Unit tenure

[Bob58]

Good morning!

 

Our Pack & Troop were reborn 15 years ago by a group of dedicated parents who remembered the "good old days". They did a great job and my son & I joined about 10 years ago. When I rec'd some training & moved into unit leadership I realized that the tenure was out of sync. Somehow our pack had dropped for a year 12 years ago. Council tells us that they "have no records from the pack for that year." In fact they keep the info from 2 years prior in a "Historic File" instead of the "Active File" since we let our charter lapse. I've contacted our former Comm. Chair & treasurer trying to come up w/ registration documents or even cancelled checks but to no avail so far. (I'm told kids advancement cards are written by unit personnel & don't carry any weight!)Our DE is supportive but the service staff have a lot more tenure than he does! On top of everything else the lapse occurred while the sitting registrar was inolved in changing the recharter months. Is there any way that Nat'l could help? any other ideas?

Thanks,

Bob

[dsteele]

Bob:

 

National can probably only verify that your unit dropped for a year 12 years ago.

 

When a unit drops, that means it didn't recharter, period. There will be no records in the council service center (unless someone actually drove the process and filed an un-reregistered unit report -- a very rare thing in reality, although it's required.)

 

When a unit drops, there is no charter on file. Usuaully the charter paprerwork never comes in at all. Because the unit has no current charter, it is not authorized to use the scouting program -- no advancement, no insurance, no nothing. I'm guessing that after a year, someone(s) re-started the unit. They (at the time) could have paid registration fees for everyone for two years and kept the tenure continuous, but many times, units choose to pay as if they were a new unit . . . and the tenure clock restarts at 0 months.

 

I had this question come up on Friday. It was a slightly different situtation than what you have. In that case, the troop dropped in 1999 and is just now re-starting. They were chartered from 1965 to 1999 and now want their tenure restored. I told them that it can be done if they pay 4 years worth of registration and charter fees when they renew their unit's charter. Otherwise, the tenure clock begins again at zero. She was glad to get an answer, but didn't like the answer itself.

 

You may have to help your office staff understand what I'm talking about. There is a manual for registrars, I forget the exact title. I've read it many times. The issue of buying back tenure is addressed within it. Don't go directly to the registrar -- go to your Assitant Scout Executive, Field Director, or whatever similar professional position in your council. They will be better able to help you out.

 

DS(This message has been edited by dsteele)

[Bob58]

Thanks Dan,

I'm hoping that they'll let me take a look at the files and try to come up with some evidence of rechartering. This was early in the packs 2nd life and we have pictures from each year w/ 20 to 30 boys in the pack alone. (At that point the troop only had a dozen or so.) One of my biggest concerns was the switch in district rechartering dates. It just seemed like a natural place for a mistake to occur.

Thank again.

[Scouter56]

I tried what you suggested and my council tells me it cant be done. Only if it was within the last year. Do you have any other suggestions that we might try. We would really like to connect our tenure.

[dsteele]

Scouter56 --

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

There may actually be no help for your unit. First of all, please realize that your unit dropping sometime in its history had nothing to do with you or the current unit leadership. Secondly, the BSA treats unit tenure very seriously. If the unit dropped in the past, the tenure clock usually begins again when it finally recharters. I don't say that to be mean, it's just a reality.

 

However, I think your unit should proceed with its celebrations regardless of what the official recording of tenure is. This will harm no one. If the unit was, for example, chartered from 1925-1945 and dropped because the male leadership (who were the only allowable leaders during that time) were drafted into WWII and started back up in 1949 and has been continuously chartered since 1949, I would wear the 75 year strip and count our units tenure as being 78 years with a clear conscience.

 

I hope this helps.

 

DS

[Fat Old Guy]

"I told them that it can be done if they pay 4 years worth of registration and charter fees when they renew their unit's charter."

 

Does this mean that if I start a new unit and pay for 25 years that my troop can be a 25 year unit?

 

For some reason, letting units buy back years that they skipped seems a bit dishonest. If you let a unit lapse, it should be gone with no way to set the clock back.