From <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Fri Apr 3 02:22:29 1998 Return-Path: <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Received: from tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (TCUAVM.IS.TCU.EDU [138.237.128.148]) by cap1.CapAccess.org (8.6.12/8.6.10) with SMTP id CAA17540 for ; Fri, 3 Apr 1998 02:22:29 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 7780; Fri, 03 Apr 98 01:14:24 CDT Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 0109; Fri, 3 Apr 1998 01:15:43 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 9377 for SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU; Fri, 3 Apr 1998 01:14:39 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM (NJE origin SMTP@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 9376; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 21:49:29 -0500 Received: from ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU by tcubvm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Thu, 02 Apr 98 21:49:26 CDT Received: from mx1.dynasty.net (mx1.dynasty.net) by ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU (PMDF V5.0-5 #20456) id <01IVEQCWUBOG00EZT0@ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU> for scouts-l@ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU; Thu, 02 Apr 1998 21:47:57 -0500 (CDT) Received: from jessica ([208.205.50.197]) by mx1.Dynasty.Net (Netscape Mail Server v2.02) with SMTP id AAA24; Thu, 02 Apr 1998 21:47:48 -0600 X-Sender: blkeagle@mail.dynasty.net MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19980403034807.00be6190@mail.dynasty.net> Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 21:48:07 -0600 Reply-To: "settummanque, or blackeagle (Mike Walton)" Sender: Scouts-L Youth Group List From: "settummanque, or blackeagle (Mike Walton)" Subject: Re: Who makes BSA policies? X-To: "Jim Miller Sr." , scouts-l@tcu.edu To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L Status: RO X-Status: I hope that Jim Sr. doesn't mind me posting parts of his personal note to me to all of you....it updates what I posted concerning BSA policies and who makes them (Jim Sr. is the Council President of the Hudson-Liberty Council in New Jersey and frequently posts here on Scouts-L!): >One bit of "old" info in your post. The National Council now meets >annually. There are no longer regional meetings in alternate years. >That change was made about ten years ago. And.... >I believe the minimum number of National Council reps may now be 3. >The Council president, the council commissioner, and 1 or more others >elected by the council depending on size. The Council Executive is not >a member of the National Council as far as I know. I have been to >National Meetings for the last 15 or so years and the Council executive >does not get the little dot on his/her nametag which admits him/her to >the delegates seating area. That means they technically don't get to >say aye when votes are called (I don't remember ever hearing a "Nay"). That squares with this note I received from a professional Scouter serving in the midwest: >The Council Executive (you call him the Council Scout Executive) does >not have a vote in the National Council elections. He or she may attend >the procedings with the President, Commissioner and other Council >Representatives but he does NOT VOTE. Otherwise, the information >you presented is on tract. (I don't reveal names of professionals on the list unless they post to the list and/or they tell me it's okey to use their names. Some Councils and Regions are still not confortable with professionals posting information about the BSA programs to public discussion lists like ours.) Thanks again for the additional important information!! Settummanque! (c) 1997 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201 (settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle 241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil ---- FORWARD in service to youth ---- From <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Thu Apr 2 09:18:14 1998 Return-Path: <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Received: from tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (TCUAVM.IS.TCU.EDU [138.237.128.148]) by cap1.CapAccess.org (8.6.12/8.6.10) with SMTP id JAA27521 for ; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 09:18:14 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 6933; Thu, 02 Apr 98 08:09:50 CDT Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 5899; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 08:01:53 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 4563 for SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU; Thu, 2 Apr 1998 08:00:39 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM (NJE origin SMTP@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 4562; Wed, 1 Apr 1998 21:48:32 -0500 Received: from ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU by tcubvm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Wed, 01 Apr 98 21:47:57 CDT Received: from mx1.dynasty.net (mx1.dynasty.net) by ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU (PMDF V5.0-5 #20456) id <01IVDC0IUXRK00EP72@ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU> for scouts-l@ALPHA.IS.TCU.EDU; Wed, 01 Apr 1998 21:46:16 -0500 (CDT) Received: from jessica ([208.205.50.139]) by mx1.Dynasty.Net (Netscape Mail Server v2.02) with SMTP id AAC143; Wed, 01 Apr 1998 21:45:51 -0600 X-Sender: blkeagle@mail.dynasty.net MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19980402034614.00c1d404@mail.dynasty.net> Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 21:46:14 -0600 Reply-To: "settummanque, or blackeagle (Mike Walton)" Sender: Scouts-L Youth Group List From: "settummanque, or blackeagle (Mike Walton)" Subject: Re: Who makes BSA policies? X-To: Robert Schwartz , scouts-l@tcu.edu To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L Status: RO X-Status: D Robert Schwartz asked a short time back: >What group of people actually get to make BSA national policies? There are three groups that actually *make* BSA policy at the national level. These groups are the various national-level committees, the National Executive Board, and in the case of Exploring and the Order of the Arrow, the Council of Chiefs and the National Exploring Cabinet, which I'll lump together as "youth boards". There's another group, the National Council, that "radifies" the actions of the Board. The BSA has 31 standing and 14 ad-hoc National Committees. Each of those committees are chaired by and staffed by volunteers from all over the nation. Some of those committeemembers are members right here on Scouts-L while others aren't. Many of these volunteers serve as Council and/or unit-level volunteers in addition to their national service. Committeemembers serve typically for a one-year period and are selected by national professional staff advisors and/or volunteer committee chairs. This includes those serving on one of the ad-hoc or task force committees formed to address specific issues within the BSA. Each Committee also has one to two National staff advisors, whose jobs are twofold: one, to serve as the professional day-to-day manager of that committee and the other, to monitor and "corrall-in" those committees that somehow stray from what "will fly in Peoria", program speaking. Each National staff advisor has been carefully selected by senior national staff members, attend regular "sharing and discovery" meetings during the week, and therefore know more about what's going on within the various committees outside his or her as well as his own..... Depending on the personality of the National staffer, the committee runs really smoothly, or roughly, or not at all. This creates problems whereby some committees will have loads of programming and support recommendations and policies, and others are not productive at all. National staffers are "graded" on their ability to "keep the group together and focused" as well as "practical outcomes which will enhance the programs of the BSA". Some policies are immediately put into practice throughout the BSA from the Committee (and it is the professional that "lobbies" on behalf of the committee to get it approved by the Program, Administation, Finance, Council Support or Membership/Relationships Group Director whom has the final responsibility for sending those changes and improvements to "the field"). Those are the ones that come directly to your Council from the Director of the various programs or from the appropriate Group Director. Other policies require changes to the BSA's Rules and Regulations or to the Charter and Bylaws, which is the reason why they have to go before the BSA's National Executive Board. The NEB is composed of between 48 and 52 adult members and three to five youth members. This board meets every other month to discuss and finalize recommendations made by the various Group Directors, their volunteer Committees, or by individual Board members or the Chief Scout Executive. There are seven professionals whom are members of this board: the Chief Scout Executive, the four Regional Directors (whom also serve as Associate Chief Scout Executives), the National Director of Operations and the National Director of Support Ssrvices. These professionals do NOT have a vote but they are, as you can guess, very influncial in the decision-making ability of this body. The rest of the Board is composed of volunteers whom are key business, industry, civic and religious leaders from all parts of the nation and all walks of life. To keep a youth slant on the actions, the National Chief of the Order of the Arrow, the National Explorer President, and up to three other youth leaders (selected by their peers or through a national competition of some sort) are voting members of the NEB. The Chief Scout Executive serves as the "secretary" to the Board and his or her performance is tied to overall program success. The National Executive Board "hires" and "fires" the CSE and all other national-level senior professionals. Youth boards also make a significant impact on the adoption of national policies and procedures. The Council of Chiefs, the section and regional chiefs along with the National Chief and National Vice-Chief of the Order of the Arrow (assisted by two professionals and six adult volunteers) make policy and recommendations for the Order of the Arrow, Scouting's national honor camping society. The National Explorer Cabinet, composed of the four Regional chairs, the National President and National Vice-President, and national youth representatives of some of Exploring's speciality associations and groupings, assisted by two professionals and five volunteers, do pretty much the same for Exploring on a national level. Finally, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves as the final "stamp of approval" on all significant changes to the program of the BSA. The National Council is composed of at least five representatives from each of the BSA's local Councils: The Council President, Council Commissioner, and Council Scout Executive are all "automatically" members of the National Council. Two or more (depending on size of the local Council) volunteers are elected yearly to serve as National Council Representatives, a job that nowadays carries more weight than it used to. The National Council meets as a whole body once a year during the Regional Meetings within each Region and during the National Meeting of the BSA held in the "off year" of the Regional Meetings (Regional Meetings are held in the spring or summer of odd years; national meetings held in the spring of even years for the most part). This provides each and every Council a somewhat equal chance to vote on National and Regional Officers, to vote on contriversial issues and decisions, and to approve , delay or deny National Executive Board actions. As you can probably figure out by all of this, whatever the National Exec Board approves, more than likely will be approved by the National Council after it has already been implemented in their local Councils. This is also the reason why when new programs are announced, Robert, SOME local Councils delay implmenting it until a national vote is taken on the program change or other issue. Those are the bodies that make up the decison-making ability of the BSA. While we're talking about professional maangement of various committees and boards, we're also talking about volunteers --you and me-- making up those boards and committees, with a larger say than the professionals and reflecting our Council's makeups and population. Hope this all helps you out, Robert...sorry for the lateness of the response. I'm now getting to the latter half of the close to 2000 postings left to read and answer and file! Settummanque! (c) 1997 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201 (settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle 241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil ---- FORWARD in service to youth ----