Accepting Tips on How to pick a Charter Organization.....

[Hunt]

"Also, the CO has the ability to choose its leadership. But how can a church as a CO just implement that with an established unit?"

 

The CO can choose new leaders if it wants to. As far as I know, most COs don't do this. But a church that wants to limit membership/leadership to members of the church might do so. So you have to be careful in choosing a church as CO.

 

"We have at least 4 Baptist churches in the area that I know of (2 are Primitive *not sure what that means actually*, one "Bible" Church, one Catholic church, one Lutheran church and one Methodist church. Other than that, we have a Sonic, a Radio Shack, a Dairy Queen, a Chevy dealer, and some ice houses (gas station/convenience stores), a very small local market, a few other mom & pop stores, small locally-owned restaurants, one Dollar General, one roadhouse/bar - and a partridge in a pear tree."

 

From this group, I suggest you start with the Methodist church. Methodist churches sponsor many units, and I have never heard of one limiting members or leaders to church members. It is also mainstream or middle of the road, and is thus less likely to turn off anybody in your troop (all this depends on the specific church, but in general this would be the case). Perhaps you could have the troop sponsored not by the church itself, but by the church's men's group, if it has one. The next choice to me would be the Lutheran church, which should also be fairly middle of the road. Baptist churches come in several varieties, so one of them may work. The car dealership might work, but you're not likely to get a place to meet out of it. Are you sure there are no fraternal groups? Ruritans, maybe? How about the volunteer fire department, if it's a private entity?

 

 

 

[local1400]

I know of several units sponsored by the local Volunteer Fire Dept. if the dealership doesnt work out.

[Beavah]

Yah, OK, we get the lay of the land a bit.

 

I'll echo Hunt and others. Try

 

Methodists

Volunteer Fire Department

School PTA/PTO.

 

Given your small town, I'd consider tryin' the Chamber of Commerce itself as a sponsor. They could find a local business to put you up in, but the business wouldn't be "on the hook" so much.

 

Do you have any kind of sportsman's club? They might be one to approach, too.

 

Is there a "major" employer in town? Big mill or somesuch? That might also be a real interestin' possibility.