County Based Model
If the below information does not address your questions, please email questions@minsitrails.org
About District Re-Alignment in Minsi Trails Council
Every three to five years our council undertakes an extensive strategic planning exercise. This plan and its execution include topics such as: Service to Units, Governance, Finance, Membership and Program Offerings. In each of the past three plans (spanning roughly fifteen years) the need to realign our district boundaries has been identified, but later reviewed and eventually tabled as the expected benefits were not great enough to outweigh the amount of energy necessary to execute the realignment plan. To say 2019 and 2020 have been difficult years for Minsi Trails would be an understatement. We expect the remainder of 2020 and future years to be extremely challenging for our organization. To better position Minsi Trails Council to continue providing quality Scouting programs to our youth into the future, the Council Executive Board, at its meeting on June 3rd, 2020, approved a plan that will create five new districts starting January 1, 2021. Our existing six districts will be retired by December 31, 2020.
Under the new model starting January 1, 2021, the new geographic alignment will be based on county boundaries within the council area. The five new districts will be as follows: Carbon-Luzerne District, Lehigh District, Monroe District, Northampton District, and Warren District, (NJ). Regardless of their home county, families remain welcome to join any unit of their choice, even if the family and the unit reside in different counties. The same applies for adult volunteers. Adults are free to serve on the district committee of their choice, regardless of their county of residence.
Along with district boundary changes will come staff changes within the Minsi Trails Council team. Changes to better align with our new county-based model have already begun. All staffing changes were completed on September 1st of this year.
The District Chairs and District Commissioners in our current model have all been informed through meetings with council volunteers and staff. Additionally, District Chairs in our current model have been included in re-organizational meetings and the Council working committee creating the transition plan. Finalization and roll out, council-wide is expected in October or November. Feel free to reach out to a professional staff member if you have additional questions.
This information is only meant to serve as a high-level overview. Certainly, we plan to share more specifics with you before the new district effective date of January 1, 2021.
While the district organizational chart may appear different, and the boundary lines for our new county-based districts will change, the one aspect that will not change is our dedication to serving the youth and families of Minsi Trails Council. We look forward to an exciting and robust return to Scouting activities in 2021 within our new Council districts as we continue to serve our youth and accomplish the mission of the Boy Scouts of America in our communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why
Q. Why is a District re alignment process underway?
A: District re alignment will provide operational efficiencies and cost savings necessary to maintain an affordable Scouting experience for participants. Savings are projected to be over $300,000 annually. Units are recommended to participate in Family FOS, Popcorn Sales and attend a summer camp experience at Akelaland, Camp Minsi or Settlers Camp to further provide positive financial assistance.
How
Q. How were county lines selected as new District boundaries versus other possible boundaries?
A: County boundaries are distinct and easily understood by members and the public.
Q. How was unit placement into Districts determined?
A: Units were divided into Districts based upon the county in which their current charter organization resides. Youth members and adult volunteers will be permitted to join any unit, regardless of its location.
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Where
Q: The City of Bethlehem resides in two counties, Northampton, and Lehigh. Should we keep Bethlehem whole in one district?
A: No. The Council’s geographic model for Districting should remain by County. The plan is better to be consistent than to make Bethlehem as exemption. As such, Units will be divided into Districts based upon the county in which their current charter organization resides. Youth members and adult volunteers will be permitted to join any unit, regardless of its location.
Q. My county-based district is very geographically large, what if I cannot attend meetings that are required of me?
A: Remote accessibility can be made available for all meetings and some trainings. Participation in other county-based district meetings is also encouraged and recommended.
Q. Will the units in Warren County, NJ be given to neighboring councils instead of being part of the Minsi Trails Council in the future?
A: There is no plan to do this. The opposite is planned to happen. Community leadership in Warren County, NJ has agreed to assist in the development of their own district. Moving forward, the plan is to have the county create its own district to better serve the families.
Who
Q. Am I required to join units only located in my county?
A: Units will be divided into Districts based upon the county in which their current charter organization resides. Youth members and adult volunteers will be permitted to join any unit, regardless of its location.
Q. I am a District level volunteer; how do I select the district in which I want to volunteer?
A: Adult volunteers can choose the District in which they want to participate irrespective of where they live. All adult volunteers in the District need to be approved by District leadership.
Q. Who will be my District executive and volunteer District leadership?
A: Your new District executive will contact you soon to introduce themselves. In the fall an open house/meet and greet event will be hosted in each county-based District to introduce new volunteer leadership.
Q. May units attend training events and activities in any District? Which Roundtable or district activities do I go to?
A: All units and individuals in Minsi Trails Council are welcome and encouraged to attend any of the program events in the Council. Keep in mind your current district event or activity will most likely be geographically closer and some may have attendance limits, so units and individuals should sign up early when events are announced.
Q: Who will be the staff professional responsible for the new Districts?
A: To help, please visit our Minsi Trails Staff Page
Q: How can I get more involved at the new District Levels?
A: Currently, our District working groups are identifying people to support the various District Sub-Committees.
Click below on the District to send an email to the District Key Leaders
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