Changing chartered organization

[SSScout]

GWDSCOUTER: Buttonhole your UC and/or DE and pass on the info about those possible Charter Orgs. If they have some Scouty folks in their flock, let them meet with the DE and UC and, like Mathew Bradey used to say, 'see what developes'.

[gwd-scouter]

Another update. Met with the IH yesterday. He showed us several options for meeting space and I must say I'm delighted. There is another small house on the church property that has four small rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. He showed us around and asked what we thought of this option or that option. He showed us a closet we could use to store our meeting materials and actually asked if thought that would be OK. He is agreeable to let us keep our troop flag, American flag, and the boys' patrol flags in a corner of one room, even though others will use the room at other times during the week.

 

Husband talked about the lock-ins we do a couple of times a year before long backpacking trips. He told the IH that these lock-ins are important in that the boys check each other's packs to make sure they have what they need as far as safety is concerned. IH understood, but mentioned that on Friday nights, the house is used by an outreach group for addicted persons. He then said the church could arrange for us to use another area in the main part of the church for this purpose. He also said we could do that for our Courts of Honor since the rooms in the house would be much too small to accommodate our Scouts and parents. Heck, he even said it would be OK for us to put a small sign out front of the house with our Troop number, i.e., Troop 313 meetings Mondays at 6:30.

 

When I mentioned our amazing upcoming Troop growth he seemed really pleased. He admitted he had no idea how a Scout Troop functioned or even it's real purpose. When I said we've had a fair number of underprivileged boys in the Troop over the years and that we've collected equipment to lend to them and have other parents help out with fees, I think it helped him see that we were more than just a camping club. We are a valuable resource for the church in the community.

 

I asked about having more exposure with the church - reminding him that we are the church's Troop. He was quite interested in us helping with service projects. It seems, in the past, our requests for service project opportunities went through the wrong person. For the past several years, I requested opportunities for our boys only to be told we could only fix up the basement of the house where we met. Now, the IH was talking about things like putting in benches and/or picnic tables in the playground area, helping with upcoming landscaping around the house, etc. Fantastic!

 

We now have a new COR and the IH knows him very well. I'm looking forward to fostering a better relationship with the church - one that helps not only the church, but helps our troop by letting the congregation actually know that we're there.

 

I'm so glad this is going to work out. We pack up and move out tomorrow and will get a key to move in a few of our things to the new location. I think the boys will be very pleased.

[ljnrsu]

gwd, Very happy to hear that this worked itself out. I hope that you do get the crossovers you are expecting and more importantly your troop retains them. I know the struggle it has been the past few years for you and the troop. Maybe now there is a light at the end of the tunnel.