
A reader sent in this question:
Hello! I am new to the role of CC and have been told my only purpose is recharter. However, on this site and the BSA site the CC role is much more in-depth. Do I follow the role as outlined by BSA or what the CM has stated? Who decides CM or COR? I would prefer my email address not be published. I have a strong feeling our CM would not appreciate me questioning his authority. Our former CC resigned due to his “contolling” behaviour. Thank you!!!
Thanks for the question. The role of the pack committee chair is normally much more than to just fill out some paperwork each year. Typical duties include
- Recruit adult leaders for the unit
- Work with the Chartered Org Rep to coordinate activities which align with the expectations of the chartered organization
- Encourage parents to be active members of the Pack.
- Attend monthly roundtable meetings.
- Provide support to the Cubmaster to ensure that a quality program is delivered to the youth.
- Work with other unit leaders, including the Treasurer, Pack Trainer, and activity chairs.
- Hold Pack Committee meeting meetings several times throughout the year so adults can come together and discuss the program.
- And yes, fill out the recharter paperwork
It can vary from one unit to another, depending on the size of the unit and which committee positions are filled. But an active Pack Committee usually requires an involved Committee Chair. And I have never known a unit not to benefit from having an active, trained committee.
My first instinct would be to talk to the Cubmaster and tell him you are interested in being a more active Committee Chair than people who have filled the role in the past. I don’t know the history or the Cubmaster though, so this might not improve the situation and could even make it worse. I get many of these types of questions where one person wants to control the whole unit. Scouting needs to be a collaborative effort though.
The Cubmaster, the Committee Chair, and all adult leaders must be approved by your chartered organization. If you think the unit is suffering because the Pack Committee is not being allowed to function as it should, talk to your chartered org rep, possibly the head of the chartered org, and the unit commissioner. The unit commissioner might have some helpful suggestions and be someone who is not directly involved in the situation. There is no guarantee that the Cubmaster will change. If the Cubmaster wants to run the whole show and the chartered organization is not going to intervene, then you have to decide if you can live with that as a Committee Chair.
Readers, what do you think? Have you ever experienced this type of situation in your unit?
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