By-laws

[Prairie_Scouter]

I think the reality of "who works for who" is just a bit grey. The text of the leader guide says that the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair/Committee work as a team, but the structure chart of the Troop as published in the leader guide shows the Scoutmaster below the CC/Committee. On an everyday basis, tho, I think that the SM and CC do work as a team.

[SR540Beaver]

I'll take a stab at it with a rusty butter knife since I don't have any resources sitting in front of me. In a perfect world, a charter organization either decides they want to charter a boy scout troop and contact the council or the DE has made a call on them and stirred their interest. The first step is for the charter to recruit a charter organization rep. The COR recruits a committee chair. The CC recruits committee members and the scoutmaster. The scoutmaster recruits assistant scoutmasters. At the troop level, the CC is "in charge" overall and "answers" to the charter and COR. The SM works with the CC, but on paper, the CC is who problems of any nature are brought to ultimately within the troop.....even if the problem is the SM. The SM runs the boy side of things and the CC runs the business side of things and doing everything possible to accomodate the boys want out of the program. Bob White ccan certainly mop up any spills I've made here.

[Hunt]

"I don't want to be held to someone elses opinion of being active."

 

There are two aspects to this particular issue. First, there is a need for it to be clear to a Scout to know in advance what "actively serve" means, so he will be able to gauge his own efforts against that standard.

Second, there is a need to know what to do if there is a disagreement over whether a particular scout has "actively served." A scout who believes he has been wrongly denied advancement can appeal that through an established appeal process. That appeal process has to look at some kind of standard to resolve the disagreement. Thus, somewhere, there IS a standard that BSA will ulltimately use to make this determination. If troops are putting out by-laws that are inconsistent with that standard, that's a problem for several reasons.

 

This standard doesn't have to be a numerical one--I think that's what's causing some of the disagreement here--it can be a process standard, something like "the SM and Scout will discuss what level of involvement constitutes "active service" in the POR." Then if there is a disagreement later, the factfinder can consider whether the SM and the Scout had the conversation, and whether the Scout lived up to what was agreed.

I just think it would be reasonable for BSA to make readily available the official answers to questions like this, especially when there are so many wrong answers floating around.

[eisely]

Coming back around to this business of what does it mean to "actively serve", in the absence of guidelines or standards formally adopted by the unit, I would be inclinded as SM to keep a personal journal of my conversations with individual scouts and parents on these kinds of matters, just to create some kind of record of what was said and agreed to.

 

Concerning who "works" for whom, the Troop Committee Guidebook refers to the troop committee as the "board of directors", but think that is intended only as a metaphor. I see the CC and the SM as co-equals. The CC is somewhat higher in the pecking order in that the committee has overall responsibility (in my mind) for the performance of all the adult leaders in the unit. But the CC cannot unilaterally fire or discipline the SM or any other volunteer. This power resides with the Chartered Organization Representative.

 

It would be naive to say that power politics has no place in volunteer organization. Ultimately somebody has to exercise some real authority when that is needed, but hopefully that is extremely rare in scouting. We are all idealists to some degree, or we would not be here. At the same time we are ambitious for our sons and want them to get the most they can out of the program. Everybody has to take a deep breath and no body should be setting themselves up as the dictator. But I ramble...

[LodgeChief]

Sorry, I am a little behind, but as far as updating bylaws, I think that the boys and some scoutmasters get together and work on it. That's what my troop does and it works. After they are updated the PLC approves the changes and then the Committee takes a look at it.

[Bob White]

Care to share what 3 or 4 of the most important bylaws are that they have written?

[sst3rd]

Can you smell a "set up"???????

 

You go Bob !!!!!!!!!!

[OldGreyEagle]

Please, Please, PULLLEEEEEEZE, not a setup, mereley an opportunity for practical application of the scouting principles

[evmori]

I posted a bylaw a while back & no one ever responded! I do smell something!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[FScouter]

Here's a real-life bylaw from Troop 13 in Alabama, pulled from the internet. In the spirit of OGE's challenge to discuss the practical application of the Scouting principles to bylaws, does anyone have any comments about whether this bylaw is needed or not needed, and why, or other observations?

 

- Full Dress Uniform will consist of Boy Scouts of America official uniform shorts/pants, shirt with insignia sewn on in proper places, belt, Troop neckerchief (issued by Troop), socks, and closed toe shoes. The merit badge sash should also be worn if the Scout is entitled to wear it.

- Class A Uniform will be as described above with the omission of the merit badge sash and official uniform pants.

- Class B Uniform will consist of Troop T-shirt or BSA T-shirt, cap and appropriate shorts (or jeans depending on weather)(belt if necessary) and closed toe shoes.

- The Scoutmaster shall designate which uniform will be worn at all Troop events.

- Class A Uniform will be worn at Board of Review and Court of Honor.

- The Scout is expected to have a Uniform within eight meetings after joining the Troop.

- Scouts name should be placed on all parts of the uniform with an indelible marker.

- If the Scout wears a cap at any time that he is in uniform, it must be a standard Boy Scout of America cap or a BSA event cap.

 

- Enforcement of the dress code shall be the direct responsibility of the Scoutmaster. He may use verbal warnings, Parent(s)/Guardian(s) consultations and recommendations to the committee for suspension or expulsion.

[Hunt]

I'll take a whack at it. First, this bylaw is probably not needed, since proper uniforming is something that is readily available in the Handbook. (I will say that this bylaw might be useful in warning someone not to join this unit.) But even if a troop wanted to summarize uniform policy in a guide or FAQ, this one is all wrong. To parse it out:

 

"Full Dress Uniform will consist of Boy Scouts of America official uniform shorts/pants, shirt with insignia sewn on in proper places, belt, Troop neckerchief (issued by Troop), socks, and closed toe shoes. The merit badge sash should also be worn if the Scout is entitled to wear it."

 

This isn't too bad--it's essentially a description of the Field Uniform. But "closed toe shoes" are not part of the uniform--that could be included as advice, I suppose. Also, a Scout with even a single merit badge sash is "entitled" to wear a sash, so that statement is nonsensical (unless they ascribe to the myth that the sash can't be worn until a minimum number of MBs are earned).

 

"Class A Uniform will be as described above with the omission of the merit badge sash and official uniform pants."

 

As many have pointed out, if you omit the pants, it's not an official or complete uniform. (I have no philosophical objection to the use of shorthand like "Class A," but here's an example of how it can have too many meanings.)

 

"Class B Uniform will consist of Troop T-shirt or BSA T-shirt, cap and appropriate shorts (or jeans depending on weather)(belt if necessary) and closed toe shoes."

 

Almost the activity uniform, but again only the official pants or shorts can be part of the official activity uniform. And what's with the closed-toe shoes?

 

"The Scoutmaster shall designate which uniform will be worn at all Troop events."

 

Big clue this troop isn't boy-run.

 

"Class A Uniform will be worn at Board of Review and Court of Honor."

 

Amazingly, these guys don't wear full uniforms at COHs--no official pants, and no sash! When do they wear the "full dress uniform?"

 

"The Scout is expected to have a Uniform within eight meetings after joining the Troop."

 

BSA doesn't require a boy to have a uniform at all. Maybe a CO can require this, but the SM shouldn't. I'd like this a little better if it explained how the troop will help a boy get a uniform if he can't afford it.

 

"Scouts name should be placed on all parts of the uniform with an indelible marker."

 

Sensible advice--is this a rule?

 

"If the Scout wears a cap at any time that he is in uniform, it must be a standard Boy Scout of America cap or a BSA event cap."

 

It's true that a non-official cap makes a scout not in complete uniform. But what do they mean by "must?"

 

"Enforcement of the dress code shall be the direct responsibility of the Scoutmaster. He may use verbal warnings, Parent(s)/Guardian(s) consultations and recommendations to the committee for suspension or expulsion."

 

Here's the real problem, and what would have me looking for another prospective troop if I saw this. This troop is about rules, enforcement and punishment. My closed-toe shoes would be headed right out the door.

 

This is certainly an example of a really bad by-law. But do you think it would be better if the troop had the same rules and practices, but didn't write them down?

 

[ScoutMomAng]

"Ang: I believe you mean Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster? The Boy Scout Fast Training is on-line and short, and it may help you out some."

 

Laurie...there I go again, mixing GS with Boy Scouts. Happens all the time...should've seen me trying to do the GS promise Friday!!! It came out with a few slips of tongue leaning into the Cub scout promise...the girls noticed it!!! They forgive me though.

 

As for the by-laws...I missed the meeting because I had some pressing GS issues to take care but was never sent an e-mail to let me know where the meeting was going to be held so.....although at the last troop meeting I was asked to also serve as the secretary since I seem to be so organized...I'm not sure about all that so we'll see.

 

 

On another note: Dad and son went on the first boy scout camp-out this weekend. Some issues arose for my son that hopefully he will be able to bring them up at the meeting tomorrow to the SPL and things will work out.