How Community Organizations Use the Scouting Program
Schools, community and religious organizations, with the help of the BSA, organize Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, Varsity Scout teams, Venturer crews, and Learning for Life groups for children and youth. They manage these units and control the program of activities to support the goals and objectives of the chartered organizations. When community organizations establish a new unit, they must take these two important actions to ensure a quality Scouting program:

1. Selecting leadership. The head of the chartered organization appoints a chartered organization representative to provide leadership in the selection of a committee of adults that will provide overall supervision for the unit's program. The committee selects the adult unit leaders who will work with the youth. The chartered organization representative is also a voting member of the local council and may serve as a member of the district committee.


2. Providing a meeting place and promoting a good program.The chartered organization arranges for adequate meeting facilities for the unit and promotes through its committee the full use of the program, including outdoor experiences, advancement, recognitions, and, in particular, Scouting's values.


Taken directly from the Boy Scouts of America Website concerning the BSA and community groups.

In our area, any Boy/Girl Scout Troop is sponsored by the local churches. As another poster stated on different thread recently, it just doesn't seem likely that a Parent Group could fulfill the requirements as stated in the charter. ie providing a meeting place, and ensuring "overall supervision for the units programs" Indeed sponsoring a unit is quite a bit more than "just to have a name backing the scouts"

I also agree with mykidsmom, what happens to girl scouts, boys & girls club, big bros/sis? How do you say yes to one and no to another? I think it sets a precedent, and you run the possibility of public perception as a fratenal organization for the community than a parent group for your school. And thats a whole other can of worms.

Bqack to the original poster, the church , more than likely was negligent in #1 as above. And that is where you run into the risk.

Just my opinion.

Suzi

Thank you Scooby for the explanation and I understand why the Scouts need a sponsor. I was told this was an afterschool activity and we don't ask the school or PTO's for anything.

"To me if you sponsor the Boy Scout, then the Girl Scouts, what about the 4-H groups, Big Brothers and Sisters, the Brownies. Me....well, I am a member and former officer and I work my -off to raise money for the kids AT school NOT their afterschool club."

Mykidsmom - If the whole 4-H group, Big Brothers/Sisters was composed of students from our school I wouldn't have any problem sponsoring them. I don't consider these groups afterschool clubs (like theater or ski club).

We do sponsor our boyscouts because they ask. The school actually sponsors them we just help them along with a little money. Our boyscouts is a good group, teaching good morals, which in the long run DOES help the school directly.

Our Cub Scout Pack has always been sponsored by the PTO , until the last year. Basically sponsoring is just to have a name backing the scouts. Right now, ours happens to be the school. We never asked for any money from the PTO, although at the beginning, they gave us $50 to make a banner. When we were just starting out. According to the BSA, you have to have a "sponsor" in order to re-charter your group. In other words, you cannot be considered a member of the BSA unless you have an organization behind you. They basically say they are going to provide a place for you to meet, hold special events, make the events happen as planned in the BSA handbook, etc. Also, I think they want to make sure if your pack does not have enough money for certain events, that your sponsor can come up with it. We always secured money, a place to meet, etc. ourselves though the school. We are allowed, if needed to ask for some sort of money, but we never have. In the PTO, when they gave us money for the banner, it was voted upon and then they gave it to us. Most Cub Scout packs are pretty much independant from whatever organization is sponsoring them. Most ask for dues, have their own fundraisers, etc. to pay for their expenses. In our case, the PTO president was just being a *&^$* and wanted to change everything the previous president had done in her two years. No one else could understand, including the principal, who decided that she could not be talked to and sponsored us himself through the school. The most ironic thing though is the fact that our Cub Scout pack is 501(c)3 and our PTO doesn't want to spent $500 to do so. Even though I told them when I was secretary 2 years ago, they had to do that because we were bringing in $50,000 a year in fundraiser and donations. But I digress.........

Sponsor????? To me if you sponsor the Boy Scout, then the Girl Scouts, what about the 4-H groups, Big Brothers and Sisters, the Brownies. Me....well, I am a member and former officer and I work my [img]smile.gif[/img] -off to raise money for the kids AT school NOT their afterschool club. Our PTO did just write a check to the National Honor Society to start it in our school and I voted No. "Why have a fundraiser when we can ask the PTO" I overheard that and well folks I'm sorry to say that little girl did not make me happy.
I also have some very personnal feelings about the Boy Scouts also that I will spare everyone....

Our school parent group does not sponsor any boys or girl scouts. If it doesn't benefit the ENTIRE school, we simply do not sponsor it.

Nor do we sponsor any sports at our school.

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