Off To Summer Camp

Greetings Commissioners! I have just returned from a great but very wet National Camp School Experience. This was my third NCS, but the first on the Boy Scout side. I had learned much and made new friends.

Please remember your Units Re-Charters. If they are due, please ensure they are done on time. I will post their information soon. If there are any questions or you need signatures, please contact Sean. You can call me, but I am not sure of the signal at Tahuaya. I’ll check my email when possible.

Thank you for your service to Scouting.

Leon Valley District Commissioner Notes

May 2007 Roundtable

Unit Assessment Form: Each Unit must complete this form. Upon completion, please be sure to contact your Commissioner or the District Commissioner. I will email you the appropriate form. Go to the following link to download copies: www.scouting.org/commissioners/resources/index.html   

Units, Meeting Place, and POC’s: - Please be sure to look the pages over and replace incorrect information with the correct information. Be sure to add a “working” email address which will be used by the District to insure information is getting to Units. We would prefer 3 different leaders email addresses.  Your email address will only be made public if you approve, otherwise it will be used to disseminate District and Council information.   

If you know anyone such as an old Scouter who can VOLUNTEER time as a Unit Commissioner, please contact me and I will call them. As the DC, my goal is to have a UC assigned to 2 Units, hopefully with no other Scout position held at the same time. You can let them know they would be obligated to one hour visit per Unit, one phone contact with each Unit, and attendance at the DC Meeting. This equals a possible maximum of 4 hours per month.

The District is beginning work on the District Activities Calendar (tentative) for the upcoming Scouting year. In order for “OUR” District to succeed, we need volunteers to step forward to assist with activities such as: Cub Scout Fun Day, District Camporee, the Scout Show, Cub Scout Olympics, and the like. These are just examples!

Brenda Kidd our Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner is looking for VOLUNTEERS to be part of her “RT Team.”  Your RT will succeed with greater participation. KISSMF! Join her Yahoo Group for RT information and ideas.  

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cubscout_roundtable/

District Commissioner Administrative Notes for Unit Operation(s):

The operation of Packs and Troops is a separate process. Most “sister units” do not share the same Charted Organization, but if this is the case, each unit will have separate Unit Leadership. Packs do not operate in the same manner as Troops; do not share that same committee, etc...

The Pack leadership consists of Den Leaders, Den Leader Coach, the Chartered Organization Representative, the Pack Committee Chairperson, the Pack Committee and the Cub Master. These are adult positions. Review what each one accomplishes in a Pack. The Pack Committee takes care of the administrative needs of the pack. It is organized and chaired by the Pack Committee Chairperson.

The Pack Committee Chairperson organizes and facilitates the running of the Pack committee. This person works with the Cub Master and Chartered Organization Representative to make sure that the responsibilities of the Pack Committee are being met.

Troops are “BOY” lead, with adults serving as advisors, not adults leading the program. A troop is actually run by its boy leaders. With the guidance of the Scoutmaster and his assistants, they plan the program, conduct troop meetings, and provide leadership among their peers.  

The patrol leaders' council, not the adult leaders, is responsible for planning and conducting the troop's activities. The patrol leaders' council is composed of the following voting members: senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leaders, troop guide, Venture crew chief, Varsity team captain.  

Chartered Organization Representative: This person is the liaison between the Scout Unit, the chartered organization, and the BSA. They make sure that the chartered organization is aware of what the Scout Unit is doing, and coordinates activities between the chartered organization and the Scout Unit. It is also the responsibility of the chartered organization representative to communicate any relevant policies that the charter organization has to the Scout Units committee.

A point that a new Scouter often misses is that the chartered organization 'owns' the Pack, not the Pack committee. The Pack committee is simply an administrative arm of the chartered organization.

UNIT FINANCE - BANK ACCOUNTS

Each Scout Unit should have its own bank account maintained by its treasurer. Scout Unit monies should never be deposited in a personal bank or checking account. To insure that monies are properly accounted for the Scout Units Committee should set up controls; e.g. limiting the number of persons who can sign Pack checks, requiring advance approval of expenditures in excess of a certain amount, monthly reports, etc. At a minimum the Pack Committee must decide who will:

Ø      Sign account signature cards and checks

Ø      Make deposits

Ø      Have checks available for use

Ø      Approve expenses and at what level

Ø      Two signatures on any check

Feel free to contact you Unit Commissioner or area ADC. Most of all, feel free to contact me for guidance, assistance, etc... Commissioners are here to serve the Units!

Robert Kratzer, LVDC

leonvalleydistrictcommissioner@hotmail and/or 539-4228