Women Council Executives?

[OutdoorThinker]

I know that there are a smattering of women District Executives out there, but does anyone know of any women council executives?

[NeilLup]

I know of at least two women who are/have been Scout Executives. One was in Connecticut, I believe, about a decade ago. The other, I believe, is still serving in Illinois. There may be others.

 

There also is more than a smattering of District Executives. I believe that I heard figures which suggest that about 18% of professional Scouters are female.(This message has been edited by NeilLup)

[SMT376Richmond KY]

I'll start off with don't take this the wrong way, but with all the women volunteers and professional staff around in Boy Scouts. Why does not BSA just change from Boy Scouts to just plain Scouts and allow girls 11-17 as well join. I volunteer in my daughters GS Troop as well. She many times asks if she could come along on the BS Troop outings as the girls in her Troop are, these are her words now "to sissyfied". She has 4 that insist on having makeover parties during camp and don't like to camp in tents, go hiking, canoeing etc.

I've told my daughter to join a venturing crew but she want's to finish her gold and doesn't want to take on another activity now at 16. She started complaining at 12 that the "girls" always shoot down anything "cool".

[NeilLup]

Why does not BSA just change from Boy Scouts to just plain Scouts and allow girls 11-17 as well join.>>

 

The merger of BSA and GSUSA was considered extremely seriously in the early '70s. I believe it was killed by GSUSA who feared they would become second class citizens.

 

BTW, at one time there were a number of GSUSA equivalents of Scout Executive who were male. Currently, there are only two and one is very active as a BSA volunteer in the Northeast Region.

 

I believe that the BSA believes that single sex programs are appropriate for youth below age 14 and coed programs are inappropriate. They believe that the additional level of interactions caused in younger coed programs are more difficult to manage and not particularly attractive to youth (boys don't want those "icky girls" around.) In addition, several of the large churches who are major national sponsors feel strongly about this issue. In one case, the church feels so strongly that they, as a matter of policy, decline to participate in an activity if there is coed adult leadership, let alone coed youth.

 

I believe that I read at one time that there were only 3 organizations in the World Brotherhood of Scouting who were single sex - the USA, Saudi Arabia and the Phillipines.

[Fat Old Guy]

Most of WOSM has gone co-ed but WAGGS is still single sex. GO figure.

[CaveEagle]

The BSA has promoted Explorers, and now Venturing to allow opportunities for girls that are into scouting.

 

I know this may be a rediculous point, but has anyone pressured the Girl Scouts change their program to accomodate boys?

 

CE

[eagle90]

Des Plaines Valley Council in Suburban Chicago has a female Scout Executive for about ten years or so I would guess. She has done a credible job.

[Fuzzy Bear]

This thread could get real "icky" very quickly.

I think I will find another.

[BadenP]

I have worked with two female DEs when I was a professional. They were both very good at their jobs, however they told me that many of the male volunteers would not accept them and gave them a bad time. Unfortunately both resigned after only one year. I have no problem with a woman Scout Exec., but honestly I think there are probably problems with acceptance not only with volunteers but also with the business community in soliciting the financial support that the council needs.

[LovetoCamp]

The entry level job is the DE. A successful DE has to produce numbers; membership, units & volunteers. She would also need to produce bucks; popcorn, popcorn, and solicitations. She would also be a liason between the council and the volunteers in her district, which means hearing an awful lot of whining that she can't do anything about. She has to produce smoothness in the district. That's my take. You're a saleperson. You're selling the Scouting Movement 24/7. Sell, Sell, Sell. Not being accepted by Scouting volunteers doesn't really wash with me. Being a DE sounds like a tough job. If you can't implement the means of producing new scouts, and new units, and new vounteers, and meet your financial goals, well, why not say that Mr. Dinosaur Jones was mean to me. A female DE will absolutely run into the same, the exact same, type of idiot in the scout world than she would run into working on the Pennsylvania House Democrat Campaign Committee. The more I witness a true bore, the more I can't describe them. A guy who just says something inappropriate. I wouldn't call it harassing, maybe patronizing, but said by a moron, whose in no position to be patronizing in the first place.

 

A successful Executive is not going to even waste a heartbeat at that point. You determine this person isn't on board, he is a hinderance not a help, and then dismiss him and move on, over, or around to meet the next item. Persistancy and work ethic would get it done. How does a DE get to become a SE? Does that DE have to go find a SE position and apply for it?

 

 

[Bob White]

There are normally several steps between DE and SE. Senior DE, District Diorector, Field Director, Council Finance, Properties manager, Assitant SE, perhaps regional positons, even national office positions, in any variety of combinations. It takes years years to progress professionally in scouting as in any corportation.

 

You do not search out opportunities per se. The Regional office for the area you serve determines for the most part what position opportunities for which your name will be submitted as a potential candidate. That still does not guarantee you and interview, nor will an interview guarantee you the job.

 

 

[BadenP]

TP what you said is basically true with a couple of exceptions. First any new DE can not always remove an entrenched volunteer, as much as they may need to, it goes through proper protocols. As you know in the business world males can and do patronize women. When a female DE goes in selling Boy Scouts, she is not as quickly accepted as her male counterpart. You are right that if she is tough and determined she will overcome this obstacle. Bob has got it down exactly, it takes many years to become an SE and regional office makes those decisions.

[LovetoCamp]

I wasn't speaking to removing a volunteer. There is volumes upon this board about removing volunteers, but, I want to hear of situations where a male, be it a professional, volunteer, or potential donor, who did what to cause how to a female DE.

 

Where exactly would a new female DE have a problem? I would say if her boss, the SE, or a senior DE, had a problem with her, that should have been fixed prior to hire. If she gets hired and then has a problem with the District Commish and the District Chairman, then the District has a problem. But, WHY would one of the key 3 have such a problem. Is it she wasn't accepted (by whom) or couldn't she raise money? Fund Raising's hard work. My employees worked hard today. I let them off early for the holiday. They also know I haven't done beans today but play on the computer.

[Eamonn]

As many in these forums know we have a female DE. In fact Pam is a senior DE.

Sad to say she is leaving Scouting sometime before the end of this year. There are many reasons why she is leaving. The big one is that she no longer needs the money. The other big reason is that she can't stand the Field Director.

Pam has been with us going on eight years. There was some apprehensions about how well a female would "Go over with the old time Scouter's." But there has never been a problem.

I was a Assistant District Commissioner, for the first few months of her employment and then became District Commissioner. Together we have made up two thirds of the key3. We have made Quality District six times and seen the District grow in both membership and in the finances that we raise.

She is a very likable sort and everyone seems to get on with her. She has been very fortunate. Her Son is an Eagle Scout, who was a Scout in what was at that time one of the best Troops in the District. When she first came on board the then District Chairman, really knew what Scouting and what part the District played in Scouting was and is all about. She made very good friends with her instructors at PDL training and has kept in contact with them as well as introducing them to me. Which has led to us all not only sharing fun and good times, but it is handy when I get confused to know that they are only a call away.

We have become the very best of friends, we share everything. We know stuff about each other that has nothing to do with Scouting and have seen each other through the good times and the bad. We have been the best team ever.

Even though she is no longer going to be an employee of the BSA, she has said that she will come back as a volunteer for the District.

I don't think that there has been any discrimination from the volunteers. Although I did get very upset when I heard people saying that she wouldn't make it through the week at the old Boy Scout Wood Badge course. Needless to say she did. I like to think that in some ways I have played a part in informing our leaders what the DE is there for and making them understand that there are people that they need to talk too before they call her.

Of course over the years she has gained a better understanding of and about the programs. Still I very much doubt if she knows what the requirements for First Class Scout are. But I told her that she didn't need to know. We have people who are there to deliver the program. They are the ones that need to know that stuff.

Pam has never wanted to leave this area, so has gone about as far as she would have gone career-wise.

Sad to say I think and I know that I might be wrong and I'm allowing my dislike for the guy to cloud mu judgment. But I think the eagerness of the Field Director, to make a name for himself and make himself promotable is one reason why she is leaving. While I am aware that a lot of the stuff that he does is done under orders from above. To my mind the guy is a twit and is hurting Scouting and the people that we are here to serve.

Eamonn.

[LovetoCamp]

So besides a few snide comments in the beginning from a few, Pam has been a success as a DE. She could move up the ladder if she chose to relocate, but that is the same boat almost every DE is in. Heck, entry level sales managers at most major corporations have to move if the want to keep moving up the old "position of greater scope and responsibility."

 

I think a woman who is qualified and capable of performing the job, shouldn't have any problems. If she wasn't cut out to do the tough tasks that the job entails, she could probably come up with dozens of excuses for not hacking it, because it's always somebody elses fault today.

 

What's the starting pay for a DE? What's a SE make?