District Event scheduling...

[SMT224]

Just got an email from the District on an April event... first time it has been announced. Unfortunately this is the MO of our District, scheduling events a month or two out. I like to support the District, and try to go on as many events as possible, but I do not understand why they can't give us a bit more notice!

 

Our Troop Schedules the next calendar year in September. We go camping every month of the year, do several service projects, and put out a calendar in January so everyone knows whats happening when. A number of state and national parks we go fill up quickly and require on-line reservations to be made as up to a year in advance.

 

As much as I'd like to go on this April event, we've had something scheduled since last September, and we are not about to change what the Troop has already decided on. Same went for the Klondike - no word until early January, then they expect us all to drop everything and join in! In some past years there was no Klondike. If they gave us 6 months or more, we'd work it into our Troop schedule and join in, but a month notice? Sorry we're already doing something.

 

Is this typical? Or do other Districts do a better job planning?

 

[SeattlePioneer]

I'd be sending this complaint to your district "Key 3," the District Executive, District Chair and District Commissioner. They are the ones responsible for improving such scheduling goals.

 

 

Our district does an annual planning activity for district leaders in January each year. That includes the opportunity to schedule events two years out, although not all district events plan that far out.

 

Each month at our district meeting, we review activities scheduled for the next three months looking for any errors or omissions.

 

That works pretty well, but there are still events that don't get planned in a timely fashion. Our district Pinewood Derby is done by the same Scout Troop this year usually in April. That has slipped to May this year I happen to know and is still not scheduled.

 

But by and large we do reasonably well, especially with activities organized by the district where we can keep a pretty firm hand.

 

Could be better....

 

 

 

 

[Eagle92]

In my expereince, districts usually have things planned out well in advance. BUT occasionally something comes up that may be due to an organization doing the event, or some other reason.

 

Good example is the local minor league baseball team came to our RT this past week, and set up a "Scout Nite with the _____" in June. that came out of left field.

[John-in-KC]

This is where a good relationship between Troop and Chartered Partner is worth its weight in gold.

 

The COR goes to the District Chair and asks him what's the lack of planning about...

 

Of course, if you have a paper COR, you can't get this kind of support.

[UCEagle72]

We've had our 2011-2012 calendar published since early January. That is the normal process down here in our district.

 

We try to limit any last minute "surprises" -- normally, they come from Council!

 

[ScoutNut]

Our council has it's calendar for the year out in July/Aug. It has all council and district events listed for the next 12+ months.

 

 

[FScouter]

Attending an event put on by the district is not supporting the district. It is the district supporting the units in the district by providing some alternative programming. If you can't go, carry on with your normal unit program.

[SMT224]

FScouter, I understand what you are saying, and we usually do our own program -- primarily because there is so little notice of upcoming events. My preference is to do more than attend by helping staff, setup, or cleanup.

[SR540Beaver]

Our troop does their annual planning in May. Well, it is usually on the calendar for May. I've seen it move to as late as July for one reason or another. It is helpful to us if the Council, District and OA Lodge schedules the same annual events for the same weekends each year so we kind of have something to hang our hat on. While I never see it actually happening, it would be great if the Council communicated a desired coordinated effort for planning. The commit to a certain date that they will have their annual calendar for the coming year created. Then they ask that the Districts have their calendar completed by a certain date. Both of these would be done well before the coming year so the Packs, Troops and Crews could then schedule their calendar accordingly.

 

It isn't rocket surgery, but I just don't see it happening.

[Eagledad]

Fscout is right, units individually should only attend distict activities that are good for the unit program. A unit should not be expected or plan to attend a just to support the district. Likewise a troop shouldn't attend a local summer camp just to support that camp. Competition forced a our Council to fix its camp program a few years ago.

 

That being said, the district committee is being led poorly. A district annual calender should come out and in the Spring in time for packs to plan their next year.

 

Barry

[Eamonn]

In my neck of the woods.

The pros get together for their Annual Planning meeting sometime in November. After the SE returns from the National SE's Meeting.

Most Council and OA events happen about the same time and same place each and every year. We are part of a WB Cluster so that sometimes is added.

The Districts start working on the calender in April or May. Again as a rule offering the same old same old number of events on the same weekends.

The calender is done by June or July and handed out in August.

Of course sometimes changes do have to be made, but this is rare.

I tried as District Chair to cut back on the number of District events. My thinking was that these events got in the way of Troops following their own themes and programs.

I didn't win that one!

The argument against it was that so many Troops depended on these events that cutting back would harm the outdoor program.

You win some and you lose some!

Ea.

[moxieman]

SMT224, sounds like your district needs some more volunteers at the district level, particularly, an activities chairperson.

 

What some folks forget is that the district is made-up of volunteers. There's only one paid position at the district level--the District Exec. Everyone else is a volunteer like you.

 

If things aren't organized in advance, that's the fault of the activities chair (if you have one) and the district chair, who should be recruiting someone (or several someones) to head-up activities and provide support to the units.

 

We've been lucky in our district as we have strong volunteer support. Most times we do have the dates out a year or so in advance for district events. It just depends on the event. We do our best to set the Spring and Fall Camporees on the same weekend each year, along with the Klondike Derby. Other events like the District Banquet are dependent on facility availability and the District Pinewood Derby is dependent on which pack is sponsoring it that year and when the school they choose to use is available for it.(This message has been edited by moxieman)

[Gary_Miller]

SMT224, I guess my question would be.

 

Do you attend monthly District Round Tables?

 

Does your COR of CC attend monthly District Meeting?

 

The reason I ask is that it seems odd to me that the first time you hear about an activity is one month out and by e-mail. Most of the times these activities are at least scheduled and announce at Round Table or District Meeting, a couple of months out at the least.

 

 

[SMT224]

Gary - You got me on that.

I do not personally go as RT is the same night as our Troop meetings. However, we do have a Committee Member attend and report back. So this and other events could well have been announced, but just didn't make back to the Troop.

[Eagledad]

>>I tried as District Chair to cut back on the number of District events. My thinking was that these events got in the way of Troops following their own themes and programs.

I didn't win that one!