United Way

[EagleonFire]

I just got a call from my council CEO asking me to come and speak at their united way meeting. I know this is a big deal for them as it is where a large portion of their funding comes from. I was wondering if any of you all have had to attend anything like this and if you had any advice to offer?

[NJCubScouter]

Is this a dinner-type thing or a small meeting? If it is a meeting, what is the purpose of the meeting? Have you been given any parameters as to what you are supposed to talk about?

 

Do you hold a particular position or have some particular experience that led you to be asked to make this speech? It might be a good idea to speak from that perspective. But again I think more information is needed about what you are trying to accomplish.

[qwazse]

Sounds like they want to showcase how former scouts are "giving back." But ...

Touch base with the Scout executive or whoever may have suggested your name, and ask why they thought you would be a suitable person to hear from. That will give you a good idea as to what you should highlight.

 

Then there's the basics. Find out how much time you have. Outline a speech that would use half of that time. Practice in front of a mirror, with a stop-watch. Ask a friend (ideally someone who has been to these banquets) to review your talking points.

[David CO]

I was once asked to speak to the United Way people.  They asked me to expound on how the council provided assistance to the several handicapped scouts I had in my unit.  Instead, I explained to the United Way that the council didn't do a blessed thing for us.  The handicapped kids actually payed full-freight on everything.

 

They cut the funding to the council in half.  For some strange reason, the council has never asked me to speak to the United Way again.

Edited April 4, 2017 by David CO

[NJCubScouter]

I was once asked to speak to the United Way people.  They asked me to expound on how the council provided assistance to the several handicapped scouts I had in my unit.  Instead, I explained to the United Way that the council didn't do a blessed thing for us.  The handicapped kids actually payed full-freight on everything.

 

They cut the funding to the council in half.  For some strange reason, the council has never asked me to speak to the United Way again.

Wouldn't it have been, oh, I don't know, courteous, to tell the council what you intended to say so that they could find someone else? I have no reason to doubt that what you said was absolutely true, but even so, if funding was cut in half then someone, somewhere experienced a reduction in real program and/or services. Unless the SE took the cut out of his own salary, which is unlikely.

[EagleonFire]

Ah context, I guess I should have given some of that. This will be for a meeting, no formal dinner. I was asked to speak on how the organization has benefited the kids and was told to just speak from the heart on what I think it does for the kids. I am pretty sure I was asked because I am the most experienced of the new leaders and don't have the negativity of some of the old guard in the council. I also think it may have to do with the fact that I have jumped the councils case a few times on things I didn't think were right for the kids and every time the CEO has exceeded my expectations and afterwards I told him so. I was told to try and go between 5 and 20 minutes.

[NJCubScouter]

I was told to try and go between 5 and 20 minutes.th

Rather wide range there. I would take them literally, prepare something that will take 12.5 minutes and then ask if there are any questions.

[Col. Flagg]

I'd ask both the United Way and the Council exec (separately) what they want you to say. That way you can please both with offending neither.

[Stosh]

The gold standard for the average sermon on Sunday morning is 12 minutes which takes about 12 hours to prepare.  If one goes over or under a bit no one notices but anything less than 10 minutes or over 15 they will notice.

[David CO]

Wouldn't it have been, oh, I don't know, courteous, to tell the council what you intended to say so that they could find someone else? I have no reason to doubt that what you said was absolutely true, but even so, if funding was cut in half then someone, somewhere experienced a reduction in real program and/or services. Unless the SE took the cut out of his own salary, which is unlikely.

 

I think it would have been far more courteous if the SE hadn't lied to the United Way chairperson (from my town) in the first place.  I was ticked off that he involved my unit in his lie.

 

They couldn't use anyone else.  After the SE stated that the council subsidized handicapped scouts from my unit, the United Way wanted to hear from me specifically.    

 

The council doesn't provide any real program and/or services.  We would be better off without them.

Edited April 5, 2017 by David CO

[pchadbo]

I think it would have been far more courteous if the SE hadn't lied to the United Way chairperson (from my town) in the first place.  I was ticked off that he involved my unit in his lie.

 

They couldn't use anyone else.  After the SE stated that the council subsidized handicapped scouts from my unit, the United Way wanted to hear from me specifically.    

 

The council doesn't provide any real program and/or services.  We would be better off without them.

I am sorry to hear that your council does not provide any real programs or services, that you have to register all yuor boys directly with Irving yourself and arrange the liability insurance, that you have to develop, print and distribute all of your own applications and recruiting materials, that you have no camps or staff at the camps, that you have no camporees or jamborees in your district/council.

You get the point, Council is often doing that stuff that no one sees the work but screams if it is not done.

[qwazse]

UW funds local councils. So, they want to hear from local folks about the organization.

It would be gravy if you know someone who benefited from a campership that may have been directly or indirectly funded by UW.

But, more likely, they just want to hear how much boys enjoy the program that the council provides. So, they want to hear some of your personal adventures. If you've also known female Venturers, Sea Scouts, and Explorers, and how they are now serving the community you could mention them as well.

[David CO]

I am sorry to hear that your council does not provide any real programs or services, that you have to register all yuor boys directly with Irving yourself and arrange the liability insurance, that you have to develop, print and distribute all of your own applications and recruiting materials, that you have no camps or staff at the camps, that you have no camporees or jamborees in your district/council.

You get the point, Council is often doing that stuff that no one sees the work but screams if it is not done.

 

I get your point.  Do you get mine?

 

I would much rather have direct registration.  

 

I would gladly lose the BSA insurance if that would mean that we could make our own risk assessments and run the program the way we used to. 

 

We don't need application forms or recruiting materials.  The boys are members of my CO (school), and I already have all of their information on file. 

 

We don't use council camps.  My diocese owns a great camp just 10 miles from us.  I don't want my scouts showering with transgender kids.

 

I have no use for the council.  They are just a bunch of pests who get in the way of our running a good, old-fashioned, values-oriented scout program.  I wish they would just go away.

[NJCubScouter]

Can we please limit this thread to trying to help EagleonFire? Discussions of whether councils are good or bad should be in a separate thread, and in most cases should probably be in Council Relations. Discussions of who people might or might not be showering with who should, I guess, be in Issues and Politics.

Edited April 6, 2017 by NJCubScouter

[Col. Flagg]