Forming a new council

[Gold Winger]

How does one go about forming a new council? Is it even possible in today's Scouting universe?

 

Suppose that the troops in my district were very dissatisfied with our council. Suppose also that Daddy Warbucks had a son in Scouting (Little Orphan Andy) and told us that if we formed a new council, he'd donate a few million to the coffers of the new council.

 

Could this be done? Would all of the troop in our geographic area suddenly become part of the council?

 

Pedants need not participate.

 

[ScoutNut]

Since all councils are chartered, and owned by, the National organization, that would be the place to start. I believe that the local council would also have to agree to relase the charters of the affected units.

 

Forming a new council is not just creating something from nothing. A council is already there, you would be affecting all of the people in that established council, not only the people in the area you were separating from it.

 

It would be very hard to convince National to split a council up, Daddy Warbucks or not. There would have to be extrordinary, overriding, reasons involved, not simply - we don't like our current council.

[GernBlansten]

Aren't councils separate corporations, franchises, of the BSA product?

With those franchises, national grants the council exclusive rights to a region.

If you want to open a McDonalds franchise in an area, you go to McDonalds national office and make a proposal. They tell you there's a McDonalds already across the street from where you want yours. You say you don't like they way they operate. They say tough. Go buy them, but you ain't gonna open one across the street.

 

So I'd suggest that Daddy Warbucks puts his money into buying himself a slot on the executive board and getting the SE in his back pocket. He could essentially turn the old council into his vision of a council. Maybe even get a dining hall named after himself.

[Trevorum]

New councils are formed all the time - but only through the merger of two or more smaller councils. I think the last time a new council was formed out of whole cloth was probably in the 1930s. Since then, all territory has been taken.

[NeilLup]

What do you think that your new council would do that your current council is not doing? Would it not be a lot simpler and more satisfying to arrange for your current council to provide the services that you want.

[Gold Winger]

Why?

[NeilLup]

Occam's Razor.

[FScouter]

Yeah, but there's a certain satisfaction to trashing what is and replacing with one's own creation. Easier too if one has difficulty working with people. Besides, the pendants won't like it so there's even more satisfaction.

[emb021]

"New councils are formed all the time - but only through the merger of two or more smaller councils. I think the last time a new council was formed out of whole cloth was probably in the 1930s. Since then, all territory has been taken."

 

Not so.

 

My home council was formed sometime in the 1960s, as a split off from another council (Sunnyland). The council area was growing and could support another council.

 

Funny thing that:

 

* back in the 1930s, the territory covered by this split off was its own council, and it and Sunnyland were formed about the same time. However, the council had financial problems and went under, to be merged into Sunnyland.

 

* in the 1990s, Sunnyland was in dire financial straits, and IT was merged into my home council. Bit of a turn around...

 

 

So new councils COULD be formed, but by split off territory from an existing council. My feeling is that National doesn't want to do that.

 

[Bob White]

Yes, it is possible to form new councils.

 

But it sounds like your question is not based on the current financial strength your council but on the service and program offered in your scouting community. Since those services are largely provided by volunteers perhaps your real solution should be to select better people as scouters in your area?

 

A new council would only put more professionals in your area, it will not improve the quality of your local volunteers in any way. So a new coucil would have no effect on your situation.

 

Perhaps instead of using the newly found millions of dollars to start another council, your benefactor put it to use to fund additional training resources in your community and to entice all the leaders there to attend. That could actually resolve your issuse more effectively.