CVC-HOVC merger rejected

As reported on March 24 by the Hampton Roads Scouting Alliance, the proposal for Colonial Virginia Council to merge with Heart of Virginia Council to form a new Commonwealth of Virginia Council based in Richmond was voted down.
 
The March 19 vote by CVC Members-at-Large, Executive Board Members, and Chartered Organization Representatives (COR) resulted in a tally of 32 against, 30 for, and 2 abstaining. With less than half approving of the proposal it did not come anywhere near the 2/3’s majority required for the merger to proceed.
 
The prior evening HOVC had voted unanimously in favor of the merger, so the CVC vote against the motion was the specific action that assured the merger would not happen.
 
CVC Council Executive Clinton Hammett posted a brief letter four days later advising “the motion to merge with Heart of Virginia Council was not approved,” thanking CVC volunteers for their dedication and patience through the process and welcoming their continued participation.
 
The defeat of the merger proposal was the result of an organized grassroots effort designed to provide factually accurate comparative data and offset the rapid, deadline driven nature of the proposal intended to rush approval as a foregone conclusion.
 
The Hampton Roads Scouting Association was instrumental in providing data clarity and explaining how to stand up for the independence of the Council. Their blog post of March 24 reminds us this is not the end of the conversation, just a reset. I encourage you to stay alert for future proposals and monitor their web site for current information.