Respond to the 7th draft of Scouts Canada’s Strategic Plan

One Member Wrote on Draft 6...

I'm sending a quick note in support of SCOUT eh!'s proposal to institute Democracy into OUR organization.

Whenever anyone is asked their opinion and has a vote on how something should be done, it's amazing how much energy and enthusiasm that person will put into accomplishing that idea. It's no longer a job but a mission.

Do yourself a favour, invigorate the volunteers that drive these programs for the youth.

Give us a vote on how OUR organization is run. I don't get paid for this but I would at least like to know that it is being run by people that are accountable. Accountable for what they do (i.e. with our money/assets) and accountable to the volunteers and youth.

Accountability in anything we do will bring out the best performance in anyone.

Yours in Scouting,

Ian Chin Pang
Akela, Pack A, Third Meadowvale, Ontario

Scouts Canada has released the seventh draft a new "strategic plan". There are some small indications that they are beginning to listen. You can read it for yourself in the documents they have released below. However, it is very important that Ordinary Members everywhere continue to press for real change to entrench accountability and democracy.

Please send them your comments. It matters. Let Scouts Canada know that before anything else, we need democracy. But don't be fooled by the on-line survey and comment sheet. The survey is somewhat less constrained than last time, but democracy is still not an option. If you use the on-line survey or provided comment sheet, make sure you use the write-in boxes to say what you really think. The Chief Commissioner also points this out in his covering letter.

Scouts Canada has also posted a copy on their web site along with an on-line survey. The deadline for comments is Sep. 15, 2005. We have posted the emailed versions which we received below. You may find these helpful to print and distribute to members without Internet access.

You may notice a Q&A document posted just below the draft 7 materials on the Scouts Canada site. We have some serious concerns about the answers provided in that document. You can read our response to that Q&A on this site.

While the document makes some slightly less vague references to "Establish Council procedures to elect Voting Members" in the last item (7.1 of the priority one plans), the issue of democratic governance is still not substantially addressed. Scouts Canada needs to hear that democracy is the number one priority. Democracy will solve many of Scouts Canada's problems and will make the remaining challenges solvable.

Comments should be sent by Sep. 15, 2005 to the address below. Please also copy your comments to us: <info@scouteh.ca>.

Cheryl Dinelle
Scouts Canada National Office
1345 Baseline Road
Ottawa ON  K2C 0A7

Fax: +1 613 224-3571