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Edited by Mark Ray
Illustration by Bill Basso
Building Stronger Chartered Organization Relationships
Scouter B.P.’s troop has almost no contact with its chartered organization representative despite issuing regular invitations to events and committee meetings. He asked for fresh ways to improve chartered organization relations.
Reach out to your COR (chartered organization representative) and the organization’s executive officer. Invite them to annual dinners, courts of honor, and special meetings. Put them on your mailing list. Arrange for a charter presentation. Follow up invitations with a phone call; if the answer is no, ask for a substitute. Keep it up. Either someone will show up, or you may find that the organization has appointed a new COR.
E.B.
Brookfield, Conn.
I keep strong ties by giving our chartered organization a “State of the Pack” address each February. I discuss current enrollment, activities, the number of boys advancing and earning religious awards, fund-raising and operational concerns.
You can’t force anyone to be involved, but by keeping them informed, you give them the option of being as involved as they want to be.
D.D.
Ebensburg, Pa.
Ask your COR how he or she would like to participate and how your Scouts can become involved in activities for the chartered organization. Many times doing service work for the chartered organization will satisfy advancement requirements.
B.S.
Menomonee Falls, Wis.
We invite the pastor from our chartered organization to pray before each pack meeting and to attend special events such as our blue and gold banquet. When our boys work on their religious emblems, we invite her to check the kids off by asking questions from a question bank and to attend our finish celebration.
T.R.
Arlington, Tenn.
For Scout Sunday each year we invite the pack, their parents, and the district executive for a morning program and worship. We get a turnout from the church at the pinewood derby. This makes for a bigger cheering section and is lots of fun for all.
Father S.N.
Portland, Ore.
Ask the COR to attend a New Leader Essentials training session and provide him or her a copy
of the Chartered Organization Representative Fast Start Orientation DVD or VHS tape.
If your chartered organization is part of a larger group, such as a church denomination, become familiar with that organization’s relationship with Scouting. For example, the United Methodist Church offers specific guidance, available through the National Association of United Methodist Scouters: www.naums.org.
Chartered Organization Representative R.G.F. II
Summerville, S.C.
Ask the chartered organization head to select someone with Scouting experience. Get him or her involved and trained. Have your chartered organization request regular reports by the COR.
Chartered Organization Representative K.B.
Richmondville, N.Y.
Web Exclusive ResponsesThe following responses do not appear in the print edition ... The COR should have a good working knowledge of Scouting. The unit might have to become proactive and suggest an individual who is a member of both the unit committee and the chartered organization to fill the role of COR. This could lead to a very harmonious relationship.
Unit Commissioner W.D. It can be a mistake to have the institutional head also be the COR. The COR should be a person who is as interested in Scouting as the Scoutmaster. When we tell CORs that they won’t have to do much but sign applications for new volunteers, we are also telling them they don’t have to attend any meetings, therefore relieving them of any time commitment.
Unit Commissioner T.G. Ask your district training team about holding a COR training course. An excellent syllabus can be found at the Relationships Division website: www.scouting.org/relationships. The best person to teach this course? An active, experienced COR. G.R. Find out who in the organization recruits and assigns volunteers. Before your next COR is named, make sure that person understands the COR’s role. Suggest two or three people in the organization who might be right for the job. J.B.
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May - June 2007 Table of Contents
Copyright © 2007 by the Boy Scouts of America. All rights thereunder reserved; anything appearing in Scouting magazine or on its Web site may not be reprinted either wholly or in part without written permission. Because of freedom given authors, opinions may not reflect official concurrence.