need for any heavyhanded bans or ill will.

 

 

[Aquila calva 10]

Skills in good communication are taught and learned over time.

 

Email etiquette can vary greatly among groups.

 

A few years ago our troop had the situation where the former Scoutmaster (registered then as an ASM) started sending scolding emails to the whole troop email list (including some youth) telling the new group of leaders how they (we) were not doing things the right way. It got really annoying, and the messages got increasing heated and even insulting, to the point that I (as the new CC) had to basically tell the guy to get lost. He did and we have been doing just fine, thank you.

 

Email can be great, and it can be a real problem, too. We keep working at improving it.

 

Telephones are still a good way to communicate, too.

 

Probably best to have an open discussion in your adult groups, program leadership and troop committee, to see how your group wants to implement "good communication."

 

[Eamonn 61]

Not sure how or if this fits in?

The Ship has a Yahoo Group page.

When we first started it our Boatswain took care of it. He had the last word about who was allowed to join and all posts went through him.

Worked great until he got really busy and went AWOL and then quit. Of course I didn't have the passwords needed.

So we started a new group.

All postings and any new members do have to be OKed by the Boatswain or myself.

We used to allow all members to post, but there were times when they used the page to pick on each other.

Every now and then I hear about someone giving someone else a hard time in My space.com. I look at this the same as two kids giving each other a hard time in the school yard. It's not nice, they shouldn't be doing it, but there is not very much I can do about it. If it gets to bad the person on the receiving end can block the other.

I do have to wonder why the SM would want to do this.

Maybe he is feeling unloved?

Ea.

[DugNevius 10]

so an ASM cant email a parent, the SPL cant EMail a patrol leader and the CC cant email the lot?

 

Seems strange to me.

 

Our troop uses email a lot its a great way to remind people of upcomming events, changes or even just for the adults to discuss issues.

[SueM 10]

Geez..what the heck is he afraid of?? It sounds like he has some paranoid fear that something might be going on behind his back and that he is afraid he is losing total control over the troop operation. I don't know how he could possibly enforce it!

 

I'd DIE without being able to email my other leaders..I hate talking on the phone and I am much more a writer than I am a speaker so I often hold email discussions of troop issues with my ASM's! I can express my ideas much more clearly when I can sit and look at them and read them back to myself to see if I'm saying what I am trying to. It gives me time to think through things more thoroughly too..

[oldsm 10]

We don't go for the listservs. Instead, I maintain everyone's email addresses in my own client, grouped appropriately by patrol, parents, TC, adult leaders, etc. I often send emails to the troop advising them of events, due dates for permission slips, and a host of other things that get overlooked - especially when boys miss meetings.

 

I always cc the parents in the emails, partly for my own protection, and partly so that the parents know what's happening in the troop -- maybe, just maybe, they'll throw some encouragement behind their scouts!

 

My problem: getting people to READ and/or RESPOND. Some people only check their email once a week! One scout "swore off media for Lent". (My SPL, of all people...) I use the phone. All of our scouts/parents have access to everyone's phone number and email: we publish them for our families in our troop roster. Once in a blue moon I'll get a response from a parents. Sigh...

 

For at least the last year I have encouraged the PLC to use email to communicate with their patrols and each other. It almost never happens. They're so stuck in the "scouts is Tuesday night for an hour and a half" mentality.

 

I guess my problem is the opposite of fgoodwin's. I wish people would communicate to the whole unit.

[BrentAllen 10]

If the troop has set up a group email system, then they have the authority to control it. I would think this would be controlled more by the CC than the SM, but I guess it could be handled by either.

 

If you send an email out to addresses contained in your email address book, I don't see how they could say anything about that. That would be personal email.

 

Our district uses a Yahoo group, and it is controlled by the District Commissioner. We have certain individuals who have wanted him to send out political, non-scouting information to the group, and he has (correctly) refused.

 

fgoodwin - has your troop had problems with non-scouting emails being sent out over the group?(This message has been edited by BrentAllen)

[fgoodwin 23]

Brent: I'm not aware of any recent email abuses using troop (adult) email addresses. But I'm told such abuses occured in the past.

 

I don't think I said this, but my troop broadcast went only to adults, not the youth. So the YP angle isn't really an issue here.

[evmori 11]

I know this is scary, OGE, but that's the exactly same thing that came into my mind!

 

Why would all the e-mail need to go through the SM if a list-server is being used? Sounds a little Fahrenheit 451 to me!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10