Choosing NonParticipation in Friends Of Scouting

[SeattlePioneer]

While my council has been doing very well for years, my district has been going downhill for years due to poor leadership.

 

This past year I sought to remedy that by insisting that the procedures for appointing a nominating committee to select district leaders be followed.

 

However, a year later, still no nominating committee. The district chair is either unable to find three volunteers willing to serve or not interested in doing so. So far, no interest by the Council Field Director in doing anything about that.

 

 

So what to do?

 

I'm currently considering bailing on the Blue and Gold Dinner solicitation for Friends of Scouting that our pack has usually done, raising $1500 or so. Instead, I'm considering proposing that we solicit funding for our Chartered Organization, which has as it's principle object maintaining a very nice urban camp about three miles from our pack meeting location. They make use of this camp available to any youth group at no charge.

 

Just not interested in begging for money for a district that is doing a poor jobs, and apparently wants to continue with that.

 

 

 

[desertrat77]

[Edited after I read Baden P's excellent post below]

 

 

[qwazse]

SP - My only suggestion is to not go off half cocked. You may be bothered by these shenanigans, but your committee and CO may not. I've known boards to turn away donations if the motive of the donor seems like political grandstanding. Make your case clearly about why you think any money you make should go in a different direction, and be sure it's all about programming that can be purchased and not about your opinion of the leadership.

[LeCastor]

 

However, a year later, still no nominating committee. The district chair is either unable to find three volunteers willing to serve or not interested in doing so. So far, no interest by the Council Field Director in doing anything about that.

 

 

So what to do?

 

 

Just not interested in begging for money for a district that is doing a poor jobs, and apparently wants to continue with that.

 

 

 

Seattle, have you considered being one of those volunteers to serve on the nominating committee? I hear you complaining about how bad the district is and how no one is stepping up to help. Be the change you want to see in your district.

 

That's what I have done. I jumped at the chance to be Roundtable Comissioner and now that I've shown my face the district committee is jumping at the chance to have new blood at the district level. Only problem is I can't feasibly do all the work they want from me.

 

I appreciate your idea to withhold funds from an under-performing district but, at the same time, I wonder if you might continue to fund it but get your hands dirty and make as difference as a commissioner, committee member, or whatever. Perhaps you already are.

 

This kind of feels like being unwilling to pay taxes to the government because they're just going to squander it. Am I right?

[BadenP]

SP- You need to understand that FOS supports the COUNCIL not the district, the council provides camps, trainings, council wide activities, and a professional staff to assist volunteers with problems in the units. If your district is apathetic that is not the councils problem, as the DE can only talk to and counsel the committee not force people to join. You unit leaders need to talk to the parents in your units who are doing nothing to support their son's scouting experience and remind them that scouting is a family involved activity that needs their participation to be successful.

[jpstodwftexas]

For Some people...For Others their Councils seem to squander the Money Raised through FOS...What if your Council held no Summer Camp at it's one Camp for 15 Years....What if That Camp was Barely Maintained....What if that Council held 2 Cub Scout Events at Camp and Until Recently Held their two Boy Scout Events at State Parks and rarely at the Camp...How Much does it Cost to Run 1 Merit Badge Council...How Mush Does it Cost to Hold Roundtable...

 

What percentage of FOS supports Scouts directly...

 

Should Parent(s) be worried about supporting the Unit(s) their son(s) is/are in Directly..Would 150.00 directly to a Unit benefit it a lot Better than getting maybe 1% Back

 

Sounds to Me like for the OP...They would be Better off Raising Money for their CO...Does that Council Have a Camp...Is it up to the Standards of the CO's Free Camp? Is it Better?

[desertrat77]

 

Seattle, have you considered being one of those volunteers to serve on the nominating committee? I hear you complaining about how bad the district is and how no one is stepping up to help. Be the change you want to see in your district.

 

That's what I have done. I jumped at the chance to be Roundtable Comissioner and now that I've shown my face the district committee is jumping at the chance to have new blood at the district level. Only problem is I can't feasibly do all the work they want from me.

 

/QUOTE]~~

 

LeCastor, good thoughts and I know SP can answer for himself....

 

But let me offer something that I've seen in my many travels, a very real scenario: not every district is jumping at the chance for new blood. In fact, quite the opposite. A couple districts I've served in have made no bones about it, they aren't interested in your ideas, your willingness to fill a vacancy, etc., even if there is a gaping hole in the district and you are the perfect person to fill it.

 

Sure, you can sign on as a UC (always room for one more on the roster!) but you better just sit in that folding chair and be silent.

 

Some districts are Olde Boys Clubs, tried and true. They've got a particular way of doing things. Your scout spirit, humbleness, courtesy, training, experience--doesn't mean jack to them. After all, you are A New Guy, someone who has the latest edition of the council patch on your uniform and not The One From 1978, the one that the In Crowd wears, and you didn't go to WB in the early '80s with them back when Old Bill Smith was the course director, etc. It's all about them, the intrigue they generate and perpetuate, and preserving the sand castle they built.

 

In SP's case, I gather from his posts he's already got a full plate, but you touched on another aspect of scouting--being loaded up like a rented mule. Some districts are happy you volunteered once, twice, three times, four times, and will just keep adding duties and the next thing you know, yet another promising scouter has gone from highly committed to sway-back and broken down. Burn out is a very real thing. We need more long-term strong scouters with manageable duties, and fewer that peak and quit because they were overloaded (either on purpose or without malice) and never come back.

[LeCastor]

"...not The One From 1978, the one that the In Crowd wears, and you didn't go to WB in the early '80s with them back when Old Bill Smith was the course director, etc. It's all about them, the intrigue they generate and perpetuate, and preserving the sand castle they built."

 

Desertrat, I guess those are the guys, with the WB beads and the coffee cups hanging from their belts, that someone mentioned in a post several weeks ago...

 

I certainly meant no disrespect to Seattle Pioneer. But it couldn't hurt to attempt to step up if needed. But then again, you bring up another point I was trying to make. We can't do it all.

 

Seattle, I guess I'm not sure that FoS funds wouldn't help your unit(s) in some way. Surely there's some kind of "infrastructure" in your council/district that is funded by these campaigns. Or am I just showing my naïveté?

 

 

 

[desertrat77]

LeCastor, I know you meant no disrespect to SP, and you are right, it wouldn't hurt at all to take on a necessary task.

 

LOL, those are the guys with the beads and belt cups! Critter songs too.

[SeattlePioneer]

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Well, I spent eight years as districtc membership chair and Unit Commissioner, two years as Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner and numerous years as a Friends of Scouting presenter, in addition to providing leadership at the unit level.

 

When I finally left as membership chair --- no one took my place. I only became Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner because when the previous person left, no one was recruited to do the job. When I left as Cub WScout Roundtable Commissioner, I recruited someone else to take my place because the district Commissioner and Chair had no interest in doing so. When that person left a year ago, no one took their place and no Cub Scout Roundtable is being held.

 

The district used to do an annual Baloo training --- it's gone. (At the last district meeting, they wondered why the number of Cub Packs doing Pack overnights was declining!)

 

 

I'm tired of enabling incompetent leadership.

 

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The council is very well run, But weak district leadership provides poor services to units.

 

 

Many district leaders have left, as they always will. The problem is that they are not being replaced because the district leadership isn;t doing that job.

 

I'm ready to find something else to do with my time as well. I've spent a year now to get the district to appoint the nominating committee they are supposed to appoint, and they have done NOTHING. I'm not inclined to support that incompetence by handing them more of my money, or encouraging others to donate.

 

 

 

 

 

[desertrat77]

SP, your words resonant. Recently I've realized that I've got to learn to say "no." Wasn't always that way. Nose to the grind stone, step into the breach, etc., regardless of the cost. It's hard to step back. But sometimes it's the right thing to do for your sanity. The district will either figure things out or continue to flounder.

 

Along those lines, I was talking to a non-scouting friend about scouting in general, and the challenges: declining numbers, units folding, parents unwilling to help in any capacity, self-satisfied leaders at district and above. His words hit home: "History is filled with worthwhile organizations that thrived for decades and then died. Why should the BSA be any different? As great as it is, if it doesn't change its ways, are you personally going to stem the tide?"

 

I'm not saying the BSA is going to die because a couple of scouters step back or quit. But my friends words sure put things in perspective. Even a few years ago, I would have viewed such a position as defeatist. But no more. Life is too short to fight certain battles.

[LeCastor]

SP, your words resonant. Recently I've realized that I've got to learn to say "no." Wasn't always that way. Nose to the grind stone, step into the breach, etc., regardless of the cost. It's hard to step back. But sometimes it's the right thing to do for your sanity. The district will either figure things out or continue to flounder.

 

Along those lines, I was talking to a non-scouting friend about scouting in general, and the challenges: declining numbers, units folding, parents unwilling to help in any capacity, self-satisfied leaders at district and above. His words hit home: "History is filled with worthwhile organizations that thrived for decades and then died. Why should the BSA be any different? As great as it is, if it doesn't change its ways, are you personally going to stem the tide?"

 

I'm not saying the BSA is going to die because a couple of scouters step back or quit. But my friends words sure put things in perspective. Even a few years ago, I would have viewed such a position as defeatist. But no more. Life is too short to fight certain battles.

 

 

This is LeCastor feeling sad and frustrated...If there were a crying face I'd put that one up here. LOL

 

Last night I was officially asked to be our district membership chair (in addition to SM, and RT Commish). I'm inclined to say yest because I want to help as best I can and I know no one else it gonna do it. That position has been vacant for well over a year, like Seattle Pioneer's situation. Heck, if nothing has been done recently then whatever I can get done with my limited time has to be better, right? Help me keep it positive, Desert and Seattle! You're my only hope! (Where's the Obi Wan Kenobi emoticon?)

[desertrat77]

LeCastor, I'll keep it positive! I'm positive you should say "no."

 

Once upon a time, I would have subscribed to the thought you shared--"anything I do is better than what was done before I came, which was nothing."

 

Truth is, your conscience won't let you actually do that. You'll feel the need to perform well, fix things, etc. Even if everyone says "Oh LeCastor, fret not, we just appreciate you doing what you can!" you won't really believe that. Your standards are higher. So you'll try to keep all the plates spinning, and the next thing you know, you aren't doing any of your duties well enough. Diminishing returns. Stress. Dissatisfaction. Burnout.

 

Irony department: you'll also take all of the whippings that the predecessor (now long gone) may have deserved. And the whippings that the district leadership deserves for being lazy not having recruited a new person earlier.

 

By saying no, it will have two benefits. One, the district will know that you have boundaries. Gotta set those. Two, they'll actually have to recruit someone to do the job, instead of loading up someone who is already doing the work of three people.

[LeCastor]

LeCastor, I'll keep it positive! I'm positive you should say "no."

 

That's the kind of Obi Wan Kenobi stuff I needed. I am too busy for another Scouting role and I would most likely neglect my Troop if I tried to do too much. Thanks, dude.

[SeattlePioneer]

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One thing to consider is what kind of program your Council Membership Chair might offer to help you along. After a number of years of NO support for district membership chairs, my council appointed a Council Membership Chair who has quarterly meetings for district membership chairs to pool ideas on what kinds of things to do and how. The Council Membership Chair also organized a council training meeting for unit leaders which had breakout sessions for ideas on how to do a variety of recruiting and retention programs.

 

 

The council has an annual training program aimed at all adult Scouters, and among the courses offered are classes on recruiting and retaining Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.

 

The people attending these training programs are likely candidates to contact for help in your district membership program.

 

In addition, you should find out what kind of partnership you can form with your District Executive to promote recruiting goals. I had a couple of DEs where we worked closely as partners, and two others that went their own way with no effort to coordinate activities.

 

If you are going to be part of an effective membership strategy, it's worth considering. If you are going to be on your own, you can expect to have tough sledding.