A Unit Leader s & Committee s Guide to the Boy Scout District. Or What is District and Why is it Important to Me and My Unit?

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1 A Unit Leader s & Committee s Guide to the Boy Scout District Or What is District and Why is it Important to Me and My Unit? Respectively compiled from various BSA sources and written by Mikel Shelton, Assistant Scoutmaster & District Advancement Chair, Cross Timbers District, Longhorn Council, Preamble Use of this Guide: There are many BSA publications regarding the district strategic, tactical, technical and operational. However, there does not appear to be a short document that identifies the relationship between the individual scout unit leader, scout unit and committee with the district and explains how the district can and should be used to enhance the unit s mission in scouting. This document attempts to bridge that gap. It is not intended to be a complete document of everything the district does and how it operates. Also, it might not break new ground for volunteers who have been around the program for a while. It will however, introduce the District to a new volunteer and help the volunteer understand the bigger picture and the resources available to their particular unit. A bibliography is provided at the end of this document that can lead the reader to further detail. Various BSA documents were researched to write this paper. This document is intended to provide guidance to units and leaders within the Cross Timbers District, Longhorn Council, BSA. In all cases of conflict between this document and Official BSA publications, the BSA publications shall prevail. The Mission of the Boy Scouts of America The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

2 This mission is accomplished through the programs and activities of the Boy Scouts of America. Scouting has been referred to as a movement. In order for this movement to be successful there is formal structure in place as a way to carry out the varied functions necessary to accomplish the mission. The youth, however, don t care about the high level goals. Their mission is to have fun! The programs and activities of the BSA can be boiled down to this: Fun with a Purpose. Most youth never hear the official mission. They join for the fun! If executed correctly, the program provides the individual scout the fun, achievement, personal growth and maturity that accomplish the mission. Our job as adult leaders at all levels is to provide the program with the over arching goal of Fun with a Purpose. The District Purpose A Scouting district is a geographical area of the BSA local council. A Council is a geographic are of the Boy Scouts of America. For Cross Timbers, part of the Longhorn Council, it roughly encompasses the area of Arlington, Texas north of Interstate 20. District leaders mobilize resources to ensure the growth and success of Scouting unites within the district s territory. The purpose of the district is to work through chartered organizations and community groups to organize and support successful units. The end result of effective district support is more and more youth members receiving a better and better program. Reference A. Great words! But what does this mean for you? Read on. District Functions: The district is comprised of committees covering a particular function. This is the list of standing committees within a district. Membership Finance Camp Promotion Activities and Civic Service Training Advancement and Recognition Additionally, there is a Unit Service Function comprised of Unit Commissioners that are the first level contact and resource for units to draw upon.

3 The following sections will break down each of the committees and illustrate why they are important to you and the unit. They will not be addressed in the order listed above but more from a unit level volunteer s perspective. Training: Voluntarism Some adult leaders were involved with Scouting as a youth. However, most adults enter into Scouting with their child. Either sometime in elementary school joining a Cub Scout Pack, or later on when they become old enough to join with a Troop, Varsity or a Crew unit. If you joined an established unit, you were probably asked by existing leaders to help out: Be a committee member, den leader or to help with a specific activity. If you started a new unit there were unit commissioners and district folks around to help guide you but you probably felt as if you are in the deep end and no one had taught you how to swim. Regardless of your start, after some time you find yourself serving in different capacities, watching your youth and other youth having fun and growing and you find you are committed to the Scouting Movement. You are all in! Every Scout deserves a Trained Leader This should not be just a slogan but should be how every unit operates. We should all train to the level necessary for the volunteer position we hold. As you progress down the scouting trail with your child or continue after your child is grown (more on that later), there are training opportunities to provide you the skills or a personal skill tool box to draw upon so you can be effective in your position. The BSA has greatly enhanced the adult training opportunities. Many courses are available on the World Wide Web through MyScouting.org or through paper resources at your local scout shop or through other electronic resources such as USScouts.org (a nonaffiliated scouting resource). Other than a few basic courses, the following list will only show the courses taught as a live seminar or even better through hands on outdoor training events! It is the district s responsibility to make the live courses available to scouters several times each year. Youth Protection Training: When you first joined, you were told you had to take YPT before you submitted your application. YPT!?!? What is that? This is the first and very necessary level of training for adults. It is an on line course, also available as a live seminar, designed to help you understand how to safely interact with youth. The training provides you with the tools to protect yourself from unfounded accusations as well as the youth from someone with bad intent. There is not a youth version of this course as of this writing but one is being developed.

4 Cub Scout Leader Fast Start: Online at MyScouting.org. From the web site this is the first step toward training for any volunteer new to Cub Scouting. This course should be taken immediately after you register but before you begin youth activities. The course introduces the aims and purposes of the Boy Scouts of America's foundational program, and then zeroes in on the job. Subsections of the course will brief anyone new to the job of Tiger Cub leader, den leader, Webelos den leader, or Cubmaster. It also covers the standard parts of the meeting and identify where additional resources can be found. This program typically takes no more than an hour to complete. Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO get it?): This is a live course offered at the district level. Its goal is to train Cub Scout leaders to plan and conduct a safe scout outing. The course takes a day or weekend, depending on how it is run. During this course you will learn about camping and functioning as a patrol (a Boy Scout term) and it will introduce you to Cub Scout skills. The training course in Cross Timber s district demonstrates how to run an outing as a cub pack would except you are the Cub Scout during the course. You will learn about tents, cooking, knots, first aid, team work and other Cub Scout craft. For those who want to enrich their Cub Scout program this is a recommended course. Cub Scout Roundtable: This is a monthly meeting for cub leaders held on the second Tuesday of each month. It covers different aspects of the program and offers ongoing training to help you with your program. Attendance is recommended for all cub leaders and committee members. Boy Scout Leader Specific Training: These courses are available on line and in live seminar. Courses available include: Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training and Troop Committee function and positions. Live seminar courses provide an enriched training opportunity that is not available on line. Even if you have taken the online course, consider taking it again as a live seminar. Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS): This hands on course is designed for you to experience almost all the advancement activities of a new Scout through First Class. You meet as a patrol, select the patrol name, yell, and design the flag. Then you will camp as a patrol making a duty rooster and learning how to camp safely and leave no trace. Through the troop during the training weekend, you will learn about First Aid, Knots, orienteering, cooking, cooking stoves, camping and related equipment, team building, ax, saw and knife safety and much much more! It is a very good course to help you become an Assistant Scoutmaster or even Scoutmaster!

5 Boy Scout Roundtable: This is a monthly meeting for troop leaders held on the second Tuesday of each month. It covers different aspects of the program and offers ongoing training to help you with your program. Attendance is recommended for all troop leader and committee members. Other Courses Available: There are other district and council level courses that you should explore through the district, council and national BSA web sites. A sampling include Powder Horn (activity and event skills); Wood Badge (adult leadership training; highly recommended; ask anyone wearing Wood Badge Beads); Climbing Tower Training; Rock Climbing Training; NRA Instructor and Range Safety Officer course, Merit Badge counselor training and many more. Some are online and some require one or more weekends and additional efforts outside of the course. Depending on where you want to take your adult Scouting experience, one or many of these courses may be right for you. The Boy Scouts of America does believe that every scout deserves a trained leader. So, step up, find your area of interest and help out a youth scout! The District Training Committee can help you find the training appropriate for you and your unit. Volunteers make the program happen. Each adult can contribute to their unit s success. Advancement and Recognition Everyone wants to be recognized for their accomplishments. The Scouting program establishes a number of steps to achieve recognition: Cub Scout ranks, Webelo activity pins, merit badges, Boy Scout ranks. Each has their own set of requirements. The major theme of advancement begins with Fun with a Purpose. Advancement is one of the methods the scouts use to achieve its objectives. Without advancement, it is impossible for a young man to obtain all of the benefits of participating in the Scouting program. Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting specialize in placing surmountable hurdles before boys. As they faced these hurdles without breaking stride, boys learn to know themselves and gain confidence. Reference A The District Advancement Committee has several responsibilities to help fulfill advancement and recognition. The major functions of the committee that affect individual units include: On Line Reporting of Advancements: Most units have an Advancement Chair that is responsible for obtaining the awards for the individual s activities. The BSA has developed an online application to record these advancements. The district Advancement Committee is available to help unit volunteers access the system.

6 Religious Emblem Awareness: The BSA, through coordination and association with different churches, denominations and religious organizations, offer religious emblems for learning about your faith. The age appropriate awards are available to be earned at all youth levels of scouting and can also be earned as an adult. Almost every imaginable religious organization is represented in the program. Our District Religious Emblem Coordinator can help introduce the program to your unit. The twelfth point of the Scout Law is: A Scout is Reverent. Merit Badge Counselors and a published list: In order for Boy Scouts to earn the 21 merit badges required for the Eagle Rank, volunteers are needed to be merit badge counselors. The requirement is to have either an occupation or an interest (with acceptable working knowledge) in an area covered by one of the many merit badges offered. The district s function is to seek out from the various units, community and other interested folks, individuals to volunteer to be merit badge counselors. The list of merit badge counselors is published on the district web site and is updated regularly. Eagle Scout Service Project Approval: The district is responsible for reviewing each Eagle Scout Service Project Proposal to ensure it complies with the requirements set forth by the BSA. See the District web site for specifics on this function. Eagle Scout Board of Review: The district is responsible for Eagle Rank Boards of Review. Cross Timbers district has its processes laid out for scheduling and conducting Eagle Boards of review. See the District web site for specifics on this function. Membership The membership function is responsible for organizing new units, supporting existing ones, recruiting youth to join scouts, to and help keep registration records current for each unit. The most visible district function for Cub Scouts is the annual Cub Scout Rally at local elementary schools. This activity is important in that it is one of the main head waters to the scouting program. The district provides flyers, adult support and any effort necessary for your pack to have a successful rally program. The district also helps packs identify the various Boy Scout troops in the area for the Webelo Scout to visit and ultimately bridge into. Troops hold open houses and other recruiting activities that the district helps advertise. Annual re registration: It s always about the money. Like all other groups, the BSA requires money to operate the program, camps and the functions of the organization. An annual census and membership dues collection is performed for most units in the late fall for a January 1 st registration date. The district is integral to this process. The District Executive and Committee

7 ensure units have sponsoring organizations known as Charter Organizations that will continue to support the various units. Registration packets are delivered at Roundtable, units have an opportunity to obtain help in preparing and editing the documents and collection of the packet and the money takes place at Roundtable in November and December of each year. Camp Promotion and Outdoor Activities This is such a big area of the district that there will be a listing of the activities of the committee. It is important to the unit because the District and Council provide regular outdoor programs for cub scouts and troops a built in camping plan! The committee also keeps track of who is camping and whether long term camps are attended by the troops. Their goal is to encourage troops to have an active camping / outdoors program that is integral to the success of the unit and the youth. Some of the camping programs managed by the district/council include: Cub Scout Day Camp Cub Scout Twilight Camp Cub Scout Resident Camp Cub Scout Fishing Weekend Cub Scout Fall Family Camping Council Cub Rocket Academy Camporees ( camporee! ) Score O (orienteering course) Council Highland Games Activities and Civic Service The Activities and Civic Service committee primarily interacts with various community organizations. However one of its functions is to help scouting units take part in community service projects in such a manner that youth members learn qualities of good citizenship. In the past there have been functions at Veterans Park, River Legacy Park, the Earth Science Center and other locations around the city. Check out the district communications and calendar for an opportunity for your unit to participate in a community wide activity.

8 Finance It is about the money. The camps that the scouts of Longhorn Council enjoy require ongoing up keep and improvement. Additionally, the programs provided by the District and Council cost money to run and adequate compensation for the Scout Professional is necessary to attract and maintain skilled professional staff. The district does not operate on a very expensive budget but it does participate in the Council wide Friends of Scouting campaign. So each unit is requested to allow a Friends of Scouting presentation at a meeting where parents are present blue & gold banquet, court of honor, unit family picnic or other such appropriate occasion. The money we provide to the council is put back into the program for our youth. Unit Service/Commissioners The Commissioner Corp s purpose is to help scout units succeed. Their mission is to assist a unit to operate at a maximum efficiency so that they can deliver a good program to a growing youth membership. The mission is successful when units continue to operate, regularly accept new youth and effectively deliver the ideals of Scouting to their members. The commissioner plays several roles in the relation to the unit leaders: 1) Friend: It springs from the attitude, I care, I am here to help you, what can I do for you? 2) Representative: The commissioner represents the Boy Scouts of America. To many units, their only contact with the BSA is through their commissioner. 3) Doctor / Paramedic: Through preventing poor habits or programs, the commissioners help improve the health of a unit through observing symptoms, diagnosing the real ailment, prescribing a remedy and continual follow up for improvement. 4) Teacher: The commissioner helps leaders develop. Through knowledge shared, timely help when opportunity exists and helping apply practical knowledge / experiences, commissioners can pass on to the unit leader their Scouting Best Practices. 5) Coach: Commissioners help guide unit leaders in solving their own problems. This is one of the best roles of a commissioner; to help a unit become self sustaining. Opportunities for involvement at the unit and district: As you have read, the District functions are a critical component of the Scouting Movement. It serves as a cohesive organization that binds units within a geographic area together for the good of the overall community, the scouting program and individual units. The District is always looking for Scouters who desire to extend their scouting service beyond their individual unit. Many on the District Committee or folks who assist the District on specific

9 activities also serve as Committee members or unit leaders of their home unit. Being active in one area does not preclude you from being active in another. Also, when your youth attains his Eagle and you are not as active in your unit as before, the District offers opportunities where your knowledge and experience can be shared and multiplied across many units. Many of our District volunteers had youth involved in scouting who have since become adults. Scouting is a great organization for empty nesters to volunteer. Whether it is assisting with Day Camp, Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor, Serving on an Eagle Board of Review, providing one of the monthly programs for Round Table or serving as a Unit Commissioner, there are roles small and large within the District that are necessary to provide and support an active, healthy Scouting program. I hope you will raise your hand and volunteer for a District Committee activity and look at the Scouting Movement from the larger perspective of helping our community through Scouting. Resources These documents provide worthwhile reading and identify training opportunities for those who want to volunteer. a) The District How the District Carries Out the Operational Mission of the Council, BSA, 2009 b) Commissioner Fieldbook for Unit Service, BSA, 2012 c) District Committee Training Workshop, syllabus, BSA, 2008 d) A Handbook for District Operations: Roles And Responsibilities of the Operating Committee and the Commissioner Staff, BSA e) District Committee Responsibility Cards, BSA