dsteele

A few years ago I called and spoke to the head of risk management at the National Council Office with this question. Sometimes life is like the old quote from President Andrew Jackson, "The Supreme Court has made their decision. Let them enforce it." Let's just say that Bob White was on the right track and leave it at that.

I love Wood Badge! Great for you to attend and even greater the things you'll do for youth with the leadership skills you'll learn. Here's my story of Wood Badge (page down if you don't want to read it. I'll never know.) I was sent to a professionals only Wood Badge course, and not because I wanted to go. It was only two weeks prior to getting married, and I had other things on my mind. It ended up being one of my favorite Scouting experiences. Even though it was all professionals, the syllabus was followed to the letter and it was a great course. When I left that course, I swore I would never staff a Wood Badge Course. That's a lot of work! I was really proud 8 months later when a key volunteer from my council hung my beads around my neck -- the same beads that had been presented to my father 20 years before. Two years after that, my first District Commissioner -- a man I'll never forget -- asked me to be a coach counselor on his staff. I was already the staff advisor, but couldn't ever say no to him. So I did it. Another great experience. Two years after that, another Course Director from another council called and asked me to be on his staff. I really didn't want to do it, but only because I would have to give up a week of vacation from scouting to do more scouting! But, I said, "Okay, Dad, I'd love to be on your course." Yet another great experience! This year will be my first experience with the "new" Wood Badge -- as staff advisor. Everything I saw at the Course Director's Conference makes me think that this syllabus is an even greater experience for Scouts and Scouters. Could I tell you what your ticket should look like? Yepper! Am I going to? Nope. I envy you, my friend. You're in for a great experience. Nothing to worry about . . . just get excited. That's my 3 cents. DS

I really like Bob White's description of an ideal district/council. My first reaction was to post a request that I be the Scout Executive of such a council. What a great place to be, I thought. Then I thought some more. What the heck would I do in a council such as that? Play a lot of golf, I guess. Actually, the districts and councils described above are the goals of every true volunteer and professional (and if they ain't, they oughta be.) When I started as a DE, I started in a district where a few key board members flat-out told my District Chairman that "Blank district (that wasn't really it's name. I'm protecting the innocent.) will never make Quality. He was furious and drove several miles out of his way after the board meeting to catch me as I was leaving the Roundtable. When he told me what the VP of Operations had said to him, I went through the roof myself. We made Quality that year for the first time in that district's history. That year we were the only district in the council to make it. Tough going -- weekly key three meetings, dumping several unit commissioners and recruiting new ones, getting final FOS payments and pledges on 12/31. I even ended up tracking down a pastor 1/2 hour prior to his Christmas eve service to get him to sign a new unit application and then drove 100+ miles to be with my family. That district never missed Quality status after that year. It had 10 solid years of quality before merging with another district to become the strongest in the council. About a year after the first quality year, I moved to the flagship district of the council -- and loved it. Spent 8 years there in 4 different positions. But I'll never forget that night after roundtable. Three determined (and angry men) decided that we weren't going to miss Quality status -- that we were going to do whatever it took to make Scouting strong for our youth -- and then we did. What I'd like to do is to take the worst dog of a council and turn it into the vision of the prevoius posts . . . then smile, take a bow, and go on to the next dog. DS On a side note -- I got a kick out of the reference to "silver tabbers." That was a new one to me. I probably wouldn't have understood it if I hadn't been on the staff of the 1997 Jamboree. The poor devils in the gold tabs might as well have had targets painted on their backs. Those of us with the silver tabs escaped harm. BTW -- I don't ever want gold tabs. Unless they come with a Kevlar vest.

Eamonn: Yes, your region includes the Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico. Lucky dogs! Also, best of luck to Matua. I think you guys have made the right decision. Guam is a long way from Honolulu, but communications in this day and age have become a lot easier due to electronics. DS

I'll start this thread, which was begun by the question posted by RMV in "Schmoozin' with the Pros." The question is, what makes a great district or council? When I was a DE, I thought the answer was simply, consistently achieving the standards for quality unit, quality district and quality council. Obviously, there's more to it than that. I spent a good hunk of time last month studying 150+ pages of "Outcomes measurement" bunk to answer this question for the United Way. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts. YIS, DS

Thanks, Bob. It's good to feel welcome. I certainly didn't want to silence the detractos, but thought they ought to know that there are a few professional scouters in cyberspace. Keep right on responding, Bob. You have a good way of putting things in easily understood terms. You're right about most volunteers having no need to interact with the region. About the only reason I can think of would be to file an appeal for having membership revoked. I just remembered I need to call the region and find out where the professional scouter recruiting materials I requested are . . . They usually send me free pens! DS (This message has been edited by dsteele)

Don't you hate it when professionals repeat themselves? Just Kidding, RMV, I couldn't resist. DS

If they got rid of Regions, who would award the Silver Antelope? Seriously, although anything can happen, I doubt they'll get rid of the Regional Offices. In spite of technological advances, people still like to see one another in person and build relationships. Having four offices (plus Irving, TX) around the country, the support takes on a more human feel than it would if it were all in Texas. Its also easier for a region to recruit camp visitation specialists, National Camp School Instructors, etc., when representatives of the region -- professional and volunteer -- know the people in their councils. Besides, my Area Director owes me lunch. I'd never get it out of him if he were in Texas! DS

There is another company that handles popcorn prizes. I saw their stuff before I came to this council, and it looked pretty good. The company is called Keller Marketing, but I don't have their contact information anymore. Last fall we gave our units the option of taking prizes or keeping 3% more commission. Several troops took the extra money and let the boys put it in their accounts. This fall we're keeping that option. We're also going to give 50% commission for every dollar sold over fall 2002. First time selling units will receive the normal commission, plus keep 50% commission on dollars sold over the council's unit average. We're also going to look into other prize companies. DS

Mark: This isn't Bob White, but I'll go ahead and answer your question. You are part of the Central Region, or CR on the NESA scholarship application. Regions are part of the National Council, BSA. There are currently four regions (Northeast, Southern, Central and Western.) There used to be more Regions, but the invention of fax machines, email, etc. allowed the BSA to consolidate and save money by eliminating duplication of positions, etc. The regions provide services to local councils such as background checks on DE candidates and other personnel issues, approving national tour permits, administering Wood Badge and National Camp Schools, maintaining standards of membership, and all kinds of other, dry, "big picture" issues. The regions are further divided into areas, much like councils are divided into districts. Each Area has an Area Director who is in frequent contact with his or her Scout Executives and serves as a resource when needed. Now don't plan on hopping on the nearest plane and going to your regional office for a tour. They'll just look at you funny. They don't operate Scout Shops -- it's just an office. If you need help or information, contact your local service center. DS

Okay -- So I'm a softy. Not really, but if you want to know what recharges an old professional, I'll tell you. It's you. Here is my Scouting resume: 1973 -- joined Cub Scouting. 1979 -- Became an Eagle Scout 1984 -- Became an Assistant Scoutmaster 1989 -- became a District Executive 1990 -- met future wife at summer camp. I was Assistant Camp Direcotr and she was the health officer. 1990 - 1992 Senior District Executive 1993 - 1994 Senior District Executive/ multiple person 1994-1996 District Director 1996- 1998 Senior District Director 1998 - 2002 Field Director 2002 - present Assistant Scout Executive From 1992 to 1995 I was also a Scoutmaster in my own district. I know the power the boys have in our hearts. Your stories of how they warmed your hearts brought tears to my eyes. I just want you to know that you're the reason I give all that I can to the BSA. Unless I know that the rewards in volunteering for the youth of the BSA are right and good, I could not do my job in good conscience. I couldn't ask you to do the things you do. Every once in a while, it's very good to get validation. Thank you, BSA volunteers, for all that you do. Without those who helped me when I was a nerdy kid seeking Scouting knowledge, I would be worthless. All hail Troop 234 of Kalamazoo, MI. I'm one of your sons. DS

So, do you want to know why some professionals are willing to go the extra mile? I'll give you a great example -- I just got a private message from a volunteer I worked with when I was a district director quite a while ago. It made me feel terrific. Thanks, DH. Now on the popcorn commission to the unit . . . I just managed my first council sale as a professional and learned a lot. I don't know why the poster didn't get his commissions on time, but I can tell you that I have never experienced a unit keeping the commission up front until I came to my present position. Simply never thought of it. What a great way to cut out administrative work and get the money to the people on time! However, if someone hadn't thought of it, it never would have been in place. RMV is correct -- some councils need to manage their cash very carefully. They may, for example, have a problem with units who write checks (usually post-dated) to pay for take-order popcorn that aren't good when they go to cash them. That happens a lot. In this case, the council may find it better to pay the units after the unit has paid them (meaning the check cleared the bank) and they have the money to cover the cost of the product. This happens more than any of us would care to admit -- and it's not criminal or with malice -- it's simply good people who, for one reason or another don't manage to collect the cash for the product in a timely manner. On a different topic -- please allow me the indulgence of pointing out the times that RMV and I have posted messages. As you might be able to tell, our postings aren't always during "business hours." Like mose professionals, we don't have "business hours." You may be unable to reach us at our desks at 9 AM, but, as a generality, we care very much about the program. Thinking about work and working in odd hours is part of our nature. And it ain't for the money. PS -- if anyone has sent me a private message prior to today, please resend. There was a glitch with my email address and I haven't gotten any since I signed on last week (except for DH that is.) DS

Twocubdad: I feel your pain. I've only been the Assistant Scout Executive here since last June, so I know you're not from my council. My plan (although I really like this council and area) is to serve three years well and move on to, hopefully, a Scout Executive position. However, while it's true that some professionals stay in positions for a long time, most would like to move up the ladder. The problem for some, however, is that there are fewer and fewer slots at the higher levels. For example, let's say I serve my three years here and only want to move if it's for a Scout Executive position. My classification here would only allow me a shot at a class 800 or 700 council (the smallest sizes there are.) There are only 38 councils in my region that fall into those categories. If none of those 38 Scout Executive positions are vacant, I would have to wait. I know of one example who was in that position for 6 years before he became a Scout Executive. It's not uncommon. Luckily, I'm not one who is going to insist on waiting for an SE position, so that opens the field slightly. However, it could still be a couple of years or more before there is a position in the movement I want and where the movement wants me. I don't know if that clarfied or cloudied, but it's a scenario. DS

Ryan: Woops! I don't know how my email got switched for yours. My address shares 0 letters with yours! Hopefully it's fixed now. I wondered why I wasn't getting any notification and why no one responded to private messages I've sent. Did I get anything good? Have a great day. DS

Bob: The quoted mission statement came from the latest edition of the District Operations Manual for Professionals. As far as I know, it's the most current edition. Any district executive that has completed PDL-I should have a copy. I'm also sure there are several kicking around your Scout Office. If you ask to see it, and no one seems to know what you're talking about, ask for the "red book," and you'll probably get farther. DS

SM -- Best of luck to you! You've done the hard part. Ignore the old guard at roundtable. Chalk it up to jealousy. DS

Dear Sctmom: I'm a big proponent of the advancement (read rank and merit badge) programs of the Boy Scouts of America. I'm a product of them. When I was a kid, I "chowed" on advancement stuff and made Eagle at 13. Now that you're probably thinking I'm about to disagree with you . . . let me now agree with you. Advancement is but one of the methods the BSA uses to accomplish it's base mission. Our mission statement -- which is mostly unchanged since our original charter -- reads: "MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law." The advancement plan is one method used to achieve the mission, uniform, adult association, youth leadership, etc. are some of the others. For a more detailed listing, you can refer to the Scoutmaster Handbook or just about any BSA training syllabus. As for starting a new troop -- if your son doesn't like the other options in the area, you should go for it. It isn't easy, but it's rewarding. I've helped to start over 30 troops in my career. Every troop has a different character and boys deserve a choice. McDonald's figured it out a long time ago. If you want to sell more hamburgers, build more restaurants. If we want more Scouts . . . Best of luck to you. An old (meaning tenure) professional scouter. DS

Where is the link? I'd love to get a copy.

The 100% cotton uniform shirt and pants are available through catalog order or Scout Shop. As to the DE at the District Committee meeting . . . Your training is teaching you the ideal. Reality sometimes differs. Well, okay, often differs. Realize that the only information I have regarding your particular scenario is that which is in your email and that free advice is worth what you pay for it, I'd say there may be several factors going on. The District Chairman should be the one running the meeting. Of course the District Executive has a responsibility to help him/her develop the agenda and facilitate sub committee chairmen by making sure they have the most up to date reports, etc. If a chairman can't make the meeting to give the report, obviously they have a responsibility to find another volunteer to take his place. Quite often, however, the district executive ends up doing it. I doubt that the DE is doing it because they have the time and energy (they really don't) and because they're too impatient with the volunteers. If they believe those two things, they'll shine with the light of a freshly lit Ohio Blue Tip and last about the same length of time. It's called burn-out. As to his/her job being in jepordy if things don't get done, you're right. The things you listed are very important to the health and well-being of Scouting and your district executive is accountable for results. Notice that I said "accountable" and not "responsible." There have been times in my career when a volunteer has pulled me off to the side and informed me that I was doing their job, or doing too much. If you want to help your DE, have a meeting with his/her supervisor. They'll be able to advise and direct the DE -- that's part of their job. It won't get the DE in trouble, but will in fact help the supervisor teach the DE and save the supervisor from losing an employee due to burn out. The supervisor will also be able to direct you to the proper volunteer who can have a conversation with the District Chairman to help him do a better job as well.

All the answers so far are good. One selling point I've used with starting new troops is that the boys get instant leadership opportunities that they wouldn't get if they joined an already "established" troop. They also have the opportunity to develop troop traditions. Once formed, make a big deal with the boys and the charter partner about the "chartering members" of the troop. A permanent plaque hung in the meeting place is a good way to go. Then give the boys the leadership opportunities and the program as promised.

Your original applications should be on file at the council service center. The only reason I can think of that your Committee Chairman would want them is because of the health history on the back of the pack copy. You are correct in that you will all need to fill out new applications and check the transfer box. The health history (for the youth) should be completed again as there have probably been changes in the past five years. Your committee chairman may be thinking of the transfer form (available at your council service center) that can be used to get the information on boys' advancements to the proper people in the troop. However, this isn't usually done with transfers between pack and troop because the only award that really carries over is the Arrow of Light.

Where did the campfire go? . . . Doesn't matter. It's warm enough in here. When it comes to changes in uniform, I don't have much say in the matter. I was a scout when we switched to the "new" (read current) uniform and was totally opposed to the idea. Like RMV, I miss the sox with the garters, too. I've got all three styles of sox and like the new ankle sox the best. I also prefer the poly/wool uniform shirts and slacks -- although I've found they don't last forever. A 100% cotton uniform is offered, and, although they need constant ironing, they do last forever. As to Cub recruiting, a lot of new tools have come out in the last year -- door hangers that can be printed, church bulletin inserts, etc. One of the things I had my D.E.'s do this year is to break down each school, by grade and compare each grade (or Cub age group) that corresponds. A pack may look strong on the surface, but may be serving a low percentage of available third graders, or first graders, etc. We'll then talk to those packs and do target recruiting or train that particular den leader, etc. This will both improve the quality of the program and the number of boys served. Thanks for the welcome.

Is there room for one more professional around the campfire? I'm one of those Eagle Scouts turned professional scouter and have been in the profession almost fifteen years. Much like my colleague, I'm a middle-manager with the Boy Scouts of America, although in a much smaller council. As Assistant Scout Executive for the council, I supervise four district executives and work with all four functions of Scouting in the council -- membership, program, finance and unit service. To tag on to RMV on DE turnover, I can tell you from personal experience that relationships with volunteers are a big part of why we stay or leave. If I was enjoying my relationship (professional and personal) with a volunteer or group of volunteers -- meaning I felt welcome, necessary and part of the team -- things were great. The job was a lot of fun. Being around people who grumble about "council," etc. was a real sore spot and could ruin a wonderful day. Not that everyone loves everyone all the time. It's just more fun that way. Thick skin is in my position description, too. YIS Another Proud Scouting professional