Unit Support.

[Eamonn]

Talking with some of the Unit Leaders in the District, I get the feeling that a good many of them expect the District to organize, plan and run things, which they will participate in.

For example.

Someone messed up and the Spring Camporee somehow ended up on Mother's Day Weekend.

At the District meeting I said that this wasn't a good thing. We went around and around, I offered to organize and run a one day orienteering event / competition.

Some members of the District Committee were unhappy. Their reasoning being that we need a camp for the younger Scouts who crossed over, before they go to summer camp.

I got some really strange looks when I said it was up to the Troop to organize a monthly outdoor event and they really shouldn't rely on the District to provide them with their program.

The District Membership Committee has come up with a plan for the Spring Tiger Recruitment.

The Committee is all set to contact the schools, has events that Packs can use if they want to use them. Flyer's can be made and sent home with the little fellows.

But the committee feels that it is up to each Pack to decide if they want to participate and if they do participate they need to come up with: When, Where and man the event.

I'm now being told that this isn't the way it should be done!!

A good many of the Pack Leaders feel that the Committee should take on running the entire show!

Am I wrong?

I see the District working to help and support the units not taking over tasks that the unit should or could do if they want to.

Eamonn

[Gold Winger]

I'm with you E. District activities should be an adjunct to the unit activities.

 

As an aside. My son's troop oftent leaves for Summer Camp on father's day and no one complains. Buuuuut, schedule something for Mother's Day and it is the end of the world. Who says that women aren't in charge of the universe?

 

 

[Eamonn]

Gold Winger,

You posted " Who says that women aren't in charge of the universe? "

I'll have to ask Her Who Must Be Obeyed and get back to you on that one!

Ea.

 

 

[clydesdale115]

We just had this very discussion at Roundtable last week. Our District Activities Chair brought up that district and council would be meeting soon to lay out next year's calendar. He said flat-out that there would be no district spring camporee next year and no district spring Cub event (aside from district PWD).

 

He said we just have so much going on between the district and council that all our weekends are being taken and units don't have time (or perhaps inclination!) to plan unit events. Maybe he too has been seeing that folks expect district to plan something so the units don't have to.

 

I think we have active packs and troops in our area that don't NEED the district to schedule activities, but I'm sure some units think, "Why bother planning our own Pack campout in April if the district is having another Cub-o-ree?"

 

clyde

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lisabob]

Funny, we are having that same conversation in our district about Spring Tiger Recruiting (which isn't wildly successful most years, but we do it anyway). This year the membership committee have offered to do a show&sell style "Join Cub Scouts" day outside several local stores. We (district membership) will get approval from the stores, set up displays, and publicize the event. All we ask is that packs support this district-wide recruiting effort by helping staff the tables for an hour or two. So far response from packs has been tepid.

 

Last fall we held a community recruiting event for boy scout troops. We had representatives of all local troops attend, with demonstrations/hand outs/activities to do. We promoted it heavily among webelos leaders as one way for them to forge connections to area troops well in advance of cross-over season. In one town where we did this, of 10 packs, not one webelos leader, not one webelos youth, attended the event.

 

Yet recruiting remains an issue and many unit leaders tell us how hard it is to do well. Our small membership committee is open to trying new or different things in support of units but sometimes I admit I wonder whether it makes any difference.

 

What else can we do for them? Why aren't they doing this themselves?

 

 

[fgoodwin]

E and GW: didn't your fathers explain "The Rules" to you when you were getting married?

 

Rule No. 1: The woman is never wrong.

Rule No. 2: When in doubt, refer to Rule No. 1.

 

I've been married 22 wonderful years and they've been all the happier because I followed "The Rules"!!

 

[Eamonn]

Lisabob

I kinda think part of the problem lies in the fact that District and Council Committees feel that they need to do something.

Many if not most of the adults who serve at the Unit level do put vast amounts of time and energy into meeting and serving the needs of the youth that are in the unit at any given time.

Of course this is in no way a bad thing.

I'm not sure how getting the idea that they are just passing through and are not going to be around forever. Along with the idea that they need to be stewards of the unit for the youth that will follow can be put across?

Eamonn.

 

[Lisabob]

Good point E. I get frustrated sometimes, looking at recruiting/retention numbers because I can see that in the same town, some units are going gangbusters and others are barely limping along. The gangbusters ones don't need our help. The others might, but they are either so wrapped up in dealing with unit problems, or their leaders are so burned out, that they don't usually take advantage of whatever resources we offer anyway. Something of a catch-22.

 

I will continue trying to sell "service to units" as the purpose of our district committee existence, rather than "make work for units." I suppose, having never seen most of our district committees operate this way in the past, it could take a long time to convince unit leaders that we're serious about it.

[Eamonn]

Lisabob

A lot of what we do comes down to a matter of trust.

We all want and need people who really care about us and what we do.

If we are only doing something in order to meet some goal or look good on paper??

We are sunk before we start.

As you know I don't hold out much faith in the future of Commissioner Service.

I do think that a Unit Commissioner who really does care for the Unit and all the people in the unit (Not just the youth leaders!!) is the best kind of support.

Sadly most times District and Council types have so much to do they just don't have the time to get to know the people and find out what the real needs are.

We (Me) end up going on half truths, gossip!! Or reports that just don't really give the full picture.

In a couple of other threads the old "Give a man a fish..." has been brought up.

Having a handful of District people running around trying to spoon feed unit leaders is not ever going to work. In fact I think it ends up doing more harm than good.

Giving real ownership of the unit and the program to everyone involved in the unit: The CO, COR, Committee Members and the youth leaders, along with quality training's. Will go a long way to help.

Sometimes the best question is "What are you going to do about this?" Not "This is what we are going to do!"

Ea.

[michael083]

This is very timely. As our Council Activities & Civic service Chmn, I just laid it out for the Districts that we are there to SUPPLIMENT the unit program, not REPLACE it.

 

We have Districts that have run a fall camporee, klondike derby, first aid meet, spring camporee, pinewood derby, cubmobile, spring and fall Tiger & Cub days. (all in one year) They do not give the units any time to do unit activity.

 

We had to bring it all to a screeching halt. Needed to remind them that the District Activity & Civic Service is charged with ONE event for each program (Tigers, Cubs, Scouts Ventures), ONE service project, ONE Scout Week celebration and ONE leader recognition event. The Council is doing the Service Project, all they have to do is tie-in and promote. They can combine the events, and Districts can work together/cross promote to provide a range of quality events...and the units lose nothing!

 

This is being met with resistance from some "entrenched" members, but in the words of the Borg, "Resistance is futile".

 

Michael in Kalamazoo