MotoGPfan Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Any issues with Scoutmaster and Committe Chair also being Husband and Wife? We have 30 boys and a good amount of volunters. Just wondering what our future could hold. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC9DDI Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Short answer is... potentially. It depends on the dynamic of the personalities of the SM and the CC, and that of the rest of the troop. Granted there's no official prohibition against a husband-wife SM-CC team, and I'm sure there are many examples where such an arrangement is quite effective, but I think that it certainly opens the door for some unique challenges and complications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil_b Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Yeah, interesting question. We have ended up with that in our troop as well. I think husband-wife teams are normal and have some benefits. If they do Scouting together it is one more thing they have in common. When only one spouse is involved the other tends to be jealous of the time that gets devoted to Scouting. Communication is another benefit. They always know where to find each other, and they can bounce ideas off each other. There is some potential down side of course. What's best for their spouse may not always be what's best for the troop as a whole, and when that's the case they could be biased and more likely side with their spouse. In the case of my troop we had a lot of problems before these people took charge and things have gotten better in a lot of ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamonn Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Happens a lot when trying to get a new unit off the ground. The BSA doesn't have a problem with it. The CO must be OK with it or the charter wouldn't be in place. There are sometimes problems when all the power comes from one family. It can also be a problem when one goes they both tend to hit the bricks and unit has two big positions that need filled. A lot depends on how active and how involved the rest of the committee are. Ea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank10 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I find that it is bad for the troop and bad for the marriage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evmori Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 No rule against it but I don't think it's a good idea. Too much control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwazse Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 It makes tour plans a little easier to sign. Besides that, there are no benefits. It depends on the leadership style of the CC. He/she may be tempted to act as the SM. If the partner has enjoyed direct contact with boys before (e.g. Den Leader) he/she should consider being ASM. If she has a track record coordinating adult committees, then maybe CC will be a good fit. The advantage of the CC being from a different family is that you are forced to work at communication. There's no taking it for granted. This usually helps formally get the word out to the rest of the troop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 had a similar situation...... 1st pack I was involved with Grandpa CC, CM and SM....Grandma, Treasure and Secretary, Moms, dads, aunts, uncles committee.......Well they violated about every rule their was.....spent pack money on the troop...on and on. My experience was bad with it.....but it depends on the people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nike Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 It depends. For our pack, our CC and Treasurer were spouses, and they felt it negatively impacted everyone else's time at the monthly leader/committee meeting since they had to bring the children. If you have enough parents, I believe it's time to reach beyond the "usual suspects" and involve adults from more families. It also means there is more group buy-in, hopefully, from the parents who are writing the checks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil_b Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 "Well they violated about every rule their was.....spent pack money on the troop..." That is an interesting situation that might deserve its own thread, but I would think that could happen regardless of who runs the troop. I am not sure there is a rule against it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof2cubs Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Up until recently when a new CM stepped up, our pack had a husband and wife team as CC and CM. It worked out just fine. And I'm thinking it happens quite often too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_OX_Eagle83 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Technically no issue-no policy violation. Actually, this situation isnt uncommon. This could either be a blessing or curse. Communication is easy, but a lions share of the work falls on one family, potentially leading to burn out. The biggest danger is that this arrangement could prevent the committee from functioning correctly. My two cents is this isnt an optimal arrangement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I am sure there are situations where it works, but I think it is something that should be avoided if possible. The unit committee is supposed to be making sure the unit leader is doing his/her job properly, so if the head of the committee is married to the unit leader, that creates an obvious issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbrownkc7 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 This is an easy one. You could express your concerns at the next committee meeting in a non-threatening way and ask if anyone else is interested in being the CC. I see to often that we are afraid of hurting someone's feelings by questioning a situation when in fact there should be a concern. My concern isn't the ethics but the huge responsibility put on the family trying to fill two important positions. The problem you may have here is no one was interested in helping and this person simply plugged a hole. My suggestion to you is be ready to step to be your troop's next CC. I am for our troop and it is a good position. It is a lot easier that being the SM for sure. I guess that is because we have a wonderful SM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrickms24 Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 As with any situation, it depends on the individuals involved. In our Scout Troop, the SM and CC are a husband-wife team, the Treasurer and Advancement chair are a husband-wife team and it is working fine. The SM anbd ASM deal with the day to day stuff, where the CC and Advancement chair deal with the more long term items. We are a newer Troop, still small. When the boys join, all parents are encouraged to join at least the committee as general members. This gives everyone the opportunity to have input as to what direction the Troop will be going for the next 3-4 months. Everyone is encouraged to step up, but when few if any of the new parents are willing to step up, the only alternative is for those who are willing to fill the positions. Potentially, it can lead to burn out but what other option do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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