Professional Ranks

[scoutldr]

Can anyone explain the difference between the following paid professional positions? Who does the Scout Executive report to?

 

Scout Executive, District Executive, District Director, Field Director.

 

Also, where can I find information on pay scales of these positions?

 

 

[Bob White]

Ranks would not be the correct term. they are job titles. A Scout Executive oversees a council. The Field Director works for the Scout Executive and oversees the District Executives. There are other Council administrative positions as well that may exist depending on the size and financial strength of the council.

Within adistrict administartion, again depending on the size of the district and the finances of the council you could have a District Director that overseea Senior District executives that work with district Executives. All of whom would answewr to the Field Director or (depending on the size of the council)to the Assistant Scout Executive, or the Scout Executive themselves.

 

Everything depends on the size, needs and finances of the individual council. There are maximum limits as to the number of professionals a council can have depending on the conditions I described. It is important to know that how many professional are working in your council was determined by the volunteer executive committee in your council not the scouting profession.

 

Bob White

[acco40]

My district has both a District Executive and a District Director. Both do a fantastic job. My question is what are the roles or job descriptions for each position. As volunteers, we are told to contact either one if we need any assistance or have questions. I'm assuming that the District Executive reports to the District Director who in turn reports to the Scout Executive (Council level position). We do have an Asst. Scout Executive (Council) and a Director of Field Service (Council).

[Bob White]

The specific responsibilities vary in each council. In general it is the professional's responsibility to organize, and develop volunteer committees at the council and district level to support the scouting efforts of Charter Organizations and their unit volunteers in order to bring all eligible youth a quality scouting experience. The specific areas the professional staffs are evaluated on are financial growth, adult volunteer recruitment for district and council operations, and youth membership recuitment along with unit growth. The council office is also responsible for all record keeping of membership and advancement and training.

 

The District and council volunteers are responsible for unit support including training, activities, membership growth, fundraising, advancement, public relations and promotion, property management and deveolpment, communications, commissioner service, and more.

 

Your local district professional is a good place to start with questions because they are responsible for knowing the various resources available to you through the district and council. often they will not be the ones to help you with your spefic situation but they will be able to direct you to the person or persons who can help.

[Twocubdad]

Our district exective has gone from District Executive, to Senior District Executive to District Director, all while keeping the same job. My understanding was that the difference was largely a seniority/pay grade issue.

[Bob White]

Like most professions as you move up the hierarchy you can in pay, the scouting profession is no exception. No matter what your title at the district level the work that needs to be done remains the same but with time and experience you should get better at it. That improved skill and tenure gains you higher job titles.

 

BW

[scoutldr]

Thanks for being precise, but I actually meant "ranks" as in "among the ranks of the professionals" not as in "military ranks". I was just asking for clarification, as I have come to my own conclusions.

 

 

[Bob White]

One last bit of info scoutldr that you requested in your original post.

The scout executive answers to two bodies. The Council executive board made of local volunteers and the Regional Director of the BSA, another BSA professional.

 

BW

[dsteele]

The answer to the original question is more complicated than it appears on the surface. There are two parts to professional "ranks."

 

There is title -- which is based on basic position descriptions, and classification -- which is numerical and tied to pay rate and scope of responsibility. Scout Executives are classified according to the council size.

 

There is a large degree of variance between same title, different classificaiton.

 

District Executive/Learning for Life Executive is an entry level position and starts at class EN -- until they attend PDL-1 (the first phase of training.) After PDL-1, there is usually a bump in salary and they become a Class 1. After PDL-2 there is usually another bump in salary and they become a class 2. Usually. I say that because these options are up to the Scout Executive.

 

After PDL 3 they either move, or become a Senior District Executive (usually a class 3.) Senior District Executives can be class 3-5, depending on the scope of the assignment.

 

To clarify what just confused me and I have all the charts, title will tell what a professional does for a living. Classification will tell you whether it's a big elephant they have to eat or a small elephant.

 

For example, I have the same title as the Assistant Scout Executive in Chicago. However, my position is a class 5 position and his is a class 12. His elephant is a whole lot bigger than mine. However, as he told me, no matter how small your elephant is it's still an elephant!

 

Classifications for non-Scout Executives go from 1 to 12.

 

Classifications for Scout Executives go by the classification of the council, which is based on total available youth, membership, budget, and some other factors I'm forgetting at present. The smaller the number, the higher the classificaiton.

 

Class 800 councils -- the smallest size. I won't throw membership numbers around because there's a lot of variance. However, a council this size usually has a Scout Executive and maybe two DE's. This would include places like Dubuque, IA; Port Huron, MI; Garden City, KA; etc.

 

Class 700 councils -- a bit larger, but still considered smaller. My own council is a 700. These councils usually have a Scout Executive and 4 or 5 other professionals. This includes many councils such as Greensburg, PA; Racine, WI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lansing, MI; Traverse City, MI; etc.

 

Class 600 Councils -- considered medium size -- usually between 8-15 professionals (largely depending on budget and the size of the council territory.) These are places such as Mount Prospect, IL; Rockford, IL; Madison, WI; Peoria, IL; etc.

 

Class 500 Councils -- considered major-mets. Usually 15-20 professionals. These are councils like Indiannapolis, IN; Cleavland, OH; Cincinnati, OH;

 

Class 400 councils -- larger cities. I really wish I had my list with me, but I left it at the office. I believe Honolulu, Hawaii; and Denver fall into this category.

 

Class 300 councils -- Detroit, Kansas City, Atanta, etc.

 

Class 200 councils -- there aren't very many of these. L.A.; and New York are the ones that come to mind.

 

I'd tell ya more, but I've got a small elephant to eat.

 

DS

[dsteele]

Whoops! Forgot to answer Sctleader's specific question.

 

Scout Executive -- (SE) top professional in a council. One per council.

 

District Executive (DE)-- professional Scouter working with one district.

 

District Director (DiD)-- professional Scouter serving a district. Supervises at least one other professional. The professional may be the District Executive for a different district, or be working in the same district, but reporting to the District Director. Varies by council. When I was a District Director, I called myself a Field Director that works for a living. However, when I became a Field Director, I learned that a Field Director is a District Director with no control.

 

Field Director (FD) -- has no district, but supervises two or more district executives.

 

For you guys in major metro councils . . .

 

Director of Field Service (DFS) -- supervises two or more Field Directors.

 

My apologies for the above post . . . most professionals don't know council names (they change.) We refer to councils by their headquarters city. Please be understanding if you use a council name in the presence of a professional and they look at you like you're speaking Chineese. They really don't know. Tell 'em where their office is and they'll understand.

[scoutldr]

Thanks for taking the time, dsteele. That was good information, and more in line with what I was looking for. I have no ulterior motives...but now that I am in a District position (among others!), I'm trying to learn and understand the operations and (uggghhh) politics of a Council. I think if more volunteers understood what the professionals have to deal with on a daily basis, we would have better working relationships. But, too often, I get the attitude of "we're the professionals here...you don't need to understand it, you just need to implement it." And to be honest, a few volunteers I know have an attitude of "you're just here to serve the volunteers." The real answer is we are all trying to work together toward a common purpose, albeit in different roles. I perceive a lot of mistrust and misunderstanding between the pros and volunteers and, frankly, I don't understand why. Maybe it's just a quirk of my Council.

 

Another poster recently quoted Steven Covey..."seek first to understand, then to be understood." A lot more honest, nonjudgmental, non-condescending communication can go a long way, both in this forum and in our Councils.

 

Thanks again, dsteele. Your participation in this forum has been very enlightening (not to mention helpful, friendly, courteous, kind and a cheerful service!). I hope you get your dream job!

 

 

 

 

[dsteele]

Wow. Thanks for the kind words.

 

You bring up secrecy between professionals and volunteers, but it isn't a quirk of your council. I've seen it too many times.

 

One of the things I train my district executives (read indoctrinate) in is that if you have a problem, share it with any and every volunteer who will listen -- someone will help you. I'm referring to FOS, recruiting, rechartering, membership, new units, what-have-you.

 

I honestly believe that you don't have to reach very far in any community to find people who care about the health and welfare of the BSA. Sure, we have our detractors, but when the DE's meet one, I tell them to move on.

 

Here's an allegory . . .

 

When I became Field Director, I was told that D.E. X was a super-hero. After a couple of months, I could tell that he was. He was on top of everything, and, while some of his volunteers whined that he was pushing them too hard, he still came through with whatever the council needed.

 

I got to know his district chairman and asked him why people thought he was so pushy. The district chairman said, "He obviously has different goals than we do, but we don't have a clue what those goals are. How can we help him if we don't know what they are?"

 

I could tell he (and by proxy the district) truly wanted to help.)

 

The next day, I called the D.E. into my office. "Have you shared your critical achievements with your Key Three?"

 

"No." He kind of hung his head.

 

"How are they supposed to help you if they don't know what they are?"

 

I'll shorten this story at this point . ..

 

The DE shared his critical achievements (his job performance goals) with his key three. The light came on in their eyes and they felt that he wasn't pulling against them. They changed directions and made him glow in every area of his performance (and the district glowed as well. They grew by 10% in membership that year, exceeded FOS by 20% and had record attendance at all their district events.)

 

The reason he had not shared his critical achievements before was because his previous Field Director told him not to. (The previous Field Director is a friend of mine, but I disagree with him on this point.) The theory was that if he shared his critical needs with his key volunteers and they didn't agree, they could tank his career.

 

It's called theory y management versus theory x.

 

I'm a believer in people. Thankfully, the BSA is going much more toward that philosophy.

 

I hope it soon spreads to those that I call "Adult Senior Patrol Leaders" with the Scoutmaster patch on their sleeve.

 

Enough on the stump.

 

Have a pleasant evening.

 

DS

[dsteele]

one more comment, then it's time to go to bed.

 

Thanks, Sctleader, for the well-wishes and hopes that I get my dream job. Let me state for the record what that dream job is . . .

 

I hope someday, that I'll get a chance to be a Scout Executive. I've never coveted a national council position or a regional position. I want to be a scout executive -- within reach of the real leaders of Scouting. Those real leaders are the den leaders, cubmasters and assistants, venturing leaders, district committee people, commissioners and professionals at the local level.

 

When I left my district in Michigan after 10 years of service, the local newspaper (circulation 38,000) ran a half page article about me. Myself and several volunteers and one youth said the phrase "working shoulder to shoulder" about working with each other. I love that about the Scouting movement.

 

That's my dream. However, in about another 25 years, I'm going to retire. I plan to open a quilt shop and teach blue-haired ladies who to make high-class blankets. Seriously. I'm the only professional Scouter who quilts that I know.

 

I'm also serious about the Scout Executive stuff. Feel free to send me a private message if you're slated to be on a slections committee in 2005. Not that I'm campaigning. What pro-scouter would do that?

 

Cheerfully,

 

DS

 

[dsteele]

I'm kind of burying this thread, but figure the die-hards will find it.

 

Today I was asked by my Area Director if I would be interested in having my name tossed in the ring for a Scout Executive's position in a council with extremely difficult volunteers. By that I mean that the Executive board has their own ideas as to how Scouting should be run and I'm not sure I agree (or that the BSA agrees.)

 

I've been training for 15 years to be a Scout Executive and dream of one day holding the honor of serving in that position. However, I haven't been in my current council as Assistant Scout Exeuctive for very long and really like it here.

 

My wife isn't particular interested in moving either. What do you think?

 

Just curious.

 

But, boy, it's an honor to be even considered.

 

DS

[evmori]

DS,

Congrats! What an honor!

 

This sounds like a tough decision. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10