What does a CO do?

[mpaull 10]

Where could I find a listing of what the CO does? What are their responsibilites / required duties? Many have mentioned the delight of an interested and involved CO and COR - what did they do extra for the Pack?

 

With thanks,

 

Mike

[AlFansome 10]

Here's what a Chartered Org agrees to do each year to get a charter to operate a unit:

http://www.ctyankee.org/fs/page/000945/28128annualcharteragreement.pdf

 

See Section 4 of this doc http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/04-113.pdf to see what the job of the COR entails.

 

I'm a COR of 5 units (3 packs and 2 troops). Luckily, leader recruitment isn't an issue and all the units are run well and in close proximity to the way BSA describes. In general, I try to set direction, be there to put out any fires as an unemotional backstop for the leaders, and pass along any info I may get from Council, the Net or elsewhere. As an example, even before the recent changes to Youth Protection requirements for leaders, the Chartered Organization and I had already begun the process to require training in certain instances over and above what BSA requires for our units.

 

As with everything, too much of a heavy hand is a negative, as is too much of a hands off approach. Ideally, the COR and the CO have a vision for and a reason to run their units. Otherwise, it's like a ship without a rudder.

 

 

 

 

[Pack212Scouter 10]

That about sums it up. By the book the CO provides the unit with a place to meet, establish and maintain a unit commitee, integrate the unit into their youth program, and promote the unit/encourage it.

 

In practicality, it ranges from CO's who want to do nothing more than sign the charter; to COs that actively integrate it into their program, screen and encourage volunteers, and partially or completely fund the unit program.

[moosetracker 132]

The other thing I see as the COR job is that the committee Chair & the SM/CM are about equals, one leads the youth & thier Assistants, one leads the Adults who support the troop, finances and certain policies and also the parental complants.

 

Neither CC nor SM/CM have charge over the other. But the two can get into conflicts when their vision is not the same, or sometimes one needs to be fired.. Neither can fire the other. The COR's job is to mediate the conflict of the two and decide to fire someone.. They may also be the one to take the responsibility as to who they would take these two head positions then those two positions will decide who to put into the other positions.