Application problems ?

[SSScout]

I promise to be more specific in the near future. However, I have been made aware of a situation and would welcome PMs from folks that have experienced any problems in registering to attend the 2010 Jamboree, either as Staff or as an Attender.

[emb021]

What's an "Attender"???

 

You are either a part of a Jambo troop contingent, either an adult leader or a youth participant, or a member of staff (either youth or adult) or a visitor.

 

Visitors don't register.

[SSScout]

What he said. Anything but "visitor". Thank you for the clarification.

[Bando]

I've been having problems with my registration for Youth Staff. Sounds like my paperwork is stuck in a logjam somewhere between the Council and Nationals. Kind of surprised at how difficult it's been to get anywhere with it.

[SSScout]

I have waited to tell this story for three reasons. One, I was unsure if I should share this with so broad an audience. Two, I did not want to in any way confuse my sons participation in the Jamboree. Three, I received very few responses to PMs I sent to folks on this forum, seeking advice. Perhaps that was part of the greater email troubles weve read about.

(Deep breath) Here goes.

As some of you know, I was privileged to serve as a Chaplain , representing the Religious Society of Friends, in Jamboree 2005, along with another Friend. We served in every Chaplain capacity. So, we both applied in January 2009 to serve again in 2010. We both had second choices, should we not be Quaker Chaplains. In July 2009, I received an email from National saying your application has not been accepted. Your deposit will be returned. This decision is not appealable. I contacted my colleague, and he said he had heard nothing. He eventually contacted Irving (persistence!!) and he had his own odyssey: including lost forms, wrong spellings, wrong assignments, and a Unitarian (nice fellow, we knew him) mistakenly being named the Friend Chaplain. My colleague was eventually, after many weeks, named the Religious Society of Friends Chaplain.

Meanwhile, I decided I would like to know why my application was not accepted. I called and emailed many times, was assured that every official (many) I addressed had my message, but no one called or emailed back for two months (!). Then I finally had three long phone conversations with a gentleman (Ill call him Mr. B) who was the ONLY one who was straight with me. Very long story short: National checks Jamboree staff applications and then shunts them to the applicants local Council, where someone answers a multi category evaluation. This evaluation is considered confidential, ( I had another Pro Scouter say that Mr.B should NOT have told me what it contained). Mr. B revealed to me that my evaluation was not the best, rated poor or fair in such topics as positive attitude, speaking ability and community participation. So (he said) my application was not denied at National, but at my local Council. In talking with my local Council folks, they said they only provide National with information about the applicant. National makes the staffing decisions. Oh hum.

I asked: considering my long, detailed, honorable Scouting record (not questioned), awards, experience and work in teaching and public presentation, didnt this evaluation seem somehow inconsistent? Mr. B said he couldnt answer that. Could I have folks that know my spirit and skills write letters to him about my abilities and record? He said he would accept such letters but could not say what, if any, effect they would have. In the months that followed, no fewer than 15 folks wrote letters: bosses, ex-bosses, co-workers, Scouter friends, Woodbadge leaders, IOLS leaders, Friend members, Day Camp Directors, Lions Club leaders all wrote letters. Those they forwarded to me set a very high standard for me to meet. Irony alert: Of the Pro Scouters I know, all but one told me they would gladly write such a support letter, but had been directed by their superiors not to. The last one asked why would I want to put myself at such risk? Why bring such attention to myself? Let it go, in a year, it will be forgotten.... It will? He did not see that my reputation, even so far away as in Irving, was important to me.

If I had been told they didnt need any more Chaplains, or parking attendants, or Merit Badge Counselors, or permit passers, I might have salved my disappointment and moved on. But to tell me I was not accepted for ANY duty, I could not understand that. Something was wrong. With me?

As I pursued this issue, I subsequently received email from Mr. B and other National Jamboree sections stating that I was NOT accepted (their term) for ANY Jamboree Staff position. I have since met another Scouter that had a similar situation. Had his deposit returned with no explanation. He has had no response to his inquiries.

I am drafting (not yet sent) a letter to Mr. Mazucca. My desire is to make him aware of what happened to me so it may not happen to someone else.

Meantime, Scoutson enjoyed the Jamboree, as he should. I am still Scouty, as a friend says, and a long way from dropping out of the Scout world, but the lingering feeling is one of somehow not being treated fairly.

 

 

[emb021]

"I am drafting (not yet sent) a letter to Mr. Mazucca. My desire is to make him aware of what happened to me so it may not happen to someone else."

 

FWIW, I recommend that you EMAIL your planned letter to Mazucca.

 

I was discussing things with a national-level volunteer I know, and he made it clear that should I want to bring it to the CSE attention, that it be by email. Mazucca reads emails, but doesn't read letters. Go figure.

 

 

Not sure what happened to your application. I do know that local Councils must approve the apps before they go to National. I assume they put in that data on their local people, as they would know. Who does this will vary from council to council. Its supposed to be the SE, but some SE may farm it out to another pro or even a volunteer. So this could be a case of someone with an ax to grind in regards to you slagging you, and others unwilling to reveal this.

 

 

[Eagle92]

SSS,

Sorry to hear about it, but don't let it get you down. After I left being a DE, I said I would continue on as a UC, completed a application, etc. etc. My old DFS refused to approve the application, and I was not registered. This despite the fact that I was still attending district meetings, doing unit commish service, and best of all attended the district workship and had him sign my "trained" card as we had no SE. When the District Commish, found out I wasn't registered, let's just say I would have loved to have been in the room for that one .

 

Moral is things do get better.