Committe Chair issue

[fred johnson]

Plus ... SM + MBC is two applications because one is a troop registration and the MBC is a district registration. Two different units.

[Basementdweller]

Council tells us volunteers the do a new background check with every app....now if that is true or not.......honestly I just don't see them wasting the money doing my background check for the 8th time.....

 

No doubt some do and some don't. Consistency in the BSA

[jc2008]

Am I reading the original posters rant wrong?

 

This one guy is stuck with leading the entire pack and doing all the paperwork for it. Her and her husband have 0 time to step up to even be the Cubmaster and run Pack Meetings. The guy is keeping Committee chair, so all her husband has to do is be the showman for the Pack Meeting and keep the kids pumped up? I assume her husband attends the pack meetings so no big difference in leading them than just sitting there.

 

Complaining on how this one guy doesn't plan campouts or make events great for the pack? He is one guy! Suggestions on what work he should be doing is TOTALLY different from saying "Hi, we will handle the plans for the blue and gold and make it awesome", that works a lot better than saying "You know you could do this and this and that and make it good, yes you do the work and I will just sit here and tell you what you should be doing!"

 

I donno, I would suggest to take a BIG step back and look at how the Pack must look from this guy and his wife's vision. They are having to fill every position and be responsible for everything. You need to actually step up and DO things, not just expect this poor couple to do everything on their own, or do things that you suggest.

 

I would highly recommend having a parent meeting and getting more parents to step up in your Pack. If you do not get ANY parents willing to step up and help out next year with the Pack, well then I would consider the Pack dead. Have ideas of things that the parents can step up and help out with. Be proactive by volunteering yourself to plan an event or two. Packs are only great packs if the parents put the time and effort into them. Its very hard for one couple to do it all alone.

 

[Basementdweller]

I think your reading it right...

 

the only part that is grey is how the "help/services" were offered..... Was it in passing in a conversation......I am guilty of missing those offers......Or was it point blank.....as in.....I want to plan the Blue and gold banquet.......

 

 

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Am I reading the original posters rant wrong?

 

This one guy is stuck with leading the entire pack and doing all the paperwork for it. Her and her husband have 0 time to step up to even be the Cubmaster and run Pack Meetings. The guy is keeping Committee chair, so all her husband has to do is be the showman for the Pack Meeting and keep the kids pumped up? I assume her husband attends the pack meetings so no big difference in leading them than just sitting there.

 

Complaining on how this one guy doesn't plan campouts or make events great for the pack? He is one guy! Suggestions on what work he should be doing is TOTALLY different from saying "Hi, we will handle the plans for the blue and gold and make it awesome", that works a lot better than saying "You know you could do this and this and that and make it good, yes you do the work and I will just sit here and tell you what you should be doing!"

 

I donno, I would suggest to take a BIG step back and look at how the Pack must look from this guy and his wife's vision. They are having to fill every position and be responsible for everything. You need to actually step up and DO things, not just expect this poor couple to do everything on their own, or do things that you suggest.

 

I would highly recommend having a parent meeting and getting more parents to step up in your Pack. If you do not get ANY parents willing to step up and help out next year with the Pack, well then I would consider the Pack dead. Have ideas of things that the parents can step up and help out with. Be proactive by volunteering yourself to plan an event or two. Packs are only great packs if the parents put the time and effort into them. Its very hard for one couple to do it all alone.

What JC said in spades!

 

It sounds like your Pack is made up of a bunch of folks who want it all, but don't want to actually DO ANYTHING. They want "Someone Else" to do the work to make the Pack go.

 

It is NOT the job of the CC (or CM) to plan/run Blue & Gold, Pinewood Derby, or campouts. That should all be done by other volunteers (leaders, parents) in the Pack. But wait, there ARE no other folks willing to step up and take on these activities. The CC/CM/COR can only do so much without any help. So some activities fall by the wayside.

 

Training new leaders - Again, this is the job of a Pack Trainer, or your Council/District, not a CC/CM/COR who is already over worked. Perhaps the CC directed the new Tiger leaders to the BSA's online training, and/or your Council/District's in-person training, and they just did not wish to take advantage of any of it. With everything else your Pack wants the CC to do for it, he does not have the time to spoon-feed leaders who are unwilling to do anything for themselves too.

 

Being "forced" into the CM position - A Pack can NOT be rechartered without someone registered as Cubmaster on the charter. A Committee Chair can NOT register as BOTH a CC, AND a CM. It sounds like the CC asked folks to step up as CM, and could get NOBODY to commit. At that point the CC, and COR had 2 choices -

1) Declare the Pack officially dead, and close down completely.

2) Put the name of someone on the charter as CM to give the Pack a bit of a reprieve, and then - hopefully - find someone who will be willing to actually do the job.

 

It seems your CC chose option # 2.

 

Silly him. It sounds like he should have chosen option #1.

 

BTW - it seems like every Council is different in how it handles recharter positions within a unit. My Council is also one of those that does NOT require a brand new application when positions are being changed WITHIN the SAME unit. We are allowed to simply change position titles on the charter at recharter time. The Charter Org signs off on it, and the new charter, with new positions, is a done deal.

[jc2008]

One technique that would work well for a parent meeting that I have seen used for other things is bring a whiteboard with all the activities you would like to do this year, f,ex write:

Pack Campout

Pack Hike

Pack Pinewood Derby

Pack Blue and Gold

Pack Raingutter Regatta

Pack Can Drive

 

Have this whiteboard up in front of the parents and start with the first activity on the list and say, ok Who would like to organize the . If no one steps up put a big X through the event and say "guess we won't be doing that this year"

 

If these parents have any sort of regard for their kids scouting experience they will catch on after a few big black X's through events that things don't happen unless someone steps up to organize them.

And if everything gets X-ed out, no one can really complain since they sat there and let it happen.

 

[Polaris]

One technique that would work well for a parent meeting that I have seen used for other things is bring a whiteboard with all the activities you would like to do this year, f,ex write:

Pack Campout

Pack Hike

Pack Pinewood Derby

Pack Blue and Gold

Pack Raingutter Regatta

Pack Can Drive

 

Have this whiteboard up in front of the parents and start with the first activity on the list and say, ok Who would like to organize the . If no one steps up put a big X through the event and say "guess we won't be doing that this year"

 

If these parents have any sort of regard for their kids scouting experience they will catch on after a few big black X's through events that things don't happen unless someone steps up to organize them.

And if everything gets X-ed out, no one can really complain since they sat there and let it happen.

I have always thought about doing this, but I have been too scared to try it! Currently, we place the activities/volunteer descriptions for the year on several pages and go around the room and solicit volunteers. Unfortunately, I had two parents fail to follow through with their project and as usual, I picked up the slack. I know......I know......I am enabling them, but I don't want the kiddos to suffer because of slacking parents.

[Fehler]

The problem with the erasure plan is you get "Ah, the Pinewood Derby is no big whup." If the Blue and Gold wasn't fun last year, no one will care if its cancelled this year. So, get one good year of fun activities, make sure the kids enjoyed it, and then threaten the whiteboard.

[Brewmeister]

It sounds like the OP needs to take some training herself to find out how a pack is supposed to work. I'm still wondering why a husband who "works weekends" has no time to be CM. Are pack meetings on Saturday afternoon? Step up or quit complaining.

[mashmaster]

As a committee chair I feel for the guy. I am our committee chair and I have to basically do everything other than run the pack meetings and treasurer duties. THankfully I have a great treasurer otherwise I might go insane. I have an outdoor activity coordinator but that usually entails me giving him the previous plan that I did and he changes the dates. I've been looking for an assistant for a year without success, in two years when my son moves up to Boy Scouts, I plan to move as well. having a plan to pass along the knowledge is a great thing but everyone just tells me that I do a great job and gives me a Starbucks card every once in a while. I'd rather have an assistant....