District Realignments: How big is your district?

[CynicalScouter]

My council is basically a basket-case but to make matters even worse my district is effectively non-functioning. We haven't had a D.E. or D.C. for years all we have is 3-4 committee members and a committee chair who is trying to juggle 50 things at once. No unit commissioners. We have 12 units.

How small is the smallest district you have ever heard of? I am wondering at what point we should just get shut down and merged into a neighboring district and how much of a ruckus that would cause.

Edited July 3, 2020 by RememberSchiff
title spelling

[Double Eagle]

We have a traditional district.  We have 40 units, 10 commissioners, a district committee, DE, DC, and district co-chairs.  It covers 15 counties.  The best part is the cooperation and synergy of the district.  Its not perfect, but no complaints.  The OA chapter has the same boundaries and units. 

[CynicalScouter]

4 minutes ago, Double Eagle said:

We have a traditional district.  We have 40 units, 10 commissioners, a district committee, DE, DC, and district co-chairs.  It covers 15 counties.  The best part is the cooperation and synergy of the district.  Its not perfect, but no complaints.  The OA chapter has the same boundaries and units. 

I'm sorry, your DISTRICT covers 15 counties, or your COUNCIL does?

[Eagle94-A1]

20 hours ago, CynicalScouter said:

My council is basically a basket-case but to make matters even worse my district is effectively non-functioning. We haven't had a D.E. or D.C. for years all we have is 3-4 committee members and a committee chair who is trying to juggle 50 things at once. No unit commissioners. We have 12 units.

How small is the smallest district you have ever heard of? I am wondering at what point we should just get shut down and merged into a neighboring district and how much of a ruckus that would cause.

You just described my district and council. Council is on a conditional charter, not having met membership and/or financial goals for several years. Because the pros are overruling event volunteers, and  verbally abusing other volunteers when they don't meet goals, longtime vounteers are backing off or quitting outright. As a result, volunteers have no ownership of the district and council. Its gotten to the point that some volunteers cannot wait to merge with neighboring councils because they believe it could not be any worse.

You do have some who are trying to do damage control on the district level. But I compare it to sinking ship. An Ensign out of the academy is in charge (DC), a master chief is acting XO (Dis. Commissioner), 1 chief on damage control(former district committee whose back),1 disillusioned petty officer assisting in damage control but not being effective because of the fires (me not doing my job due to COVID),  1/2 the crew dead, wounded, or missing (we have lost that much membership and units over the past 10 years) and 1/2 the crew is every man for themselves (9 remaing units doing their own thing). There is no support from the fleet. And we got an enemy wolfpack out there trying to sink us (lawsuit and sex abuse ads.)

I am not optimistic. 

So why keep struggling to keep the program alive?

First and foremost my 3 sons. I want them to have the same good experience I had, if not better ones.

Second the Scouts. We have youth who need Scouting.

Third, I think the influx if adults with little to no experience as youth is a major problem, and online training is not helping. Don't believe me, look at the influx of virtual MB classes, camp outs, and summer camps. Look at the number of adults who will just give away MBs. Look at the number of adults who have no problem signing off on requirements, Second Class and First Class swimming requirements come to mind, even if the Scout never did them. I hope and pray that live training will help stem some of this.

Fourth, there is no way I could ever repay all the adults who sacrificed their time and treasure. Closest I can do is pay it forward.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Eagle94-A1

[Double Eagle]

Yes, our district covers those 15 counties.  It used to be a separate council until it merged with another council.  We have two large cities with 4 counties combined within them and is split between two states separated by a river.  The council office is in one state so that has the taxable issues the other state residents have to deal with for scouting purposes.  As a youth, my council only had two counties and was one of the smallest in the nation.  Now that merged council is half the state.  I can't imagine driving 5+ hours from one end of the council to the other.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Double Eagle

[CynicalScouter]

2 hours ago, Double Eagle said:

Yes, our district covers those 15 counties.  It used to be a separate council until it merged with another council.  We have two large cities with 4 counties combined within them and is split between two states separated by a river.  The council office is in one state so that has the taxable issues the other state residents have to deal with for scouting purposes.  As a youth, my council only had two counties and was one of the smallest in the nation.  Now that merged council is half the state.  I can't imagine driving 5+ hours from one end of the council to the other.

Cool. I thought Chattohoochie Council was still its own council with 4 Districts covering 15 counties across Alabama and Georgia.

A 1-district, 15 county? Wow. That's. Wow.

Edited July 4, 2020 by CynicalScouter

[TAHAWK]

Our districts were eliminated over two years ago in favor of employee-run "Service teams."  This measure ended issues with volunteers not being sufficiently servile but reduced unit support.

Edited July 4, 2020 by TAHAWK

[SSScout]

BSA Scout Districts. An artificial construct meant to facilitate inter unit activities and relegate official stuff (Eagle Board of Review, Merit Badge Counselor lists, ) to willing volunteer Scouters.

I have lived in the same house going on 30 years now, and the first 20 lived in six (6)  BSA Districts,  When I was a Scout, the County served as "the District", if there was such a thing. When Scoutson joined and I came back to Scouting and lovely wife became a Scout Leader (much to her surprise), I discovered that the COunty was divvied into 3 Districts. Just after I became comfortable and knowledgeable with how the BSA was now organized, "they" announced the County would be re-organized into 6(six ) smaller Districts , allowing "more intimate and closer service by the DEs."  Made sense, less units per DE, better connection.  The older Scouters shook their heads.  New names, new connections, Then, "They" announced, owing to the paucity of suitable DE candidates, the County would be our "service area" under a Regional Director, with four "service areas", (DEs).  Then, "they" announced the County would have three (3) "Service Areas" under the Senior Regional Director and three Assistant RDs.   Guess what the Service Areas looked like?   THEN, "they " announced that in order to "improve communication and facilitate service to the Units" , the County would be organized into three (3)  Districts.   Guess what the Scouters did?  Exactly what they had been doing,  running Camporees, Eagle Boards, Merit Badge Counselor Lists....,,,,, These 3 Districts have survived and thrived for the last ten or so years without further "reorganization". 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by SSScout

[CynicalScouter]

7 minutes ago, TAHAWK said:

Our districts were eliminated over two years ago in favor of employee-run "Service teams."  This measure ended issues with volunteers not being sufficiently servile but reduced unit support.

As of now we have no unit support as is (no DE, DC, and a Council that could care less) so I am not sure how it can get any worse for my district, but that might actually be worse for the districts in our council that have DEs.

[ALongWalk]

The district that I live in has about 30 units and covers a county.  We are fortunate to be in a mid tier type council that consistently has good pro, board level, and unit level volunteer leadership. That being said....lots of adversity coming our way.

[CynicalScouter]

3 minutes ago, ALongWalk said:

The district that I live in has about 30 units and covers a county.  We are fortunate to be in a mid tier type council that consistently has good pro, board level, and unit level volunteer leadership. That being said....lots of adversity coming our way.

Thanks. I hate the adversity. I hate the idea of losing scouts. I wouldn't mind however if this was used to enhance service via merging dead/zombie districts (and councils).

[Eagle94-A1]

On 7/4/2020 at 2:06 PM, CynicalScouter said:

As of now we have no unit support as is (no DE, DC, and a Council that could care less) so I am not sure how it can get any worse for my district, but that might actually be worse for the districts in our council that have DEs.

Are you getting into the schools to do Round Ups?  We are not, and I put that squarely on the DE and pros. Because share a DE with another district, the bulk of his time is there. And when Volunteers do try to get things going, it's negativity, or outright overruling. We had lots of contacts with the schools system, and we lost them because of the pros. We now have a new superintendent, and we have not been allowed in the schools since. And our DE is not helkping. 

[sri_oa161]

Council covers 18 counties.  My District covers 3. Council is on Conditional Charter.  Now the Council office is for sale.  Most of the DEs, DDs have been let go.  Not looking good for the future.

[ValleyBoy]

On ‎7‎/‎4‎/‎2020 at 1:22 PM, CynicalScouter said:

Cool. I thought Chattohoochie Council was still its own council with 4 Districts covering 15 counties across Alabama and Georgia.

A 1-district, 15 county? Wow. That's. Wow.

Chattahoochee Council is still its own council.