Troop Committee - Who decides who is Treasurer, Secretary, etc.

[Morasch]

The BSA official Troop Committee Guidebook is not clear on this. The most direct statement is on page 7, which states: (Under the title of Chartered Organization)- "Each chartered organization using the Scouting Program provides a meeting place, selects a Scoutmaster, appoints a troop committee of at least three adults, and chooses a chartered organization representative". Then down under the Chartered Organization Representative's job description is stated: "Secures a troop committee chair and encourages training".

 

On page 14 of the job description of Committee Chair, is stated: " Organize the committee to see that all functions are delegated, coordinated and completed".

 

Exactly how are the committee positions like Secretary, Treasurer, etc. decided on? It is clear that the Chartered Organization Rep decides on who is the Committee Chair. But it is not clear on the other positions. From reading other forums, it is implied that the Committee Chair appoints all the other committee positions. There is no election. Is this true, and where is it stated in official BSA literature?

 

I have one committee member who has been in the same position for a long time, and refuses to step down. There are many other qualified committee members who want and deserve to step up and fill that position. Can I as the Committee Chair force him to step down, and then simply appoint another committee member to fill that position?

[Fuzzy Bear]

If the person in question is not a safety threat, then the best way to rearrange the chairs on the deck is at Recharter. People are only appointed for one year.

FB

[FScouter]

If the job function is being completed in a satisfactory manner, why make a change?

[Bob White]

Committee members serve at the behest of the Charter organization representative and the Committee Chair. The Committee Chair determines your role on the committee and can change it at any time. The charter determines your membership not your task assignment.

 

All this and more is available for you to learn at Cub Leader Job Specifc Training.

 

BW(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Bob White]

I should have said at the Troop Committee Challenge Training for Troops.

 

BW

[boleta]

Encourage strongly that all members of your committee take the Challenge together. This will build a team spirit and all will know and understand their role in your unit. Pick your officers from those who attend. JMO

[Eamonn]

I can only echo what has already been posted.

At times asking someone to step down can be a very difficult task.

You have your reasons for wanting the person to step down. If you think that money is missing or that the job is not being done right. The person should be forced out. My way of thinking is that this should happen as quickly as is possible.

To "Force him to step down". Has a nasty ring to it. Before I would take such a step,I would have to think long and hard on it. Then I would have a chat with the COR. If the main reason you want to see the back of this person is that you just don't get on with him or he is a pain in the neck to work with. Do remember that along with the Scoutmaster you are under the microscope. How you live up to the Scout Oath and Law should be beyond reproach.

There have been times when I have been upset with people not doing things the way that I have wanted them done. Or they have failed to do something completely!!When I have got over my being mad or my being upset. I can look at what I have done. In most cases I find that I'm to blame. I failed to train the person. I wasn't clear in what I wanted or when I wanted something done. There have been times when I have allowed history to cloud my judgment. Then of course there have been times when something has happened on a day when I was not at my best. I was in a bad mood. Before you go forcing someone out. Take a little time and examine how you are feeling.

Eamonn.

 

PS: Welcome back boleta. I missed seeing your happy and smiling face. It is great to see you back.

[FScouter]

"If you think that money is missing ..."

If the treasurer has embezzeled funds, the course of action is clear. If money is unaccounted for due to sloppy bookeeping, perhaps the person selected does not have bookeeping skills. The skills must either be learned, or the individual replaced.

 

At a minimum, the committee should require a written treasurer's report at every meeting, including all income and expenditures. An informal audit should be done every year.

[Morasch]

Great posts & responses to my question and concern. Thank You!

 

Just to go on record about our Treasurer - there are no major problems here. This is simply a situation where our current Treasurer has been in the same role for about 6 years plus, and there are many on the Committee (my troop has 35 registered adults) who would like to do that task. Plus, since his son got his Eagle and aged out at 18, he has missed a number of Committee meetings, and rarely ever attends a troop meeting or outing anymore. He has no other younger sons coming in from Cubs.

 

In general, he is rarely visible, where a regular presence would be needed - such as being able to ask for a check cut in person, hand deposits too, etc.. Most work now is conveyed via US Mail, or through our Asst. Treasurer (who is authorized to make deposits only, but not write checks).

 

A year ago, he indicated a desire to step down, but then suddenly, and for no reason given, changed his mind and said he wishes to continue to be the Troop Treasurer. I'm reluctant to give this fellow the boot, as he served for many years very well.

 

However, I'm now getting complaints from other Troop Committee members that it's more difficult when the Treasurer is rarely around anymore.

 

Some have recommended to me that I simply re-assign him to another task, which I've given some serious thought to. That way, he is not being kicked out, or "fired", but then again, from his perspective, yanking the treasurer's job away from him would be perceived by him as being fired, no matter what other position I assigned him too.

 

It's now time again for me to sit down with him and have a heart to heart talk about having better attendance and being more visible / available. In other words: - do your thing, or get off the pot...!

Ahh - life at the top as Committee Chair is never easy!!

[nldscout]

I would meet with him and explain the situation to see if he would volunteer to make the change. The one problem with trying to force it is getting the checkbook back.

[EagleInKY]

It is highly recommended that any volunteer/non-profit organization rotate the treasurer duties. I have read that it is recommended that a treasurer not stay in position for more than two years. This rotation is one of the best audit controls you can find. You may recommend that the CC approach it from that point of view.

[eisely]

Managing volunteers is much more difficult than managing employees. You need to ask this fellow to make himself available and point out that the function and troop are suffering. Express your appreciation for his past contributions, but if he is unwilling or unable to do the job right by showing up, you have ample grounds for forcing a change. Recharter time is an excellent time to do this.

[dsteele]

"From the darkness, from the forest, come we now with words of warning. Bringing tokens of a struggle . . . as a flock of field crows flying black across the sun."

 

Beware of a treasurer too in love with the job. It merits a further look.

 

Unc.

[candidapax]

We had a similar situation, but not for the Treasurer position. It is for the Advancement Chair position. This lady's son became an Eagle and he moved on to military service. However she only comes to the troop meeting when we have a Board of Review. She also felt that she is the only person capable of doing the job since she had a very long experience with the troop. She was also the COR of the troop. Unfortunately, the pastor booted her out and assigned another church member.

The Committee Chair slowly took the documents from her and transferred them to me. Of course there was a lot of confrontation, but it died down because she was no longer the COR of the troop. She became just a member of the committee and was not assigned a specific task.

However for a Treasurer's position, he/she should be at troop meetings at least 95% of the time to receive payments and issue disbursements. It is also wise (for internal control purposes) to change Treasurer every 2 years. He/she should be required to furnish a full accounting of all funds received and disbursed. The books should be open to audit in cases of anomalies or fund mis-appropriation.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Please review these points from two official guidebooks:

 

Troop Committee Guidebook for Successful Troop Operation, 2003, Page 18, last paragraph.

 

"Tenure Like all jobs in Scouting, troop committee members serve for a year at a time. At charter renewal time, a manpower inventory should be conducted to identify leadership needs. The troop committee chair should fill each committee position. Every committee member should be asked to serve in a specific capacity. No one, including the troop committee chair, automatically retains the same position beyond the one-year life of the charter."

 

A further point of clarification and insight but from the Cub Scout Leader Book, 2003 printing, Recruiting Leaders, Page 10-4, paragraph 3.

 

"3. Recruit for one year at a time. Let the prospect know that you are asking him or her for a specific time commitment.

This knowledge gives the person a chance to move on gracefully when the year is completed; it also gives the Cubmaster and pack committee a chance to tactfully release leaders who are not adequately fulfilling their responsibilities. You will want to enlist many leaders for another year, but do so one year at a time."

 

Several things (should) happen at charter renewal, according to the official printings by B.S.A. If you wish further information please consult these publications.

 

FB