Is this just the time of year?

[Raybz]

Reading thru some posts here makes me wonder...Is it just THAT time of year?

I see alot of pack troubles and find myself in one as well.

I'm not SURE that I'm handling it the rite way so I'll give y'all a chance to chime in and we'll see what shakes out

 

Most of our pack Committee Chair, Cubmaster, Asst CM, Outings Member Sect. to name the ones I can remember will be leaving the Pack for one reason or another after our Crossover next month. It was announced at our first Com. meeting that this would be the case.

At that time i mentioned to one of the other members that if no one else wanted the CM or CC position I would be wiling to take it. Since then , of course, it has just been assumed that I was taking CC.

There was an incident at a Com Meeting a little bit ago where I kinda ...well more than kinda...lost it. I was making an activity proposal and some of the other members decided to do some very disruptive and disrespectfully things ( I won't go into more detail at this time ) Well, Like I said I lost it. After the meeting I began rethinking the decision of taking on CC responsibilities. After I "cooled down" some and had some time to think calmly I was back to being willing to do CC. So I started looking into just what had to happen, and asked our Council Exec for some advice and direction. Once I had some idea what needed to happen, I approached the present CC and Informed her as to what the next steps were and proposed a possible course of action to ensure a smooth transition. Couple days later, I get a phone call from another member saying that it was pretty sneaky and underhanded going behind everyones back and sending in an Adult Application just TAKING CC, after all there are "other people" interested in the position ( no names would be revealed even tho I asked who a few times )so a sign-up sheet would be placed out at our next Pack Nite. I explained that I had NOT sent in any applications nor had I gone behind ANYONES back, I was getting information so we could have a smooth transition as I was under the impression...for the past 6 months...that no one else wanted the position, but not that there were "others" s sign-up was a GREAT Idea! At this I was informed that "some people" have expressed concern that I may not be thru rite person for the CC job...after the blow up above mentioned.

 

Now again I find myself with time to think...I know, ut-oh!

I come to the decision that I don't think I want to be CC. After all some people don't think I'm the rite person.( they could be rite...after all, I can have a temper, I know this...I try my best to control it, but sometimes I just can't) How much resistance am I going to get if I were to win a vote? Do I want to take a position from someone that really wants it? no I don't, if someone wants the position, by all means take it, do the best you can, I'm behind ya 100%. And a few other personal reasons.

 

Pack Nite rolls around, Sign-up sheet is laid out, I am 1st person to sign in for ANY positions. I place my name in concede ration for Advancement, Outings and Sect. NO one signs in for CC, or ACM. one person signs for CM.

 

Now thru some E-mails from friends I'm getting the word that some people think I'm being petty and childish. They are saying that since I couldn't have the position I "wanted" ( which I didn't really WANT, I was WILLING TO DI IT if needed! ) I'm now trying to screw the pack over!

 

I can't believe it! I DON'T put in for a position that some seem to think I'm not the best person for. I DO put in for 2 positions that are a TON of work that no one else wants and I'm still being criticized for my efforts!

 

Ok...Flame suit on!

Am I in the wrong here or did I do the rite thing?

[cajuncody]

I Feel for you. I am now being told by the dist. commish. that since I am not a CM of a Pack anymore that I shouldn't be day camp director.

Maybe I am not meant to be a scout leader.

Kristi

[Lisabob]

Kristi! Wait right there a moment! Did I hear you say you want to be Day Camp Director for your district? And your DE no longer "wants" you? Are you kidding????

 

PLEASE move to my town! We'll welcome you with open arms and beg you to be our day camp director! Our DE is wonderful, not to mention friendly, helpful, courteous, kind, and on down the list. (And I can recommend a couple of great cub packs to you also)

 

Unless there's some other back story that includes you doing heinous things, I simply cannot imagine a situation in which we would EVER tell a good day camp director that s/he's no longer needed (esp. in late April!) just because s/he is no longer the CM of a pack! Running Cub Day Camp is one of the most fun, most frustrating, and probably most thankless jobs going.

 

That's ludicrous. If it were me and if it wouldn't be such a huge blow to the day camp program and thus, the boys, to lose their director so late in the season, that would almost make me mad enough to take hte DE up on his offer, if it were me...(childish, I know, but geez, he asked for it there, didn't he.)

 

Raybz - sounds like everybody in your pack needs to take a little time off from each other, hmm?

 

Being CC is tough sometimes, especially if you have to play peace maker between a bunch of different factions and you aren't really that interested in doing the job and you aren't sure you have the temperment for it anyway.

 

From your description it sounds like a no-win situation. How about if you do this: before the next committee meeting (hopefully soon?) ask the current CC to put the topic of new leadership on the agenda. Ask CC to publicly invite any parents with an interest in the topic to attend and to put their names forward if they wish to (again, if need be).

 

Having these kinds of discussions via email, telephone, in dark hallways, etc., almost inevitably leads to problems and feeds the gossip mill, esp., when you get to the "someone told someone that someone else is upset with so-and-so but so-and-so doesn't know it so don't tell them" kind of stage where it sounds like you've just about arrived. Have a calm, polite, adult conversation out in the open with all concerned and that'll probably go a long way toward reducing these problems.

 

Good luck to you! (Checking to see if it will be a full moon this week or something...)

 

Lisa'bob

[Lisabob]

Oops Kristi, I see that I errantly maligned your poor DE when I intended to malign your DC! Sorry about that. (The moving offer still stands; we have decent DCs around here too)

 

Lisa'bob

[majrgreen1]

I think everyone is going crazy. All these posts are (mine included) are about different leaders or parents treating other Leaders awful. This is not what scouting is about. It is about the boys having fun and if parents are all up in arms it upsets the boys and trust me the boys know.

[clydesdale115]

You have a situation different from probably most. Apparently TOO MANY folks want the same job! In our Pack, we have a big chunk of the leadership that will be moving on by year's end, and we're all wondering where replacements are going to come from. The time to start working on it is NOW.

 

Putting a sign-up list at the pack meeting looking for leaders is certainly the least effective way to go. Ideally, the committee/ leaders, after carefully considering their options, will invite the "perfect candidate" to take the position, then work on making the transition smooth. If a potential leader comes to US, all the better!

 

I'm with Lisa-bob - we'd never turn down a willing volunteer. I say, make yourself available, make it known that you want to work to keep this pack successful, go into it with a servant spirit. You are right, very often it's the grown-up who can't play nice. But you can take the higher road here by offering yourself, your time, your talents, your experience, in whatever position you are needed. It's now the committee's job to put the right person in the right job.

[Eamonn]

Raybz

Hi and Welcome to the forum.

It's a shame that the unit your in didn't follow the Nominating Procedure that the BSA has to fill positions.

A lot of people say that it has too many steps, but I have found that in most cases it works really well.

Kristi,

Ask the Commish where it says you have to be a Cub Scouter to be day camp director?

Sure you have to be NCS Trained but I have yet to see where it says that you have to be a Cub Scouter.

In fact to my way of thinking CM's just don't have the time. -They are busy getting the little Lads to camp!!

I think he is full of beans!!

Eamonn.

[ScoutNut]

What Eamonn said to the letter.

 

Going on assumptions, instead of following BSA procedure is not a good idea. Obviously, there were a LOT of people out there making different assumptions. This needs to be cleared up by the CC & the COR.

 

Kristi, I gotta say, the first thing I thought was "HUH? Your DC ONLY wants CM's as Day Camp Directors? What kind of kook is he?".

 

 

 

 

[anarchist]

Raybz,

 

First I am posting based on very little info but here is my read....Units are human indeavors...like all things we do they are filled with all of our foibles...and it seems like a full moon is always rising....

 

Let's see...first let's get to the "rules"*** "CC" is not an elected position...Technically it is appointed- by- the CO (IH)...sometimes regardless of what the "unit" desires...and then we trickle down....to the chief cook and bottle washer...The committee does not appoint the CC...(by the rules anyway) Then - the committee is not democractically elected nor is is formed by committee consensus...It is recruited by the CC and approved by the CO (IH)...if we follow the rules...

 

In the "real world" we find these positions (CC, CM, SM, etc) generally filled by either power hungry twits (at least according to many posters here) or by twits to dumb to say NO!...(again by statistical evidence found in these forums...). I guess, occaisionally, the positions are accidentially filled by folks who want to help out but hard evidence on this phenomena is mainly anecdotal, and undocumented.

 

With the plesantries over...I hate to say it,(but, I will)...Stay the heck out of the 'prime' positions...you are unfit for duty...(did I really say that?) Seriously, if you have a temper that is even slightly, or occaisionally or even rarely able to slip out of its leash...you are not suited for a "political" position. Find another way to help the unit! There are lots of jobs that "help" where your unvarnished opinion or even small outbursts do little or no damage...but as they say...don't lose your temper...cause no one else wants to find it...

 

In ten years of troop work and 15 years of pack work I have seen too many instances of lost tempers hurting the units...the CC,CM,SM positions need to be filled (when ever possible, with unit "builders" who can smooth the waters, not stir them up...These folks need to be able to listen to twits 'for hours' without letting on to the twits what they think or telling the twits to stuff it...

 

And Raybz...some of us just are not cut out for "politics"...I for one can not "handle" a political job...I freely admit to loving to pick fights (did I say that FScouter?) I also have a devil of a time "suffering fools". Still my CC's continually remind me that I am one of their greatest assets (nice huh)...usually as they ask me to "sit down and shut the heck up".

 

From your post it appears you seriously "ticked" some folks off and perhaps because of your outburst, they are fearful of your being in a position of "leadership"...Suggestions: if you simply must be the "BOSS" (yes, I use the negative term from the old BSA tapes)...have a bunch of "one-on-ones" with the folks you "scared". If you can not apologize enough to smooth "those waters" you will just have to get over it...unless it is so important that you are willing to tear the unit apart for your own needs? (was I too tough?)

 

my two dollars and ninty-nine cents worth...

anarchist

[Lisabob]

Here's one of those instances where I think I agree with Anarchist!

 

Being CC in particular is a really tough job if there are other problems, personality issues, or factions already in existence - and Raybz, it sounds as though there are in your pack's case. If you're not known for your tact and ability to work well with others with whom you completely disagree (to put it nicely) then that's not the position for you.

 

We all have strengths. The trick is to figure out what job needs doing, that matches those strengths.

 

Of course that leaves your pack still in need of a CC. But, as others have pointed out, there are procedures for finding one.

 

Lisa'bob