Getting elected to Executive board

[Mr. Boyce]

Svenzoid:

You're sure determined to make the shoe fit!

 

I saying that only partly humorously; it may be a sign of stubbornness.

 

I've been on many community boards of directors. Contributing dollars and connections is often the chief thing that these organizations seriously need. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this: having a council executive board comprised of people with money and connections.

 

Given your age (and perhaps your insistence here), I would suspect that you would not really be very happy if you actually were asked to serve on the board. Board work is group work; it requires an aptitude for following. . . not so much individual leadership. And yes, your age counts against you: most young people have yet to learn how organizations fit together; how budgets work; staff and management issues; general community considerations, etc. You would not really be able to much represent the community.

 

I admire your energy and your dedication to scouting. This is valuable. You might turn over in your head a few ways to specifically volunteer at your council: why not undertake, for instance, a project to raise funds and build a new camp building?

[ScoutNut]

Svendzoid - just a note on your "philosophy" -

 

"As for the financial aspect, my philosophy is a bit different. I believe that promoting scouting, its camps, program, and opportunities, will increase membership and increase cash flow. At the same time as getting more money from membership dues, it will expose scouting to more people (both youth and adults) and perhaps increase the number of adult volunteers.... (something money cant buy) I see it as a cycle, high membership leads to more money, more summer camp participation, more adult leaders; In turn more money helps to up-keep camp properties, and promote scouting."

 

 

You seem to be under the impression that one of a councils means of obtaining revenue is from membership dues. You state that the more Scouts and Scouters a council has the more money it has from dues. This is incorrect. The entire annual registration dues of $10 goes directly to National. Individual councils receive NO MONEY AT ALL from membership dues. This is why council product sales, FOS, and corporate donations are so important.

 

 

edited because typing before coffee is not a good thing!(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[svendzoid]

"Given your age (and perhaps your insistence here), I would suspect that you would not really be very happy if you actually were asked to serve on the board."

...no I think I would be happy.....

"Board work is group work; it requires an aptitude for following. . . not so much individual leadership......"

I think I can be a team player, each organization in scouting is different, so my council might "fit together" differently than yours....so I don't think prior learing is too important.

"You would not really be able to much represent the community."

Who knows....I like to think that I am involved in my community...more specifically my town....

"You seem to be under the impression that one of a councils means of obtaining revenue is from membership dues. You state that the more Scouts and Scouters a council has the more money it has from dues. This is incorrect. The entire annual registration dues of $10 goes directly to National. Individual councils receive NO MONEY AT ALL from membership dues. This is why council product sales, FOS, and corporate donations are so important."

More members normally equals more FOS donations and who knows....possibly more connections with "well off" people.

[Boris Badenov]

Svendzoid - I admire the interest in participating at that level and admire your spunk, but if you are looking for an in, I don't think ya got a snowballs chance in ...well you know.

 

No offense intended. Good luck to your campaign to get on your CEB. Let us know how it goes.

 

BB

 

 

[svendzoid]

Boris...Thanks for your comments. No Offense taken!

 

I realize the uphill....or upcliff battle I'm in. But I think it's worth it. I will of course, report on the outcome!

[Bob White]

I don't think anyone disagrees that a strong program helps drive membership growth and that membership growth brings benefits at many different levels. BUT Sven, you pointed out yourself that program happens at the unit level.

 

If your goal is to help improive program so that scouting membership grows I would recommend you get on the Roundtable or training staff.

[svendzoid]

I am trying to get involved on the district level...but it is proving to be harder then I thought!

[Beavah]

Yah, hmmm... now there yeh went and confused me, svendzoid.

 

Work at the district level is very different than work on the EB.

 

I'm all for you helpin' out at either level, eh? In part because I think our business in Scoutin' doesn't end at age 18 or 21. Young people IMO should be introduced to service on boards and good boardsmanship, and understandin' how significant charitable giving and good governance is, eh? A council board seems like da perfect place for a lad who has grown up with Scouting to get that initial experience.

 

I think, though, BW is right, eh? Yeh have to figure out what it is you really want to contribute to. The best and most important jobs in Scouting are at the unit level. That's where the real work gets done. Second most important are the folks providin' unit support at district, if the district and commish staff are actually workin' right. All da rest of us are low-level critters who just exist to quietly support infrastructure. If you're lookin' to district or council positions as a prestige thing then your thinkin' is all backward, eh?

 

I can't imagine that it's hard to get involved at the district level. Just start showin' up for District Committee meetings. Listen, introduce yourself around, ask questions durin' breaks, sit in on a committee you're interested in. After a few months when you start to figure out what's up, approach the District Pres or a Committee Chair and volunteer to help out. Easy!

 

If yeh have an interest in board work, ask your SE if yeh can just sit in quietly at the next meetin' because you want to learn what a NFP board does and how it operates. If he's a dingbat and says no, go ask over at your county Red Cross chapter or GoodWill or such and I bet they'll let yeh. It might well be that when yeh see what a board really does, you decide that's not where you think you want to contribute, but that's OK, eh?

 

B

 

[ScoutNut]

Getting involved at the District level is not hard at all! It is as easy as attending every Roundtable to get to know the District folks, when they say they need help with something (staffing a weekend of Cub Camp, staffing a day activity, helping with popcorn delivery or return, etc) be the first to sign up. It is as easy as taking all the training you can and telling them you would be interested in staffing future courses. It is as easy as signing up as a Merit Badge Counselor and working at your District's MB Day.

 

It IS easy, but it is NOT just for show. Working for your District is much more than simply sitting on a committee. It is WORKING for your District!

 

 

[Bob White]

It's hard getting on a District committee? I must say that I have never heard that before. My family once relocated 1000 miles from our home, We flew out one weekend to house hunt and by lunch on the first day I was asked to be the District Roundtable Commissioner.

 

I honestly don't think there is anything easier to accomplish in scouting then getting on a district committee.

[Lisabob]

I would second the comments from various people that getting onto a district committee is typically very, very easy (I'm a chair of one committee and if you showed up and said hey, I'd like to be part of what your committee does, I would probably be doing the "happy happy joy joy" dance - out of sight of course so as not to scare you!)

 

There are two exceptions. If people perceive that you aren't interested in doing the work, aren't reliable, and generally are a liability, THEN it may be hard to get onto a committee. I do know one Scouter who I would avoid like the plague if that individual tried to worm their way onto my committee, and if by some fault they ended up there anyway, I would give them endless busy work to do because from long experience, they cannot be trusted and they sow discord everywhere they go. However, I am assuming that this sort of description does not apply to you.

 

Or, if your district operates on the "old boy network" principle and you have no connections, THEN it might also be tougher.

 

But I can tell you, again from experience just like most of the other posters here, that actually serving on district committees is rather inglorious work. It may be important, but it is shadow work. And it is frustrating too because sometimes the line between supporting units and becoming over-involved in units' troubles can be a tough one not to cross. Speaking as my district's membership chair - yes I agree 100% that strong program = more members = healthier district = healthier council. But the wall I run into frequently is that strong program comes from WITHIN the unit! And while I can support units, I cannot run them all! Nor would many units want me to try to micro-manage them in that manner.

 

So again, think really hard about where you want to contribute. It sounds to me like your desire to build strong programs would translate well into working on district committees that are active in providing program (like camporee or summer camp), or by working directly in or with a struggling unit (maybe as a UC).

 

And if you are truly finding it so difficult just to get involved in the district committees, ask yourself why and whether that's the best place for your efforts anyway.

[svendzoid]

I am trying to get involved on the district level...but it is proving to be harder then I thought!

It's hard when your District Executive won't tell you the location of the meeting.

But again this thread is really about the executive board issue of allowing an 18-21 to serve on the board.

[jstephens42]

I'm sure this has been mentioned in the past, but to be on the council exec board, you would need to be registered in either positions 11-14 or 41. To be a registered adult leader in the BSA, you need to be 21 except for the assistant unit leader positions. You may also want to look into the Council Committee or the Council Advisory Board.

[John-in-KC]

Sven, your DE not telling you is a pretty weak excuse.

 

What's your Council website? What's you District? I'd like to visit your Council Calendar online.

 

I know my Council's calendar gives date, place, and time for every meeting under the sun. There are but a few, generally well out in the future, which have TBAs for place and time.

 

There are two other people in the Key 3 you might contact and ask: The District Chairman and the District Commissioner.

 

[svendzoid]

The district calendar gave the time. However the Location changes every few months, so no location was listed. (Calendar copied below.)

 

District Committee Meeting

 

 

Description: District Committee Meeting

Start Date/Time: 6/4/2008 7:00:00 PM

End Date/Time:6/4/2008 9:00:00 PM

Contact E-mail: *******@bsa***.org

 

 

I sent an email to the DE, He replied with no location, instead he demanded to know why I wanted to attend, and lectured me about how buisness needed to get done at these meetings. (It's funny because I used to volunteer for membership and attended district meetings untill the winter, Then the school work became so much that I had to stop going to district meetings, and this is what I get when I try to return.

 

He also mentioned that District Meetings were closed to people who were not on the district committee. I was under the impression that any member of the district could attend and listen in to the meeting.