Thrown Under the Committee Bus

[5yearscouter]

Well it's true that it's very very difficult going into a room to recruit new scouts knowing that if you don't get adults, you can't take any kids, you have nobody to lead them.

 

but that is what you have to do if this pack wants to survive. when I say you, I mean the pastor, the cor, any committee any existing parents, anyone in your existing pack that has any interest in the pack continuing needs to show to recruitment night and be on the same page for how to continue.

 

I would not want to be a cubmaster with a crazy person at the cc job. I can deal with having an MIA COR, many units never see that person except to get signatures on adult applications. I'd rather be the cc and put grandma that doesn't come to much as a cubmaster.

 

You really can't do anything without having a meeting with existing parents and let them know how bad it is. you should have a meeting ahead of time with the cc and de and anyone else you can get ahold of from the current committee plus the pastor who seems to have a vested interest in your pack. maybe he would take cc temporarily if he wants the pack to continue.

 

once you know you have a skeleton crew from existing parents, you can go forward to fill holes. skeleton crew = 3 committee, a cubmaster and a den leader. I'm not even talking about a den leader for each den at this point.

 

I know it does sound bad to do recruiting and send people away if you don't get a leader, but in many of the soccer and baseball leagues, if a parent doesn't sign up to coach and asst coach, then the team doesn't form. Parents have heard of that kind of thing before, they aren't going to be totally surprised by your demands that they choose a leader before they can have any meetings.

 

I do think you'll lose scouts if you take them from a super small pack to a pack with over 100. if they wanted a giant pack they probably would have already joined it, wouldn't they?

 

[ScoutNut]

Many DEs will accept boys registrations, even though the Pack is not viable, and will keep a unit chartered even if it means 95% of the registered leaders are fake/on paper only, because their paycheck is based in part on the number of registered Scouts, and the number of chartered units in their District.

 

Wow, 110 Cubs is a BIG Pack! We usually run between 35-45, and I like that size. Before you settle on this Pack, visit at least one Pack meeting to see how they handle themselves. Do the same for as many other area Packs as you can.

[moosetracker]

I know the Pack in my home town was big (and still is today).. I don't thing we were as large as 110 scouts though.. The Pack at my time was asked to split into two units.. Never did, we objected to that suggestions due to the fact that we felt we were handling things well, and we also knew that the Pack ran in cycles and would have it's down years.. Also we dependend on our dynamic leaders and didn't want to divide them..

 

So I don't know if the districts can ever force a group this large to split up, but it is a possibility..

 

Your little group may be more comfortable in a smaller unit that is strong.. They may get more personal attention..

 

Then again if the den meetings are still held in their town, they may be fine with the large group.

 

I know due to the large group we would have alot of great Pack meetings and organize some really spectacular events smaller units may not have the resources for..

 

So for me both sizes have thier plus & minus values, especially with a pack..

 

When it comes time for a troop, size is going to be personal preference of each individual boy.. Do they like the dynamics of a large troop with tons of events and opportunities to choose from? Will they feel more comfortable in a small setting where they get individual attention, and have a better opportunity to take some of the troop leadership positions. Sort of like I equate Pack to your public grade school / High school, you go to the size school the communities offers.. But you choose your college, and for each individual the size of the college may play an impact on what the choose, some prefering the small community, some the larger community..

 

 

[AnnLaurelB]

So I had a LENGTHY conversation with a CC from another Pack, who has held about every title there is in Cub Scouts. My Pack has done just about everything backwards, with the excuse of "Well, it's small. It's just what you have to do."

 

But...if they insist that I do the Spring and Fall recruiting (which I will do with full trumpets and regalia if that's what they want), what if I triple the size of the Pack by Sept? GLORY HALLELUJAH if I do, but then what's their excuse for NOT having a budget in place and NOT having a Trainer and NOT... blah, blah, blah...

 

I was reassured by my CC friend that *I* am doing *MY* job as CM to the fullest extent that I am able, and they (the ghost committee members) *cannot* pawn off their responsibilities on me, try though they might. It is the CHARTER'S problem to staff this turkey, from soup to nuts (I'm nuts!).

 

While I may point out likely candidates, it is basically the CC or the CORep's *JOB* to approach, interview, screen, register, oversee training, and install (with my *help*) ALL Adult Leaders. It does NOT fall to me, alone, which is how they've treated it all along.

 

So I called up the pastor. He had no idea that they'd appointed the deposed CM as CC. He agreed with me that it was not appropriate ALTHOUGH at least it's not a direct-contact position. (However, he's a Cub PARENT, and he's AT everything, ANYWAY, so how do you PREVENT contact?)

 

The pastor asked ME to "call a Committee meeting..." and I said, "Nope."

 

I told him that THIS was part of the problem. I do NOT have the authority, I told him, to order the Committee around. He asked, "Well who IS in charge of the Committee?" I told him,

 

"The church guy we can't get to show up to the meetings, whom YOU appointed at the get-go to get the Pack back in action. HE has the authority. HE is YOUR voice. HE needs to be in contact with the nutbucket newly appointed CC and keep him in line. HE is the helmsman. Not me."

 

I think I scared him a little.

 

But the upshot is he gathered the CORep and the new youth guy, and asked them if they understood that I was ONLY capable of fulfilling MY responsibilities, and if they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain, then they didn't HAVE a Pack.

 

Those two guys STILL answered, "Well, what do you want us to do?"

 

I said, "You know, if they don't KNOW, I can't tell them. THEY, as the COMMITTEE people have to call the powers that be (UC, DE, SOMEBODY in Scouting) and ask for direction. I can't tell them any more than is in the Leader guide for Committee members. Did they read that? Yeah, no they have NOT read it. Why don't you start there?"

 

It was left with the idea that I will go into the school next Thursday, and do my darndest. At THAT meeting, no Den will be formed, and no Cubs registered without Adult Registrations in place. If that happens, then we go forward with the calendar that I've planned.

 

If that does NOT happen, then all we REALLY have is MY OWN Wolf-soon-Bear Den, and we'll just take our ball and go elsewhere to play.

 

 

[kari_cardi]

It sounds like you are being heard now, which is progress! And the response you receive from the committee will make your next decision clear, I think.

[moosetracker]

At least now they know they can not expect it to be a one women show..

 

Good Luck.. Keep us posted..

[AnnLaurelB]

I did the recruiting night. Alone. My Dist Exec couldn't be there, so asked my UC to come, which of course he said he would. But WE did not confirm, the UC and I. So he thought it was at the church, when it was at the elementary school, and he only had my office number, and by the time he reached someone who had my cell number... (*shrug*) He didn't make it.

 

But, then again, I only had 3 families show up. 400 flyers. 3 boys. Two of them signed up: one Tiger and one Wolf for next year; they both seemed like nice families.

 

So tonight I had an "admin" night and asked ALL the Dens to come to my house (sort of a drop-by) to get their Camp Cards turned in, register for Camps, go over their last minute book requirements, etc...

 

The squirrelly ex-CM guy shows up with his son and daughter. He *reeked* of liquor.

 

I had MOST of my parents there; they each in turn said something to me. So I did something I dreaded, but knew I had to do: I called the Rep and the Exec and told them that the Committee Chair appeared before 9 boys and 6 parents while clearly intoxicated.

 

They're going to pull his BSA registration and tell him he can't come to Cub Scout events, anymore.

 

:-0

[ScoutNut]

They can definitely pull his BSA registration, and prevent him from ever registering, or being a leader in any capacity with the BSA again - ever. However, they really can not stop him from attending events, as a parent, with his son.

 

From the Guide to Safe Scouting -

 

"All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders."

 

If your Charter Org does not want him attending any Scout activities at all they might have to kick his son out of the Pack to accomplish it.

[moosetracker]

OK, gotta ask.. This recruitment night was either success, with more kids AND leaders.. (I don't see this) or you would be leaving.. AND one of your stipulations for stayind was the drunk dad was not made CC.. So they made the drunk dad CC, you did not have a successful recruitment night, (unless the wolf parent will be a den leader you now have a wolf den of 2?/3? with no leadership, and you have a lone scout tiger (Did the parent there agree to be DL if more come in the Fall recruitment??)

 

As far as I see this was a clear message to choose to leave, and let the CO disband the unit.. But, all sounds like you have now decided to stay, and continue as sole Adult leader with your den of cubs, a bunch of lone scout programs, and no adult leadership except for yourself..

 

WHY?????

[AnnLaurelB]

Well, my commitment to the Dist Exec that I'd DO the recruiting night, and we left our "parking lot meeting" with him going to "check" to see what could be done about them naming the guy CC.

 

I had also already given out the summer calendar of events, and I didn't want to say, "Oh, and we're not a Pack, anymore." I figure we can all play together over the summer, and decide what to do closer to when school starts.

 

The other thing was that my friend, who is the CC of another Pack, bridged her son last Feb, and wants to pass those reins to parents of younger boys. She has offered to come over to our Pack and try to help us.

 

That was unexpected. I'm not sure that's what we'll do, but it's one idea on the table.

 

Moosetracker, you're right, though. I have already printed out a list of Packs in the area with contact names and phone numbers. I will likely be passing those out in August.

[saschuster]

Wow Ann, just wow! I can't believe the man came to your house drinking and he was driving with the kids in the car. I have had to tell my CO that a parent was drinking at at a district camping trip, to which he did nothing and to make that even worse, his "pet parent" who told me (I am the cc) that the dad was drinking, decided to leave the next day and bring back her own bottle to have that night....again the CO did nothing. We have informal meetings at my house, no kids, and we have dads that will have a beer but never would I have an official meeting and kids there and let anyone drink so good for you for reporting this.

 

I like how you are trying to keep things together, I am sure it's not easy to just say, the heck with hit, I'm leaving! I have worked hard the last two years to build our pack of 20 to a pack of over 40 and it would break my heart to see it disband but you have to make a decision, make it work by yourself or walk away. I have learned, it can't be done by one person and getting parents to help is tough so good luck to you!

[qwazse]

I can believe that a guy would show up drunk with his kids. It happens. Definitely a have the DE step in on a organizational level and the pastor step in on a personal level. (Any pastor worth his salt has had to deal with drunks coming in the church door. Your house is an extention of the church.)

 

And don't be surprised about folks willing to step in and help if their existing unit is sailing smoothly. Your willingness to be mentored and a desire to make something work provides an opportunity for a gifted leader to try something new.

[AnnLaurelB]

Yep, the DE called the UC and ...whomever is OVER the UC's?

 

They're both supposed to come to the Committee meeting tomorrow night. The poor guy might be hit unawares that anyone even noticed his condition last night.

 

The pastor is already aware of the problem, and I let him know right along with the DE last night. His kids have already lost their mother a year ago; somebody needs to step in before they lose their dad, too.

 

I am *cautiously optomistic* about this gal coming in to help, but my friend on the church board of trustees (whom I copy a lot of my Scouting emails, for transparancy and accountability because we use the buildings, etc...) advises me to cut and run.

 

So that may still be the best thing for my son's Cub career.