Officially burned out...

[eaglewings2002]

And I let our DE know I will be stepping down - or rather, BACK as of October 5 (day after our next Pack meeting)

 

I decided to serve as Committee chairman until a new CM was found, assuming a few weeks at most, in APRIL. Now it is abundantly clear that no one is interested and they are quite happy with me at the helm (all the while griping about me and my decisions - which they will not participate in - behind my back - let's just say I have definitely learned who my real friends are)

 

I have spent the past two weeks dealing with SNFS and our first pack meeting, trying to get info from 100% uncooperative people like how much $$ is in the treasury and which badges should be bought (that one was finally delieverd the night before the pack meeting, after asking for it since May. Needless to say we could not deliver on the badges, and had many disappointed boys and their complaining parents (who refuse to help but are happy to complain and point out my mistakes).

 

I have 6 kids including 3 YO triplets and I feel like my time for this will come in about 5 years or so. I love doing it but it is just NOT working now. Thankfully the DE agreed and told me to go with a smile and not feel guilty. He is doing what he can to help find leadership but has had no more luck than I did.

 

I will still be my son's den leader (Tiger). That I can handle and love. I will be happy to serve on the Pack Committee but I can NOT do it all myself!!

 

I have no idea what will happen to the pack. We will have to go to another if it comes to that. That will make all of us very sad, but I can not be held hostage like this any more. My boys (and me and DH!!) love Scouts so dropping out will never be an option.

 

I don't know what my purpose is for posting this, so I am sorry if it is inappropriate.

 

Thanks Bob White for the advice and help you gave me. In a few years I will probably be back for more!! Meanwhile I guess I will still hang out here as a leader.

(This message has been edited by eaglewings2002)

[OneHour]

eaglewing2002,

 

Don't take it to heart. I am well "blackened" from so many burned out that I'm do know what it means any more, but I know for sure about one thing, after seeing my sons enjoying scouting, nothing that caused my burned outs matters any more. As Stephen Covey puts it ... we should spend our time and energy within our Circle of Influence. I don't care what anyone else may say, working with volunteers and parents is not an easy task. Keep smiling and great scouting journey to you.

 

1Hour

 

 

[Eamonn]

Adult burn out is very common. I think that there are times when we all feel that we are in over our head. There have been times when I have let the answering machine answer the phone. Not because I was busy, but because I just had too much on my plate.

We as an organization are at times guilty of over loading people. Someone comes along that is good at what they are doing. Soon they are asked to take on something else in addition to what they were doing, and then something else, and so it goes on.

Many of us are not used to putting ourselves first. Some of us allow Scouting to take over.

Her That Must Be Obeyed, is the best wife in the world. We have a very loving, very strong and understanding relationship.I would be lost without her. A couple of years back, unknown to me, she got a copy of the Council calender. She highlighted all the days that I was "Away" Scouting. It was a very busy month, with Training weekends, golf outings, on top of the normal meetings. I was doing stuff 22 days in a month. Most of these events did not involve my son. While I have to admit I thought she was a bit of a sneak!! She did get her point across.

I have found that making people accountable for what they are supposed to be doing has helped a lot. While I still think that I can change the world, I know that I can't do it alone. I need help and I need people that will keep their word. I still check to see how they are coming along and that the assigned task is being done.

When it comes to asking people to take on a position. I really do try to be very honest and give them a detailed job description with how much time the job involves.

One big problem I have ran into is that people don't like having some of their hats knocked off. So many people seem to enjoy complaining about all the different roles they "Have" to fill. But when one is taken away they are hurt. Sad to say most times they are doing too much and not doing it very well. When this is pointed out to them, they use the fact that they were busy doing something else as an excuse. Still being that they are such nice people they feel bad and this adds to the tension, which in time becomes burn out.

The BSA is aware that this can and does happen. The material that is available from the BSA does work if it is followed. In the case of Eaglewings, I have to wonder why a Den Leader was also the Pack Committee Chair? It does seem that the Committee didn't follow the BSA guidelines for the selection of adult leaders. From what ha been posted I have to wonder where the Commissioner Staff were and there is no mention of the Chartering Organization.I also think that the DE is not doing a very good job.

Everything that could have or should have been done or needs to be done is covered in the material from the BSA and the DE working with the other members of the key3 should have taken steps to get everyone on board to solve the problems that this unit is facing. He or She should have got the Commissioner staff up and running. The DE could have met with the COR and maybe the head of Chartering organization to get a nominating committee on the job.

I think that everybody has something that they can do for this organization. Some people support Scouting and the values of Scouting by just donating money. Some people just find one job that they like doing and are good at. We have one Cub Scouter that only does Day Camp. She does a wonderful job. She used to do a lot more but found that it was too much. So she somehow learned how to say no.

At times we all feel that we are irreplaceable, but Scouting has been around for almost 100 years and will continue long after we are gone.

I really do hope that Eaglewings will be happy working with the Tiger Den, these little guys are the most important members in Scouting, they are tomorrows Cub Scouts and future Boy Scouts. They are great to work with, everything that they do is an adventure and it is an honor that we can share this with them.

Eamonn.

 

[BadenP]

Sometimes all of us who volunteer and take on too much need to learn to just say "NO". As hard as it is to do we must learn to put family before our scouting and learn to strike a balance. Otherwise we can jeopardize our marriage and time with our own kids, time you can never get back.

[Surfinwahine]

This, sadly, seems to be a universal problem. We have been involved with Scouting going on two years. My husband has already stepped up and taken so many positions I've lost count--and he is already feeling the "burn".

 

What really fries me is the fact that there is so much complacency! Even the "Leaders" are totally willing to sit back and let those that will, do it. We lost our Committee Chair last year because he became so overcome with the lack of motivation---and felt it was HIS fault!! You know, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. You can set up the finest Scouting program in the history of Scouting, but a handful of people simply cannot make it work.

 

How many Packs going down the drain will it take before people wake up and accept responsibility for the role they signed up for?

 

Ok, I'll step down from my soapbox now.

 

For a little while.

 

Deb