knotter Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Must a district committee take minutes of its meeting? In spite of the following I was told "The district is not a policy making body of the ******* Council. Therefore, the district does not need to take minutes. Executive Board, Executive Committee, Council Finance committees do take minutes. BYLAWS-ARTICLE VI, SECTION 6 (a) of the by laws states: The Scout executive shall be the chief executive officer of the corporation and shall have general direction over the administrative work of the corporation, subject to the authority and direction of the executive board. The Scout executive shall serve as the secretary of the local council, the executive board, its executive committee, all other committees of the executive board, and district committees and shall be a member ex officio of all committees of the executive board but without vote. The Scout executive may designate one or more representatives to serve as secretaries of district committees and, when necessary, committees of the executive board. BYLAWS-ARTICLE VI, SECTION 6 (f) of the by laws states: The Scout executive shall see that notices are sent to those elected as members of the local council and the executive board and as officers of the corporation and to those appointed as members of committees; and shall cause notices to be sent out of all meetings for which provision is made hereunder and be responsible for the minutes of all meetings of the local council, executive board, and committees of which the Scout executive is secretary. (This message has been edited by knotter)(This message has been edited by knotter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosetracker Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Are the header "SM" standing for something other then ScoutMaster? Cause I don't know what the subject has to do with ScoutMasters??? Anyway, don't know the true answer I do know our council District Committee did not have a secretary take notes for years until a few meetings back.. I also know the only committee voting we do is to vote on who will be members at large for the following year.. (So basically we just vote ourselves in for another year).. (This message has been edited by a staff member.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beavah Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Yah, poorly written bylaws are a stock and staple of the BSA. Properly speakin', there is no reason that a district committee should necessarily take minutes in the legal sense of minutes (recording official decisions of a civil or corporate governing body). Lots of times folks use the term "minutes" to refer to somethin' more like a running record of the meeting that is used for communications purposes. Sure, the district committee should do something that communicates its work to others - web site summary, recorded list of task assignments, etc. The format of that is up to them and what they feel is most useful. Don't be expectin' your SE to come and take minutes at every district committee meeting, though! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlyn_LeRoy Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Are the header "SM" standing for something other then ScoutMaster? Cause I don't know what the subject has to do with ScoutMasters??? In this case, maybe sadomasochism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 SM: "Scant minutes"? Or, "Secretary missing"?(This message has been edited by njcubscouter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 At PDL-1, I was taught one of the DE's jobs was to write the minutes and distribute them to the committee members for their records, and for approval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Tree Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 "Simply Misunderstood"? committees of which the Scout executive is secretary. I don't think the SE is the secretary for the district committees. As a matter of practice, I'd think the district committee would be well served to send out minutes, but I don't see how it's the case that they "must". But there is more to the story. Would sending out minutes really solve whatever the issue is here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotter Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 No one in the district knows what is going on. Ask a question--- answer ---- What do you want that for? Ask several questions ---- Get labiled truble maker! Try to follow national guide lines. ---- Get told you are circumventing council poloicy. Ask what are the council policies ---- receive no answer or conflicting answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotter Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 "Yah, poorly written bylaws are a stock and staple of the BSA. What is poorly written? "The Scout executive shall serve as the secretary of the local council, the executive board, its executive committee, all other committees of the executive board, and district committees"Quote from the by-laws. " The Scout executive may designate one or more representatives to serve as secretaries of district committees " Quote from the by-laws. " and be responsible for the minutes of all meetings of the local council, executive board, and committees of which the Scout executive is secretary.Quote from the by-laws. The only reason for not hving minutes (an official record of prodedings) is so you can not be held accountiable for your actions or in actions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocubdad Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 You in Basementdweller's district? Here's how you solve the problem -- quit. Focus on your unit and Scouts. Do some real Scouting. Teach a bunch of new kids how to whip a rope or build a fire. Take a bunch of Webelos on a nature hike. Show a kid how much better a burger tastes cooked on a wood fire than even on the grill at home. Let the politicos and empire builders have at it. If you are at the level of worrying about official minutes of a district meeting, it's time to refocus. Welcome back to Scouting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotter Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 This problem started when after 6 months delay I had to fight to get an Eagle board of review for one of my Boys! Quit? I think not! Fight for the boys? YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocubdad Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Roger that. I'll give you that one. But who cares about district committee meeting minutes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotter Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 The hold-up was at the district level. No records = no evidence as to why! How can you hold someone accountiable for thier actions or inctions when there are no records just opinions and excuses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Where is your COR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotter Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 CORs are not welcome at the district meetings. It took over three years for the people involved to recognize that the CORs are district committee members. The COR for my unit was made to feel unwanted and that he was intruding. So there are no CORs that regulary attend district meetings. This is just the tip of the ice-burg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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