Chartering Organizations

[OldGreyEagle]

Since this topic is obliquely being discussed in relation to public schools I thought giving it its own thread would be less confusing.

 

I would like to know how different troops relate to the chartering organization CO. My troop has got to be unique, we are chartererd by a church. The pastor's son is a life scout getting ready for Eagle. The pastor is our chartering organizaiton rep and the troop treasurer. I know this invovlement is rare.

 

However, I also know that the Chartering Organization is responsible for the adult leaders. If an adult leader harms a scout in any manner, the Chartering Organizaiton may be held legally liable. The Chartering Organization in a sense owns the program. Our troop tried to organize a "garage sale" last year of old equipment, in running down permission to do so we learned the troop equipment actually belongs to the church. The CO owns the program, therfore all the equipment as well, at least that was what I was told.

 

So, how do you relate with your CO's?

[jmcquillan]

Very few of the Chartered Organizations in our area get involved with their troops or packs. Our troop was, at one time, chartered to a church. There were no members of our committee or leadership from that church. Nor were there any Scouts from that church in the troop. The church pretty much lost count of us, and, although we tried, there seemed nothing we could do to get them interested in the troop. (They were the CO before I got involved, and this was long before they were called CO's.) We got ourselves another CO, a Legion Post, and although they provided the flag, they never really got involved. There's no interest. It almost seems that there are organizations willing to "sponsor" a troop, but want nothing more to do with it...no time...no interest...so we pretty much go forward on our own, obtaining our own leadership, our own Scouthouse, our own Scouts, our own money, et cetera. And, we're not alone in our area in this regard.

[Chippewa29]

Fortunately, the church that sponsors us is very good about letting have pretty much full run of the church when we need it. We'll do a service project for the church about once a year. As long as nothing is broken or missing, the church stays out of our way. We'd love to have someone from the church be a member of the troop, but we haven't had any luck getting the Webelos who are members of the church to crossover to our troop.

 

My perspective is that they provide with great facilities and allow us to run our program as we see fit. To me, that is a great CO. Unless someone wants to be involved in the troop on a weekly basis (rather than a few times a year), I'd rather not have to give any of the troop's power up to a non-troop church member.

[jethehiker]

OGE & jmcquillan I envy you both, we just had our COR resign and its a relief. I have been unit leader twice and have held at least 8 of the remaining positions avaiable and in both units the extent of our COR's involvement was signing my charter at thier front door as I was on my way to the council office.

[evmori]

OGE,

Troop 1 has been chartered by the Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church since 1912. Since I have been involved with the Troop, we have had 3 senior pastors. We have had a good working relationship with the church. My district is holding it's district dinner in the social hall for the 2nd year in a row.

 

We are blessed to have such a good chartering organization.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[le Voyageur]

It is very rare to see any COR serving an active role not only with the units that they sponsor, but also within the overall scouting program. What COR's fail to realize is, is that by having one vote at both the district and council level, just how powerful they could be if they would only band together as a team to serve the common interest of scouting in their area. And in reguard to this thought, I wonder if a COR could cast proxy votes. If would be something to show up a council budget meeting with 20 or 30 votes in one's pocket!

[FScouter]

I have found that in the past our charter organization did not really understand their relationship with our troop. They would seem to think that the Scouts are some outside group that uses their facilities and runs up the heating bill. Our CO is our local Community Center Association. More than once I've heard a member say something like "How much rent do we charge the Scouts?" Or, "There's nothing for the kid's in our community to do. We should start a community youth group". I've had to get up and make my Scout speech more than once to explain that the Community Center has a very active youth program, called "BOY SCOUTS" and that we would love for the Community Center membership to get involved.

 

It wasn't until I became President of the Community Center that the light began to flicker and come on. The key is to communicate regularly with the charter organization, attend their meetings, and to report on the doings of the Troop. Things go a lot smoother when they start seeing the Scouts as part of themselves.

 

[Mike Long]

Most Troops in my area are sponsored by Churches or military bases.

 

In our unit our COR is a past Scoutmaster's wife who was extremely active in the unit. Other than that we only have two families that attend the church. But by and large the Church has very little interaction with us. We have made it a point to offer any help we can to the church and have had limited success.

 

In reality the statements made on other threads about CO's running troops, choosing leadership and membership is erroneous and uninformed. Almost all CO-Troop relationships I have seen are nothing more than a simple "sure we'll leave the lights on for you, just lock the door on your way out" arrangement. The whole concept of a CO seems to be mostly symbolic to me.(This message has been edited by Mike Long)

[sctmom]

Why does the CO concept exist? Maybe at first it made sense, but sounds like most organizations just sign the paperwork. I would think they would want to work together in ways to benefit the CO and the Scout group.

 

Do Girl Scouts have Charter Organizations? I've never heard of them, but I'm just learning about Girl Scouts.

 

[eisely]

My observation about the level of involvement of most chartered organizations is consistent with the other posts. That is, little to no involvment. Those who have an involved supportive chartered partner are fortunate indeed. Our troop is chartered to a men's club with a local church, and we cannot even get access to the facilities most of the time. Our new COR does take an interest and shows up for most committee meetings.

[KoreaScouter]

Mom;

 

The GS don't have COs like we do. Their troops are "chartered" directly to their councils. In other words, they don't depend directly on community ties in the way of COs like we do. Someone with a lot more experience in the respective programs would have to explain why that's so.

[andrews]

Our pastor sees our upcoming troop as part of the community outreach of the church. In many ways, my wife and I will be heading a "ministry" of the church in our roles in the troop.

 

The tougher thing is to figure out how to fit this "role" in the COR-CC-SM vein. I will be the SM, and my wife will be COR and CC, at least to start. (I have a question for input about that which I will start another thread on.)

 

Our church is in a rougher neighborhood, so this will be a true "outreach" troop, but my wife and I are both comfortable in that role, at least as comfortable as we can be.

 

Brad

[ScouterPaul]

Our Pack just changed CO (1/02) due to the attitutde of the previous church. We have started a new troop and the previous CO refused to charter it. Our new situation has been great so far. Our new COR is an Eagle himself with another Minister also being Eagle. The church placed an announcement, on their own, about the new Pack and Troop in the Church Newsletter for four consecutive weeks. We have registered 5 new boys so far. Things are looking great!!

[k9gold-scout]

I am involved in 2 units, one a troop now charted to a Catholic Church and another charted to a National Guard Unit. The troop, now 50 years in the community has moved 3x, we just outgrew the other locations.The church has supported the troop and we have a good turn out at scout Sunday and help with their annual fundraiser. The Venture Crew meets at a National Guard Armory and the older scouts like to play with the army toys.

[Bob White]

I glad to hear that many of your units have a good relationship with your parent organizations, the Chartering Organization. Old Grey eagle was very close when he said that the CO "in a sense owns the program". The actual situation is that The BSA owns the program, the Chartered Organization owns the Pack, Troop or Crew.

 

In 1916 as the climax to a copyright battle between Chicago publisher, Chicago publisher W.D. Boyce and publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst, the Congress (friendly to Boyce) recognized (chartered) the BSA rather than Hearsts similarly named group.

 

Since that day the BSA has been required by congressional charter to operate only as a youth outreach through community,and commercial organizations.

 

This is mostly good and sometimes inconvenient but rarely a bad thing.

 

OGW is correct that in the case of adult misconduct the CO can be sued, but so can the committee, the adult in question, the establishment were it happened etc. etc. etc..

 

Let's be honest a lawyers job is to get everything they can for their client.

 

The Good news is that if you followed the Safe Guide to Scouting procedures, and the scouting prograns Youth Protection policies, the chance of any wrong doing happening is extremely rare and improbable.

 

Also, if you followed the scouting policies and you are sued, the National Office of the BSA will provide your legal protection and the Liability protection you bought through your membership fee and annual Charter renewal will pay any finiancial losses.

 

A great reason to get all adults trained.

 

One day in another thread we will discuss units leaving one CO for another. Think of it as the chior at the Catholic church leaving to become the chior at the Presbyterian Church because they like the acoustics better.

 

A good relationship between unit and CO starts with the the Scout Law- "a Scout is Friendly". If you are dissatisfied with the condition of the relationship it's time to reach out and fix it.

 

Best wishes for successful scouting!