The BSA charter process and why it’s important to get it done in a timely manor.
Transcript:
Every year the troop or pack needs to recharter for the next year.
As part of the commissioner staff I have sat through too many of the monthly meetings where chartering is spoken about.
Starting in our district, all the way in October when charter packets are handed out we begin the death march that is the charter process.
And, while it might surprise you, this continues with some units all the way until April when the last stragglers get their ducks in order to be good for the remainder of the year.
I hope to most of you I am preaching to the converted, but I can’t stress how important it is to have your unit chartered on time.
From an outsider perspective you may believe that chartering is a money grab from council, it’s just paperwork to keep all the little DEs happy. This couldn’t actually be further from the truth. I’m sure that if given the option of automatic renewal council would jump at the chance.
The charter process has many facets to it.
For the unit it enables all the scouts to participate in the program, and be covered by BSA insurance. As an important note, if your unit’s charter lapses scouts cannot be registered for merit badges or rank advancement with your troop. This can be especially troubling if you have a scout that is racing toward Eagle.
Rechartering ensures the unit has the appropriate leadership, or as they call it the Key three. This is a Scoutmaster or Cubmaster, a Committee Chairperson and someone designated from your sponsoring organization.
It also insures that all the leadership on your roster has taken youth protection training.
From a council or administration side it ensures that they have staff to meet your needs, it factors into the programs the offer and facilities they provide.
The sad part is that every time you delay getting your charter in it has a detrimental effect on the whole. The staff needs to play catch up with late submissions, the council staff needs to follow up, many times with lots of people if you have changed leadership since the last recharter, and the volunteer staff like the commissioners need to align with the overall rechartering timelines, meaning more calls, more meeting and quite frankly more wasted time.
To put it in numeric terms, if your district executive works an average 60 hour week, and they spend 30 hours during re-charter time chasing down charter renewals, that’s 50% less time they have to devote to serving your youth through developing programs and all the fun stuff you count on in cub and boy scouts.
Through the online renewal system charter is a much easier process. Just stop and get it done. You can even reach out to your district executive for help.
Believe me, your DE would much rather spend an hour or two with you in December then spending 6-10-20 hours chasing you down in April.
You can even help the process by getting youth protection done, which is the main stumbling block for charter renewals, for all your leaders during the summer, when things are not as hectic. – And they are good for two years
Take what you like and leave the rest, and as we say in Woodbadge, feedback is a gift, leave yours below in the comments, with the hope we can all learn together.
I’m Scoutmaster Dave, and this all about why to recharter.
