Charter Organization Relationships

[Bob White]

As it has been mentioned in other threads, not all units have a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with their Chartered Organization.

 

Like any relationship the ones shared between units and COs have good times and bad. Like most relationships they require work to remain healthy.

 

In this thread I would like to ask for unit volunteers that have good relations with their CO to share with others what they did to strengthen that tie and what they do to maintain it. Thank you in advance for staying on the topic.

[FScouter]

The relationship between our troop and our pack and our chartered organization is better when the registered adult leaders attend CO meetings and events, and when the Scoutmaster and Cubmaster periodically report the doings of their units. A service project for the CO now and again helps too.

[sst3rd]

Our Troop and church sponsor have a 36 year relationship. What sticks out for us, is having an involved COR. Currently, our COR is a deacon, former Cubmaster, and Webolos leader. He's trained and truly understands both the Pack and Troop programs. He is the eyes and ears of the Pack and Troop in our relationship with the church. We've done a variety of projects for the church over the years, so the church members have seen us in action. Another point to bring up, is to coordinate dates of Troop campouts with the youth minister to avoid conflicts. Unfortunately, our church started the Awanas programs several years ago. It is assumed that if you attend this church, your children gets involved with Awanas. It makes it much harder to promote the Scouting programs when the kids are already involved in a very busy program. This makes the Troop and Pack programs mainly community based. Although we'll continue to recruit from the church, we'll do so in a very professional manner. I've had to defuse a couple of situations where the young man wanted to check out the Troop program, but the parent said that one "group" was enough. Scouting will always be an option at this church. We've got a lot of patience. The reason the Troop is trying to recruit from the church, is that our Pack is poorly led (issues are being worked) and organized, and the Troop hasn't received a Webolos graduate for three years. Don't want to push the church too hard.

[Bob White]

Four excellent points have been raised already.

1. Unit Leaders attend chartered organization's meetings and events.

 

2. Periodic activity reports to the Charter Org. (I'm assuming you mean in person, far mor powerfull tan in writing.)

 

3. Do service projects that benefit the charter organization.

 

4. Have an active Charter Organization Representative on the committee.

 

The last item can be a challenge. as we continue to list things we can do to get closer to our CO let's add ideas on how to have an active COR.

 

The conversation continues....

[shemgren]

I have the distintion of serving as UC and COR to my pack and troop.

 

I attend committee meetings, troop meetings and pack meeting and often other events.

 

I have always have counted active support for my units as part and parcel of my duties to them. When the Commander of the Legion Post asks for assistance from the units, I can answer easily, since I am up to date with what is going on with each unit. The Pack CC and CM call or email me regularly and I have a close relation with the SM and CC of the troop, having work with them since their boys were Cubs.

 

Dedication from the CO goes a long way for making a unit work easier.

 

Scott Hemgren

[OldGreyEagle]

The Pastor of the Church sponsoring our troop is also the troop treasurer and COR and has a son who is a life scout. The scouts Eagle project will be an improvement to the Church's Camp. You could say our relationship couldnt be much better. The Pastor attends committee meetings held at the church and almost all Eagle Courts of Honor are held in the Sanctuary. I cant imagine having a CO that just thinks its a place to house meetings, it is just so much more than that. The Pastor takes approving new adult leaders very seriously

 

The Pastor would like to attend more outings, but he has a hard time getting off work on Sunday(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[eagle90]

How about some input from units sponsored by Schools (PTA's, PTO's, etc.). I think the relationship there is vastly different than a church or service organization. We get virtually no help or input from our CO. We have invited them to all of our special events including dinners and the organizational head and school superintendent and principal don' even have the courtesy to reply to the RSVP. We even gave them a donation for the use of the building of $200 in each of the last 3 years and have never even received a "Thank You". Is this typical, or just us? Any ideas on how to remedy this situation?

 

[Bob White]

eagle90,

something to consider. It's been my experienc that unless you have a ggo rel;ationship with your CO, you are viewed by them not as their Scout unit, but as the scout unit that meets in their church, school, hall, etc. Thats a big difference. your not seen as their youth outreach program you are an outside gfroup that uses their facilities when they could be using it instead.

 

now consider this. the PTO doesn't expect the choir to pay rent, or the band to pay rent, or the chess club to pay rent. However I can see how your generous donation is seen as "Oh look that pack sent in their rent!"

 

I recommend that you give them the $200, but give it towards a pet project of the PTO. Send some boys and some adults in uniform, carrying the pack flag with their name on it when you give it to them. Let them know how happy you are to be their scout unit and to help support their OTHER projects.

 

Now your a benefactor not a renter.

 

Bob

[Bob White]

I'm going to do that last post again. My spelling was atrocious. I wish the edit feature worked!

 

eagle90,

Something to consider. It's been my experience that unless you have a good relationship with your CO, you are viewed by them not as their Scout unit, but as the scout unit that meets in their church, school, hall, etc. Thats a big difference. You're not seen as their youth outreach program you are an outside group that uses their facilities when they could be using it instead.

 

Now consider this. the PTO doesn't expect the choir to pay rent, or the band to pay rent, or the chess club to pay rent. However I can see how your generous donation is seen as "Oh look that pack sent in their rent!"

 

I recommend that you give them the $200, but give it towards a pet project of the PTO. Send some boys and some adults in uniform, carrying the pack flag with their name on it when you give it to them. Let them know how happy you are to be their scout unit and to help support their OTHER projects.

 

Now you're a benefactor not a renter.

 

Bob

 

 

I feel much better now.

 

[slontwovvy]

Among the things we do for our chartered organization:

 

Maintain their shrub beds.

Help set up for their annual picnic.

They have a building fund for new projects, so we donate a percentage of the profits from our spring fundraiser.

etc.

 

Our chartered organization is a Catholic church, so we give our troop newsletter to both of our priests and the business manager.

 

In return, we get sovereignty over a nice sized room all the time, automatically rent the basement every Tuesday, and get the privileges of fundraising outside of church.

 

Our relationship was not always good, however. What we did to make it better was inviting the priests on outings. Once they saw what we did for youth, they treated us a lot more nicely.

[Bob White]

Good morning slontwovvy,

Sounds like you enjoy a strong relationship with your sponsor. I agree that that constant communications is vital to maintain the relationship. Do you make use of a priest or deacon as a Troop Chaplain? How about a scout as Chaplains Aid?

Bob

[AdvanceOn]

When I first joined our troop committee last year we were told that our chartering organization (VFW)wouldn't be much help because they had no money. Our CC was even discouraged from contacting the VFW. We had minimal contact with the COR -- chair or SM would take adult applications to him to sign occassionaly.

 

Our CC decided to take matters into hand and made a visit to the CO's monthly meeting. She presented our needs and also what the troop was doing. Immediately they generated some community donations (nothing to write home about but it was a start) and shortly after the troop received a $200 check for upgrading some of our equipment.

 

From there we began inviting our COR to courts of honor. He attended everyone he was invited to. Unfortunately, he is an older man who is now in a nursing home. Fortunately, the new COR is even more involved with our troop. Since his appointment a short time ago he has attended one committee meeting (he has a scheduling conflict), our quarterly court of honor, our Webelos Crossover, helped arrange for a council fire (got all the borough permissions needed), took digital pictures (and gave us a CD) at the Webelos Crossove, got the VFW to pay for 1 person to go to Wood Badge (me), etc., etc.

 

On the troop side --

 

1. We clean the outside area for the VFW a couple of times per year.

2. We recently built a bridge so the VFW could use more of their property (this was a Wood Badge project).

3. We'll be helping with the Buddy Poppy sales later this month.

4. We hold our meetings in the summer outside at the VFW. During this time we basically maintain the pavilion (pick up trash, clean up area, etc.) as part of the meeting.

 

I guess, the lesson here is . . .contact is important. And the giving is a two-way street. We have found the more we talk OPENLY and regularly to our CO and COR the better relationship we have.

[Bob White]

You're to be commended for taking a bad relationship and making it a good one. I think you took the all the right steps. It almost always requires the scout unit to take the initiative to create the change. Communications, service, visibility, concern for the CO success and growth, these are the materials that pave that two-way street. Great Job!