Hey District, Are You Listening?

[Stosh]

Nope. All district cares about is getting info from us. Where do we go to summer camp (already asked and answered two years ago)? What are our JTE numbers? How many people did we recruit? What are our training stats? 

 

I have never seen a UC. I have never heard from my DE. My DC doesn't use my name in emails, just generically refers to me as "Key 3 member". The RTs are a waste of time. The training is a joke and has not changed in decades.

 

I get 10 times more from reading this forum than I have EVER gotten from district.

 

If that be the case, your council must really, really be bad news.  

[Gone]

If that be the case, your council must really, really be bad news.  

 

Council is okay. Not great but okay. They listen to units because they want us to use their camps. District can be summed up best by @@desertrat77 post above. 

 

Council at least tries to work with units because they know that if units fold their jobs may not be around. 

[Eagle94-A1]

I know we have. One unit is because they need to leave Saturday nite. Hopefully their new bishop and SM will get them active once again. One unit has not replied directly, just ignores callls and emails. Heck they were suppose to run an event at camporee, and never informed anyone on the camporee staff that they were not going.  I found out via a Facebook post that they were not going to camporee the monday before camporee! However one post on FB stated they believed there was too much politics on the district level, and they cannot get minimum number of Scouts for a patrol to go to council camporee.

 

IMHO the "politics" excuse is BS as the district has bent over backwards trying to get them involved. District committee meetings and RTs are at their CO, we've asked adults form the troop to be on the district level, etc. Heck the district went so far as to let them take over another troop's campsite that the original troop  put in for when campsite assingments were first made which the troop never went to the meeting. Very big deal since the original troop paid to have the water system put in the campsite, and the money used to build the shelter in the campsite was the result of a patch auctions from a deceased Scout's collection form the original troop.

 

As for council camporee, not having a minimum of 4 Scouts to compete may be a legitimate reason. But I'm willing to bet that if the Scouts knew about council camporee well enough in advance and actually made a calendar instead of the SM doing it, they may just want to go.

 

Sorry to rant, but you all know the frustration the unit has caused me.

[desertrat77]

Eagle, I'm tracking with you.   We have a couple units like that in our district...one is still that way, an the other had their long-time SM finally retire and they are starting to grow again.

 

For our last camporee, two troops couldn't muster enough scouts or adults, so they joined forces and camped/competed as one joint unit.   It was source of good humor throughout the weekend, as they insisted on saying their combined troop number, three digits of the one troop, plus the three digits of the other, all at once "Troop 123456 reports!"

 

They had one SPL for both troops, and a provisional patrol made up on the spot of five boys...and they took home a lion's share of awards.   Good cooperation from scouters and scouts...they made the best of it.

Edited May 8, 2015 by desertrat77

[oldisnewagain1]

 

Even when we do council-wide camporees, my district still doesn't show.  The council calendar is put out in August, spring camporee is always the first weekend in May and yet two units couldn't attend because they had major fundraising going on that weekend.

 

It's great that it is on the calendar early which helps the PLC plan but even with that information I have to wonder, why do the troops decide not to go? 

 

 One unit has not replied directly, just ignores callls and emails. 

 

Ok Eagle, if they were not answering emails and not answering their phone isn't there some other personal way they could have been contacted (like a DE face to face with them at their troop, a PLC meeting, or maybe a lunch)?

 

 

Heck they were suppose to run an event at camporee, and never informed anyone on the camporee staff that they were not going.  I found out via a Facebook post that they were not going to camporee the monday before camporee! 

 

 

Where they asked to run an event or told they were going to run an event? Maybe it was assumed they were going and that they were going to run an event?

 

 However one post on FB stated they believed there was too much politics on the district level, and they cannot get minimum number of Scouts for a patrol to go to council camporee.

IMHO the "politics" excuse is BS as the district has bent over backwards trying to get them involved.

 

Once again, wouldn't a face to face with the troop leaders clear up some of these issues? Too often I've heard about a District/Council "bending over backward" to get involvement from troops but the efforts are only alienating the Troops further inward.

 

As for council camporee, not having a minimum of 4 Scouts to compete may be a legitimate reason. But I'm willing to bet that if the Scouts knew about council camporee well enough in advance and actually made a calendar instead of the SM doing it, they may just want to go or the PLC decides to go but the Scouts are not intrested 

 

Lets assume for a moment that the PLC is fully aware of the camporee but decides not to go or the PLC decides to go but very few (if any) Scouts sign up for the camproee. Why didn't they want to come to the camproee? Has anyone asked?

 

 

One last question for the group, if a Troop does not participate in district/council activites but camps every month, does a series of service projects, has Scouts advancing, and continues ever year to grow the Troop membership, is this troop successfully promoting Scouting? 

Edited May 10, 2015 by oldisnewagain1

[Gone]

One last question for the group, if a Troop does not participate in district/council activites but camps every month, does a series of service projects, has Scouts advancing, and continues ever year to grow the Troop membership, is this troop successfully promoting Scouting?

 

Yes. They are successfully promoting scouting.

 

The better question, if the unit is the front line of the scouting battle, what does district and council do daily to support the UNITS in winning that battle and successfully promote scouting?

[Eagle94-A1]

 

 

 

It's great that it is on the calendar early which helps the PLC plan but even with that information I have to wonder, why do the troops decide not to go? 

 

 

Ok Eagle, if they were not answering emails and not answering their phone isn't there some other personal way they could have been contacted (like a DE face to face with them at their troop, a PLC meeting, or maybe a lunch)?

 

 UC passed away and I was the temporary UC. Unfortunately my work schedule is not conducive to day time meetings, and they meet on a night I am unabel to visit; they now have a new UC but new commissioner meetings are on the same bad nite fo me so I do not know what is up..  As for the DE,  it seems as if the only time the SM has the time for the DE is when the SM wants something. otherwise he's busy or on assignment, or whatever.  And our DE is actually a DD with 2, and at one point 3, other districts. So he is relying heavily on volunteers. 

 

And the SM seems to prefer FB to communicate. When he had "issues" with the OA chapter, instead of contacting the person in charge ( Chapter Chier, or CC for short) he broadcasted his issues publically on the district FB site. The SM knew who to contact because A) the SM contacted the CC for the the unit election which the CC ran; CC sent out letters to an information meeting to all candidates with his personal contact info which the SM's son and other members of the troop received the letter and attended the meeting. Frustrating because A) the issues were discussed at the info session, B) Issues were discussed at RT wjhich they don't attend, C) NO ONE CONTACTED THE CC FOR CLARIFCATION ( emphasis) and D) the issue was a lodge level one and not a chapter one. Apparently the SM wanted an adult and not a youth to answer the question, so when I posted exactly what teh CC said, all was good.

 

 

Where they asked to run an event or told they were going to run an event? Maybe it was assumed they were going and that they were going to run an event?

 

They were asked to run an event, and even chose the event they wanted to run. One of the few times the SM actually answered his phone.

 

 

Once again, wouldn't a face to face with the troop leaders clear up some of these issues? Too often I've heard about a District/Council "bending over backward" to get involvement from troops but the efforts are only alienating the Troops further inward.

 

The district has tried to meet with them  to no avail. We have had real issues with the troop, see some of my other posts about them.

 

The one time I had the opportunity to have a talk with them was the result of SNAFU.  My pack is suppose to be the feeder pack to his troop. We had a joint camp out for my son's Cross Over, which incidentilly was the last time they did anything with the pack. Weather was horrible and everyone left except the SM, his son and one Scout. I stayed so he would have 2 deep leadership, and we discussed  alot. Problem is that what he wants is not feasible. I'll give one example. He thinks that training should be available ANY  TIME (emphasis) a leader wants it within the district. "We shouldn't have to drive over 20 minutes to get training.' And if we don't have enough volunteer trainers to put on courses whenever the leaders want it, 'The district should hire outside trainers to do the training whenever a leader wants it." 

 

Lets assume for a moment that the PLC is fully aware of the camporee but decides not to go or the PLC decides to go but very few (if any) Scouts sign up for the camproee. Why didn't they want to come to the camproee? Has anyone asked?

 

Unfortunately this is the troop that doesn't use the patrol method. On that joint pack/troop campout, I had a discussion with the Scouts. Somehow the topic of patrol leaders, elections, Patrol Method, etc came up. And the PL and other positions are appointed  to "let everyone have a chance at being leader," the NYLT trained Scouts were frustrated that they had no input or control over the troop and that " Once I get Eagle, I'm out.'" 

 

 

One last question for the group, if a Troop does not participate in district/council activites but camps every month, does a series of service projects, has Scouts advancing, and continues ever year to grow the Troop membership, is this troop successfully promoting Scouting? 

 

Good question. I say it depends. Camping every month is great. But is it family camping, cabin camping, is it theme park camping, or is it real, honest to goodness Boy Scout camping?  The troop above does a lot of what I discussed. heck one parent was complaining about how  it seems as if they are constantly doing family camping with siblings in attendance. And the two times I did camp with them, it was a mess. Heck my Webelos son said they were doing it wrong.

 

EDITED: Reminded of a comment one of the camporee staff who also staffed Webeloree made about my son's den. "They could show the troop how to follow the Patrol Method."

 

Now if the Scouts think the camporee is going to be lame, or as happened one year, turned into a MB weekend, and they would rather do something else, i.e. canoeing, backpacking, other campout, etc. then That is good fro me. heck my troop growing up went to a handful of camporees.

 

As for advancement, is it really being done where the Scout has 'mastered the skill" as is the standard for Boy Scouts, or is it 'One and Done?" or worse is it being pencil whipped or Mommy and Daddy doing the work instead of the Scout?  I know they work on MBs at every meeting, using parents as MBCs becuase that is what former members of the troop have told me what is happening.

 

As far as service projects, I know they are being done becasue the troop is producing Eagles. BUT I also knwo that one Eagle told me that  he got his 4-H group involved in the project as none odf the Scouts were interested in helping, except those also in 4-H. So are the Scout actively particiapting in the projects, or is the troop getting credit for other organizations assistance?

 

I know the troop involved is losing members. They are not involved at all with the feeder pack. Theonly person who has recruited for them was me in my role as UC for them, and the 3 kids I got for them quit within 6 months because "it was too much like school."

 

Edited May 11, 2015 by Eagle94-A1

[desertrat77]

Yes. They are successfully promoting scouting.

 

The better question, if the unit is the front line of the scouting battle, what does district and council do daily to support the UNITS in winning that battle and successfully promote scouting?

 

Bad Wolf, this is spot on, thanks.

[desertrat77]

Eagle94, I don't have an brilliant insights to help, but I'd like to at least say "thanks for your leadership" and I hope it works out.

Edited May 11, 2015 by desertrat77