Professional Scouts in Volunteer Postions

[ScouterJLM]

Just wanted to see what others thought of this.  

I know of a professional scouter in our council, Exploring Executive, who also wants to be in leadership positions at a troop/pack/crew level.  He wants to be a Scoutmaster, or possibly committee chair of a troop.  I've hear that this is frowned upon, but don't know that there is any rule against it.  Personally i think there could be a bit of conflict of interests here.  Also, knowing the individual in question as being a person who is more concerned with getting accolades and awards for himself, than he is with helping the scouts.  I'm worried he would use any influence he had at the office to benefit 'his' troop, mainly to make himself look good.  He also has a hard time actually letting the scouts do things, he's more of a I'll do it so it get's done right type of person.  Scouts learn from doing and making their own mistakes, and it supposed to be a boy led program, not adult spoon fed program. 

 

He's not a bad person, though he's still young (< 30 ) and as I said earlier more concerned with making himself look good than anything else.  Thoughts....  

 

I'm not the only one that feels this way about this person, there are other people who have the same thoughts about this person around here.  

 

Here's a few example of how I've heard him described; arrogant, selfish/self centered, helps only if it makes him look good, self serving,wants awards on his uniform. 

 

 

 

 

[Krampus]

Well if a troop committee and charter organization want him -- and want to keep him after learning more about him -- then that is up to them. We have professional scouters in our unit and district. I give them credit, you'd never know they were professional staff when they are with us. They follow the Patrol Method, defer to the SM and PLC and play the role (usually ASM or on a committee). Never seen them "out front" unless it was a health or safety reasons.

 

Not sure there is much you can do about it unless you want the position and "run" against him.

[T2Eagle]

My experience is the same as Krampus, have had pros whose sons were in the unit and they took on leadership roles just like everyone else.  Their distinguishing feature was that when they were with  the Pack or Troop they didn't really want to be seen as a pro and avoided situations and conversations that would lead them to switch hats away from volunteer and back to pro.

 

Most units have volunteers that arise organically by having some existing relationship with the unit: former youth member, parent, member of CO.  If he wants to be involved with his church's unit that's great, if he just wants a unit I'd be more skeptical if I was in that unit.

[qwazse]

Let's make a distinction between the pro- who volunteers (no problem with that, happens all the time) and the pompous windbag who volunteers (big problems with that -- especially the guy in the mirror, happens more than anyone would like).

 

There's nothing wrong with CO and CC choosing a pro- to run their unit. It may actually be good, because the pro- might not have as much time to spare so the boys will have to step into the gap. But lack of free time and a demanding work schedule is also a disadvantage. Boys won't have as much access to the pro- as they would a retiree, or a fella with steady hours.

 

Of course a pompous windbag comes with all of the problems you mentioned and is best trained by serving under an SM who will reign him/her in for a few years. But for a CO and CC, it might be "any ship in a storm." Troops often have personalities, and some should get the SM they deserve.

[CalicoPenn]

I see two questions here.

 

Pro's as volunteers is one - and what do you do with someone who may be looking out for themselves rather than their charges (because it's not just professionals that think that way).

 

First question about pro's being volunteers - I'd first make sure that the Council doesn't ban it and if they don't do they have any other requirements.  I would think on a Council should have is that a Pro cannot be a volunteer in any unit they serve as a Pro.  For instance, if they're a DE, they can't serve as a volunteer in any unit in their District.  They could serve in a unit in a neighboring district.  If they're the Exploring Exec, they can serve in Packs and Troops but not in any exploring units.  If the Council doesn't have that requirement, I'd make it my personal requirement.

 

The second question sounds more difficult but I think it's easier.  If you know that this is the reputation of a person, I wouldn't put them in top leadership positions at fire - no SM or CC position - start them off as ASMs or Committee Members and let them show what they can and will do.  Let them earn becoming SM by faithfully serving as an ASM first.

[Stosh]

Being a professional scouter is no different than being a professional computer programmer or professional doctor.  If one does not have the skill and temperament to work with kids, they don't belong in as volunteer scouters.  ASM's maybe, CC okay maybe, MC okay... maybe.    

 

It always reminded me of when the church was looking for Sunday School teachers.  They would first ask any of the professional teachers in the congregation if they wanted to and were indignant when they were turned down.  They came to me and asked me to put a bit of pressure of them to recruit them because they were already trained.  I refused because these people did that every day of the week including grading papers on Saturday and Sunday and the last thing they want to do is come to church and have to work!  If I was a professional scouter, I would like a change of pace and probably do some volunteering elsewhere.

 

Yes, I do Scouting, I do church work, I've done community EMT-A for years, and tomorrow I have an appointment to visit with the Red Cross to volunteer OFFICE WORK, for them.  I don't want to talk to people I want to shuffle papers!    Then in a week or two I'm going to be ushering at the Community Theater so I get to see a theater production for free.    I'm going to have to miss church youth meetings now for the next 4 weeks because the Mrs. signed us up for ballroom dance lessons (MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT!) and we're going to learn the waltz and foxtrot.  Variety is the spice of life!  This is why I don't burn out and stay way over extended with what I do.  All of life is an Adventure.

 

If I were a professional employee of the BSA like I have been in the past, I would definitely be looking somewhere else to volunteer my time. 

[Eagle94-A1]

When I was a DE, it was strongly frowned upon. In fact my boss didn't want me to have dealings with the pack my service organization started up, out side of that  of a DE.

 

In all honesty, He will want the away from Scouting time, and if he is married, he will want some family time as too many of my coworkers or friends either got divorced as a result of the job, or were threatened with one due to the job. My wife of 2 months, who dated me while I was a DE, gave me a choice between her or the job. Best decision I made