Title: INTERNET SCOUTING
Author: Michael F. Bowman
Company: Attorney at Law

SCOUTS-L
----------
SWITZERLAND

Date:         Thu, 12 Dec 1996 23:34:25 -0800
Reply-To: jacobi.parc@XEROX.COM
Sender: Scouts-L Youth Group List <Scouts-L@tcu.edu>
From: jacobi.parc@XEROX.COM
Subject:      Re: Unit Committees in Other Countries?
X-To:         Scouts-L@tcu.edu
X-cc:         Christian_P_Jacobi.PARC@xerox.com
To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L <SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU>
In-Reply-To:  <"<96Dec12.221119pst.\"16817(5)\"@alpha.xerox.com>"
 @ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU>
Status: RO
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Comparing the duties of unit committee's with similar structures in an
other country is very difficult.  I can give you some information about
Swiss organization.  However, almost any one on one comparison tends
to become absurd, as you will see.

The combination of troop and pack, or a few troops and a few packs is
called "Abteilung".  I will call it group, because I believe the Canadian
concept of group might have some similarities with a small Swiss
"Abteilung".

The scoutmaster or cubmaster does NOT report to the committee but to
the division chief in a large group, or, the group chief in a small group.
The committee oversees the operation and bears long term responsibility
for the group.  While committee members typically are the people which
do lots of work, the committee as organization is not involved in program
activities of troops or packs.  The committee is more like a board of
directors.

>What things are done together and what are done separately?
There are no rules; this is decided on "thing by thing" basis and handled
differently in different units.  Typically high adventure is done by scouts
without cubs; family show might be done together.

>Is fund raising done together?
See above.

>Is there one unit treasure?
The group is a legal entity and must have a treasure.  Troops, packs, dens
and patrols typically have a treasure too, but it is delt with substantially
less formal the smaller the unit.

>Are there joint campouts or picnics?
Yes, as well as separate campouts or picnics.

>Is there one person that tracks advancement for both groups; or, does each
>group have its own person?
Boys advancements are not seriously tracked.  Leader advancements are
tracked at council level and above.

Will your experiment on putting troops and packs together into one unit
work?  I don't think I'd dare a prediction as I believe it will all depend on
the details.  In general I think group organization makes lots of sense, but
applied to certain packs (i.e Pack 6) and certain troops it would probably
lead to disaster unless committee responsibilities were deeply changed.

Chris