Parent Volunteers - - Sound off!

[Cubmaster Mike]

We have mandatory volunteerism and it works. We handpick the den leaders, cubmaster, committee chair and other critical positions. These go to those who look like they have the potential to be successful in those positions.

 

Everybody else gets three choices-

take a one year position working with boys (assistant den leader, etc.)

OR take a one year position working with adults (committee positions)

OR work at two pack events- if you chair an event (like Pinewood derby) that counts as two events.

 

We plan the yearly calendar then fill in the blanks that we had chosen (and had agreement on) and then we hand out pens and tell everyone to put their name on a blank (the positions are posed on the wall). Those families that do not volunteer on their own or are absent are asked to pick their choice of the remaining blanks.

 

It works very well and we're pleased with it.

 

CMM

[Lisabob]

Although I'm not generally in favor of mandatory volunteerism (an oxymoron, IMO), I recognize that for some packs it works, and that's ok with me.

 

I do think people need to be aware that it isn't a one-size fits all solution though, and that it depends on the make up of the community from which the scouts are drawn. For example, we have one pack in our area that draws heavily on the poorest part of town. Many of the parents are single parents who are working 3 jobs just to put food on the table while also raising a bunch of kids. They're so over-stretched that asking them to do much more than the most basic job for the pack isn't going to happen and they'll pull their kid out if you push the issue. It isn't that they don't want to, they just really can't. You'll get 100 apologies but at the end of the day, their kid just won't be in the pack. Then there are also some parents who, honestly, you would not WANT working with your pack due to their personal issues and habits. Yet they still have sons who attend the public schools and who, goodness knows, can benefit from, and deserve to be part of, cub scouting.

 

In our area, most packs recruit from specific public elementary schools so just across town there are also some packs from upper-middle class families where more than half of the children have a stay-at-home parent with time and resources to volunteer.

 

Mandatory volunteerism might have good results in the latter, but not necessarily in the former pack. And since nearly all of our packs recruit from specific schools (with the odd family consciously choosing a different pack here and there), sadly this disparity remains in place.

 

 

[insanescouter]

LisaBob ... thanks thats said what I was shooting for in a much better way.

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

[Eamonn]

I'm sorry I just can't go along with the idea of mandating parents to be volunteers, no matter what the family income is.

I know that I sure as heck do not have any business trying to pass my views or my judgments on how or where other people choose to spend or not spend their time.

It's maybe a little too easy to look at those who live on "Top of the Hill" and think how they have it made and should and maybe ought be able to take on more.

I however might not have all the facts and they might not want to provide them to me.

That "Nice wealthy family" who live where the grass is greener could have all sorts of things going on.

A very good friend of mine who is very wealthy is going through sheer hell with her aged parents. Her parents are known as good people who over the years have done a lot for others in the community. The entire family is uncomfortable letting outsiders know what is happening.

Other people I know have chosen what organizations they are comfortable working with and supporting and don't have time for the yet another commitment.

An other friend of mine has a wife who is an alcoholic.

I sure don't want her being shanghaied into helping do anything with young people and he is uncomfortable leaving her alone with his kids. Both his boys are in Cub Scouting.

The list of reasons why we ought not force people into a corner could go on and on.

It seems to me that the system we have in place has worked for the last 100 years and has we have managed OK.

My parents were never involved in the units I was in as a youth and I think if their participation had been mandatory, I would never have been allowed to join.

I like to think that over the past 30 years as an adult volunteer, I have done my bit for Scouting (While having a very good time) both with the time I have put in and the money I have donated.

Of course had "mandatory family support" been in force I would not have joined and what I have done would never have been done.

Adding more and more hurdles that get in the way of allowing a Lad to participate in the program is just plain silly.

Add new requirements that don't really exist goes against the rules and bylaws of the BSA.

Who ever is doing it needs to stop.

It's just plain wrong.

Eamonn.

[ChuckSt8er]

OK Scouters, time out. I think many of you have missed the original point and request of this post. While I did not mind feedback on the idea of 'mandatory volunteering', my goal in this post was more to get you all to share YOUR OWN UNIT'S APPROACHES. Tell me what YOU DO that has worked.

 

To put it bluntly, don't sit around trying to blow out my candle. Instead, perhaps light the way with your own insights and experience. Do you have a better path that achieves the same results (more equitable distribution of tasks, rather than continually overloading one small segment?) If so, then share away.

 

For those of you who feel compelled to spend more time debating this issue, I've spun off the topic of "Mandatory Volunteering" in the "Issues and Politics" forum. For those who want to continue to share your successful approaches and methods as a guide to others, please feel free to do so.

 

Thanks.

[John-in-KC]

Unit approach in the Pack I served? Real simple.

 

Den Leaders and the Pack Committee Activities Coordinator break events (den or pack level as needed) down into the various bite-size chunks.

 

Nicely ask a parent, based on their skills and desires, to do one chunk of one event.

 

Thank the parents effusively after the event.

 

Repeat as needed.

 

It really is that simple.

[Mrw1]

Having been in Scouts as a Den Leader for both my boys and then involved with the troop as Committee Memeber and Advancement Chair I can only comment on my own experience. (Those kids are 18 and 21 now.)

 

When my older son was in Tigers and Wolfs, my husband worked out of town and I worked full time. More than showing up and organizing the one Tiger meeting I was assigned, more time was not an option. Sending an occasional snack or napkins for an event was okay, but spending planning meeting time and showing early or late for set-up/clean-up or such would really have been a problem. Two years later I had two Cub/Webelos dens because I could contribute the time then.

 

If you are loking for the adult volunteers to help with programming, be very specific about what it is you need. Some people may only be able to send supplies, or write out name tags a week in advance or whatever, but are not able or willing to set up chairs and serve food and announce race winners, etc.

 

Supplying the paper products may not seem like much to some folks, but it allows people to contribute to their own means and/or abilities.

 

I remember at this same time period that I had no extra time to contribute for the little Cubs, that I deeply offended a soccer coach by refusing to work in the concession stand during my son's game for two weeks.

 

Be careful how you judge some of those non-helping parents. Some are just lazy or uncaring and I feel bad for their kids. Some are just too sttressed to help and too embarrassed to admit they can't contribute in a bigger way.