National Executive Board Q&A

[RememberSchiff]

As we know, the National Executive Board has been in the news making decisions for us from palms to membership but what do we know about this board. Did some digging.

 

When and why were they created?

"The statute authorizing the federal charter (36 USC 309) to the BSA provides that "An executive board composed of citizens of the United States is the governing body of the corporation. The number, qualifications, and term of office of members of the board are as provided in the bylaws. A vacancy on the board shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the board."^[The Executive Board is also required to hold annual meetings and to submit annual reports to the US Congress."

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/National_Executive_Board_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America

 

What are their powers and duties, etc?

See BSA Charter and Bylaws, Article III

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/bsa_charter_and_bylaws.pdf

 

What is the Board composition? The Bylaws states:

   Regular members - no more than 64, elected at annual meeting for one year terms.

   Regional Presidents - 4 (Western, Central, Southern, Northeast)

   Youth Members - appointed by President and approved by Executive Board but no more than 5

   Special Members - 4 Chairman of Advisory Council,  NESA Presidant, Chairman OA Committee, Chairman Learning for Life.

So potentially as many as 77.

 

So how many members really? The 2016 Annual Report p43 lists 76 members by name and location.

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/annualreport/2016/2016_AnnualReport.pdf

 

What is the Board demograhics? Beyond location, hard to know.

 By state: Texas 16 members, California 7 members, Utah 6 members, Georgia 5 members, Missouri 4, Washington 4. Surprising to me, the states with no members - Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire.

 By gender: Just guessing at names, I think there are two women on board.

 

So when "a unanimous decision" is reached by the National Executive Board is that 76 votes or a quorum vote?  According to by-laws a quorum is 50%. Comments and votes can be submitted electronically. Meetings can be held through electronic means.

 

How often do they meet? At least 3x a year.

Edited November 3, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[Tampa Turtle]

Thanks for the report...I would have never found it. Florida seems rather poorly represented. On the other hand when adjusting for Eagle Scouts per population (per Bryan on Scouting) Florida is #47.

[krikkitbot]

It sure would be nice to have more visibility into who sits in the National Executive Board. I googled one of the names and that person is no longer on the board. 

[David CO]

So when "a unanimous decision" is reached by the National Executive Board is that 76 votes or a quorum vote?  

 

What difference does it make? A rubber stamp is a rubber stamp.

[RememberSchiff]

What difference does it make? A rubber stamp is a rubber stamp.

 

Well you got me there.

[gblotter]

 

On 11/3/2017 at 6:14 AM, RememberSchiff said:

Regular members - no more than 64, elected at annual meeting for one year terms.

Who does the nominating and electing of these 64 regular members at the annual meeting?

It appears that local councils are not granted any voting representation at all.

 

[Saltface]

21 minutes ago, gblotter said:

 

Who does the nominating and electing of these 64 regular members at the annual meeting?

It appears that local councils are not granted any voting representation at all.

 

Quote

 

MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL

Section 2.

General

Clause 1. The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America shall consist of elected and ex officio members as provided for in these Bylaws. All members, except honorary members and commissioned professional Scouters, may vote.

Eligibility Requirements

Clause 2. No person shall be eligible for membership on the National Council who is not a citizen of the United States or has not taken the preliminary legal steps to become a citizen of the United States.

Clause 3. A commissioned professional Scouter is ineligible for voting privileges on the National Council.

The Election and Designation

Clause 4. Members of Executive Board. All persons elected members of the Executive Board shall upon their election become members of the National Council for the term of their election as members of the Executive Board.

Clause 5. Members of Regional Executive Committees and Area Commissioners. Persons serving as members of a regional executive committee and area commissioners shall be members of the National Council during their respective terms.

Clause 6. Local Council Representatives. The duly elected president and council commissioner of a local council shall, during their terms of office, be members of the National Council. Each local council may, in addition, elect one of its members as a member of the National Council for every 5,000 youth members (Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers), or major portion thereof (2,501 or more), enrolled as of December 31 of the preceding year according to the records of the Corporation. Local councils shall certify as to the election of National Council members so elected and to their terms on forms provided for that purpose.

Clause 7. Members at Large. Members at large of the National Council may be elected by the National Council at its annual meeting to serve for 1 year. Persons who become members of national committees and members of regional committees as defined under article V, section 2 hereof, shall be members at large of the National Council during their respective terms.

Clause 8. Honorary Members. Honorary membership in the Boy Scouts of America shall consist of such citizens of the United States as may be elected thereto by the National Council for terms of 1 year in the furtherance of the program of the Boy Scouts of America.

Credentials of Members

Clause 9. The National Council shall issue certificates of membership and voting credentials to all voting members of the National Council indicating their right to participate and to vote at the annual meeting of the National Council. Votes shall be cast in person at the meeting and not by proxy.

 

 

[Saltface]

On 11/3/2017 at 6:14 AM, RememberSchiff said:

So when "a unanimous decision" is reached by the National Executive Board is that 76 votes or a quorum vote?  According to by-laws a quorum is 50%. Comments and votes can be submitted electronically. Meetings can be held through electronic means.

The wording on some of these unanimous decisions seems a little vague. It was a special committee that unanimously voted to not change the membership policy in 2012. It was a unanimous decision by the Executive Committee (not the Board) to change the adult policy in 2015.

[T2Eagle]

Digging around in the source RS originally posted, it looks like the National Council, which includes representatives from local councils, "is the corporate membership of the Boy Scouts of America ..."  While the Executive Board is the governing body of the Corporation.  That looks like a structure similar to the idea of shareholders and board of directors in a public corporation.  This is a pretty similar structure to a local council, where the council itself is run by an E-Board, but there is a membership and annual meeting where each CO has a vote.

Pure speculation on my part is that there would probably be a way for the National Council to override the E-Board decisions either directly or by voting the members out en masse in the same way a public corporation's shareholders can dislodge a company's board of directors.  Possible, but exceedingly difficult to do as a practical matter.  Sure, the Idaho Council gets a number of votes, but so do places like New York and California, whose local Councils may have different opinions on the wisdom of the recent changes.

Edited May 15, 2018 by T2Eagle

[David CO]

55 minutes ago, T2Eagle said:

Sure, the Idaho Council gets a number of votes, but so do places like New York and California, whose local Councils may have different opinions on the wisdom of the recent changes.

That might explain how they could get a majority vote in favor of the changes. It doesn't explain how the vote could be unanimous. 

 

Edited May 15, 2018 by David CO

[T2Eagle]

15 minutes ago, David CO said:

That might explain how they could get a majority vote in favor of the changes. It doesn't explain how the vote could be unanimous. 

 

Not claiming expertise here, but there are two bodies we're talking about --- National Council and National Executive Board.  The statements about unanimity on votes on changes are referring to the approximately 70 member Executive Board. That board does not have voting members from local councils like Idaho, Utah, or NY.   I don't think the National Council has or even necessarily will have votes on the membership rules.  I can't really find what they are responsible for doing at their annual meeting other than voting on the National Council President --- folks like Gates, Tillerson, Stephenson, etc.