Okay, the recent weekend can hardly be described by anyone involved in Scouting as ‘magical’. But bear with me….
To quote the eminent scouter and lawyer Tom Clarke, there were no winners at the EGM. However to paraphrase the equally eminent scouter musician and business leader Pat Murphy, the members have made a decision and now the matter moves to the regulators investigating. In the meantime, most of us have actual Scouting work to do and its probably best if we can get on with it and try to remember as much as we can that we are all supposed to be on the same side….
In this vein, theirishscouter went into the vaults to resurrect an early article that felt like it might resonate with some members. It has been edited slightly to reflect the fact that it is now almost ten years old.
It references the work of the author JK Rowling, so if you’re not a fan this might be one to consider sitting out….
SCOUTING CAN BE MAGIC (first published in September 2014)
To those of us who are involved or have a history of involvement, Scouting can be enchanting.
Sometimes, the parallel with other types of magical activities can be striking….
Theirishscouter has been reacquainted with Harry Potter recently as the introduction to the joys of the Hogwarts Express, Professor Dumbledore et al has been effected to slightly bemused, albeit courteously attentive (most of the time), eight week old offspring.
In the midst of explaining the finer points of Diagon Alley and the vaults at Gringotts Bank to gurgling junior, the similarities between the fictional wizarding world of JK Rowling and the somewhat more real world of Scouting is once again starkly apparent.
Scouting, for those of us who are involved, is a sort of strange double life that we lead alongside our ‘normal’ existence, in much the same way as wizards and witches grapple with normality whenever they come into contact with the ‘muggle’ (non-magical) world.
PERCULIAR ATTIRE
We wear strange clothes. Yes, the uniform in current format is rather silly to some and regarded as haute couture by others, but we all wear a version of it. It makes us stand out in public. To get a sense of this, try wearing even a neckerchief on a tram or bus – try doing so in a café. You do get the occasional look – sometimes an admiring one, sometimes it is just a strange one.
The neckerchief, a piece of coloured material around our neck that might as well be a cloak, is distinctive and unique to our kind. Maybe ‘wand’ is a better comparison – all too often, a bunch of teens on a bus, in a cinema or on a forest trail draw negative vibes from the adult population in general. Upon sight of a neckerchief however, most skeptical looks melt into smiles – Reputational challenges of recent years aside, a group of scouts will still likely raise a fond reaction from the population at large and the neckerchief is by far the most recognisable indicator…
UNUSUAL PURSUITS
We do strange things. As a football enthusiast friend of theirishscouter once retorted to a comment on the futility of a bunch of scantily clad men chasing a piece of inflated pig skin around a field “sure ‘you lot’ climb all the way up a mountain, just to climb down the other side”. A point well made and the use of the term ‘you lot’ has echoes of Uncle Vernon.
We lie out in wet fields under a thin layer of material and light a fire to cook on, when there is a perfectly good bed (and stove) at home. We toil for months, years sometimes to gain proficiency in a subject that culminates in receipt of a piece of cloth to sew on to our uniform. The irish scouter once explained what was involved in earning the woodbadge, to a mildly bemused member of the Order of Malta. After the lengthy explanation, said companion summarized “and after all that, you get a string with a couple of pieces of wood on the end of it?” (worth it, in the irish scouters view of course…..)
UNCONVENTIONAL DESTINATIONS
We go to strange places. We travel by train, by boat, by coach, to remote locations where young people and adults alike have wonderful experiences and form firm friendships, and lifelong memories. The train leaves from platform 1 or 2, not 9 and a half, the coach is usually diesel powered, not drawn by a thestral, the boats don’t row themselves, but you get the idea….
DEDICATED EMPORIUMS
We have our own retail network. Yes, the Outdoor Adventure Store is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts of all types, but how many of these go ‘upstairs’ to the ‘Scout Shop’ (can non-scouting folk even see the staircase?). Was it merely a coincidence once upon a time during the days of the old CBSI ‘Scout Shop’ on Fownes Street in Temple Bar and the old SAI Supply Service on Leeson Street, that nobody outside Scouting circles ever seemed to know of or see these emporiums? Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley eat your heart out…..
OTHER QUESTIONS
Is the Phoenix sort of like Scouting’s equivalent of Quidditch?
Is the ‘Order of Cuchullain’ a bit like the ‘Order of the Phoenix’?
Are the four houses of Hogwarts equivalents of four different schools of thought on how Scouting should be run in Ireland?
Best to have less scouts but perfect and traditional in every way (in other words, no ‘mudbloods’) – all very Slytherin….
Challenge convention, push for change, courageous and loyal – sounds a bit like Gryffindor….
Champion kindness, focus on hard work, and be patient – It’s quite Hufflepuff…
Scouting has its fair share of ‘Ravenclaw’ types too (famed for intelligence, creativity, and wit)
Castle Saunderson could be Hogwarts, but so could Mount Mellary – sadly closed since the article was first written. (theirishscouter has a firm memory of being ‘up to no good’ late one night as a cub scout in the vast halls and corridors of Mount Mellary – alas without the benefit of a marauders map).
Larch hill could be Hogwarts too, surrounded by mysterious forests. Or Lough Dan on the edge of a deep, shimmering lake. Cut to one of the PL’s conjouring up a Patronus on the far side of Lough Dan, whilst wardens close in with sternly worded memo’s about being ‘out of bounds’.
Scouting also has it’s own hierarchy of personalities whom members tend to come into contact with over the course of the Scouting year…. Who is the Dumbledore equivalent in Scouting – towering integrity, kind and fair. Immensely powerful, but only using it for good. Not sure we have one of these anymore. Still, cometh the hour and all that….
Perhaps more entertainingly, who is the Minister of magic parallel – vain, self important, largely ineffective and reluctant to make courageous decisions, yet wielding power….
Contemplation of a village parallel for Lord Voldemort, the dark lord or ‘he who must not be named’ as the books description goes, might best be left to individual readers….
Like wizards, we in scouting squabble incessantly. The various schools of thought in the wizarding world are constantly at odds with each other and in some ways that is a good parallel with Scouting – we bicker amongst ourselves and expend vast amounts of energy that could frequently be channeled into things we in fact all agree on (we usually agree on 98% – we perhaps just have differing views on how to get there). Maybe that number is closer to 70% these days, but it is still high. Something to think about...
SECRET CODES
Scouting people are usually able to spot each other at 100 paces. We have unique methods with which to communicate with each other (a unique handshake, a secret sign, hundreds of emblems and logos and a whole vocabulary of terminology that would quickly highlight any impostor…)
Perhaps the strongest comparison between JK Rowling’s fictional world of Hogwarts and the world of Scouting however, is the endless pleasure and scope for personal growth and learning about themselves and others that Scouting delivers to young people.
Yes, the adults sometimes get carried away and some loose sight of the reason we are all supposed to be involved, but does that reduce the enjoyment of youth members – in most instances no – Scouting – in particular local Scouting works most of the time thanks to the Herculean efforts of heroic adults, some barely out of their teens, others well into their seventies and eighties and hundreds more in between. Sometimes, scouting also works in spite of adults.
Scouting can be magic and it is probably fair to say it enchants far more of us than it bewitches…
Lets hope we can find a way to keep it together.
Notes:
The eight week old baby referred to in this article is now a nine year old cub scout. He and his (Beaver Scout) sister are big fans of Harry Potter and are presently on Book 5. They are pretty big fans of Scouting too..
The board of Scouting Ireland Services CLG has recently called an Extraordinary General Meeting. Another month, another crisis in National Scouting in Ireland.
OUT WITH THE NEW..
The board are bringing two motions to the shareholders of the company. They have signalled they want the membership to accede to the removal of two of their colleagues on the board. The grounds for the removal centres on a number of (protected) disclosures, made by these two directors, to various external entities including the Children’s Committee of the Oireachtas, the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Charities Regulator.
The disclosures seem to centre on concerns about standards of corporate governance, and alleged financial irregularities including the ability of the company Scouting Ireland Services CLG to continue to trade as a ‘going concern’. There have also been concerns expressed about safeguarding protocols and how these are implemented at national level.
The attempt by the board to dismiss this as squabbling about minor matters and allude to personality clashes looks a little like gaslighting. These are very serious allegations, made by people who appear to know quite a bit about corporate governance.
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
In addition, the concerns raised by Jacques Kinane and Don Reynolds have also attracted the attention of the Department of Children, the government department that funds Scouting Ireland to the tune of around €1.5m per year. These concerns are not being taken lightly by important, influential external stakeholders.
The two directors have made a statement to members via public forums/fora that confirm the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has already commenced an investigation into Scouting Ireland and the investigation is presently ongoing.
As this article was being prepared for publication, a statement by Messrs Kinane and Reynolds has shown evidence of not one but TWO live investigations presently underway, by government bodies. The rest of the board contend that various requests for information have been made by these entities, but that there are no formal investigations underway. The documentation published by Mr Kinane would appear to contradict this.
THE NEED FOR A DIVERSE BOARD
A statement two weeks ago from Scouting Ireland Services CLG’s latest Chairman, Paul Mannion (now in his sixth year on the board), did not mention the wider matter of wanting to remove two directors – roughly 20% of the board. Mr Mannion does talk about the need for more directors and his desire to see a diverse board and one where all opinions matter. This is not the first time the board of Scouting Ireland or it’s representative(s) appear to say one thing, whilst feverish efforts take place behind the scenes to apparently do the complete opposite.
Do we want a diverse board where all opinions are welcome, or do we not? What exactly is the role of a director if it is not to ask questions, challenge performance and demand high standards?
CALL THE LAUNDRETTE
The boards official statement on this matter appears to fret about reputational damage to Scouting Ireland from (I’m paraphrasing) ‘washing dirty laundry in public’. The usual toadies for Scouting Ireland’s longest established clique are equally concerned about ‘making us look foolish’ in their waspish social media remarks. Is it conceivable that ship may have sailed some time ago?
It is precisely because the organisation and predecessor entities fought for years to cover up ‘dirty laundry’ that we have barely any national reputation left. Theirishscouter has been taken aback by just how low an opinion is held of Scouting Ireland in corporate, civil service and political circles at present. Issuing statements to ourselves proclaiming the contrary feels like quite an inadequate response to this.
Would it not be better to demonstrate integrity and be seen as open-minded and proactive when our own people raise genuine concerns? Otherwise, it feels like we are allowing history to repeat.
The (rest of the) board contend they have tried to engage positively with Messrs Kinane and Reynolds. The two directors argue they DID raise matters ad nauseum with the board and were told to (paraphrasing) go with the flow, comply, fit in with the prevailing narrative.
CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE?
Those arguments aside, the board of Scouting Ireland are in effect asking the membership to neutralise two volunteer Scouters who, having joined the board through an electoral process, are now raising questions – serious questions – about how the entity is run.
If one takes out the ‘he said, she said’ element (and this is a rather large part of the board’s rebuttal to the opening statement of the two directors) , the fact remains that two people with far more information than an average member have rung alarm bells and have gone so far as to not only raise issues of concern with external entities in government and quasi-governmental agencies, but have done so at great personal risk and cost. Why would not one, but two people go out on a limb to this extent?
Furthermore, government agencies do not react to rumours. Investigations are not initiated on the basis of in-fighting. Submissions are carefully screened. Thresholds of evidence must be met before resources are deployed.
A third director of Scouting Ireland who theirishscouter understands had also raised concerns, mysteriously resigned recently. Several other people who joined the board from inside (and most tellingly, outside) Scouting also appear to have left with rather indecent haste over the last 24 months. There may be perfectly logical reasons why most new directors leave and most of the longer serving directors remain, but it is starting to look like a pattern.
This feels like a seminal moment for Scouting Ireland. A moment to reflect on how we want the organisation to be run, how we want the organisation to be viewed in Irish society.
What happens if members reject the board’s request to remove these two directors?
Er, nothing happens.
Nothing, except the membership retains two people in key roles who are demanding higher standards and have the personal integrity to put the demands for those standards above their own personal interests.
Incidentally, there is no risk of a closure of Scouting Ireland, as some rather hyper proclamations from people who should know better, have suggested. It is really quite disappointing that the board itself has not moved to correct this nonsense.
If the membership supports the board position and agree to the removal of these two directors, diversity of opinion on the board and accountability in decision making will be set back considerably. In addition, if any external investigation finds evidence of governance breaches (or worse) inside Scouting Ireland, the entire membership will have been complicit in attempting to gloss over it. Think about that.
Ian Elliot used words like ‘complicit’ in his report in 2018.
Surely the entire board, if diversity and differences of opinion are truly valued (as Mr Mannion set out in his recent statement), should welcome the retention of these two valuable contributors and should work with them to raise standards?
The board is not a fellowship patrol (well, one hopes its not at any rate), so like any other corporate board, members do not have to like each other, or even have a great deal in common. They merely need to work out, as grown-ups often do, how to collaborate in order to best serve the interests of shareholders. Consensus is not always good on a board of directors.
A degree of positive friction keeps everyone honest and reduces the risk of power having a corrupting effect. This is not specific to Scouting Ireland, it is human nature. Removing people who advocate for positive change or challenge the prevailing narrative weakens an organisation and increases the risk of group think, governance lapses and worse.
When all is said and done, these two directors are just like us. They are volunteers. This treatment could be doled out to any member who speaks out of turn or raises a concern. Is this really the sort of organisation we want?
If external entities do their work and find nothing, these two directors have done the organisation some service by asking questions and testing the integrity of internal systems – that is part of the job of a director.
If on the other hand, the flags raised by these two individuals lead to serious breaches in governance being uncovered, the organisation will have an opportunity to tackle such breaches head on and will get to do so quickly, rather than another scandal festering under the surface for months, before inevitably exploding across the media with all the resultant catastrophic reputational damage.
Local Scouting’s reputation has held up extraordinarily well since 2018, despite the ongoing national melodrama. This weekend’s EGM will directly tie groups and members to the course of action taken from here.
Keeping these diligent, competent, courageous, no-nonsense directors in place is a win/win for Scouting Ireland. No, they are not in the approved clique who have run the organisation since 2018, nor have they complicitly warmed a seat and toed the line, but that is precisely why they are so valuable where they are.
Time for shareholders to decide.
NOTES
Theirishscouter would strongly advocate for a secret ballot to be formally requested on the day of the EGM. If requested by three shareholders at a properly convened meeting, this must be provided by law. As the board have rightly stated, it is very important that the votes at this meeting are not only fairly cast and accounted for, but they are SEEN to be so.
Protected disclosures and those making them are – as the name suggests – protected under the Protected disclosures (amendment) act 2022. It is an offense under Irish law to attempt to scapegoat, ostracise, intimidate or fire a person who makes a protected disclosure. This protection extends to Directors and Volunteers of organisations (not just employees).
On the topic of the Board allegation that both directors did not engage with the board, the government-commissioned Jillian Van Turnhout report (2018) specifically talked about a culture of ‘blind loyalty’ to ‘cliques’ inside Scouting Ireland. In this context, the report highlighted the difference in response to any concern, complaint, ‘open call’ submitted to National Office depending on whether one is in the approved clique or outside it. Studies have shown that when people do not have confidence in the impartiality of those in authority in an organisation, they are far less likely to have confidence to raise matters internally.
Both directors nonetheless do maintain they sought to engage positively with the rest of the board so the point is disputed between the respective parties.
Theirishscouter has been re-reading ‘Freakonomics’ the Steven Levitt/Stephen Dubner book lately as part of a ‘deep dive’ into consumer behaviour and behavioural economics for a work project.
The book looks at patterns behind things we take as everyday assumptions and sets out to challenge conventional wisdom on a range of subjects. The premise of the book centres on a group of fundamental ideas. One of these ideas is the idea that ‘incentives are the cornerstone of modern life’. To put it another way, every system exists because it benefits a given subset of society. Where the benefits accrued are inequitable, unreasonable or unsustainable, it is not long before that imbalance is rectified.
To give an example, estate agents are assumed to want to get the best possible price for each house they sell. Yet an analysis of data collected in the US market suggests they frequently do not. It turns out, there is frequently not a sufficient incentive for them to do so. Therefore, the agent that you assume is working on your behalf is in fact doing no such thing – they can often be doing the opposite – encouraging you to settle for a lower price, so they can move quickly on to another, more lucrative deal. Not at all obvious, until you dig into the background.
‘follow the money’. Usually, if one can pinpoint who benefits from something, any conflict of interest quickly manifests itself for all to see.
The rise of online realtors (estate agents) in the US market has gone some way towards disrupting what had been a cosy market for the industry for decades. It has led to better outcomes for homeowners in many cases. The realtor industry created a system that benefited them too much and their clients too little. The imbalance in the value equation was unsustainable.
Incentives work across all facets of life. In a murder mystery, the detective looks for motive – who might benefit or profit from the crime? Forensic fraud officers, chasing corruption frequently use the phrase ‘follow the money’. Usually, if one can pinpoint who benefits from something, any conflict of interest quickly manifests itself for all to see.
PROMISES, PROMISES…
We are five years into a structure in Scouting Ireland that the membership voted for in a fairly significant majority. (Co-incidentally, the majority was roughly the same as the majority of members who passed a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Scouting Ireland’ board at the AGM in 2021). The 2018 structural change was voted in under some duress. Government intervention in the form of a Ministerial threat of funds withdrawal, undoubtedly was a major factor in the decision. Promises and commitments made by vocal proponents of the proposal, were another big factor. Members trusted these well-known figures to ensure the spirit of the proposed changes would be delivered.
The proposal put before the membership promised a volunteer board of directors to oversee the organisation, a volunteer-led structure to ‘run’ the organisation on a day-to-day basis and a bigger, more central role for a senior employee – a ‘Chief Executive Officer’ who would in essence lead the entire organisation and be accountable to the board and by extension, the shareholders (the Scout Groups).
The proposal intimated various other things and made various guarantees about democratic safeguards, youth participation, transparency in decision making, standards of governance, etc some of which have happened in reduced form and others, many would contend have yet to happen/ have been overlooked/ have been wilfully ignored (choose your preferred phrase, depending on how you see things).
So where are we, five years in?
It would be hard to argue that the change in structure (or perhaps to be more specific, the manner in which it has been implemented) has been a success. I am not sure any member would regard the changes made as having delivered any tangible benefits to members generally. (By the way, if anyone reading this feels differently and can argue their case coherently, I am very open to being persuaded). Equally, the victims and alleged victims of multiple historic abuse cases would likely argue (and indeed have argued rather directly in the public domain), that they have not been beneficiaries either. So, who precisely has benefited from the change from association to company?
Whilst many Scout Groups have contracted in size in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (some deliberately so), a lot of anecdotal evidence suggests that Scouting in communities remains strong. The picture of the national support structure is less encouraging.
EVER DECREASING CIRCLES
In the summer of 2018, there were circa 1,400 volunteers engaged in running national teams, supporting programme, delivering adult training and running national events. (This number was largely consistent each year going back to 2004.) In 2023, the number is closer to 200.
Professional staff numbers in Scouting Ireland have not notably changed. If anything, they had been depleting, although some new appointments were recently announced. There are proponents of the idea that employees lead, and volunteers follow. If the quantity of ‘followers’ is an indicator, it would suggest this approach is not finding favour with scouters.
So, a key question must be: How sustainable is the present system?
It is hard to adequately articulate the resentment felt within groups towards Scouting Ireland as a national entity (in effect, the ‘service company’ Scouting Ireland Services CLG). Most volunteers have retreated into local scouting after Covid and have effectively stayed there. Levels of interest in the affairs of National Scouting or the concept of a national entity have dwindled to a handful of political types, half of whom are actively opposed to the board and the structure. Many others are simply biding their time in the wings, waiting for the whole thing to collapse.
“We simply have the wrong people in key roles – they have completely misunderstood the role of an oversight board”
There are differences of opinion about how workable the company structure actually is. Whilst some dismiss it out of hand and seek a return to an ‘association’ model (entirely possible), others argue the problem is not the structure but how it is being managed that is the issue. An old acquaintance of theirishscouter, a central player in Scouting Ireland at the outset, recently remarked drily “We simply have the wrong people in key roles – they have completely misunderstood the role of an oversight board” Some board members might beg to differ, but it would be hard to argue that the board is a ‘hands off’ group.
There has been no real effort made to put a strong operational structure in place to provide services to local scouting and of the sort that paid professionals would be there to support.
The recent ‘Crinniu’ event in Larch hill, billed as the national conference, had around 200 people in attendance. National Councils of Scouting Ireland (admittedly a completely different type of event, but at its core, conceptually similar) typically had between 1,200 and 2,000 delegates in attendance (and plenty of non-delegates too).
It is possible that members are less interested when there is no scope for input or opportunity to shape national policy. Certainly, feedback theirishscouter has received seems to support this view.
FREE MARKET ECONOMICS
There is also a question of value for money. Scout groups presently pay a fee to Scouting Ireland Services CLG each year of €65 per member (including adult members) for ‘services’ which include the provision of insurance (around €11 per member) and membership of WOSM (around €5 per member). Most of the bill for professional staff salaries is covered by the grant provided by the Irish government which is around €1.5m per year. Where the remaining (circa) €49 goes is less clear. With 47,000 members (according to the Scouting Ireland website), that is annual revenue from membership fees of €3,055,000. The board needs to get better at explaining where that money is allocated and how it translates into ‘services’ for members.
One has to wonder in the event of a second provider of Scouting ‘services’ entering the market, how long Scouting Ireland Services CLG might retain its customer base. When the value equation is stacked too much in the direction of one party to a business arrangement, it is usually not long before alternatives are sought or manifest themselves.
TROUBLE AT MILL
The Scouting Ireland board and its Chief Executive Officer have of course a series of significant issues to address. Not least, indeed perhaps most importantly is the on-going matter of several historic safeguarding cases and the likely financial implications of settling these cases.
There are other legal issues piling up also, with several former members dumped out of the association pursuing cases through the courts and – if a recent board announcement is to be taken at face value – yet another director consulting legal eagles having been suspended from the board*.
*There is no legal mechanism under Irish corporate law to ‘suspend’ a director of a corporate entity, therefore whilst this is the report theirishscouter received in the topic, it cannot be correct as that would be a breach of corporate law. It would be illegal.It might also render any decisions taken by the board to which this ‘suspended’ director was not party, vulnerable to legal challenge.
Other, disturbing disclosures suggesting a ‘weaponization’ of ‘safeguarding’ procedures (people in positions of authority deliberately mis-using the safeguarding processes to fabricate complaints against members who ask awkward questions about finance and other matters), sound so outrageous, so incredibly dangerous – one finds it hard to believe they could possibly be true. To wilfully and nefariously generate a vexatious and baseless safeguarding complaint against any person working with or close to young people would surely rank among the vilest, the most despicable of acts. It would be (to put it mildly) morally bankrupt. It would amount to wilful sabotage of an already tarnished process. It would, in recklessly undermining said process run a risk of putting young people in harm’s way in the future. It would (also) be highly defamatory of the targeted person.
A recent media report indicated that the financial situation of the Scouting Ireland Services CLG company is unclear. When such reports manifest themselves in the public domain, one finds oneself wondering precisely where the stories are leaking from and where a proactive media strategy and PR representatives are. More to the point though; why the lack of clarity?
Stories emulating from Northern Ireland in recent weeks hint at turbulence on the Scout Foundation NI board (an entity established to help channel funding received from the UK Government into local groups) and intervention (rightly or wrongly) from ‘down South’.
Following on from this, the National Management Committee resigned en-masse. This might have come as a surprise to members who have not voted anyone on to the NMC for at least six years, but this entity was apparently engaged in critical work for Scouting – although quite how critical if the entire committee are now out of office, remains to be seen.
Amidst all this, a rumour persists that a new Scout Association, completely unaffiliated with Scouting Ireland Services CLG and with a democratic, youth focused constitution is on the verge of launching in Ireland.
Whatever the facts behind any of this might be, the on-going turbulence inside Scouting Ireland and the litany of negative stories in the press, have taken a toll on the name ‘Scouting Ireland’ and the reputation of the entity, the brand and by extension, the reputation of Scouting in Ireland more generally. Theirishscouter regularly talks with people in corporate Ireland and was dismayed over the summer when no less than three separate senior figures from different corporations, all raised ‘Scouting Ireland’ in negative terms in conversation, completely unprompted (obviously knowing however theirishscouter is involved in Scouting). The situation is little different in political circles, with even a serving T.D. delivering a withering assessment in another summer conversation. Five years on, this is all the more worrying. It suggests deeply embedded viewpoints.
Where the institutions of state are in all this remains to be seen. The Charities Regulator, the Director of Corporate Enforcement, TUSLA (the Child and Family Agency) and the Department of Children are all stakeholders in Scouting Ireland, which itself is a major beneficiary of funds from the Irish taxpayer/exchequer.
The board of directors whilst working hard and trying its best in difficult circumstances, does not seem to have a full picture of how the organisation is run, who is running it or how much it costs. Theirishscouter has spoken to several members of the board (present and recently past) and none know the details of (for example) staff salaries, staff KPIs or the granular details of company finances. I mention these particular metrics because they are among those which come up regularly at board and executive meetings in large commercial corporations that theirishscouter advises in his day job.
The whereabouts of the company’s CEO (an Interim CEO is presently in place) is a mystery and different board members have given different explanations. If they do not know these details (and theirishscouter did not ask for the details, just confirmation that they were known), then WHO DOES?
WHERE TO NEXT?
There is a saying that in order to effect change, focus not on changing the old, but on building the new. That, for what it’s worth, looks like it is already happening. Let’s consider however what might be possible if ‘changing the old’ is in fact a runner.
Scouting in Ireland needs an ambitious, clearly articulated vision for the future
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Scouting in Ireland needs an ambitious, clearly articulated vision for the future. It is not clear what the end game is with regard to the present quagmire.
We have had ‘visions’ previously. The most recent (Vision 2020) failed because it was merely a thinly disguised power-grab. Members are not stupid. A vision should be well, VISIONARY. It should be bold, inclusive, exciting, newsworthy. It should energise youth members, scouters, employees and external stakeholders. It should have near universal buy-in across the entire organisation.
Our last great piece of visionary action as an entity was the formation of Scouting Ireland, two decades ago. Scouting in Ireland was (deservedly) held up as a progressive, forward thinking organisation, willing to think the once unthinkable and devise a vision that the overwhelming majority of members not only supported, but actively engaged in. (If everyone knew then, what we know now it is perhaps questionable whether the whole thing would have gone ahead, but we will never know…).
We need a story to get behind, a trail to follow, a leader (or leaders) we can trust and believe in to get us there.
POWER IMBALANCE
Scouting Ireland Service CLG is owned by Scout Groups. In 2021 a majority (indeed close to 80%) of scout groups passed a motion seeking a change of direction to how the entity is managed. To date, no change has been made, nor has any substantive reasoning been proffered for the seeming inaction thus far.
Apart from being quite extraordinary, this raises genuine questions about precisely who is in control of the company. In whose interest is it to resist or ignore a majority of the shareholders? The board’s? Surely not. The board were elected by the shareholders. It also raises questions about governance processes. If the owners of the business cannot effect change using the democratic mandate of a correctly submitted motion voted upon at a properly held Annual General Meeting, then how exactly can change be effected?
To give the board their due, they seek to undertake a truly unenviable task and it is not clear that any of their critics would be willing to take their place. The challenges being faced by the board are so seemingly insurmountable, many competent potential directors have opted to stay away. In several cases, it is intervention by the employers of potential volunteer directors to ask or simply tell them not to run – Scouting Ireland is not regarded in corporate Ireland as an entity to associate oneself with. The public sector assessment is little different. We should all be concerned about this and we should all be thinking about how to address this toxicity openly, honestly, positively – and quickly.
The board need to find a way to reach out to the members and seek their support. Scouting Ireland needs a radical re-think on how things have been managed to date.
Some want to see the entire board resign. The 2021 motion of no confidence stopped short of a demand for the board’s resignation, in part because the proposers (and many supporters of the motion) wanted to give the board time to act.
One could argue at this point, plenty of time has been allotted. However, for reasons set out above, there is a paucity (as opposed to a total dearth) of credible, interested talent.
PROFESSIONAL INPUT
The present power imbalance (and status imbalance) between employees, paid by the company (owned by the members) and the members themselves now regarded merely as a labour and funding source, was a knee-jerk reaction in the middle of a power vacuum. It was endorsed by a government minister who was not in possession of the full picture. It was always unsustainable. It is hobbling the entire enterprise. It deepens mistrust and resentment the longer it continues.
There are historic reasons for this lack of trust between paid staff and volunteers that stretch back a decade or so (it would take an entire separate article to explain the background fully), but regardless of the origins it is clear that it needs to change if things are to move forward in a positive manner.
Notwithstanding the fact it was hard to find any scout group that would claim to have noticed a drop in ‘service’ when National Office went on a three-day week (nor did many report seeing any difference during COVID when National Office was closed for large periods), most reasonable people would nonetheless see that there is a need for a professional presence in Scouting Ireland.
There can be debates about how that resource is deployed, about recruitment and selection processes, competence levels, qualification levels, impartiality, motivation, etc but much of this will come down to the Board of Directors hiring the right manager or CEO and the CEO being of a calibre capable of hiring the right people for the right reasons and knowing how to manage them.
An experienced CEO will understand that culture begins at the top and that tone is as important as the message. The CEO of an organisation like Scouting Ireland will see themselves as leading a multi-disciplinary and multi-talented team, comprising volunteers and paid professionals.
The best CEO’s theirishscouter has worked with are thoughtful leaders with a strategic mindset, humility and integrity. They balance a deep knowledge of the entire organisation (often learned fairly quickly) with a confidence to build a strong team who think independently and challenge, but also remain focused on the reason they are there. All senior staff, voluntary and paid must be willing and able to earn the respect of key stakeholders (members, colleagues, board members and external stakeholders).
A skilled CEO will be able to balance the competing forces of having to lead a team, even when they did not get to select everyone on the team. Chief Scouts did it for decades. Political leaders and plenty of corporate CEO’s must do it too. Scouting is volunteer led. This means heavy hitters elected by members and at every level – accountable to the CEO and in turn the CEO accountable to the board.
Professional staff should not be involved in recruiting any volunteers for any national roles, nor should any volunteer ‘report’ to an employee, (apart from the CEO). Equally, no employee should report directly to a volunteer, with the sole exception of the CEO, who reports to the (volunteer) board.
Also important is a better deal for employees of Scouting Ireland. Salary alone is not enough to attract and retain top talent. Clarity about expectations, the right tools to deliver on those expectations and a viable career path would help. A positive and collaborative working environment between volunteers and salaried staff would contribute immeasurably to productivity and energy levels.
At present Scouting Ireland Services CLG appears to have a CEO who is absent and an interim CEO responsible for (presumably) the CEO workload in the CEO’s absence. The sooner some stability is applied to this state of affairs, the better for all involved.
The organisation needs a member-facing figure who is there to listen, advocate and has the influence and electoral or other mandate to be able to act upon their concerns.
THE AIRING OF VIEWS
Face to face engagement between board, senior staff and members is rare and when it happens is very tightly controlled. What are people afraid of? If the board believes in its agenda – engage with members and sell the vision if you have one, answer the questions, take the flack.
The organisation needs a member-facing figure who is there to listen, advocate and has the influence and electoral or other mandate to be able to act upon their concerns. Is this the Chairman of the Board? Is it the Chief Executive Officer? Is it the Chief Scout? Is it all three or someone else entirely? Whoever it is, the present perceived lack of accountability is a problem.
Irish Scouters generally are not renowned for self-effacing compliance. People like to kick up when unhappy. They like honest, strident debate. They like to see elected officials and senior staff squirm at conferences. It is steely eyed, often unvarnished, but it is open, clear and uttered without personal malice. When the debate has been had, good nature returns, and foes become friends again. We are after all, supposed to all be on the same side, are we not?
Social media has brought benefits, but it has also increased the ease with which debate can become fraught, polarised, even vexatious. This is not exclusive to Scouting of course. Many people sound off (in writing) before they have considered the ramifications. The unvarnished, when indelibly presented in ink can look starker versus delivery from a podium in a private room. Of course, there are no podiums in private rooms open to members anymore. One way to stem the flow of public dissent, would be to restore channels of open, private debate, minus the North Korean style stage management.
The Irish constitution guarantees the right of freedom of expression. This is not unqualified nor is it untrammelled – defamation laws exist to temper things. The board of Scouting Ireland have presided over the deployment of tactics designed to discourage freedom of speech and intimidate those who ask difficult questions in public. Theirishscouter knows who advocated for this and so is not surprised, but it’s a lazy way to manage dissent and it is highly counter-productive.
Theirishscouter has a fundamental problem with the use of the term ‘disciplinary code’ or ‘process’ to describe the organisations (on paper) steps to protect members from bad actors. That this specific code only applies to volunteers (and not employees) is no doubt linked to one or more of the various employment acts, but it is presentationally problematic in the current rancorous environment.
Remove the word ‘Disciplinary’. Scouters are passionate, committed, enthusiastic pillars of their local community or they are inspirational young people on a mission to share their energy and ideas for the betterment of even younger people. The use of the word ‘Discipline’ is insulting and patronising. This is not a 19th century borstal – it is an entity that cannot survive without the goodwill of volunteers – people working for free and doing so with the best of intentions.
Bad behaviour should be tackled. Anyone who poses a risk to the safety of children should not be working with them – volunteer or otherwise. That is blindingly obvious. However, using a process ostensibly designed to protect children in order to jump on members who say ill-considered things via social media is disproportionate.
Receiving strident critique and having to answer awkward questions is the price of power, but it also delivers incredible insights.
Theirishscouter has counselled various board members to embrace public comments and critique. Receiving strident critique and having to answer awkward questions is the price of power, but it also delivers incredible insights. Being honest – in particular about failings and errors actually BUILDS trust – counter intuitive as that might seem.
If, in the public domain, a member defames another member or an employee, there are defamation laws to deal with this. Use them. Everything else is simply opinion and bruised ego.
LAST CHANCE SALOON
Some feel Scouting Ireland as a national entity is fading away. A shadow of its former self, the contrast with local Scouting with all its focus on young people, positivity, openness and vibrancy is stark and depressing.
The credibility and reputation of Scouting as a positive force for good in Irish society has been severely tarnished. To many, the damage is irrevocable. No amount of mildly patronising pontification via emails from senior figures will move the dial on this perception, if the values being preached are not seen to be practised over a sustained period by those who are espousing them.
Theirishscouter would like to think that if everyone just stopped for a moment and thought about what could be achieved through some genuine inclusiveness and unity, a pathway back from this slow and ignominious decline is still possible.
Whoever has truly benefitted from the mess we are in – and some members have very clear views on this, the victory could surely not be more Pyrrhic, if all we are left with is a set of smouldering ruins. Board members: ask yourselves if the advice you receive (from whoever you receive it) is in the long-term interests of having a viable Scouting entity in Ireland.
It feels like the final window of opportunity to steady the ship, create a new narrative and build for the future, is closing.
All is not yet lost. Scouting in Ireland can re-build its reputation. The service and transformational change volunteers drive in their communities each week, can be amplified through an open, focused national entity. There are relationships to rebuild and new alliances to establish with corporate entities, non-profits, political parties, government agencies and the civil service.
Scouting Ireland can get back to being a driver of change. The organisation and its leadership can become regarded as inspirational. Members countrywide can once again feel proud to be part, not just of their group but of a national entity that inspires confidence and exudes professionalism and positivity.
It can sometimes seem very far away, but it is attainable. Do we have the will?
Theirishscouter first met Aidan Smith when the former was a cub scout in the old St Brigids Region of the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland. Aidan made an instant first impression; gruff, but with a smile and always a twinkle in his eye, he was an affable and kindly scouter who was able to quickly form a connection with younger people.
During three years as a cub scout, I have firm memories of bumping into Aidan at various Regional events. A swimming gala in Ballymun swimming pool springs to mind, but most notably an annual sponsored walk around the region. The walk took participants from the northern extremities of 130th Priorswood in the airport’s hinterland, to the tree-lined avenues of of 1st Fairview and the verdant gentrification of 92nd Clontarf’s neighbourhood. To the spotless and modern scout den of the 66th Clontarf and the pristine uniforms of its members, via the 140th Beaumont with their vivid green and orange neckerchief (of which I was always quietly envious).
Along the way, the 100th Kilmore – a den in which I vividly recall seeing Aidan on one occasion. Another time I met him in 142nd Darndale (if I remember the number correctly), where he was helping out, as was his tendency, whenever a group needed extra support.
I say ‘bumped into’, but we were hardly on first name terms. I was merely another cub scout and he the busy scouter, but its funny that few others from that time stick in my mind as Aidan did.
Early in my scouter career, he and I reconnected at a national council, having not seen each other in years. He invited me to join him at the official opening of 130th Priorswood’s new scout den – the group where I had been a beaver scout, a cub scout and for a time, a scout. I met some former leaders of mine, including the legendary Barney Baitson, sadly very ill at the time, but well enough to roll his eyes at me for becoming a leader in faraway Ballinteer, rather than braving the two cross-city buses needed to return to my alma mater…
Later still, Aidan became a Field Commissioner in the last days of CBSI (by then known as Scouting Ireland CSI), a sort of Provincial Commissioner role. He spoke his mind and I saw a sharp political operator and a passionate advocate for the regular scouter – another layer to this man and something I had not noticed as a cub scout.
Aidan spent time on the National Management Committee, where his pragmatism cut through the waffle and his sharp tongue frequently ruffled feathers. But in latter years, he returned to his first love – local scouting, where he could roll up his sleeves and do practical things.
Aidan was very much an old-school scouter. He had a traditional outlook, which he and I debated regularly in good-natured fashion. He was gently dismissive of some of my viewpoints in the way a man who has seen it all before could be, or perhaps in the way a couple of friends could disagree without rancour. I recall a late evening visit to his home in Ballymun one night to tease out some strategic matter prior to a meeting. I remember another afternoon coffee opposite the Botanic Gardens, where he offered me election advice.
In recent years, we had largely fallen out of regular contact, as happens with old friends, when different paths get taken. I was saddened to hear of his passing. Aidan Smith was a fixture of the Scouting community for so long and in a quiet, understated way did a lot to help countless younger people.
In the den of the now long defunct 100th Kilmore many years back, when I arrived with my cub scout colleagues, hot and thirsty in the middle of a long sponsored walk, he was a friendly and welcoming face, pouring out orange squash and uttering encouraging words in that husky Dublin accent I can hear ringing in my ears as I write. Unassuming, hands on, kind-hearted and youth-focused. In many ways, the best of scouters.
Theirishscouter is back at the desk with pen in hand after a period of interruptions linked to career, children and crossing continents. COVID 19 played a bit of a role too.
Following a somewhat lengthy break induced by (to varying extents) Career, Children and Covid, Theirishscouter intends to return to writing during September 2022.
What was that saying? “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”*
Feelings.
We all navigate our way through life using feelings to guide us. Something ‘feels’ right, or it doesn’t. An event is eagerly anticipated because we recall how we felt last time it took place. We bank fond memories and whilst the intricate details may fade over time, the feeling sits in the repository of our mind and triggers positivity.
Theirishscouter returned to Ireland in July, after several years abroad most recently at the other end of the world. The return, whilst unscheduled has afforded an opportunity to become more active in local scouting, the lifeblood of and indeed the only real reason for scouting’s existence.
That return to active scouting has triggered lots of feelings. Thursday evening a couple of weeks ago, sitting in Kilmashogue forest, perched above Dublin City’s lights, opened the door to memories of countless earlier night time visits to the same place – the opening scene of many an evening’s hiking across the Dublin mountains.
My companions for the hike on this occasion a mix of colleagues – old friends, together with young people, some of whom were starting out on their first scouting experience in these strange times we all find ourselves in.
Last weekend I was in larch hill, my six year old son one of a gaggle of excited Beaver Scouts, drinking in the freedom of this magical place whilst I soaked up the feelings I get whenever I venture here – the venue for a hundred or more experiences, the scene of adventures and seminal moments stretching back to when I was that six year old, beside myself with excitement.
The scout den is sitting idle this year. We are lucky to have one. Inside it remains largely the same as when I left it seven years ago. It too is full of memories and the feelings of many, baked into the walls like a house that has seen generations of loving families live there, each leaving behind some positive thoughts for the protagonists in the next chapter.
It is comforting to see that, in a year that has turned the world upside down and in a period of time that has seen the Scout movement in Ireland weather storms that may yet prove too much for this one hundred and thirteen year old, the Scouting that takes place in local communities is the pilot light in the stove that flickers on in the midst of chill winds.
Beaver Scouts run through the Dolmen field, their laughter chiming with the ghostly echoes of thousands of other youngsters who ran through before them. The fire above the Haggard field warms their hands on a December day as it has warmed other hands and has likely been doing so since before anyone reading this article was born.
The trails that criss-cross Kilmashogue and Tibradden mountain are the same trails walked by scouts ten, twenty, fifty years ago. The spirit of those who get up and make things happen on their own time and without any pay, for young people in their community – other people’s children – helps create such deeply held and immensely positive feelings in the hearts and minds of so many children and teenagers all over the country. It is an immeasurable act of kindness and generosity.
Some do it for their own kids. Some were once a beaver scout (or a Cub Scout, Scout, Venturer Scout, Rover Scout) and can see the magic of Scouting and what it has the power to do. Some are simply paying forward what they themselves benefited from as a child. For most of us, its possibly a mix of all these things.
Wherever you sit on the matters afflicting Scouting in Ireland at present, it has been an exhausting time. It has been deeply demoralising for many. The chasm between ideas seems to almost mirror the depth of the political divide in the United States.
Theirishscouter back in Ireland in the summer despite plans to be elsewhere was confronted by an unexpected question. Does one put one’s own children into an entity where the differences between us are so seemingly irreconcilable? Why place your own offspring on a path you have already taken, when you know it ultimately leads to a quagmire? Is there a long term future?
I travelled North and consulted with a former Scouter who travelled a large part of that trail with me. She told me I had no right to deprive my children of the overwhelmingly positive experiences I had gained from being in the Scout movement. Offices and other trappings may become moribund, but Scouting in the community will remain strong and will continue to do great things for Ireland’s young people.
Of course, she was right. I probably knew that all along. Sometimes however, seeking a different perspective to your own can help. Perhaps over Christmas we should all try doing that.
Theirishscouter sat one afternoon back in 2012 with five people from Scouting. At first glance we had little if anything in common, barring our membership of the same entity. An hour later, having taken some time to listen, we all realised just how many values we shared and how similar our feeling were towards a whole host of things.
Social media is often wonderful. Like wearing a mask however, it can often filter out some of the nuance of communication, making statements balder. Try taking your mask off over the Christmas break – metaphorically of course. Reach out to a scouter with a completely different perspective to yours. Don’t just hear their views, LISTEN to them. Do it via zoom, or meet for a walk or a socially distant coffee.
If we all did this just once in the coming weeks, would it line Scouting up for a better 2021? It will hardly make things worse.
It’s no longer about us. It never really was. That was obvious to me in Larch hill last weekend. We all have more important things to be doing.
In twenty, thirty years-time when those excited six year olds gaze across the fields in Larch hill they once ran through. When those eleven year old scouts look through the trees of Kilmashogue, down into Dublin City a quarter of a century from now with their own group of scouts in toe. Will they have positive feelings of their time as Scouts? What will their verdict be on the scouters of 2020?
Yes, we provided the programme, but did we provide the leadership? Did we truly lead by example? We should all ask ourselves that question – over a mince pie.
Theirishscouter wishes you and yours the most magical of Christmas’s and a safe and positive 2021.
*Maya Angelou is the person quoted at the top of the article.
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