Girl Scouts sell 4 camps, create Experience Fund (IL)

[ParkMan]

48 minutes ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

ParkMan,

Would you elaborate, please? "...end all the confusion about professionals trying to do volunteer roles."  You mean confusion on the volunteers' parts, or on the professionals' parts, or both?

Today the DE role ends up being catch-all for all kinds of tasks that are performed by a district.  A DE is an advisor to the District Committee, a fundraiser, a membership organizer, a new unit organizer, a CO interface, unit service person, unit problem solver, etc...  What tends to happen is that a SE or director of field service looks to a DE to "fix" all the issues in the district.  In practice, this leads to expectations that a DE will do tasks not being done by or not being done well enough by volunteers.  

To further complicate things, there is a continuing struggle between volunteers and professionals for "who is in charge."  Is the DE or the District Chair in charge of the District? Is the SE or the Council President in charge of the council?  

This matters for three reasons:

1. it discourages district volunteerism - if at many turns, a professional is ready to take a task over for a volunteer, it reduces the need for volunteers to deliver.  If I pro will just do it, then why does it matter if I do it?  If a pro is there to constantly tell volunteers what to do, it disempowers the volunteer - why bother?
2. confuses unit volunteers - If you're a unit volunteer with an issue - who do you turn to?  A DE or a unit commissioner?  If a DE is always ready to swoop in, then why even bother volunteering to be a UC or join the district committee?
3. it's not cost effective - Paid professionals are expensive.  In a modern council, you have a professional for about every 500-1000 scouts.  That means the council spends $25-$50 a year per scout to fund that role.  Do you really want a DE doing volunteer tasks for that?

1 hour ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

And I am all for paying someone fairly.  But there aren't many Scouters in our council who see the value for those dollars...  This is what councils need to do...show the value they create, and then show appreciation for the value the volunteers create. When the Mom who makes $45K a year is asked for money, and her Cub Day camp has been cancelled two years in a row with no explanation, and the council camp has buildings which are unhealthy (mold) and should be condemned...it's a hard sell for her, too.

That's the crux of the problem.  Having a DE run around and do tasks that should be done by volunteers doesn't let the council show value for the money families pay.  

[InquisitiveScouter]

Yes, Commissioners are as scarce as hen's teeth.  After finishing my unit tenure, I plan to serve as a Commissioner.  

Totally agree on those role perspectives.

[SSScout]

I've been waiting for SOMEONE to correct the thread title. 

[RememberSchiff]

34 minutes ago, SSScout said:

I've been waiting for SOMEONE to correct the thread title. 

 Sorry about that.  I think I fixed my misppeling.

[SSScout]

On 4/24/2020 at 9:17 PM, RememberSchiff said:

 Sorry about that.  I think I fixed my misppeling.

Thankee mate, now I can sleep better.😚