Question?

Create Account

Question?

21 comments, 181 views, posted 5:14 pm 13/12/2011 in Requests by elsels
elsels has 7145 posts, 352 threads, 260 points, location: The land of thieves, Crooks and Liars!
Gosh darn this is not Alaska anymore, I need to update my life.
Tweet

So think of this as a Hypothetical Situation!

A volunteer decides to form a troop for scouting and after doing all the process and getting the training and obtaining a troop number, this troop leader invites someone who has a child the same age and asks if that person is interested in helping out? The person asked says yes, would love to help out. The leader then proceeds to explain how all things work and helps that person complete the training and even finds out that the application has been approved before they even know it and also gets the app process to be speeded up to help them out.

Well say the person asked to help takes over the whole operation despite all the attempts of the troop leader to get her to share all information and after repeatedly asking for the paperwork, such as monies, attendance, schedules and the other person has an excuse says "oh I've been so busy"... yadda yadda.. blah blah. Say the leader has typed, formed and printed all the forms and brought to the meetings and the helper, assistant or shall we call it troop co leader takes upon self to take all those things with her without so much as telling and upon requested to please provide copies does not do so. Let's say that after a few months you have no idea how much money there is in the account, or how much has been going out (absolutely no trust issues on this) and you also have no clue who the next volunteer for the meeting is due to not having copies of the schedule and cannot pin down the other person to get them to give to you.

What would you do if you found yourself in that situation. Mind you this person could be considered type A personality and could possibly be a control freak.

Comments

[1]

5:17 pm 13/12/2011

Rosie

Get advice from the Council.

5:19 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

Darn, I wish didn't have to do that, you know go so far. Trying to keep peace.

5:21 pm 13/12/2011

Rosie

You can't. My experience with BSA,GSUSA is that they are miniture Peyton Places and no one wins once "one-up-man-ship" starts.

5:25 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

Don't know I guess or understand the goal on that, since the result or goal should be the experience for the kids. Then again this person is involved in many other orgs in leadership positions or volunteer situations and planning. Is this just a character trait that perhaps is a way of masking something else? It annoys me to no end, I get things done and I meet deadlines it annoys me when someone takes on too much and does not want to involve others knowing full well this is a partnership. I'm screwed I guess!

5:41 pm 13/12/2011

Viscera

well, I would go to the council, and show what has been going on, but the person who will be able to give you expert advice on this is Quaektem, he was a high muckity muck in the BSA here in MA at one time

5:43 pm 13/12/2011

Flee

Quote by Viscera:

Is he a Grand Poobah?

5:43 pm 13/12/2011

z0phi3l

You "fire" that person and take control again, then go to the Council, especially if the fired person refuses to cooperate.

5:57 pm 13/12/2011

Flee

I tend to assume an evil nature in people, but could she be stealing from the account? I don't know how much was in the account, but it may look tasty to someone in need of cash. You would think the BSA or what ever would get involved right away if the line "I am afraid she might be stealing from the account" was said.

But I have no idea of the structure of this org in question. If they are all like little child neck-tie terror cells and each operates on their own, I doubt anyone in the org will care about these woes.

5:58 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

I think I might have laid it out plainly and hopefully flatly for now. If it continues in the new year then definitely fedding up! I have communicated my expectations fairly clearly and just got done calling and doing so again in a respectful helpful manner. I let her know that I understand she is pretty busy and does not have to take on all that responsibility, and I will be doing most the other stuff and she can stick with the larger task that she is frankly really great at, then sharing the responsibilities of planning...

6:00 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

No Flee, absolutely positively not doing that in any way. It is more of a hogging of responsibility I think it is a weakness in this person, controlling everything around, you know what I mean? But no, completely trust this person when it comes to money as reports have to be done quarterly and the reports are in. I just don't have a copy yet!

7:29 pm 13/12/2011

Vormid

I'd go to the council. I assume that this happens more often than you think. I know it happened to my ex with daisy scouts.

8:09 pm 13/12/2011

HeadOfPins

Have the other person followed. Detail their every move from the time they wake up to the moment they go to bed. Start by sitting in your car outside their house, every night, with just your headlights on. Dont look at their house. After a week or so, do exactly the same thing except sit in the passenger seat. Another week later, leave the drivers door open, the headlights on, the engine running...but stand directly outside the house, looking back towards your car; you may only get away with this for one night, so the next night you must change tact.
Purchase a sports referees whistle form your local store or the internet. Sticky tape the whistle to the exhaust pipe of their car. For this next part, you must get up close and personal. When they leave the house in the morning, walk several paces behind them. If they turn round to look at you, immediately stoop to tie your shoelace. Continue this until they reach their destination. The next morning, while wearing a full length trench coat and matching trilby, follow them again. This time, if they turn round, stop walking and look up into the sky. The next day, grab them by their mutha fucking throat, sink your nails deep into the side of their neck and bring their face close to yours as you say to them in your most raspy, blood-curdling voice...."back the fuck up or I will execute you in front of your family".

Continue with your daily routine as normal. Happy in the knowledge that you have back what you started.

8:27 pm 13/12/2011

Quaektem

OK... time to put my Unit Commisioner hat on again

I do need to know a few things first.

What is your (hypothetical) registered position in the troop?

What is the other person's (hypothetical) registered position?

Has a Unit Committee been set up?

How many other leaders are registered in the Unit?

How active are you in your District (do you go to Round Table, do you know who your Unit Commissioner is or at the very least your District Commissioner)?

Why does this person have access to the checkbook? (The only positions with access are usually the Scoutmaster/Cubmaster, Committee Chair, and Treasurer).

Who is your Chartered Organization (and please tell me you have one!)?

8:29 pm 13/12/2011

Quaektem

BTW if this gets more complicated than a message board allows I'll PM you my phone number (or send me yours, I have a decent long distance plan). I have a long history of dealing with this kind of thing.

9:44 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

Position Leader
Their Position Co Leader

Leader & Co Leader both can have access to banking.

Yes I know council, yes, I know the SU Manager, as well as the Council District Manager, have been working with them for almost two years.

My question is how do I bring up the subject if it keeps happening, or should I just throw my hands up in the air and say uk it?

9:45 pm 13/12/2011

Quaektem

... this isn't Boy Scouts then.

9:45 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

OMG HOP, crazy!

9:46 pm 13/12/2011

elsels

GS Daisy, crazy mothers I tell ya! I'm pretty laid back you know, I do what needs to be done, do it well and in a timely manner but don't obsess over stuff or take on more than I know I am capable of.

I guess I can keep dealing with it quietly and one day might get mean or I can calmly bring it up... just don't know how.

10:15 pm 13/12/2011

Quaektem

Ok, I am not as familiar with the Girl Scout structure but the best bet is to put a call into the Council District Manager and ask for advice. Don't present it as a "she's doing it all wrong" but rather a "I'm trying to work with X and I need a bit of help". They should try to get more information from you and her and at the very least help mediate the situation.

I would not sit on the issue since money is involved, not that she's stealing, but a level of transparency is a must in any volunteer organization like this. In BS we build up a support structure all the way from having a Charter Organization (a non-profit that sponsors a troop and consequently owns everything owned by the troop) through Council level volunteers that are trained to help build proper unit structure. At least in the Girl Scout troops in this area that network of support is absent leading to alot of lone-wolves doing what they want and issues like this are left to the adults to figure out on their own.

10:20 pm 13/12/2011

Quaektem

As for "bringing it up", if you are the registered leader you are well within your rights to call the parents together and delegate out the work to a number of them in attempt to "lighten the load" the other leader is carrying so she doesn't get "burned out". By presenting it as a way to help her out by removing some of her power you leave it up to her to be the bitch and say no. Feel free to use her own words against her.

Quote by elsels:

"oh I've been so busy"... yadda yadda.. blah blah.

Some positions you may consider: Treasurer, Advancement/Badge Management, Secretary (someone to keep the minutes and to handle your copies). Seriously, spread out the work-load. If nothing else the other parents will soon have the same issues you do and you won't have had to do a damn thing to gain a support network within the troop.

10:33 pm 13/12/2011

Rosie

Quote by Quaektem:

YOu can talk it thru without causing a catastrophe.

[1]

Add Comment

Log in via teoti, or register to add a comment!

Teh Nook • MayrHayasdan • JaranWeb • AngryShirts • GoneGeek • Eat Liver