Troop Flags

[emb021 16]

"This unit needs a visit from its UC in a most serious fashion forgive me but what is UC. My guess Unit committee / Unit Commissioner "

 

UC is Unit Commissioner. One seldom speaks of a 'unit committee'. Usually we speak of a Pack Committee, Troop Committee, Crew Committee, etc.

 

In Scouting, the Commissioner Service is the 'third leg' of the scouting support structure (along with the volunteer scouters that make up the various district/council committees and the professional scouters). Commissioner Service is all about service to the unit and ensuring 'quality control'. It's the Unit Commissioner who comes by the units and sees how things are doing, helps the unit leaders 'deliver the promise' and works to fix problems. Whether that's making sure the unit leader(s) get needed training or making sure they are doing things the right way.

 

The advise is that since things aren't being done right, your UC needs to help get them on the right track.

 

"Next week, I also need to ask the CC/Treasurer, what the patch on her shoulder mean District Committee guessing that may be another position that she holds? "

 

If your Troop Committee Chair/Treasurer is ALSO a District Committee member (either of the District Committee itself or of a committee within the District), I would hope this was also clear by the fact they wear silver loops and no unit number with their District Committee patch. Sounds like not only is this person filling 2 positions in your troop, but is holding another 'hat' in the District. If the person has the time to do so, that's fine. But I always try to wear the uniform that's appropriate for the duty I am fulfilling. If I am a unit scouter, and doing my job as a unit scouter, I wear my uniform to show this. If I ALSO am a scouter at other levels, I would only wear my uniform that shows this when I am doing those jobs.

 

In short, your CC/Treasurer when they show up at your meetings, they should be doing their role of CC/Treasurer, and wear a uniform that shows that (red loops, unit number, Troop Committee Chair patch on, etc)

 

 

[ScoutNut 147]

"Next week, I also need to ask the CC/Treasurer, what the patch on her shoulder mean District Committee guessing that may be another position that she holds?"

 

Yes, that is a position she would either be currently holding or has recently held and just has not had the time to take the patch off her shirt.

 

My question to you is - why? Why would you want to ask her about it? Is it to simply push her buttons? To needle her about all of the "hats" she wears? My suggestion is to just leave it alone. From your posts it sounds like you have made your position clear to your CC/Treas already.

 

If you want to do something constructive for this Troop before you move on to a new Troop in the Fall, needling the CC/Treas is not it. Contact your Unit Commissioner (or the District Commissioner) & let him/her know that the Troop could benefit from some visits & some help.

[result1 10]

Why would you want to ask her about it? Is it to simply push her buttons?

I dont push buttons, I would ask her questions just like I would post question here.

If I dont know I ask (I may or may not agree with the answer, regardless of the answer I get) I try to understand it.

 

My thoughts of a situation maybe wrong. But I try to understand different point of view.

They all know if there is something I can do to help I will do what I can. And know that in no way that I want to take over and be in charge. I am not qualified.

 

They already had that problem before with ASM wanting to be SM

 

I dont have any personal problems with any one there, they are all nice and I admire what they do for the boys. Just disagree with some of the things that have been happening.

Just because I disagree dont mean that they are wrong I may be wrong.

 

But if I dont ask questions I will never know and never be able to understand anything.

If my posting of questions here bothering anyone then Im sorry.

 

Yes, Im in the process of trying to find out who the Unit Commissioner is, and I dont see no need to go down a list of what I think is wrong with them. As I said. I am not qualified to say what is or is not right. Point being they just need to come and visit, and make what ever adjustments they see fit.

 

If it was not for the postings here, I would have never known anything about Unit Commissioner (or the District Commissioner).

 

As far as finding a different troop Wish we did not have too and whos to say the next troop wont have the same or more problems. And whos to say they are problems.

 

I could be like many other parents just drop my son off as if Im dropping him off at a baby sitter.

Dont ask questions, and just hope he is having fun and learning something.

 

Thats just not my way.

 

I made the troop a web site so they all can print out the photos that I take or have been given to post. They all can have access to them. I will help with transportation and help with activates and even dressed up to be Frosty the snow man did the papers work to be merit badge counselor.

 

I try to be involved in a low key way. Been with this troop a year now, and boy scouts is new to my son as well as it is to me. Just like my son should be learning I should be learning also.

 

Sorry if my posting have bother anyone. That was not my intent.

 

BTW - They did have the Flags last night

 

[ScoutNut 147]

I never said that asking questions here bothered me, or anyone else. Asking questions in your Troop is fine. Asking questions here is fine also.

 

However, you have made it plain that you feel CC is wearing to many hats. You have also made it plain that you feel that because of the CC doing to many things, & doing none of them well, that you are looking for another Troop to join.

 

"Next week, I also need to ask the CC/Treasurer, what the patch on her shoulder mean District Committee guessing that may be another position that she holds?"

 

Asking here what a District Committee member is (so you know the answer before you ask CC) & also asking the CC what she is doing on the Committee seems to me like needling the CC about doing to many jobs.

 

Now, I could very well be wrong about your intentions. If so I do apologize. It is hard to tell at times the tone/intention behind postings on a forum, & yours are a bit hard to follow.

 

I understand that you do not want to be involved with the running of the Troop, that you do not want to "take over" because you do not feel you are qualified. I understand that you just want information. Weather you ever get more involved in your son's Troop or not, the best place to get information is at training. You do not have to be a registered leader to take training. Most councils are running the Basic leader training now. Take the BSA online training at http://olc.scouting.org/ Then sign up for New Leaders Essentials & Committee Member Specific training. These will help you know what the BSA program should be and you will be able to ask your trainers all kinds of questions about how your council does things.

 

Keep asking questions & Good Luck with the Troop search.

 

BTW - while the Scout Zone Troop finder does not give you contact info for each Troop, it does tell you the names of most of the Charter Organizations by town. Pick some that are in your town & near to you & look up the Charter Organization in your local telephone book. Give them a call & talk to them about their BSA Troop. It is also a good way to see how involved the CO is with their Troop.

 

 

 

[result1 10]

Im sorry, but I felt that I had to explain my position and intention.

And as far as asking what is a District Committee member that is just what it was. Please let me try to explain.

 

To me, it would seem that this forum and people in the troop speak in some type of code.

Many of you have been doing this from a while, and know the structure of the cub scouts and boy scouts. What all the CC SM and others mean. From time to time this CC talks about runs.

I understand it mostly for the cub scouts. (I do not know much of any of it so its like a code that I do not understand.)

 

Now if we were talking electronics Slot Machines something on those lines, I would know what everyone is talking about.

 

As far as this troop there were small things that bothered me, which was nothing. The major one as I talked about on troop money was the fund raiser. Then the flag.

 

I dont know how the cub scouts are broken down (Packs)? I guessing as the boys age they go to different packs. But I do know our CC is involved in all of them.

 

Does she were many hats I would think so. Can she handle them all I dont know

Im not at all the different meetings. I dont have any kinds in cub scouts the small things that happened she had nothing or very little to do with. The major 2 things that got to me she played the major roll in.

 

The biggest problem is I dont know much about the scouts.

And what I read and what Im told about the boy run troop, etc. I just dont see it.

I have never seen this troop brake up into different groups its always all the boys together.

 

I will look in to the training as you suggested. Maybe all of my questions will be answered and every one will stop talking in code HA! HA!.

 

Thank you, and every one for the information.

 

[ScoutNut 147]

"Maybe all of my questions will be answered and every one will stop talking in code HA! HA!."

 

 

Perhaps this will help -

 

http://www.scouting.org/identity/los/index.html

 

From the BSA National Web site, the Language of Scouting covers Scouting related terms, abbreviations and acronyms.

 

Edited to add -

 

The Unit Position codes from the Adult Application should help also.

 

http://www.scouting.org/forms/28-501.pdf

 

(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[Lisabob 13]

Hi Results1,

 

I definitely understand about the "code" problem! I got involved as a leader when my son was in cub scouts (a pack is the whole group of boys in cub scouts. They are then broken down into "dens." Dens usually consist of 6-10 boys who are in the same grade. Generally speaking, boys in 1st-5th grade can be cub scouts. In most cases, sometime during 5th grade they will transition from cub scouts to boy scouts.). After a time I decided to do some boy scout leader training sessions so that I would have a better understanding of what the boys had to look forward to. All of a sudden I was up to my eyeballs in code!

 

It just takes a little while to learn is all. The online training that a few people have mentioned is very helpful in that regard. You probably want to begin with "Boy Scout Leader Fast Start Training," which gives you a good overview of a boy scout troop. "New Leader Essentials" is also online and that helps you understand how the various pieces of the BSA (cubs, boy scouts, crews, etc.) fit together to form a coherent youth program, and also how packs/troops/crews, district, and council folks are supposed to relate to one another.

 

Once you know how things are supposed to work, you'll also be in a better position to determine how well the troops in your area actually follow the BSA program.

 

Best of luck to you and your son (make sure to involve him in your search for a different troop!).

 

[ScoutNut 147]

Lisa - While BSA's Online Learning Center has lots of good traning courses, "New Leader Essentials" is not one of them.

 

They have however, recently added "Troop Committee Challenge", which while not as good as the in-person training, is still a pretty good overview of what the comittee does.

 

 

[Lisabob 13]

Whoops, you are correct ScoutNut. Don't know what I was thinking. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

[SSScout 1615]

On Line Training:::

Keep looking. Our Council has both "Quick Start" and "New Leader Essentials" on the Council site.

Which leads to anew thread.....

[FScouter 24]

There may be something on a web site called that goes by that name. Maybe it lists some of the resources one learns about in the real training. But BSA "New Leader Essentials" training is a 90 minute live presentation in a classroom setting. It is not available on the web.