Chartered Organization Rep

[Lady_Leigh67]

Our current COR is the Assistant Principal of our school. Our CO is the school''s PTA.

 

COR has been okay with signing appropriate paperwork, when needed, but has not gone beyond that.

 

Any advice and input on how important is a good COR. I know that our District''s PowWow, later this month, even has courses geared to the COR. Should we look for a new COR by recharter time, since current COR really does not want to do more than sign papers?

[eolesen]

If the PTO is the CO, then I''d lobby for one of the parents to serve as COR.

[Bugs1525]

We do not hear anything from our COR either. They send us a check once a year and sign papers when I need them and that is it. They do not attend anything other then that. Not even B&G. I do wish they were a little more involved with us.

[Lisabob]

The pack we were part of was chartered by a PTO as well, and we generally had a parent in the pack who was also a PTO member serve as the COR. That worked pretty well.

 

Having the asst. principal as COR would bother me because it suggests that the school is more involved in oversight of the pack and its program than it really ought to be. (public schools generally do not sign on as unit sponsors - PTOs are fine, but they''re also not run by the school)

 

As for seeking out a new COR right now though, tread carefully. You might want to sit down with your pack leadership (CM and CC) and your PTO president to talk about what role you want the PTO to play here - and what they''d like to see the pack doing too - and whether making a change in the middle of the year is something that is going to upset the asst principal (who you may need as an ally for other purposes).

[Eamonn]

"Should we look for a new COR by recharter time, since current COR really does not want to do more than sign papers"

 

I''m not a great fan of Prince Philip.

But the Queen married him and he is what he is.

The COR is selected and appointed by the Executive Officer of the Chartering Organization.

Depending on who "We" are?? You don''t have any say in who serves in that position.

 

The main thing you might be able to do is help improve communication with him or her.

Make sure they know where and when the Pack Management meeting is. (Note it is the management meeting not a Leaders meeting) If he or she isn''t there send them notes or minutes from the meeting. Maybe highlighting any points that involve the CO.

Invite them to all of the big events that the Pack has: B&G banquet, Pack picnic, Pine Wood Derby.

Have a word with the District Chairman and see if the COR is being invited to the District Meeting and the Council Annual meeting.

Maybe the District Training Chair can offer to work with the COR on ensuring that he or she understands and is aware of what a COR is to do?

Of course all of this is like the old "Horse to water", You can''t make anyone do anything.

In "Boy Scout and Cub Scout Land" The COR is a willing and active participant. However in the real world, at least in my area about 80% of the COR''s are little more than names on paper.

As District Chair, I sent out post cards to each and every COR for all the District meetings. It really didn''t do much.

To be honest if they (The COR''s) didn''t know what was going on at the unit level, they really couldn''t do a good job of representing the unit at the District level.

Our Council Annual meeting, where the officers and the Executive Board are approved is a dinner meeting. While I''m not overjoyed about how it''s done!! I do believe that having the COR''s present is important. I picked up the cost of the COR''s dinners in an effort to get them to attend.

Sadly the meeting is more or less a rubber stamp meeting and many of those who attended once were in no mad rush to attend again.

Some COR''s only went to the District Meeting when the unit was upset about something.

If the Pack Management Committee really feels that the COR is not doing what he or she should be doing? They might want to inform the Unit Commissioner (If you have one) He will report it to the District Commissioner, who will bring it to the attention of the DE.

The DE is supposed to meet at least once a year with the Executive Officer and it really is up to him to communicate with the Executive Officer. (Volunteers deal with volunteers and Professionals deal with Professionals. - Both the DE and the Executive Officer are seen to be professionals.)

Volunteers really should not go messing around with decisions that the CO Executive Officer has made!! It can make them very cranky and if they get very cranky they might decide that having a Scouting unit is not worth having!!

So in a nut-shell - Back Off!!

Eamonn.

[SemperParatus]

The PTA board or its officers has the authority to appoint anyone to the COR position. The pack leadership should reach out to the PTA officers to figure out how a better relationship can be established and if a change in the COR is warranted. I suspect the Asst. Principal serving as the COR is a holdover from earlier days when the school may have been involved.

[Oak Tree]

As long as the unit is functioning smoothly, I don''t think you need the COR to do anything except sign the papers. Sure, he could do more, but doesn''t really need to. The bigger issue comes if something goes wrong and you need to involve the COR in making some decision for the unit. Then you really want someone who''s on your side.

 

Eamonn is right that you don''t officially have any say. But in our CO, and maybe in yours, the IH would happily take my advice on who the COR should be. You could talk to the PTA head and see if he/she cares. I expect that normally they''d take the recommendation of the unit leader/CC.

 

Here''s what I''d look for in a COR, in order:

1. Someone who''s not going to go on a power trip and start ordering changes to the program. Their vision for the program, if they have one, should not conflict with the unit leader''s.

2. Someone who is available to sign the papers. That''s the one primary job and you don''t want to have to track the COR down and spend a week getting an appointment.

3. Someone on the good side of the IH. The better their standing in the CO, the better off you are when it comes to getting resources.

 

Sometimes you''ll be lucky to get those first three. That''s about where we usually ended up. But if you still have several options, then:

 

4. Someone that you like and trust and you think will be on your side in any controversies that arise.

5. Someone who understands Scouting, and has an idea about what the COR does.

 

To summarize, I don''t think you need to switch CORs. Unless the current one is looking to get out, I think he''s serving your purposes. But you could look to make a switch at the next recharter.

[John-in-KC]

Oak Tree,

 

I''m going to respectfully disagree. The COR properly should be involved in the recruiting and selection of leaders (perhaps the most important job) and ensuring that the CO is fulfilling its side of the BSA License contract (aka the CHARTER). COR especially makes sure the Program officer and the CC are worthy to their positions.

 

How many times have we seen CM/CC head-butts because no one looked at both of them and said "work nice?"

 

I do like your #3. That''s darn important.

[msnowman]

We are lucky to have a great COR. He is an active Scouter, as well as active in the church (our CO). He has been our DC before giving that position up to be SM for our brother troop (for which he had to give up his COR position w/ the troop).

He has been a great ally for the Pack. For example, after years of the church ignoring the Pack (and the Troop it also sponsors), our COR was able to get us permission to have a display case in the church hall AND got the church to pony up their part of the rechartering fee. He tries to attend all of our big events if they don''t conflict w/ things he is doing w/ the Troop. Blue & Gold, PWD, even our Fishing Derby say him attend and even offer to say Grace and conduct a brief Scout''s Own before the fishing Derby. He signs applications when we need him to, occassionally attends committee meetings and usually has good ideas to offer up.

If we could clone him I''d offer him to those who need a good COR.

 

YiS

Michelle

 

[Beavah]

Yah, a PTO includes Teachers and Administrators in addition to parents. I''d think there would be a lot of upside to having the Assistant Principal as a COR.

 

1) Lots of "clout" when scheduling facilities or dealing with any issues from facilities use.

2) Lots of "clout" and experience if the COR is ever needed to deal with parent misbehavior or refereeing a pack committee dispute.

3) Lots of experience working with kids of this age group.

 

and

 

4) Lots of downside to trying to move him/her out if he/she doesn''t want to go.

 

Instead of trying to make a change, I''d try to improve the relationship. Are you inviting the COR to events? Are you discussing longer-term "strategic" issues for the pack with him/her? Do you ask how the pack can contribute service to the PTO or school? Do the cubmaster, committee chair, and COR have a regular "key 3" meeting every month or three?

 

Getting the COR to training at your district pow-wow or other venue is a good first step. Then reach out. Lots of good people are busy people, and won''t stick their nose in unless they''re either invited or have to deal with a problem. So invite!

 

Beavah

 

[scoutldr]

The COR is an ex officio member of the District Committee. They are the ONLY ones who have a say representing your CO and Unit at the District and Council levels. That''s a pretty important job, if you ask me.