Chartered Organization - How many have good relations?

[Pack57EHCT]

I've recently had a "run in" with my CO exec that takes our relationship from "benign neglect" to "organizational tolerance". In short, the CO doesn't like having to be burdened w/ signing paperwork for new leaders, will provide us meeting space, but I'm losing storage space, wants nothing to do with our program (this, I realize could be a good thing) and, basically isn't all that supportive of scouting in general.

 

I'm curious, how many of you have good, constructive, and interactive relationships with your chartered organizations? Please let me know why they're good, ideas for what works, and ideas on how one may improve relationships between the unit and the CO.

 

Thanks. Dave.

[Eagle92]

Pack,

Welcome aboard. My advice would be to start talking to other organizations about chartering your pack.

 

My troop went through 3 COs in about 4 years. Long story short, the demographics of the original CO changed as well as the IH who was not supportive of scouting. the troop started loosing storage space, meeting rooms on the same nite we had for 20 years, etc. The writing on the wall was when there was a break in to our storage closet. The straw that broke the camel's back was when the CO used a brand new fiberglass storage shed as the background for the fair's dart board. We lost over $10K of equipment due to all the holes in the shed: tents and tarps mildewed, broken lanterns, etc. We looked for and found a new CO, and got the old CO to sign off our number since we were almost 25 years old.

 

Now the 2nd CO's IH welcomed us with open arms, and we moved there without a hitch. It was a great relationship until he left and a new IH came in, one who was bitterly opposed to the BSA. We started looking for a new CO after the 2nd IH called the cops on us for trespassing b/c we were late cleaning up an ECOH. Luckily no one was arrested as the officer responding was an ASM and thought the IH was talking about someone else trespassing, as the CO was near a playground.

 

3rd CO had a pack but no troop. Again welcomed with open arms and the relationship has been wonderful. Most of the members are now coming from the school and church, parents are involved with church council, and the troop has been there over 15 years.

[Stosh]

My crew has has an ever increasing positive relationship with their CO over the past 10 years. They were wary at first but have warmed up to the group and now is great. 4 years ago I became IH and so things began to change for the positive.

 

My troop has had an excellent relationship with their CO (American Legion). They've worked together for the past 50 years and things go very well. IH recently assisted on one of our boy's Eagle Projects and offered additional resources from other American Legions in the area to support his EP.

 

My former troop had CO problems occasionally, but they seemed to work out in the long run. However, I'm thinking the relationship is tolerable to them so they put up with the inconvenience and costs.

 

Stosh

[AlFansome]

 

I'm a Chartered Org. Rep. for 4 units in addition to being a leader in my son's pack, so I can speak from both sides of the relationship.

 

1) Realize that this is a two-way relationship. Your pack is chartered by a church. Think of ways that you can reach out to help the church with their mission. It could be as simple as a landscaping cleanup, helping with a fundraiser, providing service during your church events, whatever. Just making that initial effort to try to be a good partner with the church leadership may help to at least thaw the chilly feelings you're getting from the CO.

 

2) Publicize what your pack does to the CO and/or the whole church. Any way of getting Pack events into the church bulletin or other communications? Try to get the general church membership involved if possible with your events just like you can get involved with their events. Clearly, there are practical limits to this approach, but getting the organization as a whole to develop a warm and fuzzy feeling about the pack and the boys in particular is a good start.

 

3) Whom do you deal with at the CO? Is it the head of the church council, the pastor/priest, or someone that's been appointed to serve as the Chartered Organization Representative (COR)? If there is someone in the congregation not affiliated with the Pack, yet who is a supporter (or at least "gets") Scouting, then perhaps that person could be considered by the CO to be the COR. It would remove the head of the CO from direct day-to-day issues with the COR and would allow you to have a friend of the pack in there to act as a buffer between the CO and the pack.

 

Take the time to listen and appreciate (if not agree with) the position of the CO. Anything you can do to try to minimize his issues through things like I've listed above can slowly change the relationship between you can the CO.

 

Good luck.

[Eagle92]

One interesting thing I should note. About 6 or 7 years after we left the original CO, they got a new IH. He was an Eagle, and wanted to know why there wasn't a troop at the church. In those short years, the church changed so much again that no one remembered us. So they started a troop, which was very surprised to learn there once was a troop.(This message has been edited by eagle92)

[sherminator505]

It sounds to me like you have a SPONSOR!

 

I've never had much patience for sponsors. Maybe I'm just a little too enamored with what the book says, but it is my understanding that a chartering organization OWNS and OPERATES a Scouting unit.

 

I was a Scoutmaster for two troops. Both times I took over a small troop with problems and no pack to draw new Scouts from. One troop steadily grew and regained its place as one of the better troops in town, and still exists today. The other struggled and folded soon after I left. The difference was that the first had a real chartering organization that was interested in seeing the troop succeed, while the second had a sponsor that basically suffered its existence.

 

The difference between a chartering organization and a sponsor can make a huge difference in the success or failure of your unit. I agree with Eagle92.

[jeff-o]

Having just started a new Troop (March of this year), I've had nothing but a great relationship with the CO. Our CO is a church of the United Methodist variety, and the United Methodist Men's group has it in their charter that they support the Boy Scouts, so they were very excited that we were forming (again).

 

Also, we work hard to keep up relations. After each court of honor, I am given a few minutes in the next church service to bring the boys up in front of the church where I very briefly mention all the awards that were given out at the last Court of Honor. I always take the time to thank them for having us there. I also continue to refer to the Troop as the Church's troop.

 

Just this past Sunday, the pastor gave over about 45 minutes of the church service over to us to hold our Eagle Court of Honor with the congregation!

[John-in-KC]

At the practical level, Pack 57, it sounds to me like you need your DE and the Unit Commissioner to pay their annual support call on the Chartered Partner. I assume you are the CC, and you probably should be there too. Even if it means takig time from your day job, you should be there too!

 

Otherwise, I support what Al and Sherminator said

[Pack57EHCT]

Wow, tons of replys - thanks all. Here's an update and replies to some of the points made. I'm actually the CM for the Pack, lost an active CC last year and while I have one, I'm functionally fulfilling the role.

 

I deal w/ the IH, who's the church pastor. I've set up a meeting tomorrow night with the CO Rep to hopefully lighten the burden of the IH. We already do an annual cleanup of the church grounds before Easter. I've always invited the IH and CO Rep to our B&G Banquets. CO Rep never replies. IH showed one year out of three. Will try to think up a couple more service ideas. Good idea on publicizing - can see if IH and CO Rep would want to receive our monthly newsletter, though I think the IH fits the "Sponsor" label one of you mentioned and likely won't be interested. I'm hoping to get the CO Rep to be a bit more engaged after tomorrow's meeting.

 

Lastly, Eagle92, that's a nightmare story, but glad it finally worked out for you! Makes me think that working it out w/ our CO Rep is the best way to go.

 

Thanks all. Dave.

 

[kbandit]

From your last post it sounds as if you may want to see if the CO Rep. is interested in being COR. Our COR signs everything except the charter renewal where IH has to sign. Our COR is at our meetings every week and attends committee meetings. Maybe that's not the norm for other troops/packs but that is what happens to us.

 

To the chartering organization I think we are the group that meets in the basement. We do work for them when they have clean-up days and what ever else they ask but...(This message has been edited by kbandit)