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HOWTOCREATEORREORGANIZEASUCCESSFULCOUNCILJEWISHCOMMITTEEON

SCOUTINGAGuideforScoutExecutives

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SCOUTINGFORJEWISHYOUTHCANHELPYOURCOUNCIL

TheJewishcommunityhashistoricallybeenastrongpartnerwithScouting.Inyearspasttherewereover100,000JewishScouts.AlocalJewishCommitteeonScoutingcan be the catalyst to formnewunits and bringmore Scouts and volunteers intoyour council. The committee can be an integral part of the council’s charteredorganizationmembership structure if you form it properly.A small investmentoftimeandeffortinthebeginningcanyieldlargemembershipandFOSdividendsforthe council in the future.TheScoutExecutiveorhis orherdesigneeappoints theJewishCommitteechairmanand,withthepropersupportfromaprofessionalstaffadvisor,thechairmanandthecommitteewilldotherest.Readthebooklets,AGuideforYouthServingExecutivesandAGuideforYourNeworReorganizedLocalCouncilJewish Committee on Scouting,which can be found on thewebsite of theNationalJewishCommitteeonScoutingatwww.Jewishscouting.orgonthe“StartandGrowaUnit”pageunder“AdultResources”andotherpublicationslocatedthereforfurtherinformationonScoutingforJewishYouthandontheJewishcommunity.

THEROLEOFTHEJEWISHCOMMITTEEONSCOUTING

The National Jewish Committee on Scouting is a committee of the Boy Scouts ofAmerica.TheNJCOSisamemberoftheNationalReligiousRelationshipsSupportGroupandisresponsibleforadvisingtheBSAonJewishmatters,developingprogrammingwithJewish content for Jewishunits and Jewish Scouts, administering the JewishReligiousEmblemsprogramandassistinglocalcouncilsinformingnew,sustainableunits.

ThelocalcouncilJewishCommitteeonScoutingisacouncillevelcommitteewiththreejobs:Job#1istoformnew,sustainableunitsatJewishorganizations,;job#2istoassistunitsinremaininghealthyand;job#3istoassistallJewishScouts.Ifyourcouncilhasareligious relationships committee, that is where the local council Jewish Committeeshouldbe located. If thecouncildoesnothave it, the local council JewishCommitteeshouldbeinthecouncilmembershipcommittee.

FINDTHERIGHTPEOPLEThe local council Jewish Committee on Scouting needs to have the right people tosucceed.TherightpeopleneedScoutingexperience,contactsintheJewishcommunitya cooperative approach to Scouting. Selection of the chairman of the committeeultimatelyrestswiththeScoutExecutive.

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Thechairmanneedstobesomeonewho• understands and “lives” the mission of the National Jewish Committee on

Scouting• isactiveinlocalJewishlifeandintunewiththeScoutingmovement.• hasleadershipskillsandworkswellwithothers.• iswell-roundedandabletoworkwellwiththeentirespectrumofJewishlife.• will be able to recruit other committee members for specific committee

assignments.• can communicate with and relate to the local council and local Jewish

organizations.• isanenthusiasticsupporterofthegoalsofthecommittee.• hasbeenaleaderorvolunteerinScoutingonalevelhigherthanaunitleader.

Theothermembers of the committee need to be committed, goal setting individualswhoarewillingtodevotetimeandefforttopromotingScoutingforJewishYouth.

Wheredoyougotofindacommitteechairmanandnewcommitteemembers?

• ArethereJewishvolunteerswhoareactiveinthecouncilalready?• DoyourYouthServingExecutivesknowofJewishvolunteersinthecouncil?• DoyourkeyvolunteersknowpeoplewhoareactiveintheJewishcommunity?• Isthereasynagogueortempleinyourcommunity?Doesithaveamen’sclub?• Forma focusgroup–getabout5youngJewishadults togetherandworkwith

themtoobtainsuggestionsforleaders.• See if you can put a piece in the local synagogue or temple bulletin or local

Jewishnewspaperwhich indicates youwant to forma local Jewish committeeandarelookingforinterestedpeople–giveyourcontactinformation.

• IsthereafamilymemberofaJewishEagleScoutorreligiousemblemrecipient?

REVITALIZEANEXISTINGCOMMITTEEEvery local Jewish Committee on Scouting needs to be committed to the goals ofScouting for Jewish Youth. The Regional Chairman or designated representative willprovide each existing local Jewish committee with information about the new

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committeestructureandprogram.TheRegionalChairmanwilldiscussthenewstructureand the new program with the local committee chairman to obtain cooperation inachieving the new program. The Regional Chairman will also consult with the ScoutExecutivetoseeifthereareothersinthecommunitywhomaybegoodcandidatesforleadership roles on the committee. The Regional Chairman will encourage the ScoutExecutiveordesigneeandthecommitteechairmantobringappropriatenewvolunteersonboardtoassistinbuildingupthecommittee.Ifbuildingupthecommitteeresultsinaturnover of volunteermembers, the past volunteers need recognition and thanks fortheirservice..Insomecases,existingcommitteemembersmaynotbereceptivetoorsufficiently committed to carrying out the jobs of the committee. In that case, itbecomesnecessarytofindnewcommitteememberstocarrythemout.Oneapproachtoavoidhurtfeelingswhenrestructuringanexistingcommitteeistorecruitapotentialnewchairmantobecomethenewunitvicechairmanofthecommittee.Afterayearonthejob,thatpersoncansucceedtheexistingcommitteechairman.

USEOURNEWPAMPHLET

The NJCOS has developed a new recruiting pamphlet, Scouting for Jewish Youth. Copies areavailablefromtheNationalOffice.ThepamphletcanbeavaluabletoolforyouincreatingnewunitsatJewishinstitutions.

USETHERIGHTSTRUCTURE

No committee can function successfully without the right structure. The local JewishCommitteeonScoutingisnoexception.Thisiswhatthecommitteeneedstosucceed:

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Note:Smallercommitteesmaynotbeabletofillallofthesepositionsbutallcommitteesneedtoworkonallfunctionstosucceed.JobDescriptions:Chairperson–ThechairmanofthecommitteeisappointedbythecouncilScoutExecutive.Thechairman is the leader of the committee and is responsible for leading it in carrying out itsfunctions. The chairman, with the assistance of the rest of the committee, will formrelationships with the council membership committee and the council’s designatedrepresentatives to obtain their assistance in forming new, sustainable units and in teachingthemhowtomakeuseoftheprogramsoftheBoyScoutsofAmerica.

A. NewUnitVice-Chairman–Thenewunitvice-chairmanwillheadthenewunitteam.Thenewunitteamhasfourcomponents.1. The Sales Team: The sales team will seek out new prospective chartered

organizationstosellScoutingto.

Chairperson

NewUnitViceChair

SalesTeam

UnitOrganiza]on

AdultLeaderTraining

NewUnitCommissioners

ReligiousEmblemsViceChair

ScoutShabbat

ClassInstructor

ClassInstructor

ClassInstructor

Ac]vi]esViceChair

ServicesatEvents

MemorialDayGoodTurn

10CommandmentsHike

OtherAc]vi]es

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a. Survey the local Jewish institutions to pick the best candidates for units – 1.Jewish Day Schools; 2. Federations; 3. Large Reform and ConservativeCongregationsandChabadHouses;4.JewishCommunityCenters;5.JewishWarVeteransposts

b. Prioritize–Institutionsthatcanformpacksarethefirstpriority.Institutionswithteengroupsarethesecondpriority.

c. Makethesalescall.FollowtheUnitPerformanceGuidehowtoonhowtodoit.d. Followupandclosethesale.e. Maintain good relationships with all Jewish institutions whether they have a

Jewishunitornot.f. The team will see to it that each Youth Serving Executive and the council’s

membershipcommitteereceiveAGuideforYouthServingExecutivesServingtheJewishCommunitypublication.

2. The Unit Organization Team: The unit organization team is the bridge from theagreementofthenewcharteredorganizationtoformanewunittothebeginningoftheunit’soperations.a. Help the interested adults form a unit committee and select a committee

chairman,treasurerandquartermaster.b. Help the unit committee select the unit leaders – Cubmaster, Den Leaders,

assistants.c. The team will see to it that each new chartered organization receives The

CharteredOrganization’sWelcometoScoutingforJewishYouthpublication.

3. TheAdult TrainingTeam.Theadult training team isnot intended tobea teamoftrainers.ThatjobbelongstotheDistrictandCouncilTrainingCommittees.Thisteamis to make sure that all new and existing volunteers obtain appropriate Scouttraining.a. All volunteers need to take Youth Protection Training within 48 hours of

volunteering.b. Allvolunteersneedtotakepositionspecifictrainingpromptly.c. AllvolunteersneedtobecomefamiliarwiththeprogramsoftheNJCOSonthe

website.

4. The Jewish Commissioner Team: The committee will recruit Jewish adults to becommissioners. The commissionerswill bemembersof the Jewish committeeandtheDistrictCommissionerstaff.a. InsomecouncilstheremaybeaCouncilJewishCommissionertoserveunderthe

CouncilCommissionerandsupervisethecouncil’sJewishcommissioners.b. Thecommitteewillassistinfindinganewunitcommissionerforeachnewunit.

Thenewunitcommissionerwillbeassignedtoanewunitforatleastoneyear

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and will meet regularly with the Chartered Organization Representative,committeechairmanandunitleaderandassistinprogramming.

c. ThecommitteewillinsurethateachnewparentreceivestheParents:WelcometoScoutingforJewishYouth!Publication.

B. ReligiousEmblemsvice-chairman–Thereligiousemblemsvice-chairmanwillheadthe

religiousemblemsteam.1. Thereligiousemblemsteamwilllocateandtrainreligiousemblemscounselorsand

maintainalistofqualifiedcounselors.2. The religious emblems team will cooperate with the council’s religious emblem

coordinator topromotethereligiousemblemsprogramto Jewishunitsandto thecouncil.

3. ThereligiousemblemsteamwillpromoteShofarawardsforadults.4. The religious emblems team will make Jewish units and volunteers aware of the

Nachshon Fellowship and the Shalom Award and encourage them to earn theseinternationalawards.

5. ThereligiousemblemsteamwillprovideforthereligiousneedsofJewishScoutsbyarrangingforrabbisandlayleaderstoactaschaplainsatcampswhereappropriate,providingprayer books and religious articleswhereneededandpromoting Jewishreligiousservicesatcamp.

C. TheActivitiesvice-chairman–Theactivitiesvice-chairmanwillheadtheactivitiesteam.

TheteamwillpromoteandproducetheactivitiesofthelocalJewishcommittee.Typicalactivities includeserviceprojects forcharteredorganizations,ScoutShabbat,acouncilkinus, a Ten Commandments Hike, religious services at events or charteredorganizations,flagceremoniesforcharteredorganizationsandothers,promotionoftheinternationalunit-to-unitprogramsof theNJCOSandpromotionof theMessengersofPeaceprogram.

MissionStatement:

ThemissionoftheNationalJewishCommitteeonScouting(NJCOS)istoprepareyoungJewstomakeethicalandmoralchoicesovertheirlifetimesbyinstillinginthemthevaluesofJudaismasexpressedintheScoutOathandScoutLaw.