Leader Employment Contracts

[ozemu]

I have been designing a contract between the parent body and the individual leader. It contains some promises such as:

 

to run a certain minimum number of camps etc

 

to be replaced by another adult by a set date

 

to be reimbursed for various expenses including a token allowance for updating camping or uniform gear annually

 

to achieve fully trained standard by half way through the term of ''''employment'''' (looks to be 2-3 years)

 

and other stuff

 

My aim is that both parents and leaders will know what they are getting involved with. Too many of us here are employed until death or burn out with little to no help. And there have been stories from my peers about difficulties in getting rid of people who were never or have become the wrong people for the job.

 

We don''''t have chartered organisations here. No such thing. Managing adult leaders is a purely a parent body issue.

 

Has anyone got experience with such an agreement and any suggestions for me pls?

[Beavah]

Yah, dat''s interestin'' oz! A Scouter contract. I''ve seen CO Codes of Conduct for volunteers, but I''ve never seen somethin'' like what you''re suggesting.

 

Could be a nice idea. I''m interested to hear what others think or have done.

 

Beavah

 

[Stosh]

I''d never sign it.

 

First of all, some of the requirements of the leader are not in his/her arena to accomplish. If the boys don''t want a minimum number of campouts and it''s a boy-led program, the leader is not going to make his quota.

 

Then there''s the fact that if the boys really like a leader and they have to leave after so many years, that could be a problem.

 

Once you lock the process into a contract, it opens up a really big can of worms.

 

Stosh

[ozemu]

mmm fair enough

 

Those concerns will not be the case though. If someone wants to sign up for consectutive terms that is ideal. The point is the parents promise to find a replacement for when the leader wants to retire - that way a leader can pass the baton rather than feel guilty or hang around until they are exhausted and fed up.

 

As long as the leader makes the program available to a minimum standard it doesn''t matter if the Scouts do not / can not attend.

 

The contract is an agreement. The one being reviewed here currently was written as a template, read and ammendments requested by the leader and approved by the committee. He is reading it again now. It a consultative process whereby both parties know the deal. This particular leader expects that he will progress from the Pack to the Troop at the end of his contract. Here that is the same parent comittee.

 

The contract helps the parents budget and plan for a sustainable leader team. My peers tell me that the hardest thing to do is to remove a leader who is under performing. So the contract should show that clearly when it is reviewed. Probably the review will happen when something falls short.

 

If you were offered the chance to have the parents promise to give you specific support what would you like to see in there?

[scoutldr]

I think maybe the off-putting thing for me is that when I hear "contract", I think of a legally binding document, which holds the signatories accountable for performing a "statement of work", in exchange for some "consideration" (usually money). THis also implies that, if one of the parties falls short, there is some kind of penalty. While the concept is good, I would prefer something softer, such as "Memorandum of Agreement", where the leader "promises to do their best", recognizing that "stuff happens" sometimes. The basis for the agreement should always be the Scout Law.

[John-in-KC]

If you want a contract, then I want serious money.

 

I'm in Scouting to serve the youth, but if it becomes a complete pain in the place where the sun does not shine, then I'm going to find another youth serving activity for my child.

 

With your contract, you've taken something FUN and made it NOT FUN.

 

I can go to the office to have that experience. So... if you want a contract, I want SERIOUS MONEY.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[ozemu]

seems I have touched a nerve. I suppose the fuller story might be needed therefor this is a long post.

 

Semantics are easy to change in word and happy to do so - thanks for the title change suggestions. I''m sure others may feel the same which I have overlooked.

 

Serious money is there to be honest. And that is part of the reason for the document. The major part is to ensure a leader is supported. At present my SM is doing the job as an interim because she has a fulltime job, two of three kids with ADHD, a dairy farm to manage, serious committments to her church and Scouts. She gets the following support from parents......

 

In fact my secretary just interupted this post to say that not one of the parents (other than leaders and comittee), would help at the one and only fundraising sausage sizzle on Sun 7th.

 

So the document that we are using promises:

 

a parent roster for every meeting, activity and camp

 

a newsletter monthly - mailed out (probably emailed also)

 

$650 in training with another $75 per year for adventurous activity training

 

$100 for initial uniform outfitting and $50 per year after that

 

reimbursement of stationary type expenses up to $75 per year

 

reimbursement of fuel to training courses

 

two (fully trained) assistants for the SM and CM

 

someone to continue their good work when they choose to retire

 

and they don''t realise that we have also put in the minutes that they will recieve a gift on completing their term. Yes - we put a budget to that too.

 

Now my parents have some goals and they understand the cost of Scouting and the investment we make in good leaders.

 

Certainly it is not a legal document. Never thought of that actually. Litigation is not generally an automatic thought here I''m glad to say. But there is a clear understanding of what is going on and a set of targets for the parents to achieve.

 

Now we have all done the job paying for all of those things and without any help. But I for one only lasted 6 1/2 years and then had to give in to be replaced by the current SM. And I don''t feel real good about that - she is a nervous breakdown waiting to happen. But I asked 18 months before to be replaced and watched my wife slide into full blown depression without the parents doing a thing. I couldn''t last any longer and even considered leaving Scouting in disgust. Now that is not fair on a person - even on me.

 

So what do you reckon John? Could you have fun with that list or does my particular case sound like fun? I understand your attitude. I didn''t put too much in the initial post hoping for suggestions rather than giving a solution so you didn''t have much to go on. If this placates you and given the more complete story what would you like to add to the agreement?

 

PS I have had a pretty rotten week here and I apologise if any of this causes distress - not meant to. Just looking for help in a difficult situation.

 

[John-in-KC]

OK. Now it sounds like you are using a modification of Scoutreach, which is our way to provide volunteers to urban-core and other non-traditional units (juvenile hall Troops).

 

Frankly, I see a carrot and stick approach to parents. The carrot is volunteering = lower cost of Scouting (the kind of money you propose is serious and has to come from somewhere). The stick is: If we go to paying leaders, the cost per boy per year increases from X to Y-square.