Forced Resignation

[girlscouting29]

Thanks for info on starting a new Troop if that is the route we decide to go.

 

We still haven't made a decision yet as to what direction we are going and perhaps many feel it is a lost cause but we are still pressing forward with Council. My mom works with one of the board members and she has pretty much said that if we feel we need to meet with the board she could arrange that. After looking into the Councils and the GSUSA's policies and procedures and seeing that there were several staff members involved and skipped steps at the least but rushed through the entire process of dismissal which is specifically outlines not to. Well my son and daughter asked us why council get to violate their own policies in terminating my wifes for supposedly violating policies and procedures and they still get to keep their jobs. If we do get a chance to meet with the board I think we may have to bring that point up and let people know that they are not setting a very positive role model by not practicing what they preach. I will be calling for at least those who signed the document but all very likely all those in Council who have had involvement with this situation to be terminated as well due to their violation of policies and procedures. It may sound vindictive (which some of it may be) but I trully believe they should live the standard they hold others too and at least for my childrens sake push for what is right.

[Twocubdad]

Dude -- gotta say it sounds like you've gone 'round the bend on this. At some point you have to realize that the other folks in this mess have SOME basis for the decisions they made. Do you really think the council folks said, "hey, business is slow, let's stir some stuff and remove a couple volunteers"? Or do you think maybe the troop leader came to them with a reasonable problem -- or at least a reasonable SOUNDING problem -- and they did their best to help one of their volunteer?

 

You want people to loose their jobs over this?

 

Really?

 

Sounds like you're doing a good job of making their case for removing you.

[SeattlePioneer]

Nothing is more common than for organizations to have elaborate grievance procedures which are routinely ignored in practice. The more elaborate the procedure, the more likely that it will be ignored.

 

Getting the Girl Scout Council to follow their own procedure is probably a good strategy though.

 

I don't agree with Twocubdad that you are acting unreasonably. It's insulting to be dropped as a leader without a hearing, especially when a hearing is required by their own procedures.

 

Just because the unit leader made a plausible sounding complaint, or even a complaint that might be real, is not a good reason to act so unilaterally.

 

I've heard second hand about my own BSA council suspending an adult leader without a hearing. Probably that was related to a suspected or actual Youth Protection violation. A good deal of effort was spent trying to get a hearing on the issue by unit leaders, but I don't know what the result was.

 

Hearings and such are burdensome and can be expensive. It's a lot simpler to just suspend someone who seems to be a problem or nuisance.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Yes, it's a big deal and asking for a reasonable explaination and review by the higher ups is okay. But asking for everyone involved to be fired makes me question where the problems lie.

[ScoutNut]

>>" I will be calling for at least those who signed the document but all very likely all those in Council who have had involvement with this situation to be terminated as well due to their violation of policies and procedures."

[JMHawkins]

I'm with Twocub and ScoutNut on this. Drop this crusade until you can approach it with a little more rationality. You are not being reasonable in your actions or expectations. You may have a legitmate grievance with the troop leader and how your council handled this, but you are blowing this out of proportion and will do nobody - yourself, your wife and your daughter any good by continuing on your current course.

 

 

[Tampa Turtle]

Maybe your wife did get screwed over but Girl Scouting should be about the Girls not the adults. Both of you need to walk away. If you think your daughter is with her friends and having a good time and you can tolerate the situation than stay; if not then try to start a new Troop.

 

Trust me on this. I (and my wife) have been down a similar road before; it ain't worth it even if you are right and "prove" it. Life is too short.

[eolesen]

Sheesh... You came here seeking counsel. It's been given. Some of us here have seen this happen before. You've got decades of Scouting experiences behind some of the opinions voiced here.

 

And yet, you are dismissing it and continuing on a path that is destructive, not constructive.....

 

You've sent anonymous emails (which can't be proven) to undermine the original leader, phone calls or emails galore to the council, and now meetings being set up thru your mom's connections to the board, with the intent of demanding justice and firing volunteers......

 

 

Where is any of this really about your daughter?... Has HER program suffered because of the action taken?

 

Your daughter wasn't kicked out of the program. Try to remember that.

 

It is quite likely that if you keep going, she's going to pay the price for your need to "seek justice"...

 

She'll either have to go with you to the unit that it looks more and more like your ego needs to start, or she'll be looked at differently by the current leadership.

 

You don't see the growing hole you're digging for the three of you. Some of us do.

 

Again, you came here seeking counsel. It may not be the advise you wanted to hear, but it appears you are only making a bad situation worse.

 

[Ohanadad]

I heard a similar story. This leader was basically told she didn't fit the image of what they wanted in a GS troop leader (not sure in what way) and told she couldn't be a leader anymore. Luckily her daughter was the right age for Ventures so they decided to start up a crew. Now she and her daughter are some of our most active leaders. GSA's loss is BSA's gain.

[Tampa Turtle]

My wife had a similar experience. She was a key volunteer with a "Webelos Age" church youth group--was pretty responsible, did a lot of work, and was pretty quiet. Actually an unsung key person. When our youngest moved on to the next age group she decided she would volunteer there. (She usually works with the girls and gives our boys a lot of room)

 

She got called in for an interview by the Youth Director 1/2 her age who basically told her, while they were short of volunteers, they really didn't think she was a good fit.

 

Now she has run camps for kids, did all that stuff, and actually has a shy personality so I know she didn't knowingly offend somebody.

 

Naturally it hurt her feelings. My impression was the youth director is pretty inexperienced in managing people and my wife was "black balled" for some reason by somebody. We talked and talked about it. It isn't fair but who just have to shake the dust from feet and move on. Sometimes it is just chemistry or they are really wrong or you are wrong and have a blind spot. Who knows?