You can make a difference

[Get Outdoors]

For what it's worth:

 

I and the unit I serve has about no use for our council. The council the is supposed to support us does nothing for us without asking for money. Our district is better by actually manking an attempt to support the units through camporees, training and a very good roundtable. Unfortunatly it's only about 20 people that make this happen. It makes me wonder what the other 60 people do that are sitting on the district commitee. (besides trying to look important or powerful.

 

Some of us "old timer's" in the troop have come to the conclusion that if BSA closed the doors and fired everyone at council, it would be business as usual and we wouldn't skip a beat. Some of us believe without having to waste time and energy dealing with councils garbage, we would probably have a better program.

 

 

 

 

[Stosh]

Maybe this is why the old adage "You can't fight city hall" still rings true no matter how much someone wants to make a difference.

 

Stosh

[Get Outdoors]

Stosh,

The folks that really try to make a difference at those that in the trenches, working with boys. The others have forgotten why we do this. It's not about I and us...it's about them. The probelm is; to many of the good apple people leave the program bacause a few of the bad apples.

[SeattlePioneer]

If you have an excellent unit, it may seem that you have little use for the district and council.

 

Personally, I'm a Cubmaster, Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner and District Membership Chair.

 

There are several Cub Packs in my district which have a strong membership and effective leadership and could do fine without the district and council, at least for a while.

 

Still, most participate in the council popcorn sale as a fundraiser. Most participate in the council resident Cub Scout Camp or district Cub Scout Day Camp --- which are council led programs.

 

Many participate in our Cub Scout Bowling Tournament, Cub Scout Marble tournament or district Pinewood Derby.

 

My Cub Scout Roundtable did a program on "Pack and Den Pizzazz" this past month with the aim of showing den leaders and Cubmasters ways to spice up their meetings, and I'm planning a program on "Using the Journey To Excellence as a Pack Management Tool" next month. Each month I aim to offer some good ideas on how to improve a unit's Cub Scout program in ways people probably haven't thought of before.

 

The District Execeutive and I help organize the recruiting program for most packs in the spring and fall. Even strong packs get flyers printed up, stickers, posters, yard signs and other services from the council. Last spring at the Roundtable we did a model recruiting night showing packs how to use a stomp bottle rocket program to attract new Cub Scouts.

 

Personally I've conducted three Tiger Cub Den Leader trauining sessions in the past year with the aim of helping packs get new Tiger Cub Dens functioning effectively, and I've conducted our district Tiger Twilight camp to help show new parents and Tiger Cubs what a quality Tiger Cub program should look like and feel like.

 

Our District Executive served as a Boy Scout Camp Director the past three summers. Our new District Executive was the Scout Camp Program Director last summer before he got his new job.

 

As a Cubmaster for a weak Cub Pack, I use as many of the District and Council programs as I can to make my unit work effectively.

 

Right now I have the District Executive on my back every day because we are late getting our recharter completed. That's not really necessary in my case, but he's doing his job the way he should.

 

Perhaps your district is weak and your council is underfunded and struggling --- there's a lot of that going around. If so, I don't doubt that it's easy to get discouraged. But if you are blessed with a strong unit that doesn't need to lean on the district and council, perhaps you should be looking at how you can support your struggling district and council.

 

I'm lucky to have a quality district and council, and that makes it easy for me to appreciate the services available and that we receive. But I lend my time and energy towards supporting the district and council for the benefit of units both weak and strong.

 

 

 

 

[Basementdweller]

District underfunded?????

 

 

Please explain it to me.

 

 

Why does the district need money?

 

 

[Eagle92]

In my neck of the woods, districts put on training with minimal to no cost. Distict has a budget for that. Yes we charge for some training, but not enough.

 

Plus the district banquet has sponsors for it to keep costs low for all leaders to attend. We have sponsors for it.

 

Also some district activities do lose money. I know I did with CSDC.

[Basementdweller]

Training here, youth protection, position specific and this is scouting cost the Participant $10, no food involved. The church is donated as is the copying. so 100% profit.

 

The District awards dinner, last year they provided the meat, Donated by a SM, the attendees brought the sides and they charged $15 a person. Again the hall was donated. No expenses

 

CSDC.....We turned at $4000 profit after all expenses were paid.......Still furious over this one, I called in a bunch of favors and spent a ton of money out of my own pocket to get it started again, The DE told me we would buy bb guns, archery equipment and fishing poles with the profit......lies all of them. The council zeroed the account January 1st. That was 4 years ago.

 

The last camporee a couple years ago......Campground free.....Patches $3.....No food expenses...Supplies?????? Cost per person....$15.....Profit $12.

 

 

soooooo tell me where is all that money going.

[SeattlePioneer]

I would suppose the money is going to support your council.

 

Is the council under financial stress?

 

 

May I ask which council your unit is in Basement?