district committee problems

[moosetracker]

This district is so riled up already by the other volunteers on the committee, I would need to work very hard at being aggressive to be considered just one of the gang.. Who knows, maybe their behavior and attitude will rub off on me over time.. Wont you just love that!!

 

BadenP, you also have an "agressive my way is the only way attitude".. (Love it)..

 

[Twocubdad]

I've refrained from commenting on this as I've had a hard following, and maybe the number and complexity of the district's problems is the key factor.

 

Unless you just like turmoil and politics, I'd punt. Tell the district committee (who ever the heck that may be) thanks but no thanks.

 

Our district is nowhere near as screwed up as yours seems to be. I "played the game" for a long time and finally realized the turmoil and politics have little to do with Scouting. I am now perfectly content to serve the boys in my troop and provide them with the best program I can. I don't need the rest of the garbage.

 

If you enjoy serving Scouting as a trainer, by all means stick with that. But that does not require membership on the district committee and it sure doesn't require taking on all these other problems.

 

Life is too short. Time to do what you enjoy is too short. Don't waste your time on that committee.

[moosetracker]

Twocubdad -

 

Thanks, it is definately a brew-ha-ha I am getting into. But the reason I want in right now is to help my career.. I am a programmer / analyst and have just trained on new software that can pull together data from a multitude of different databases and other places like excel, text files etc. Then combine them and create data analysis and data-mining.. It is exciting because until recently only maga-sized companies could afford to build them. Now they are accessable to any company.. It is the wave of the future.

 

I am all trained up, but my company is not to the point that I can utilize it. The district has it's data stored all over the place and would love to organize and do analysis on it. I need this type of data to practice on.. We are both mutually excited about the possibilities.

 

If it were not for the fact that this is what I need to move foreward professionally, I would be thinking twice about this.

 

If I don't need to be Training Chair and can just concentrate on what I really want to do in the training position that will be great. I still don't know how I can be the only person in the Training group and not have everything involving training dumped on me anyway..

[AvidSM]

Moosetracker,

As a District Commissioner, here is some advice from my point of view.

 

Don't try to solve your district's problems. My district committee is not a high functioning team and I don't expect it to be. Except for the DE, we are all volunteers looking to help where we can. We don't all get along and we tend to waste time in meetings on trivial matters that have no bearing on what needs to get done. Some people just need to be heard and to get their point across. Others need their ego's stroked. The DE is there because it's his job and he has certain things that need to be accomplished.

 

I would hope that you joined your district committee to help in some way. You need to get past the petty politics that exist with any committee and find your place where you can be useful.

 

There is probably a core group of people in your district that make the real decisions and get the job done - outside of the meetings. These people may not be who you think they are; they may or may not have a chair position nor do most of the talking. You are the new guy and this core group needs to get to know you and where you are coming from.

 

Stay focused on what you what to accomplish, offer your help where you think it's needed and these people will eventually give you some responsibility - once you prove yourself.

 

[moosetracker]

AvidSM,

 

Thank-you, I think you summed up very eloquently what I got out of this whole thread.

 

If your worried about my very last comment don't be.. Baden was just trying to ruffle my feathers, I like to reciprocate..