INTRODUCTION
TO EXPLORING
FOR COMMISSIONERS
PREPARED IN COLLABORATION WITH
JEFF SCHWEIGER,
NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL
ASSISTANT COUNCIL COMMISSIONER
National Key 3 Announcement
NOVEMBER 2016
National Commissioner Charles Dahlquist and Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh clarified
the purpose of the Commissioner Service to Exploring initiative and charged the field with
utilizing Scouting Commissioners as a temporary stop gap while councils develop more
comprehensive plans to serve their Exploring units. Here is an excerpt:
“Based on input from the field, the national Key 3 has defined two service models to best serve
the needs of local councils. This will help in providing sustainable growth and developing
necessary resources for Exploring today and in the future.
The first and most preferred model is to recruit and grow Exploring at the council level by
enlisting an Exploring Service Team to provide the necessary resources to grow and support
Exploring units. These positions will count in your Journey to Excellence criteria in the same
manner as unit-serving commissioners.
If a council doesn’t have the resources to develop a full Exploring Service Team, the alternate
model should include utilizing current council and district structures and resources to serve
Exploring units. This model could include integrating Exploring into the current district committee
and commissioner structure. It also should include an aggressive volunteer recruitment and
training plan in order to ensure continuous support to unit service and growth.”
Commissioner Tools
My.Scouting.org
• Exploring data is now available as of March 1st
• Commissioners & Service Team members have access to
review data for Exploring units.
Commissioner Tools
•
Commissioners AND Service Team Members can record unit contacts
•
Commissioner Admin supports the inclusion of Exploring units
•
Detailed assessment form is based on 2017 Exploring JTE requirements
•
Other areas of
Exploring support
in my.scouting
will be added at
a later date
Commissioner Training
New in Q2 is a supplemental module for Commissioners working
with Exploring Units – “Servicing Exploring Units”.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Understand the role and structure of an Exploring Service
Team
• Understand the role of a Unit Commissioner in supporting
Exploring Units acting in place of a service team member
• Understand the role of the Exploring Committee
• Become familiar with the tools and resources available for
unit support and finally to
• Understand the differences between unit service of a
traditional Scouting Unit and an
Exploring Unit
Commissioner Training
For a more in depth Exploring training:
Service Team learning plans available to all in Exploring LMS within
my.scouting
A Little History
1940’s Sea Scouting, Exploring & Air Scouts
1950’s Youth automatically an Explorer at age 14
1960’s Career Exploring introduced
1970‘s Women joined Exploring as adult leaders and
youth Members. National Youth Officers
1980’s 17 Career and Traditional Program Clusters
1991 Curriculum-based Learning for Life Program started
1998 Career Exploring Fields Move to LFL.
Venturing started with 5 traditional fields
WHAT IS EXPLORING ?
• A career education
program for young
men and women
• Helps them make
more informed
decisions about
future careers
Twelve Career Fields
Post vs Crew
• Post/Club = Careers
(Vocation)
• For example:
–
–
–
–
Law Enforcement
Nursing
Mechanical Engineer
Architecture
• Crew = Hobbies
(Avocation)
• For example:
–
–
–
–
Geocaching
Astronomy
Skiing / Snowboarding
Genealogy
A Word About “lingo”
BOY SCOUTS
VENTURING
EXPLORER POST
UNIT
Troop
Crew
Post
LEADER
Scoutmaster
Advisor
Advisor
YOUTH LEADER
Senior Patrol Leader
President
President
YOUTH PARTICIPANT
Member/Scout
Member/Venturer
(Scout)
Participant/Explorer
RE-REGISTRATION
Recharter
Recharter
Renewal
SPONSOR
Chartered Org
Chartered Org
Participating Org
SPONSORING
AGREEMENT
Charter
Charter
MOU
UNIT SERVICE
Commissioner
Commissioner
Service Team
YOUTH RUN
Yes
Yes
Yes
AGE SPAN
11-18
13-20
14-20
UNIFORM
Boy Scout
Venturing or Unit
Selected
Post Selected, not
required
A word about CORs and Exploring
NOTE: The COR position does not exist in
Exploring. COR’s are voting members of a
council, and Exploring leaders are not voting
members because they are officially
participants under our Learning for Life
Affiliate program.
Online Registration Tools
• Exploring has an online registration renewal
system similar in concept to Internet
Rechartering. It is, however, a different system,
and will be replaced by a new system common
with traditional Scouting (date to be determined)
• Start the process at www.exploring.org
• Exploring will be added to the new Online
Registration System for new registrations, but is
not there yet.
Where to Find Leader Training
Youth Protection Training
CURRENT
YPT for Exploring (Y03) available at
my.scouting.
FUTURE
Exploring will be included in the YPT
overhaul (YPT2), delivery date TBD.
Standard District Structure Applies to
Exploring
District
Commissioner
Service Team
Chair
Unit Commissioners
Service Team Mbrs
An Exploring-only
committee structure
mirrors that of a Scouting
committee structure with
a couple of additions.
Note the differences in
blue that represent the
Exploring-specific
positions within the
traditional district
committee structure.
District
Executive
District Chair
Nominating
Committee
Finance Chair
Vice Chair
(optional)
Membership
Chair
Program
New Unit
Organizer
Training
Career Survey
Chair
Camping
VOA
EOA
Activities
Advancement/
Recognition
Exploring in Traditional Districts
• District leadership appoints a District
Exploring Chair
• Exploring chair will work with other
elements of the district committee
(membership, program, activities and civic
service, etc.) in promoting the district’s
Exploring program.
Exploring Chair in a Traditional
District
• Position on District Committee
– Reports to: District Chair
• MUST RECRUIT: Those to help with…
– Career surveys
– Awards and recognition
– Activities
• ATTEND: bimonthly/quarterly meetings
• ASSIST WITH: promotion, JTE, search
committee
Cub Scous
Boy Scouts
Venturing
Varsity
Sea Scouts
DUAL
MULTIPLE
MULTIPLE
ALL RESOURCES AT
www.exploring.org
Clubs
Posts
STAY CONNECTED
page | lflexploring
group | Exploring Success!
group | National Explorer Alumni
Association
learningforlifeusa
exploring.org | Stay Connected
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
SERVICE TO
QUESTIONS?
EXPLORING
exploring@lflmail.org | 972-580-2433
TECH SUPPORT
myscouting@scouting.org | 972-580-2489
COMMISSIONERS
Member Care | 972-580-2489