mergers and alignments

[ScoutMythBuster]

In our ever changing world Councils and Districts are constantly merging and lines are changing. We just had a District Level Merger and all of the units near me are in a different district. I know I can go to whatever Roundtable I wish but I would prefer to go to my own District's. That being said; is there anyway for my unit to join another District officially. This is not for political reasons, head butting or anything else. It is 100% based on geographic location.

[Basementdweller]

Our district merged with a neighboring distict.........To be very blunt it is City folks verse Country folks. Country folks are mostly two parent wealth scouters. They drive huge crew cab diesel trucks to round table and moved round table 20 miles south of the scouting population center for the council.

 

Even though we are all scouts. They make it very clear that us folks from the city and our scouts are far inferior to their program and the way of doing business.

 

 

I have had enough of district BS. I am going to attend a neighboring district program from now on, It is 15 miles closer, well financed because it is a rich suburb and well organized.

 

I have chatted with the COR about seeing if we can change districts. My FOS donation is already going to a different council and I joined a friends of organization to work at a camp that treated my scouts well. We are leaving our council to participate in a Beaver Day at that camp.

[ScoutMythBuster]

In our case it is city vs city. Our neighborhoods are very seperated and territorial. In my case, we are on the border of a neighboring District. Their Roundtable is 5 minutes away vs 30. Plus the closest units to mine are in the other District, 2 miles away instead of 15 miles.

[ScoutMythBuster]

My question is, will a Council redraw the lines of a District for this ?

 

[Basementdweller]

They won't redraw boundaries.

 

But we can completely withdraw from our assigned district and participate with a neighboring district.

[fred8033]

Redraw? Probably not.

 

Reassign your unit(s) to another district? Very possible ... depending on who you talk to and how you handle it.

 

Our district had a pack and troop that did that. Physically, they were located in a neighboring district. Officially, they were members of our district. I think they just said roundtable was much closer and all the scouts that joined their units and/or interacted with their scouts were located in our district.

 

I'd politely and very softly pursue it. Then, just start attending the preferred district roundtables, activities and events. Eventually, the council will recognize the existing situation and more your unit(s) into the appropriate district.

 

Essentially, the council has no way to "force" you to attend a specific roundtable and/or support a specific district. AND at the preferred district's roundtable, they will not ask you to leave. I think they'll be just happy to have your unit involved with a district.

[Papadaddy]

Our council went from 4 districts to 7 about 10 years ago. This year, we went back down to 4. In the first split, our DE allowed us to stay in our district based on the home address of the COR. Our meeting place (church) was in a different city (actually on the line). Legal? Dunno. But it worked. Finagling can be done.

[Eagle92]

A few comments.

 

1) Ask. I know we had folks a few years back that found it easier to attend my district's RT and events than the district they were in. They talked to council, and the two towns these units were in are now in my district.

 

2) District's are there to SUPPORT units. While some things may get interesting, recruiting new members and OA camp promos and unit elections come immediately to mind, nothing says you have to do your own district's activities.

[Eamonn]

Most of the time there is a reason why Districts merge or get realigned.

While there can be lots of reasons most often it has to do with membership and or finances.

The truth is that other than a few District type volunteers, who more than lightly are as unhappy as anyone about changes, no one really cares where you go to attend R/T, where you camp what events you choose to attend or not attend.

 

So you choose to go with the District down the road.

The down side is that your more than lightly not on their mailing lists, so finding out what's going on might be a little harder.

No matter what happens the District that the Council has you in will get the credit for the good stuff you do.

Go out and recruit a bunch of new Scouts, they will be listed as being in the District you black balled.

Donate a lot of cash -Same thing.

While this might not matter to you?

It seems a little unfair that the guys who are allowing you to participate in what they are doing (Like it or not as your not a member you are a guest! Yes you need an invite, you can't just decide this is what you want.) Are not benefiting from having you along.

If you have a Unit Commissioner? He will hail from the District that your supposed to be in.

There's a chance that if there are competitive events in this District that your really not a member of and you start doing well, some of the real District Members might get a little peeved.

If you have adults who have worked hard for the old District over the years and you jump ship, they can kiss the chance of ever receiving the District Award of Merit good-bye.

As an ex-district chairman, I'd ask you to think long and hard before jumping ship.

The grass might be closer, but maybe it's not as green.

Eamonn.