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THE BIG PUSH A newsletter of the Commissioner Staff of Pushmataha Area Council - Volume 1, No.3 - Mar. 2, 2010 The best "BIG PUSH" this issue has to be the Cub Scout BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) Training event last Saturday morning through Sunday Noon at Camp Seminole. This training is required for any adult who is in charge of planning and leading a cub pack campout. It was a great group of folks - both staff and attendees. The weather was great, the training was excellent - huzzah to the staff!!- and everyone left with a smile. I want to add my congratulations to Course Director Roger Harper, Cubmaster B3AR Ellis, and their staff for leading a wonderful experience. I am convinced their "BIG PUSH" on adding an overnight component made the event an even more outstanding training event. -DW-- The Board is making a "BIG PUSH" toward splitting into committees that will get more work done more quickly and more sensibly. Work by smaller committees is easier to handle, more close to the action, and allows more direct action. I should have a diagram of the structure to show you in the next BIG PUSH. In the future, as you have asked, there will be more board members at activities, unit meetings, roundtables, etc. The commissioners are coordinating invitations to board members to come to all types of events and become more exposed to current scouting activities. -DW-- The Budget and Financial Oversight Committee (BFOC) -chaired by Mike Hughes assisted by Treasurer Dale Tate - met and made a "BIG PUSH" this week by clarifying a very realistic budget and examining monetary needs for the council. They are finalizing a badly needed overall FOS structure to help in this and future campaigns. At a special called meeting this week at Plymouth Bluff the board is going to hear from the Executive Committee about the BFOC recommendations for the budget and for fundraising (6 pm on Thursday -- unfortunately conflicting with the Roundtable). There will be a direct request to every Board member to "step up" in the fund-raising effort by donation and/or direct solicitation in their areas. The Budget to be presented will be one that has no deficit, includes hiring a Scout Executive and 2 (yes two!) District Executives, and puts us on sound financial footing. I was there as the committee worked and I was impressed with what they did. It was realistic and resulted in fundraising goals that can be met if we (volunteers and Board) do our job. The BFOC has carefully examined the budget and made realistic goals for each community FOS committee to use. Look for good things from this group! --DW-- The Camp Seminole Administration Committee (CSAC) (Report by Scott Comish, Chair) The CSAC is making a "BIG PUSH" toward getting the Camp in better shape with work on the showers, electrical system, Kitchen, and the Arapaho Shelter. More info to come on camp plans in a later issue. As most of you know, the Committee met to choose a ranger last week, and had a deadlocked vote. The decision on what to do was forwarded to the Personnel Committee of the Board who recommended to the Executive Committee that we retain Eric Swartz until at least after the new Council Scout Executive is chosen. This recommendation was adopted and Eric is at Camp Ranger School as we speak. The Summer Camp Committee (SCC) (I'm really having fun with these abbreviations…) also finished their personnel work and this week sent Terry Smith to Camp Director school and Cecelia Bowden to Camp Program Director School. The committee has finalized most other positions as well and is currently planning camp details. Commissioners "BIG PUSH" Update: The commissioners (Commish) staff has added a few new faces and recently begun implementing a service plan so that EVERY UNIT now has an assigned commissioner! If you have not heard from your commissioner, please contact a member of the Commish staff for any help we can provide you. They have recently put together an FOS presentation that will be functional for several types of promotional and educational uses. Brian Wells and Joe Weirauch have done great work on this presentation. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to aid you and your unit. (-- contributed by Brice Stubbs, Asst. Council Commissioner for Administration). OA "BIG PUSH" Update: The OA has been working diligently to better themselves in service to the council. Recently, Watonala sent 5 participants to the National Leadership Seminar in Canton, MS. They have also set a date to further the training of their current officers and plan events for the remainder of the year. Conclave is fast approaching and will be at Camp Binachi in Meridian, MS this year. If you have never attended a Conclave and are a member of the OA, you don't know what you are missing in these Gatherings of the BEST of the BEST! Games, training, patch trading, Native American events, and fellowship are all guaranteed to be a part of your fun at Conclave. Unit elections and Summer Camp promotions are approaching fast. Contact the Lodge Leadership to set a date. We look forward to our next call-out ceremony at the Spring Camporee! Stay tuned to www.watonala.org for all details related to the Lodge and Lodge events. - - Adam Tunnell, Watonala Lodge Adviser Who Else is Making a Big Push? There is a person in our council I wish to publicly commend. He has made a BIGGER PUSH than anyone I know to help our council go forward in these times where we are shorthanded. Some don't know what he does, but if you would follow him for a day you would not trade him jobs for anything. He is a volunteer who works 60+ hours a week and is paid only for driving expenses. He is always available to help anybody who needs scouting assistance from the council. His job is a thankless one and both intense and time-consuming. He has to follow policies or carry out decisions you (and he) may not like or agree with. Yet Curtis Hollingsworth is there and doing a great job. Take the time to appreciate his efforts and thank him if you get the opportunity. -DW-- SEE YOU NEXT TIME. SEND ME YOUR COMMENTS TO BE POSTED OR IDEAS FOR INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE. THANKS, Dan Wrather, Council Commissioner, commish169@gmail.com, 662 574-4933 |
