Committee Chair and the Scoutmaster/ Cubmaster

[Lexington76]

How should a CC relate & work with a unit leader? Where does one responsibilities start & end? How would a unit committee meeting run with both the CC & the CM/SM involved but not in each others way?

 

What should the COR expect of each one? What keeps a unit leader from thinking, "I'm the one who has his/her butt on the line- why doesn't the CC help/ get involved with frontline issues?"

 

I ask these questions as I prepare to recruit new leaders to fill positions both in a pack & troop in a growing program.

[eisely]

There is a publication called the "Troop Committee Guidebook" that answers most of these questions. I don't know, but I presume there is a similar publication for Cub Scouts.

[EagleInKY]

Get the committee guidebook and the scoutmaster handbook and compare the two roles. They are distinctly different. The two people must work well together, but they can be very different personalities. The unit leader is responsible for the program. The committee chair is responsible for the "ways and means" to support the program.

 

If you were a corporation, the unit leader would be like the COO, making sure operations were carried out according to plan. The Committee Chair is more like the president of the company, making sure everything the COO has what he needs (money, resources, people, etc.).

 

The COR is likely to talk to the unit leader more than the CC. The reason is that the unit leader is the public face of the organization. Many people won't even know who the CC is. Many CCs don't regularly attend meetings. Unfortunately, many of them don't wear uniforms either. But that's another topic.

 

The unit leader is often the one with their "butt on the line", because they are the public guy. Just like the coach of a football team, they are often the one that takes the heat during a bad season. Seldom does the GM feel the heat from the public. However, the CC needs to be prepared to step in and help with the tough situations when the unit leader needs it. One of their key roles is insuring safety and discipline within the organization.

 

Good luck.

[SemperParatus]

All great answers - definitely get the books and read them. Attend training with your new CCs, so everyone gets the same information at the same time and you can all process and discuss it during the breaks or immediately afterward.

 

In my experience and to put it in the most simplistic terms (which obviuosly has some limitations and exceptions), the CC should deal with anything that is dollar or form related, wherewas the CM/SM should deal with anything that is scout related. Good relations between the two are essential, for the health of the unit and their position longevity. As a SM, I probably talk with our CC at least weekly - there should never be any surprises. The committee meetings are the domain of the CC and he/she should be running them, looking for reports from the various volunteers: secretary, advancement chair, outdoor coordinator, treasurer, hospitality chair, scoutmaster - who provides an update on program issues, our SPL also attends providing a report on troop issues.

 

COR should expect both to do their jobs and so should know what those jobs are. In our unit, the COR interfaces more with the CC than with the SM - although you can be sure that when the COR tells either one of us something, the other will know about it very soon. Our COR attends the committee meetings (for the most part) and usually addresses CO issues at that time - in most cases, issues raised by the COR are not time sensitive.

 

Follow the BSA guides and your common sense and everything will work out fine. Good luck recruiting.

 

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

The committee agenda is set by the CC not the CM/SM. This may reduce what one expects of them (*CM/SM). The CM/SM does not get a vote on any of the issues in the committee meetings. This may further reduce one's perspective of their roles. But, if the agenda and the vote are consistently against the needs of the Unit, as reported by the CM/SM to the CC, then it will be recruitment time all over again. So that is the reason that cooperation and communication between the CC and the CM/SM is essential.

 

These cooperative efforts unite the total group and a team approach is born that neutralizes the One Person Show and makes for an effective way to confront problematic issues. In other words, it is no longer singular but plural (butts) that goes on the line. It makes things very comfortable for the CM/SM and increases the longevity of the individuals in those positions.

 

FB

[EagleInKY]

Also, at the troop level, there's a great training module referred to as the "Troop Committee Challenge" (aka Troop Committee Training). Our district didn't even offer this, so I went out and bought the curriculum myself. It's a great eye-opener for the committee as they discover what they are supposed to (and not supposed to) do.