Finding a new CO?

[CNYScouter]

A Crew Advisor friend is stepping in as the CM for a Pack as the current CM was deployed overseas and was telling me he ended up in the middle of a mess.

 

The units in our District recharter in March and at the last minute the church that is the Packs CO (and a sister Troop) refused to sign the charter as they decided they no longer want to sponsor Scout units.

 

The church was convinced to sign the charter for this year and the 2 units would look for a new CO and move ASAP.

 

I am not involved with these units but this made me curious.

In this case who should be finding the new CO?

 

The Pack leaders have found a couple of possibilities and gave the contact info to our DE.

The DE told them to set up a meeting with these COs and he would try to show up.

 

The Pack Leadership thinks that our DE should be the person finding the new CO and the person who would make the initial contact with the CO and meet with them about chartering a unit.

 

In this situation how should this really work?

 

[bbender]

I suspect it "should" require effort on the part of both parties noted:

-- The DE "should" be working contacts at possible chartering organizations anyway at all times to determine who might be willing to sponsor units, and should also have a very strong interest in retaining these units.

-- But the units have the most interest in this, since they will have the day to day working relationship (including use of space, etc.), and so their agreement to a "match" is paramount.

 

Now, if the Unit is more active than the DE (which I infer from the "he would try to show up" comment . . . ), then -- if I were the Unit -- I wouldn't wait on the DE to make a match for us, but instead roll on and get 'er done (for the Scouts in the unit), and then push the new CO on the DE.

[jhankins]

Any DE worth his salt will have COs lined up. Most COs want to sponsor scout units, but don't have direct access to kids, so that becomes a problem.

 

Whatever gets worked out in the end, it's important that your CO is willing to work with the unit, get training for the COR, and fulfill their end of the deal.

 

American Legion, Moose Lodges, Optimist Clubs, Rotary Clubs, and churches are the most popular COs in my district.

 

 

[Eagle92]

This happend to me as a DE, and is how my pack and troop were created.

 

Most DEs and district membership chairs will have a list of potential COs. The hardest part for a CO that wants a unit is getting the leadership. In the cases I've been involved in as a youth, and Scouter, the potential COs JUMPED ( caps for emphasis) at the opportunity to get a unit with leadership, and traditions already in place.

 

[Oak Tree]

If this ever happened to our unit, I guess I would expect that the unit would do all the work. We're the ones who have all the vested interest in making sure there is a good match, insofar as we have to live with the day-to-day consequences of picking our CO. I would normally start by looking at all of our members and seeing if any of them belonged to a church that was a possible CO.

[Eagledad]

Our Council assumes responsibility for finding COs. That being said, units found all the COs that I can remember. Our Troop even found one before our present CO had a change of heart toward our troop.

 

Barry

[David CO]

I respectfully disagree with this idea of shopping for a CO. The CO owns the unit. It's their unit. If the CO chooses to close the unit, then the unit should close.

 

Shopping for a new CO devalues the role of the CO, and that of any remaining CO of the council, to that of a mere sponsor.

 

 

[NJCubScouter]

David, I don't see how that helps the boys, who are the reason for the program. And I don't see how switching CO's "devalues" other CO's. Hopefully the new CO will actually want to have these Scouting units, which is to the boys' benefit.

[jhankins]

Even if a unit chooses to find a new CO, the old has to sign off on the transfer. They can choose to keep the unit number (and the unit will be assigned a new one), and they can choose to let the assets leave or stay.

 

But I do wonder if in this case the church knows they actually own the unit and its assets.

[Eagle92]

David,

 

The original CO no longer wanted to be the CO. The boys needed to find another unit to join. Just so happens that another CO was found.

 

I don't know how often this happens,, but it does. My troop prior to me leaving went through 3 COs inthe 12 years I was there as a youth and adult.

 

First CO's demographics changed and the IH didn't see Scouting as useful to his parish. While we had great relationships in the past with previous IHs and CORs (one IH/COR actually went camping with the troop on occasion) , the new IH didn't see us as an asset and it was a mutual agreement to leave for another CO that wanted a unit badly.

 

Second CO had a IH change, and the new IH was vehemently against scouts. Don't know the history behind that, but even the COR was taken aback by the new IH's attitude, and again the move was mutual.

 

Third CO had a pack and wanted a troop. My troop had a 24 year history, established reputation as a outdoor troop, active youth leaders, and tradition. In fact when they tried to start their own troop, the leadership came to our troop for guidance and help. We made their troop their own patrol and took them in with the intention of them leaving and moving. Just so happened that after this agreement, the new IH at the 2nd CO wanted us gone, so the 3rd Co's IH welcomed us with open arms.

[David CO]

Having a CO that elects a new IH every year can pose some real challenges. No doubt about it. But take my word for it. It's no picnic for the IH, either.

 

CO shopping isn't the answer.

[ScoutNut]

And the answer is to simply let the unit fold, and the boys either quit Scouts or look for some other unit to join?

 

I do not think so.

 

I see no problem with a unit looking for a new CO if their old one decides it does not want to be a charter partner anymore.

 

We had a local church close, that was a BSA CO for over 50 years. Instead of simply letting all of their boys quit, the Troop's leadership, with help from the DE, went looking for a new CO to move to. They found a church that was only 1 block away from their old one that was delighted to have them.

 

A church got a Scout unit, and a Troop got to stay together.

 

Sounds like a win-win to me!

 

 

 

[mds3d]

David: One question, What is the answer?

 

They cannot stay at that CO, and you say that they cannot find a new CO? So what other alternatives are there that are actually good for the scouts?

[moosetracker]

I have been in 4 scouting units since being in scouts. I have learned to believe strongly in the CO's importance.

The first CO had a quiet but supportive role.. If the troop needed aid in camperships or some help they were there, the rep had a son in the pack. (We had a good Pack)

 

The second CO sponsered themselves.. Yep, totally against the policy, but they made up a buisness as a front, just for the purpose of sponsering themselves. After we left the council made them find a true CO. (The Troop made up their own rules against BS policy, some very unfair to the boys)

 

The third CO just found someone, and they never communicated except to sign the charter each year. Up to this point I never knew what the purpose of the CO was for, and I was the Committee Chair. (Even as CC I nor our tiny committee, could get the SM to get training, do a BS program rather then a boys Club or follow BS rules.. He felt in charge while we were nags. Parent involvement was small)

 

The fourth is where I truely learned the CO responsibility. This sponser appointed a rep that was a spitefire, she attended the committee meetings and other events, took an intrest in us but made sure we followed the rules and protocol and were running the best units possible. She passed away a few years back and the the council and our units made sure her funneral was given so much honor it would rival a military or government funeral. With her absence the units have tumbled from strong parental involvement and being the leading unit in the district, to both the Pack & troop being close to folding, from large parental involvement to very little. Similar to my third example, the SM feels he's in charge, and does not have to listen to the committee.

 

All I can say is a strong CO is essential to the strength of the unit.. If the DE had suggestions it should be looked at as a possibility, but the units involvement is very important, and should not just leap at the first opportunity. They should make sure that the CO realize that their responsiblity is a strong relationship with the units and the units should make sure that is obvious by initially being involved in forming that relationship. Not take a backseat an let the DE hook them up with someone so they have a signature on a piece of paper.

[ghermanno]

WOW!!!

 

Does anyone know who their UC is? I am curious as to where the Unit Commisssioner is in this. No one has even stated using the UC. the UC is NOT a "spy for the District" s/he is their to HELP the Units.

 

We (the Units) need to stop treating the UC as the "enemy" and start using them as they are inteded (Unit resources, Guides, helpers, inputs to District/Council,...) These people have volunteered to assist, let us help them do their job!

 

How it should work should have been that the UC, during Monthly visits, is informed by the CC that the Unit will have a problem rechartering next year. The UC, checks into the problem with the IH/CO and determines what assistance he will need. The UC then gets involved, with the DE and SE if needed, in the search for a new CO.

They come up sith some choices that they pitch to the Unit(s) CC(s). Using the information gathered, they determine the best person to visit the location and "pitch the speal". If all works out, the Unit will do little more than move the location of the meeting to the new CO's location. This way there is little drama in the Units as the UC is handleing the problem while keeping the CC(s) informed.

 

YiS,

 

Rick