Scouting Question – International Representatives

By Mike Walton on 4 March 2012 in Uncategorized

Hi Mike!!

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. I do my best to answer those “off the main stream” questions, using the resources and reference items I have access to.

You wrote and asked a great question:

“A question to you if you will. You appear to almost always have an answer for the “obscure” scouting questions :-)

…How many “International Representatives” can a Council have? I hear only 1 but I did see several different council websites that list 2 or mention more.

What’s the real answer? (I’m not sure what I would get from National…Sometimes I don’t like asking without already knowing the answer).”

The OFFICIAL answer is that the on the charter of all except “Metro” councils (the largest 25 local Councils in the BSA by registered youth members), there’s only ONE “slot” for the position labeled “International Representative”. In those “Metro” Councils, two or three individuals may be placed on the charter in that volunteer position, depending on size of the Council.

The International Representative has a dual purpose (maybe a third): he or she serves as the Council’s representative to the BSA’s International Committee and to the Direct Service Committee. When Direct Service was a Council, the International Representatives served as “members at large of the Council” and some were appointed as Council Executive Board members of that Council. Direct Service ceased to exist as a BSA local Council back in the middle 90s, but the charters still had the position and work description to local Councils. Direct Service still exists to support BSA Scouting around the world as well as within the USA.

The other purpose of the International Representative is of course, to promote international programs and efforts which the BSA supports as well as encouraging units and individuals to participate in international activities and activities approved by the BSA’s International workgroup (formerly Division).

The UNOFFICIAL ANSWER, is “as many as the Council’s Executive Board authorizes”, noting that in both the St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City Councils there are as many as six (the “Metro” New York City Councils have one per “sub Council” in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhatten and the Bronx; and one for the ‘central Council’ in New York City).

Thanks for asking me, Mike…that’s a great question!! Yes, so far the military retirement is going well; but I’m still working my craft as an Air Force civilian here in central Tennessee.

Settummanque!

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About Mike Walton

Take your standard Oliver North. Add strong parts of Bill Cosby and Sir Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting). Throw in Johny Bravo without the "hurhhs!" and his pecks. Add a strong dose of parenting, the sexuality of a latin lover, and Mona Lisa's smile. And a 40 year old's body frame. That's me basically *grinning*