Scouting Committees--a proposal I gave to our ward and stake

I was looking for some direction regarding how to organize scouting committees, when an experience of Harold B. Lee that happened many years ago came to mind. During the worst of the Great Depression, he was serving as Stake President in a less affluent part of Salt Lake City. His stake developed a successful program to relieve many of the financial difficulties being experienced by his stake members. He was then called by President Heber J. Grant to develop a comprehensive Welfare Program church-wide. Among other things, he sought for answers as to how to structure such a program, what kind of welfare organization the Church would need in the future. After much thought and prayer the answer came: “The Church doesn’t need a new welfare organization. Just use the existing church structure.”

Applying this inspiration to scouting committees, each year BSA asks us at rechartering time to specify a support organization for each of the scouting programs that we charter, with a chair and two or more members. Why do we not just use the committee organization that the chartering process requires? Let it work like this:
1) Have a committee for each program
2) View committee assignments as one-year callings
3) Make the committee organization that we create in our charter applications real (not paper) and have no other
4) A few weeks prior to the time when rechartering applications are due, the bishopric looks at each scouting program in consultation with the unit leaders of the individual program. They should identify, for each program:
• a person to be chair for the committee for that program for the next year, and also
• parents and others with interest in that age-group (i.e., Sunday School teacher, other specialists) to serve as committee members (at least two, but preferably more) during the coming year.
5) Call these persons, arrange for completion of applications, youth protection training, etc.
6) Arrange for training of these persons, as needed.
7) Complete and submit the chartering applications at the specified time
8) Each of the committees meets as needed and functions in support of their scouting program for the next 12 months