BSA Executive Salaries

[ParkMan]

36 minutes ago, David CO said:

Hate is a word is being greatly overused now days. If we try to maintain moral standards, we are accused of hate. If we support upholding our laws, we are accused of hate. So it is of little surprise to me that if some of us would wish to limit the salaries of BSA employees, we will be accused of hate.

I don't need to know you in order to come to a conclusion about executive salaries. I can read the numbers. 

 

Perhaps hate is overused and we can argue whether it's the right word.  But, reading over the posts it's clear that there is a negative, dismissive, hostile tone towards district executives.

[Saltface]

1 hour ago, PACAN said:

The impression of a good number of volunteers is that the Professionals in council are woefully unprepared to serve their customers.  We see no Customer service, Poor or non-existent communication,  lack of quality programs (you know good programs actually improve new members and retention),  no innovation, not really knowing how to leverage their 99% volunteer workforce, blame the unit for not making goals on FOS or popcorn or not signing up for events when no information is provided on theme, location etc.   Do you get training in these are or do the DEs/DDs/SEs just ignore it?

Also the Franchise model on individual feifdoms that councils have is outdated and there no real way to transfer your unit to a different district or council when you get poor service like you can in other areas.     So units "retrench" and just do their own program and only interface when absolutely necessary because they see no value added.   

I don't see anyone "hating" professionals unless they are vindictive and retaliatory.  They all seem to use the "thank you all for what you do in scouting" tag line but it is used over and over sounds insincere. 

 

Are these all services DEs are supposed to provide? My current troop has been through three or four DEs (possibly more) with little interaction. From what I've read, DEs are supposed to help with starting new units, coordinate FOS, promote scouting in the community, and perform some arcane ritual over Eagle applications so that National can accept them. The only time I've contacted one was to get a list of email addresses. It may be because I'm in an LDS troop in an LDS district with a surfeit of volunteers, but all the functions you listed are done by district volunteers. 

[PACAN]

Saltface....Yes Professionals should be providing units customer service, communication, quality programs and innovation, working with their units and taking accountability for their metrics.  WE are the customers...not the other way around.   Sounds like your District volunteers may be receiving some of these but where do they get current information..likely from the DE.

[Saltface]

38 minutes ago, PACAN said:

Saltface....Yes Professionals should be providing units customer service, communication, quality programs and innovation, working with their units and taking accountability for their metrics.  WE are the customers...not the other way around.   Sounds like your District volunteers may be receiving some of these but where do they get current information..likely from the DE.

Mostly we generate our own information: it's a volunteer that plans and manages the district camporee, another volunteer that compiles the newsletter, and yet another that runs the show at round table and Scouting for Food. Whenever there are training opportunities coming from outside the district, it's a district volunteer making the announcement. In all likelihood, our DE died months ago.

Edited May 22, 2018 by Saltface

[Buggie]

2 hours ago, Saltface said:

...our DE died months ago.

He's DEad. 

[Saltface]

3 minutes ago, Buggie said:

He's DEad. 

Boooo!!!

[Buggie]

Thank you!  I'm here all week.  Remember to tip your wait staff. 

[Eagle94-A1]

13 hours ago, gblotter said:

What's the difference between a District Director and a District Executive? Our council has a mix of both positions.

Is a District Director an unpaid District Executive?

District Director is a  DE who supervises 1 other DE, usually in another district. Next step up is a Field Director, who supervises multiple DEs and DDs.

7 hours ago, Saltface said:

Are these all services DEs are supposed to provide? My current troop has been through three or four DEs (possibly more) with little interaction. From what I've read, DEs are supposed to help with starting new units, coordinate FOS, promote scouting in the community, and perform some arcane ritual over Eagle applications so that National can accept them. The only time I've contacted one was to get a list of email addresses. It may be because I'm in an LDS troop in an LDS district with a surfeit of volunteers, but all the functions you listed are done by district volunteers. 

DEs Are suppose to be serving in the background,  supporting the district level  volunteers who in turn support the units. If a DE has the right support, the units actually don't see him, they see the unit commissioner, or the event chair, or the advancement chair, etc.  But when volunteers can't professionals must. So a lot of the jobs that volunteers don't want to do, the  DE must do it.

[Eagle1993]

My DE has always been available and helpful. He must put in 70-80 hours a week.  He attends several Pack meetings a year, our annual planning meeting and gives guidance from Pack planning to various ceremonies.  Yes we discuss FOS... but it’s respectful.  We could definitely use some more District vouchers but my larger gripe is with council.   They put on very few events and seem remote and only there to add bureaucracy.  Perhaps I just don’t see their contributions. Also Note that not all executives have that 6 figure salary that is referenced.

[FormerProfessional]

I was a professional from 2004-August 2015. I served 3 Councils as a DE, DD, SrDE. I had many other assignments including Summer Camp Director, OA Staff Advisor (2 Councils/Lodges), Council Popcorn Advisor, Council Day Camp Advisor and many many others. I am also Wood Badge trained. I used to be a beaver and a good ol beaver too.

A District Director has his or her own district the same as a DE. In addition to their own district, they may supervise/manage, (whatever term you want to use) other districts (District Executive or 2, and or para-professionals.  A District Director usually has up to 2 DE’s or multiple para-professionals. If one of the DE’s resigns or gets fired that district becomes the DD too until the replacement is hired and trained.

Some Councils have large districts in size, units or geography, usually geography and have a District Director that is a supervisor and a DE that helps the DD

A Field Director usually has 3-5 District Executives, Sr District Executives, or District Directors that report to them.

A Sr DE usually has 3 years of DE experience and completed what was called PDL I II and III. I dont know what it’s called now. I went to 3 in 2007 I think.

The theory on how many staff to manage, DD spends 2 days a week in their district and one day a week with each DE, one day a week in the office for a staff meeting.

 

[FormerProfessional]

On 5/15/2018 at 3:58 PM, Jameson76 said:

Part of the challenge is salaries

It is basically these 5 items

1. Financial drain for the Summit - the losses there are staggering
2. BSA National overhead costs not adjusted in relation to membership - seriously doubt the overhead has been reduced 10% in last 4 years
3. Many years of underfunded pension payments 
4. Exploded liability insurance premiums - thus the 38% membership increase
5. Reduced membership and thus less revenue - This has accounted for close to $30MM less income in the last 4 yearts

 

 

 

In regard to #3 above

I know a man who worked for BSA for 30+ years. He was a Scout Executive and when he retired he had a prominent position at National. He told me one day he made more money in retirement than he did as a working BSA employee. 

If your age and years of service add to 85, your retirement is calculated as 80% of the average of your last 3 years salary. The retiree will receive this pension until death.

Assuming a BSA retiree retires at age 65 and lives to 85, that is 20 years of retirement. For this hypothetical let’s say they made an average salary of $100,000 (this is a low estimation). 80% would be $80,000 per year.

At 20 years this hypothetical retiree made $1,600,000 in retirement.

Most employees are eligible for some type of pension, even council employees not just DE’s and management.

It adds up.

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by FormerProfessional

[scoutldr]

80% of high 3 is very generous in today's environment.  I retired a year ago after 32 years in the federal government.  I get 1.1% of high 3 average x years of service.  And from that comes $571 per month for health insurance, and federal and state income tax.  We also have a 401K with a match of the first 5% of contributions, which did very well for me.  Congress is currently attacking the federal retirement system to require the calculation be based in "high 5" average, plus elimination of COLA for current and future retirees.

[SouthScout]

The DEs are not compensated well. From my research for the year 2014 I found that the DEs in our council had salaries around $38,000.00. The Assistant Scout Executive was $135,000.00. The Director of program (camps and activities guy) made $135,000.00 and the Scout executive made $208,000.00. The director of program guy was one of the most worthless people I have known. 

The DEs work extremely hard, but I rarely see them at pack meetings or troop meetings. In Sept of each year we see the DEs at elementary school round ups. The pressure to have new scouts register and pay that night was so bad that it turned new scouts and parents away.  DE turnover is extremely high.

 

[FormerProfessional]

32 minutes ago, SouthScout said:

The DEs are not compensated well. From my research for the year 2014 I found that the DEs in our council had salaries around $38,000.00. The Assistant Scout Executive was $135,000.00. The Director of program (camps and activities guy) made $135,000.00 and the Scout executive made $208,000.00. The director of program guy was one of the most worthless people I have known. 

The DEs work extremely hard, but I rarely see them at pack meetings or troop meetings. In Sept of each year we see the DEs at elementary school round ups. The pressure to have new scouts register and pay that night was so bad that it turned new scouts and parents away.  DE turnover is extremely high.

 

SouthScouts numbers look accurate but in larger councils that raise more FOS $$$$ the SE make double that depending on how long they have been SE. 

Most new SE that move from being a ASE or Director of Field Service take a pay cut.  20-40K but that’s the price you pay to become the King of your empire, I mean the boss.

[David CO]

52 minutes ago, SouthScout said:

The DEs are not compensated well.

I suppose that one's opinion on that might depend on how much money they make. There are lots of scout families who make do on far less.

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by David CO