How much power does a DE have?

[Sylvar]

The DE in my district has decided he wants to replace the District Chairman. Does he really have the power to do that? The current DC is doing a good job I think, but he and the DE don't see eye to eye. The DE has asked me to sit on the commitee that will be selecting/interviewing a replacement. I don't feel completely comfortable with that and probably will not accept.

 

Any thoughts out there?

 

 

[Eamonn]

I wish that there was an easy answer.

I very much doubt if the DE came up with the idea of replacing the District Chairman all by himself?

Replacing anyone can be done when the District Charter runs out. We all serve one year at a time. Our council strongly suggests that the term of office for a District Chairman be a 3 year term.

The big question I would ask is why does the DE feel that the Chairman has to go? And what does the District Commissioner say?

We have in our council seen a District Chairman replaced because he wasn't supporting the council, this as you know is part of what a District is to do. However this didn't come from the DE but from the SE.

I agreed with the decision, but I think had the Chairman in this case gone to the board he might have been able to make his case. The SE could have revoked his BSA membership, but he didn't and this District Chair was a Executive Board member until such a time as the charter ran out.

Eamonn.

[Sylvar]

The DE in this case has managed to PO everyone on the District Committee. My feeling is that the relationship between He (the DE) and the rest of the committee has broken down to the point that he wants to move EVERYONE out and start over. Sadly, I do not think he understands that he lacks the political capital to do this successfully.

 

 

 

[scoutldr]

Unfortunately, the ones with the real power on the District Committee rarely show up to use it...the CORs. The only other people on the Committee who have a vote are the other volunteers - District Members at Large, etc. The DE does not have a vote...on anything. He is there to guide, advise and provide suggestions by working with the other two members of the Key 3...the District Commissioner and the District Chair. Looks to me like the District Chair is still in unless he has resigned, reaches the end of his term, or is subject to a recall vote by the committee.

[BadenP]

Eamonn and Scoutldr are both correct in their assessments of the situation. As a former Sr.DE myself before we would replace a DC we would talk it over with the SE both suggesting possible replacements. Usually if a DC and DE do not see eye to eye the DChair will resign. In my own case I had some great DC's in my districts the Mayor and Police Chief of the districts who were powerful allies in helping get all our districts goals met.

 

One of my fellow DE's had the problem of coming new into a district and was instructed by the SE to replace the current DChair and DComm who he felt did not support the council, that poor guy went through some really tough times and as a result resigned less than a year later.

 

As far as the COR's are concerned Scoutldr is correct, at the last meeting for our district COR's only two showed up, myself being one.

IMHO scouting and politics just don't mix well, someone or group always ends up getting hurt.

[bbng]

May I interrrupt this to ask: What is meant by support the council? Is this support financial, or in terms of promoting events/activities, or some other type of support?

[Kahuna]

I think BadenP pretty much got it. Generally, unless there is some real violation to hang the guy on, it's better to let him serve his time, work around him as much as possible and the DE had durn sure better be sure the SE is backing him before he does anything drastic.

 

One of my district chairman was the one from hell. Got so bad we had a shouting match at a district camporee in front of other volunteers. Not a good situation (I was a lot younger, you know). But we managed to hold it together until his term was up. He committed suicide some years later. A miserable man, apparently.

[Fuzzy Bear]

bbng,

 

I will take a swing at your low inside curve ball.

 

Supporting the Council means several things. One is to encourage the District to attend Council activities and to make sure that the District doesn't interfere with Council activities. Encourage the District to sell popcorn and to support FOS. Encourage School night recruitment. Encourage Council Summer Camp attendance. Recruit new members to the District Committee and recommend key volunteers to the Council Committees. This is a two edged bat that we are swinging because any one of these can also help the District, help the D.E. and help the units. For those that don't do these things, it hurts the same groups/people that it helps; therefore one should lose their job if they are not doing these things.

 

I realize you want to make this a strike so let me have it.

 

 

FB

[bbng]

Thanks FB.