Structure Of A Committee

[JillKB]

This should be a pretty easy question yet I'm finding conflicting answers to it... so I wanted to see if anyone here knew for sure... regarding a Pack Committee....is the Cubmaster considered a part of the committee (is he/she a committee member)?

[Fuzzy Bear]

Three rules to remember as a Leader in Cub Scouting

 

The CM should always remain a NON-voting member of the Pack committee.

The reason: is to delegate and involve others to help run the Pack.

 

The CM should only CONSULT with the PC Chairman on the Pack Committee Agenda each month.

The main reason: is to allow others to have authority and to stay involved.

 

The CM should only sign up for the CM position for ONE year at a time. If at the end that year, the PC decides to choose another, it is their decision or if the CM decides to move on then that opening is available.

The main reason: is to give the PC the knowledge that everything can change and that keeping priorities and goals in focus is necessary.

 

You will find these three rules work closely with each other in helping a TRAINED group define and guide them to their destination. (*meaning the goals of CS)

 

For those that have control issues, they will strongly disagree with the above. Generally, they want the program to be THEIR kind of perfection. Working alone and doing it all yourself takes allot of time and the only person that will listen to your misery is you.

 

Either way, the same amount of time will probably be spent.

Working with others to encourage them and helping to recruit new members takes time as well.

 

I suggest that working WITH others is more fun.

 

FB

[FScouter]

The reason you get conflicting answers is because everybody has conflicting personal opinions. The answer however may be found in the Cub Scout Leader Book.

 

In a nutshell, the committee consists of the committee chairman, secretary, treasurer, advancement chair, P/R chair, outings chair, membership chair and FOS chair. The Cubmaster is not a member of the committee, though he works close with the committee. Den Leaders are not members of the committee either.

 

The reason the Cubmaster is not a member of the committee is because he has plenty of work to be Cubmaster without taking on other people's jobs too.

 

Committee jobs are delegated by the committee chair.

[ScoutNut]

FScouter is spot on & to add to that, while the CM & DL's are not technically members of the Committee, they should attend Committee meetings & work TOGETHER with the Committee to create the best Cub Scout program possible for the boys in their Pack.

 

The operative word here is TOGETHER!

 

BSA (Cub or Boy) is NOT a one man show. Cooperation is needed by everyone involved in order for the program to work the way it should.

(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[Eamonn]

We never invited the De Leaders to Pack Management Committee Meetings.

As Cubmaster I was invited to attend and gave reports on how things were going and what the needs of the pack were.

Most of our Den Leaders were Moms and adding yet another meeting was something that they didn't need.

Eamonn.

[Lisabob]

Responding to Eamonn's post - whatever works for your pack with regard to Den Leaders and attendance at committee meetings is what you should do and if you have an effective means of communication, ideally den leaders probably do not NEED to be there.

 

However...what I've seen in the various packs I've gotten to know is that if the den leaders didn't attend, there'd be hardly anybody at these meetings! Also, fair or not, when the committee is trying to parcel out jobs that need to be done for upcoming events, they often end up asking den leaders to do various things - and if they aren't there, this is harder to do. I will say though, most of the packs around here don't seem to have a highly organized committee structure (in comparison to the troops, which do). So my observations may not be the norm for your pack, if you're a more structured group than the majority of those around me.

 

Lisa'bob

[Eamonn]

We did have everyone attend the Annual Planning Meeting.

This meeting was the one that broke my 90 minute rule. (I believe that no meeting should last more than 90 minutes.) We decided what themes the pack would follow, the dates of the big events and who would take care of doing what. We also tried to set the budget for the year.

Most of the Dens didn't meet year round.

Den meetings seemed to follow the school year.

Our summer program followed what was going on in the District, Council and Community: Day Camp, Resident Camp, District Cub Scout Olympics, marching in parades, fishing derby the big pack picnic.

This of course meant that we only had a nine month program.

We did hold a monthly Leaders meeting mainly to plan the Pack Meetings and look at soft spots. My feeling was that the Den Leaders were in the delivery business and the Committee was in the management business.

It's hard to look after a Den at any event if you are the organizer. The Den Leaders knew their Scouts, so who better?

As for : " they often end up asking den leaders to do various things"

That to my mind seems a good enough reason for them not to be there.

The reason people don't do things a lot of times is because we don't ask them. It takes a little more effort to select the right person for the job, than it does to dump it on some poor person who has too much on their plate already.

The people we got to take care of the Pine-Wood derby, were not leaders. Sadly the Pack is now just about dead, but these people are still running Pine-Wood Derbies for Districts and packs that ask. Their son is now 19 and a Eagle Scout.

The more people we bring in to do real jobs, the more we really give meaning to being home and community based.

Eamonn.