Volunteer Looking for a Job

[Lauwit]

I've decided that I'd like to get volunteer with the Scouts. I'm an Eagle Scout, Vigil, and have about 3 years of experience as an ASM. I haven't been active in scouting for about 5 or 6 years because of job transfers.

 

Here's my situation... I have a job that fills my schedule for about 6 months (Sept., Oct., Feb., March, April mostly) on every Friday and Saturday night. Because of this I don't know that I'd be a great deal of help to a Troop since I wouldn't be able to help out on weekend activities (My wife is very protective of my weekends when I do have them off).

 

The DE for my area suggested the Unit Commissioner job. My questions is... How much time will it take to be an effective UC? Are there any other scouting "Jobs" that a person with my limited availability on weekends would be able to be helpful?

 

I'm willing to volunteer what time I have but I don't want to say I'll do something and find that I can't get the job done.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Lauwit

[SueM]

Lauwit,

 

Welcome to the forum and thank you for trying to do what you can for our youth!!

 

I see many possibilities for you on a Troop Committee!! Much of the work that is done as a Committee member is done during the week and doesn't require you to be away for weekends, but at the same time is very important to running an effective troop! For example, the role of the Equipment Coordinator...working with the troop Quartermaster to keep the troop equipment in shape and making recommendations to the committee when repairs/replacements are needed. Or as the Troop Secretary..whos job also includes things like doing a Troop resources survey to determine the skills of parents and other adults in the area who you might need to call on for help occasionally and also providing communications to parents in the form of newsletters. Or the Troop Treasurer..who helps train the troop scribe and is also in charge of the FOS campaign and troop fund raising activities..

 

Or..how about just being the adult leader in charge of "odd jobs"??...making sure tour permits and other paper work are filed, etc.

 

These are just a few ideas..

[Lisabob]

Being a UC might be a serious option. Most of the active UC's I know tell me that they attend one or two meetings a month for each of the units to which they are assigned. Supposing that you were assigned to units who meet on a week day, that would be feasible. I do think that I'd want to talk with a couple of current (active) UCs in your district first though, to see what the reality is in your area. Some districts have excellent UC corps while others are stretched way too thin, leading to burn out problems and unrealistic expectations about what the few active UCs will do. But this is definitely an area where you could have a noticeable and positive impact on scouting in your district.

 

If you determine that being a UC isn't for you, there are lots of other district committees to consider. Not all of them meet on weekends. And even those that are more activity oriented (like program committee) won't necessarily require that you give up your weekends.

 

Another thought - are you part of any church or civic groups that sponsor a scout unit? If so, perhaps you would like to serve as the Charter Organization Rep. As COR you'd be a sort of liaison for the organization, the unit, and the district. Having knowledgeable and active CORs is helpful for all three parts of that relationship, and being a COR wouldn't require you to give up weekends either - just keep up relationships with the unit.

 

Look around a little bit and I feel sure you'll find a good scouting "job" match for you.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Why do people returning to Scouts as a volunteer only think about working with a Boy Scout Troop? Consider volunteering with a Cub Scout Pack. Many are struggling to survive because of lack of volunteers. Heck, one Pack was so desperate for a Cubmaster it put an ad in the newspaper!

 

Where ever you end up, thank you & welcome!

 

 

[eagle97_78]

There are many different ways that you can volunteer in scouting. You can volunteer as a unit commisioner or a district committee member on the district level. On the unit level you can volunteer as a committee member for a cub scout pack, boy scout troop, or a venture crew. They are all well worthy opportunities and people are always needed in these position. A unit commissioner does seem to take up a little bit more time than the rest on the positions that I mentioned especially since national released the new centential unit award. If you want to work a little bit closer to youth then I would recommend being on a unit committee, but if you don't mind not working too close to youth then talk to the DE about being a district committee member. Good luck with the search and we are glad that you are coming back to work with the scouting program.

[emb021]

eagle97_78 is corret about the many ways that one can be a scouting volunteer.

 

One thing that gets me very frustrated is that too many people seem to assume that if you want to be a scouting volunteer you MUST do so as a unit volunteer. Frankly, this may not be the right job for everyone. It takes the right kind of person to be a unit-level volunteer, plus there is many times a higher time committement for these jobs then other positions. Why are so many unwilling to allow those who can't be unit-level volunteers be INSTEAD volunteers at the district or council-levels? Why instead rely on unit-level volunteers to ALSO be volunteers at the district or council levels. Does that really help the program? Personally, I think that those who are unit volunteers (especially those who are the key unit leaders) should focus their efforts at that level. (I'm not speaking of barring or preventing unit-level volunteers to also be involved elsewhere. Some can handle it and that's fine.) Allow those people who (for whatever reason- time, ability) aren't able to be unit-level volunteers to be volunteers at the district/council levels. Stop passing over (or ignoring) these people in favor of those volunteers who are (in many cases) already holding 2 or 3 (or more) volunteer positions already.

 

(sorry, just had to vent a little)

 

[Sprocket]

When I wanted to get back into scouting at age 22 or 23, I was encouraged to sign up as an ASM to help my then-church's troop. I went through SM Fundamentals training, and was incredibly enthusiastic. But the SM would cancel or reschedule meetings, letting the word go to the boys at school, and not bother to call me. So I'd show up for troop meetings and no one would be there. It was a small troop, and the SM didn't know what to do with an ASM. It began to feel like a waste of my time, and I stopped helping, despite the SM's wife apologizing and making excuses for him nearly every time she ran into me.

 

Had I instead known more about volunteering at the district level, it would've been a much better use of my experience and youthful enthusiasm. I wouldn't have had such a break in my scouting service, and might have been able to help out. Getting to know people at the district level would've helped me (and my pack) quite a bit now that I have sons and am a unit-level scouter, too.

 

I would encourage you to volunteer at the district level. I wish I had. It's very hard for young men to volunteer at the unit level if you weren't a scout in the unit and don't have a son involved. I would think that as a UC, you could schedule your unit service around your work schedule.

 

-Todd

Tiger Cub Den Leader

Eagle Scout