Troop Equiptment

[donert]

Is the Scoutmaster responsible for the Troop Equiptment? Does the Charter Organization hold the Scoutmaster accountable?

[scottteng]

In a sense SM and all adult leaders are responsible for troop equipment making sure it is not left at camp sites, but the quartermaster is a youth position who is directly responsible for equipment. i have not seen a chartering organization that cares much about the troops equipment even though they do technically own it all. What exactly would they do with it? sell it at a yard sale? it is not worth very much in it's used and sometimes abused condition. The troop usually raises the money to buy the equipment. For that matter the money in the troop account also belongs to the chartering organization. The chartering organization has their rep on the committee so they do have their voice in the running of the troop. Financial stuff is left to the committee as well the treasurer has the checkbook, committee approves all expenditures.

[anarchist]

 

Gosh, what a loaded question? Care to share the particulars?

 

do you mean in general, or replacement of, or obtaining it, or care of...Like many things the answer could be ...depends!

 

anarchist

[CalicoPenn]

Is the Scoutmaster storing the Troop's equipment in his garage? Then Yes - during the time it's being stored.

 

Otherwise, its everyone's responsibility - the adults and the boys.

 

Calico

[donert]

In general, is the Scoutmaster held accountable for the equiptment that is leagally owned by the Charter Organization?

[Lisabob]

I can only speak to what I know my son's troop does. In our troop there is an adult Quartermaster who works along with the youth QM to maintain the gear in working condition. The SM is regularly involved in discussion about what is needed. The gear is stored in someone's barn, who happens to have extra room (neither the QM nor the SM).

 

In the past, the SM has done all of these tasks, but that was largely because a) there wasn't a functional QM and b) that particular SM was a bit of a control freak.

 

 

[anarchist]

usedtobe...

once again you are asking a way too general a question...to expect a decent answer.

 

If you are doing the "boss" thing...or as Lisabob says you are a control freak in your troop and you have strict control of the gear...then some would say the onus is yours...

 

But, as they say... "the proof is in the details"...your question is a situationally obtuse. Where is it stored? Who has access? what has been troop and CO policy in the past? How does your troop control use and care of the gear? Why has the question come up?

If you can not share details, you can not expect a coherent answer...unless you just want stuff flung on the walls to see what sticks...even the good doctor House needs symptoms to diagnose a problem.

anarchist(This message has been edited by anarchist)

[CalicoPenn]

In general, the equipment is held in trust by the Troop, for the Troop's exclusive use. The Troop raises the funds, aquires, cares for, repairs, replaces and, if neccessary, disposes of outdated, irrepairable and unsafe equipment. In general, they do this without interference from the Chartered Organization. In general, only if the troop were to fold, would the CO take possession of the equipment.

 

In all of the Troop's I was involved with, we kept an inventory listing of all the Troop's equipment. This is part of the Quartermaster's responsibilities. Like Lisabob, we had an adult committee member who served as an adult "quartermaster" and worked with the Troop Quartermaster. Equipment was signed out to the patrols before campouts, and signed back in. New equipment was added to the inventory list. Discarded equipment was removed from the inventory list, with a transfer to a discarded equipment list that detailed the reason a piece of equipment was removed - it could read lost, damaged beyond repair, unsafe, aged out (tents, etc. might be "aged out" after a time), and what was done with it which might read hauled as garbage, recycled, donated to XXX (non-profit), traded in (if possible), traded for XXX equipment, sold to XXX for $x.xx or sold at rummage sale (which was also entered in the Treasurer's books). If the Chartered Organization asks for an accounting of the equipment, it's all readily available to them. Most will not ask, and those that do will likely be very happy to see detailed records. If, on the very off chance, you have a CO who is not happy with disposition of any equipment and is looking for someone to "reimburse" them for the equipment that is no longer there, I'd ask the Council to step in and mediate as the CO really wouldn't have much of a case unless they can prove financial malfeasence (such as a Troop buying brand new Coleman Stoves for $40.00 a piece and turning around and selling them to adult leaders for $30.00 a piece without even taking them out of the box). There are 75 year old Troops out there that would have closets full of moldy canvas tents and unsafe liquid fuel stoves and lanterns if they didn't have some kind of program of disposition.

 

In General, the Scoutmaster is not held responsible for the equipment. The Scoutmaster is responsible for the Program. The Troop Committee is responsible for supporting the program, and equipment is purchased and held to support the program, therefore, the Troop Committee would ultimately be responsible for the equipment (thus the adult "quartermaster" coming from the Troop Committee and not the SM/ASM ranks). At campouts, the patrols are responsible for the equipment. They need to report any lost or damaged equipment to the Troop Quartermaster when they turn in the equipment. They are responsible for making sure the equipment they turn in is in the same condition as when they checked it out - that means tent's are bone dry, all stakes and ropes accounted for, stoves cleaned (no spillover egg residue, etc.), pots and pans are clean, etc. etc. etc. If there is deliberate damage to the equipment, I'd expect the patrol to figure out a way to replace it.

 

I realize this is a bit long so to summarize the most important part:

 

The ultimate responsibility for the Troop's equipment rests with the Troop Committee, not the Scoutmaster or any individual within the Troop. The Troop Committee is responsible to the Chartered Organization - not the Scoutmaster. The answer, therefore, is "No - the Scoutmaster is NOT responsible to the CO for the Troop's equipment - the Troop Committee is"

 

Calico

 

 

 

[donert]

Thanks Calico, I will suggest your policy to the TC.

 

Thanks to everyone for your posts to this question