What does your committee chair do?

[ScoutNut]

Yes, but to continue your workplace analogy, while Associate Thingy Bobbers in both the Sales and Accounting departments might have the same basic job description, co-workers in the Sales department would have little knowledge of what the extras are that need to be done by the Associate Thingy Bobber in the Accounting department. To find out what those are the Associate Thingy Bobber in the Accounting department needs to ask other people in the same Accounting department. Asking folks in different departments, or even folks in the Accounting department of the company across the street, will not help with their SPECIFIC duties, in their SPECIFIC Accounting department.

 

As I said, Packs are all different, start with the basic BSA job description, and then find out what the SPECIFIC needs of YOUR Pack are.

 

Just keep in mind that the Cubmaster does not work FOR you. The CM works WITH you, and you both work for the Charter Organization.

[moosetracker]

ScoutNut - sure packs are all different.. But that is why we all come to these boards to learn from how everyone else does things differently then in our little neck of the woods.. Take those suggestions that we think our great ones and present them to others in our unit, and then either others will say "Great idea!" or "What pills have you been popping lately?"

 

An example from my old troop I can see is as time went on the SM organized the car pool for the scouts.. SM's changed, CC's changed still the SM's still organize the car pool.. I wonder what the current SM would say if a new CC comes in and says, "Would you like the committee to start organizing the car pool for the events for you.. You know it is suppose to be a function of the Troop committee, but if you enjoy continuing to do that, that is fine."

 

Thing is things do slide into the SM or CM relm of tasks that should not, because they end up not having the help and doing it, in order to make things happen.. A new CC being wise to what may be on his plate that should not be, may be thanked for taking it off his plate.. If the new CC just comes in and runs things the way it always was, then it is a missed opportunity for the CC to be helpful.

[CCbytrickery]

BasementDweller

 

I am not looking to butt heads with the CM. He is a terrific guy, leads my husband's Sunday school group and will have 2 boys in the pack next year. You say that the CC handles finances and administration and the CM handles the Program...but those two things have to work hand in hand.

 

Once again, I will restate: I was asking what YOUR CC does in their position.

 

Whenever I have started a new job, I would talk to my coworkers, and get their input on what the position entailed, and help evolve the position if I saw an opportunity.

 

When I stepped up in my daughter's band booster group, and took on the VP role 2 years ago, I talked to the former VP. (Of course, he was a ghost VP, only showing up for the required meetings and signing whatever was put in front of him.) The VP position went from being a nothing job to being the person responsible for uniforms, volunteers, concession stand sales and chaperones...and went from being short chaperones and volunteers every game/trip to being overstocked every game/trip..and went from earing less than $500 per game in concessions to over $1000--with a few simple changes that I made. This freed up the treasurer so that he could actually be a treasurer, and the president was able to spend more time on fixing things in the program and less on phone calls, begging for help.

 

So why wouldn't I take the time to inquire what other CCs are doing in their positions? Maybe one of them has a program they use that would save some time that they are willing to share, or an idea for a fundraiser that wouldn't work for their group but may for ours, and they may be willing to share it.

 

So far, I've learned that 83Eagle has a CC that is not very involved and that jrdalys has a CC that is very involved. I've also learned that BD and ScoutNut come across as discourteous and rude to people who are asking for help...so I'll take their advice with a grain of salt and move on.

 

Thank you to all of you who have responded. I appreciate your input.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fehler]

I had a response, but it read too much like a rant (which it was). Our prior CC was that "Magic CC" who did everything herself and everyone loved her and everything got done. She was also a Den Leader and acted as the Assistant CubMaster and the kids all loved her, too. After she moved up to Boy Scouts, our current CC has been trying to do the same things as the "Magic CC", trying to do everything herself, and trying to be a Den Leader, too. And while she would be a very competent CC, she is not a good CC/DL(Webelos and Tiger, no assistants)/ACM/Activities Chair/Treasurer/Pack Trainer. The "Magic CC" never delegated, so our current CC is not delegating.

 

 

[kari_cardi]

I'm the CC for our pack, and the most important thing I am doing is making myself obsolete. When I started, there had not been a CC for several years, we were short den leaders and the CM was overworked. The program suffered. I have worked hard in the last two years to recruit new den leaders as well as committee members for as many functions as I can. I am also documenting every thing I do so that the next person doesn't have to invent the wheel again. I created all sorts of forms and templates as well as flyers. It is so much easier to crank out a flyer for the B&G if you have the electronic file for the last B&G to edit. That gives me more time to make important changes for the pack that we will benefit from, like put together a google page. And it will make the person I recruit to take over more comfortable in doing such an important role if he/she knows that she has a solid base to build upon.

 

What do I do? I run the pack. I am the liaison for the pack with our CO, the troop and the district. I keep the membership files and file our re-charter each year. I schedule all pack events with our CO. I run the leadership committee, including finding the people to participate on the committee. I make sure that the camping chair, the popcorn chair, and the membership chair stay on course. I am a member of the B&G committee and the family camp committee. I handle a lot of the communications as well. I am also the Tiger den leader. I've done that year several times, it is reasonably easy to do, and it puts me in prime position to indoctrinate and recruit parents who are new to the pack. Plus I think it works better if someone with experience starts the program with the goal of finding a new leader for the Tigers within a few months.

 

When I started, I did even more. By the time I am finished, I hope to be just a den leader again. I have a vision and a plan for the pack for the next five years. I know it won't turn out 100% the way I envision, but we have strong leadership core to get us there.

[OwntheNight]

In February, I took over as CM for our pack. The previous CC was very organized and did a lot of jobs that could have been farmed out to other people. But there were problems with the communication skills of this CC,(very blunt, emails being fired off the cuff, etc.) Unfortunately, this created a power vacuum of 1. The previous CM was good friends with the CC, and they began acting as 1 voice. Due to those power struggles within the pack, we lost our tiger and bear dens to another pack. Our COR finally stepped in and had to take control of the situation. The CC resigned, and the CM stepped down.

 

At the beginning of March, I got to sit down with our COR and discuss the vision of the pack and how we can bring that vision to reality. He told me to focus on the program side of the unit and he would focus on the committee side, first by getting a CC in place, then by working with them until he worked himself out of a job as acting CC.

 

Here is what he told us:

The CM is the face of the unit for the boys and is in charge of the program side of the unit.

The CC should be heading the committee meeting and delegating responsibilities to the committee in regards to the business side of the pack. Many hands make light work. One of his quotes to us, "If the CM wants to do something for the boys, It's up to the CC and committee to make that happen for him, without interference" Obviously, that's not a blank check for me to do whatever I want, but a challenge to provide the best program I can, even if I need to think outside the box.

 

The CC and I are working together setting up the program for next year. I'm working on the actual program ideas while she is figuring out the business side of how to run that program. The nice thing is that I still keep her in the loop regarding the program side even for things very trivial, and she is constantly asking how the committee can help and if there's anything I need. She's even taken the lead on working with the ACM for planning our Summer program. All I did was put down the events I wanted to do, She and the ACM have put it on the calender without me meddling or micro managing the process.

 

The CM and CC need to be able to trust each other enough to not step on each others toes, and keep the same vision for the pack. It's also nice to get a different perspective on ideas when I present them to the CC. She's been with the pack for only 2 yrs as a parent only, I've been in Cub Scouts for 7 yrs, sometimes I get tunnel vision and need a reality check, my CC provides that for me.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Sasha,

 

 

 

[kari_cardi]

Seattle Pioneer,

 

We've tried spring recruiting for two years now, and there just isn't enough incentive for kindergarten parents to sign their boys up in the spring in our council, district or pack. They can do twilight camp with a parent, but parents want a drop off camp program. Our pack doesn't do a lot in the summer, efforts to provide more summer activities were met with low attendance. So that leaves us in a situation where unless we have a Tiger parent who has an older son as a scout, we have to recruit a den leader from the new parents. And I'm not saying that a new parent can't do the job, but in my experience, parents are more willing to volunteer when they feel like they have an idea of the program and their sons are committed as well.

[qwazse]

CCb, first of all, thanks for volunteering.

 

I've seen several CC's from the perspective of a scout parent. The best ones do the following:

1. Coach adults (i.e. the ones who don't have an official position) in serving the pack.

2. Follow the lead of any adult who has a good idea.

3. Keeps meetings short.

3. Starts looking for their replacement from day one.

 

Most direct contact leaders (be they CM, DL, SM, ASM) need a small number of things: 1. active parents, 2. facilities, 3. money, 4. training opportunities, 5. coffee and/or flowers (depending on the preference of the leader). CC's who provide these may consider themselves a success. Those who provide a plethora of advise to a CM on "how things should be done" can consider themselves failures.

 

Finally, attend district round-table and get an idea of what other units are doing. The face-to-face time with other unit leaders is probably the best way to tell if you're on the right track.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Sasha,

 

 

I understand that it's discouraging.

 

Getting a new Tiger Cub den is something EVERY Cub pack needs to do EVERY year! If that effort fails, you have a huge gap i9n your program that is often the beginning of the failure of the pack.

 

As district Membership Chair, I saw that kind of thing happen repeatedly, and I made it one of my goals to combat it.

 

In March for example, we did a model recruiting night at our Roundtable. Pack leaders were invited to bring their Cub Scouts to do a stomp bottle rocket launch, and several did so. We used those pack leaders and boys to illustrate how to conduct an effective spring recruiting effort.

 

A lot of packs do a poor job of spring recruiting, which produces poor results. We had several packs use these improved recruiting methods and they added 8-13 new boys --- a complete Tiger Cub Den in some cases.

 

The I did the Tiger Cub Den Leader Training I described above. I did that last night and had four people from two packs turn out --- agood turnout as such things go. We will be following that up with using those skills at the Tiger Twilight Camp.

 

In short, we are SEARCHING FOR methods that will help Cub packs be effective. Some times our bright ideas work, sometimes they don't. We keep working at it until we find successful methods.

 

Perhaps you are in an area where the best methods wont produce good results. But it's a lot more likely that you need better methods and more determined efforts. Nothing is easier than to get discouraged and suppose there is nothing that can be done.

 

 

[kari_cardi]

Seattle Pioneer,

 

You are preaching to the wrong person and diagnosing problems that are not here. We are a vibrant, longstanding pack that does recruit a strong Tiger den each year, and we add boys in other dens as well. We just don't do it all in the spring. I'm sure that as the DISTRICT and the COUNCIL improves their recruiting efforts (much left unsaid) and their offerings for Tigers, our spring recruitment efforts will also improve. We have no problem getting boys and parents excited about joining scouts. There is no reason for Tigers to join NOW versus in the fall, and the parents see that. And as for training, well, much left unsaid there as well.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Sasha,

 

 

Well, if it works reliably for you, go for it.

 

 

But an active summer program is an important part of many quality Cub Pack programs, and helps keep those Cub packs functioning on a high level.

 

And it gives boys and families quality experiences --- one of the purposes of Cub Scouts. Folding up a Cub Scout program during the summer seems like a strange idea to me.

 

I would say you are a relatively rare pack that dispenses with spring recruiting and a summer program and still keeps things working well.

 

 

 

[kari_cardi]

Thank you for that recognition, SP. And to be clear, we don't fold up. We have one or more activities each month in the summer. We especially take advantage of district and council offerings for camping and shooting sports, which are an important part of the cub scout program that the pack can't offer on its own (past Family Camp, which we also do).

[SeattlePioneer]

Encouraging participation in district or council activities during the summer sounds like a summer pack program to me....

[kari_cardi]

 

 

Not much of one and not for new Tigers...