Welcome!
Make yourself comfortable.
We will start soon.
Commissioner
Basic
Training
Cub Scout Promise
Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos
I ________ Promise to do my best,
To do my duty to God and my
country,
To help other people,
And to obey the law of the Pack.
To be replaced May 15, 2015
The Scout
Oath or Promise
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
Effective January 1, 2014 for Venturing
Scout Law
A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
Effective January 1, 2014 for Venturing
and Reverent.
Introductions

Teaching Staff
 Commissioner
 Commissioner
 Commissioner
 Commissioner

Admin Staff
 TBD
Commissioner
 Commissioner
 District Executive

Introductions
Name
 Present job/Commissioner position in
Scouting
 Previous positions held
 Tenure
 Awards earned

Commissioner Basic Training
Why We Are Here
Commissioner Service
Commissioner Historical Dates
•1908
Baden-Powell appoints the first volunteer commissioners.
•1910 Daniel Carter Beard is named national commissioner.
•1911 A national field commissioner is named.
•1914 The wreath of service is added to the commissioner insignia.
•1931 The district commissioner position is introduced.
•1943 A commissioner’s training course is introduced.
The Commissioner Service manual is introduced.
•1951 First commissioner training at Philmont Training Center.
•1952 Commissioner Arrowhead award introduced.
•1989 The Distinguished Commissioner Award is introduced.
•2003 The national commissioner Web site is activated.
•2008 Tico Perez is named national commissioner.
Area and regional commissioner positions are established.
The College of Commissioner Science doctorate square knot is
introduced.
•2010 Commissioners celebrate 100 years of service to units!
PURPOSE, AIMS
& METHODS OF
SCOUTING
Purpose of Scouting

To promote, through cooperation with
other agencies, the ability of youth to do
things for themselves and others, and to
teach youth patriotism, courage, selfreliance, and kindred virtues
Aims of Scouting
Character development
 Citizenship training
 Personal fitness

Methods of Scouting
Cub Scouting (Boys
grades 1-5)
Boy Scouting (Boys
ages 11-17)
Venturing (Youth
ages 14-20)
►Ideals
►Ideals
►Ideals
►Den
►Patrol
►Group activities
►Advancement
►Advancement
►Recognition
►Family involvement
►Adult
►Adult
►Activities
►Home and
neighborhood centered
►Uniform
association
►Outdoors
►Personal growth
►Leadership
►Uniform
association
►High adventure
►Teaching others
►Leadership
COUNCIL AND
DISTRICT
MISSION
Council Mission
Voluntary association of citizens & chartered
organization representatives
 Promotes Scouting within a geographical area
 Guides & supports districts to
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Make Scouting available to youth
Provide adequate funds
Maintain standards and policies
Serve organizations using the Scouting programs
District Mission
Ensures growth & success of Scouting
units within the district's territory
 Works through chartered organizations
and community groups to organize and
support successful units

District Committee
Four Functions:
•Membership
•Fund Development
•Program
•Unit Service
Membership
Fall Roundup
Spring Roundup
Special membership rallies
Advice and help to units with membership
problems
Membership
Functions
Gather information
 Cultivate relationships with community
organizations
 Organize new units
 Help youth join existing units

Fund Development
Friends of Scouting
Trust Funds (James E. West Award)
Advice to units
Program
Camping and Outdoor
Activities and Civic Service
Advancement and Recognition
Training
Health & Safety
Camping & Outdoor
Promote resident camping for all packs,
troops, and teams
 Develop and promote Cub Scout day
camps
 Promote year-round camping by all units
 Provide guidance on health and safety
 Use camperships
 Guide the Order of the Arrow

Activities & Civic
Service
Recruit teams to carry out district
activities
 Involve the district in community service
projects
 Promote and help with council events

Advancement &
Recognition
Help unit leaders with advancement
procedures
 Monitor unit advancement progress
 Recruit merit badge counselors
 Approve Eagle Scout service project plans
 Recommend youths and adults for special
awards

Training
Determine who needs training
 Build annual training program
 Develop plans for specific courses
 Promote courses
 Provide training recognition

Health & Safety

Monitor district events
Unit Service
Request
specific
assistance
Generalist
Specialists
Determine
need
Provide consultation
or specialized
treatment
Unit
COMMISSIONER
SERVICE ROLE
The Commissioner
Concept
The commissioner is the liaison between the local
council and Scouting units.
 The commissioner's mission is to
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•
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Keep units operating at maximum efficiency,
Maintain regular contact with unit leaders,
Counsel leaders on where to find assistance,
Note weaknesses in programs,
And suggest remedies.
The commissioner is successful when units
effectively deliver the ideals of Scouting to their
members.
Commissioner Service
Keep Units Operating
Regular contact
Counsel Leaders
Help Fix Problems
Commissioner Overview
Three Types of Commissioners
• Administrative Commissioners
• Unit Commissioners
• Roundtable Commissioners
Commissioner Staff
Organization
District
Commissioner
Assistant
District
Commissioner
Assistant
District
Commissioner
Assistant
District
Commissioner
Assistant
District
Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Unit Commissioner
Assistant
District
Commissioner
Cub
Roundtable
Commissioner
Boy Scout
Roundtable
Commissioner
Cub
Roundtable
Staff
Boy Scout
Roundtable
Staff
Venture Crew
Roundtable
Commissioner
Most Important Resource
Job of the Unit Commissioner
Watch for the five major areas of service
Commissioner’s Service
Role
Friend
Representative
“Doctor”
Teacher
Coach
Commissioner
Priorities
Good Unit Service
Takes precedence over all
other Scouting efforts
Unit Commissioner
Responsibility Card



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
Report to the district commissioner or assistant
district commissioner as assigned
Help each unit earn the Quality Unit Award
Use the annual commissioner service plan, with
its scheduled opportunities for commissioner
contact with units
Know each phase of Scouting and its literature.
Be able to describe how each works.
Visit meetings of assigned
packs/troops/teams/crews regularly, usually once
a month
Unit Commissioner
Responsibility Card

Visit regularly with the unit leader
• Be aware of unit leader concerns and
•
•
•
•
challenges
Serve as the unit leader’s coach and
counselor
Build a strong, friendly relationship
Using the literature and profile sheet, help
the leader see opportunities for
improvement
Encourage unit participation in district and
council events
Unit Commissioner
Responsibility Card

Work to ensure effective unit committees
• Visit with the unit committee periodically
• Observe the committee, offer suggestions
for improvement, and work to solve
problems
See that adult leaders have adequate
training
 Make certain that proper techniques are
used to select and recruit unit leaders

Unit Commissioner
Responsibility Card

Facilitate on-time charter renewal of all units
• Help the unit conduct a membership inventory of youth
and adults
• Help the unit committee chairman conduct the charter
renewal meeting
• See that a completed charter renewal application is
returned to the council service center
• Make arrangements to present annually each unit
charter at a meeting of the chartered organization
Unit Commissioner
Responsibility Card
Attend all meetings of the commissioner staff
 Become trained

• Initial orientation and basic training
• Arrowhead Honor and Scouter’s Key
• Annual council commissioner’s conference

Know the resources available to the unit in the
neighborhood, district, and council
Unit Commissioner
Responsibility Card

Set the example
• Adopt an attitude of helpfulness
• Keep promises
• Be concerned about proper uniforming
• Be diplomatic
• Be a model of Scouting ideals

Conduct own Self-Evaluation on page 55 of
the Commissioner Fieldbook
Commissioner Quiz
The Unit Commissioner: (true / false)
1. Reports to the district executive
2. Must be an expert in training adults and youth
3. Is only concerned with reregistering a unit on time
4. Should be familiar with the official literature used by units for
program
5. Only visits the unit committee, and on a regular basis
6. Must know the unit program planning process
7. "Sells" the unit leader on district and council functions, as a
primary responsibility
Commissioner Quiz (cont.)
8. Periodically communicates with the chartered organization
representative to offer help
9. Regularly attends Roundtables
10. Guides the unit through the annual service plan
11. Should earn the Commissioner’s Key
12. Attends monthly meetings of the district committee
13. Is not involved in the presentation of the unit charter
14. Must be familiar with the monthly program themes
15. Encourages assigned packs, troops, teams, and crews to earn
the Journey to Excellence Performance Award
UNIT CONTACT /
VISITATION
BASICS
Unit Contacts
Commissioners visit each unit
at least monthly
•Visit Unit Meetings &
•Unit Committee Meetings
•Phone calls
•E-mail
Unit Contact Basics
Visits provide knowledge of how to help a unit
improve its program
 Visits allow you to find out about problems
before the unit fails, weakens or members
leave.

The First Unit Visit
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Make appointment to visit an assigned unit
Go with your observer-coach
Worksheet will be filled out later
Take your resource kit
Observe for the entire meeting
Do not participate beyond introductions
Both new commissioner and coach fill out
independent worksheets
Wear your complete Field Uniform
Unit Contact
Considerations
•Call
•Worksheets
•Observe
•Uniform
Unit Visitation Tracking System
UVTS – Electronic Evaluation
Tool
Unit Visitation Tracking System
UVTS - Purpose
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•
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•
•
Evaluate the unit’s progress toward achieving the
JTE goals
Review the unit’s goals, successes, and vision for
the coming year
Identify any areas of improvement--leadership,
program, and membership
Determine any specific actions needing to be taken
to assist with unit improvements and determine
who will follow up on those actions.
Schedule any necessary follow-up to monitor
progress
UVTS – Who Uses
All commissioners can access Unit Visit Tracking
System; however, your view within the site and the
actions you can perform there depend upon your
commissioner role. Commissioners can view, add,
and edit visit information and they can view their
most recent five visits in the Recent Visits frame on
the Home page.
UVTS – Who Uses
•
Commissioners can add visit information about
the units within the council organizational
structure to which they are assigned.
• Unit commissioners can view the visits made by
commissioners in their district.
• District commissioners can view the visits made
by commissioners in their district.
• Council commissioners can view the visits made
by the commissioners in their council.
UVTS - When
•
After any unit visit or interaction by a
commissioner
• Annually to review strengths and areas of
improvement to help provide direction for
needed support, preferably six months prior to
the annual charter renewal
• As needed when a problem arises
• When Unit Leadership changes
UVTS - Electronic Evaluation Tool
Documents the status of every unit
 Allows for a variety of “visit types”
 Tagged to key performance measures

• Planning
• Program
• Leadership
• Tone
• Attendance


NOW Quick and Easy to use
Downloads to excel for a variety of trending purposes
UVTS - Electronic Evaluation Tool
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Easy way to keep track of units across District
Useful tool for DC/ADC/UC communications
Useful tool for UC turnover
Built in capability to trend performance measures or a
unit
Easier way to populate the monthly report for unit
visits
Single source of useful data like unit tenure
UVTS required measure under J2E
The future…………opportunity to automate Unit
Health Reports etc.
UVTS Accessed via myscouting.org
Input Screen #1
Input Screen #2
Input Screen #3
Adding a Focus
Supporting the Unit
Supporting the Unit
UNIT COMMITTEE
FUNCTIONS
Pack and Troop
Committee Functions
Fast
Start for a good start
Pack Committee
Advancement
Finance
Outings
Training
Membership
&
reregistration
Record keeping &
correspondence
Public relations
Friends of Scouting
Troop Committee
Advancement
Finance
Equipment
Outdoor
program
Transportation
Leadership selection
Membership &
reregistration
Friends of Scouting
Crew Committee
Membership
 Finance
 Training
 Camping & Outdoor
 Activities & Civic Service
 Advancement & Recognition
 Service

MEMBERSHIP
MANAGEMENT
Membership Management

Buzz groups for 10 minutes
• Topics:
○ Unit with mostly older boys
○ Inventories of active boys
○ Year-round recruiting
○ Preventing dropped units

1 minute reports
Membership Management

Unit with mostly older boys
• Recruit

Inventories of active boys
• Committee Involvement for inactive boys
• Program or Administrative issue
Help Units Grow

Year-round recruiting
• Birthday greetings
• Phone Invitations
• Personal Invitations
• Webelos-Scout transition

Preventing dropped units
• Assigned to unit
• Assigned while organizing new units
UNIT PROGRAM
PLANNING
Pack Program Planning
Pack Program Planning
Unit commissioners should understand process
and tools
 Pack Annual Program Planning Conference Guide
on Scouting.org
 Program Helps and Pack Planning Chart

• Cub Scout Leader Program Notebook
• Council calendar
• Chartered organization needs
Annual program planning conference
 Monthly pack leaders meeting
 Den Chief – Den Leader meeting

Troop and Team Program
Planning
Troop and Team Program
Planning

Tools
•
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
Troop Annual Program Planning Conference Guide
Troop Program Features — 4 volumes
Program Planning Chart
Boy Scout Leader Program Notebook
Planning steps
•
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Homework (get ready)
Find out what Scouts want (patrol leaders)
PLC annual planning, SPL presiding
Secure troop committee support
Pass the word. Publicize.
Crew Program Planning
Crew Program Planning

Crew plans program
• Crew Planning Guide
• Program capability inventory (adult resources)
• Adult hobbies, interests, skills, careers, and Ideas from
PCI to program planning forms
• Venturing activity interest survey

Planning steps
•
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•
Brainstorm activities
Discuss and evaluate each idea
Select activities and calendarize
Plan details each month in advance
Journey To Excellence
PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION PROGRAM
• Growth
• Quality
• Sustainability
Journey To Excellence
Utilizes a balanced scorecard approach
 Key performance indicators to measure
outcomes versus process
 Not only measures growth, but looks at the
kind of experience the boys are having

Journey To Excellence

Your Role in JTE as a Commissioner
• You’re not an Umpire
• You’re not a Judge or the police
•
• You are a friend, a mentor and a coach
• And maybe help a bit with scorekeeping
85
Journey To Excellence

JTE helps Units. It brings:
• A framework for planning for the year
• A method for evaluating the Unit
• Assessment of how they’re doing in the key areas
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•
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•
•
found in great Units
Guidance in areas where they might do better
Specific guidelines and standards of what is good
performance
Early warning of potential problem areas
Recognition for good performance
Benchmarking to get ideas and tips from other good
units
86
Journey To Excellence
• Gives national standards
 Advancement
 Camping
 Service projects
 Training
 Membership
 Retention
 Leadership
 Budget
 Bronze, Silver, and Gold award levels
 And did the Unit show improvement?
 Assessment made during charter renewal
month
Journey to
Excellence
- Troop
Journey to
Excellence
– Troop,
pg.2
Emphasis of Journey to
Excellence
Continuous Improvement is a Goal
• Did the Unit do measurably better in key
areas than last year?
• OR are they already performing at a high
level in those areas?
Either way, the Unit can qualify for the
standard
90
Emphasis of Journey to
Excellence
Program and Participation in the Unit
(Membership) are most important
factors
 Administrative factors are considered
 Factors which are early indicators of
Unit strength and health are identified
and assessed

91
Journey To Excellence
• No Unit Changes in 2013
• Unit Changes in 2013
• New Explorer Post scorecard
• ScoutStrong is now in the physical fitness
criterion
• Training changes now require 2/3 instead of
all
VOICE OF THE
SCOUT
Voice of the Scout
• Surveys at three levels
•
All feedback comes to Council
• Council will review and take actions
• Council distributes feedback to Districts
• Districts review and take actions
• Districts distribute unit feedback individually
• To each member of the Unit Key 3
Voice of the Scout
Unit Commissioner’s Role
JTE
Educate Units
Meet JTE visit requirements
Voice of the Scout
Encourage unit participation
Notify units about surveys
Voice of the Scout
Meetings are Key
•
Action Planning Meeting
• Mid-Charter Review
• Unit Key 3 with UC as facilitator
• Meetings can be emotionally charged
COUNSELING
Counseling
Best way to help a unit is to strengthen its
leadership through effective counseling
Counseling Defined

“The ability to listen to someone in such
a way that they will solve their own
problems."
Fundamentals of Good
Counseling
Time and place with no interruptions
 Understand what the leader is saying
 Let the leader know you hear and understand
 Do not give advice!

• Guide the discussion through questions
• Leader solves their own problem
• If they don't solve their own problem:
○ Give information
○ Propose possible alternatives
○ Let leader pick best solution
Fundamentals of Good
Counseling Continued
Summarize from time to time to keep on track
 Support thinking with information

• Know the difference between information and
advice

Resources:
• Commissioner Fieldbook, Counseling
Youth Protection and the
Commissioner
•Monitor training status
•Promote latest material
•Promote use of videos
•Reporting responsibilities
Unit Charter Renewal
Process
Re-register unit
On time
Maximum membership
Good leadership (two deep trained
leadership)
Charter Renewal

"If commissioners are providing regular
visitation and doing their job as in the
Annual Service Plan, then rechartering
becomes a minor paperwork exercise."
• George Crowl, 1982
Unit Charter Renewal
Process
 Ninety

Days Before:
District Executive visits Institution Head
• Friendly visit
• "How can I help?"
Unit Charter Renewal
Process
 Sixty
Days Before:
Membership inventory
 Set renewal meeting date

Online Rechartering
Available 60 days in advance
 Online Rechartering is easier
 Council furnishes units with ScoutNet data on
a buffered web page

• Units make corrections in this data
• When data is correct unit uploads material to buffer
on ScoutNet
• Unit prints charter, obtains signatures and turns in
to the council with payment

After turn-in, council accepts data and sends
this data to ScoutNet
Unit Charter Renewal
Process
Forty-five
Charter
Days Before:
review meeting
• Youth and Adults
• Fees
• Approvals
• Quality Unit status
• Plans
Unit Charter Renewal
Process
 Fifteen
Days Before:
Unit updates buffered ScoutNet data
and gets signatures
 Submit to service center

Some Techniques
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Talk about 100% Boy's Life often
Committee members do membership
follow-up
Discuss JTE with the whole committee
(several times a year)
Unit people update ScoutNet data
Charter renewal checklist
Charter Presentation
Thirty Days After
 Commissioners Role/Responsibility

• Chartered organization head
• COR
• Unit Leader
• Unit Committee Chair
• The unit

Sample presentation in Commissioner
Fieldbook
Commissioner
Leadership Style
•Diplomacy
•Exceptional Service
•Service Recovery
Commissioner
Leadership Tasks
•
•
•
•
Evaluate, improve own performance.
Maintain positive attitude.
Work successfully with adults.
Guide unit leaders working with youth.
ANNUAL
COMMISSIONER
SERVICE PLAN
Annual
Commissioner Service
Plan

Gives specific purpose to regular and
supportive contact with units.
Annual Plan
April
- Unit leadership
inventory
May - Troop uniform
inspection
August - Unit program
planning
October - Unit uniform
inspection
November - Youth
Protection Training
December - Membership
inventory
90
days before charter
renewal date: executive
officer visit
60 days before charter
renewal date: Membership
inventory
45 days before charter
renewal date: Charter
renewal meeting
15 days before charter
renewal date: Submit to
service center
30 days after charter
renewal date: Charter
presentation
The Annual Commissioner
Service Plan
Annual Plan
coupled with
Regular Visitation
provides good
Commissioner Service.
Unit Health
Watch for Vital Signs
Indicators of Unit Health:
Pack
-Leadership
 -Webelos dens
participation
 -Advancement
operation
 -Youth attendance
 -Membership

-Family attendance
-Den
-Meeting
-Den chiefs
-Tiger Cub dens
Indicators of Unit Health:
Troop
-Meeting operation
-Boy leadership
 -Attendance
-Patrol activity
 -Budget Plan
-Outdoor program
 -Membership
-Adult assistance
 -Skills instruction presentation
 -Skills instruction levels

Indicators of Unit Health:
Crew
-Adult Advisors
-Membership
 -Elected officers
-Meeting operation
 -Planned program -Service projects
 -Adult assistance -Program capability
inventory

Unit Condition
Know the condition of the unit at all
times:
 Is the program fun & challenging for the
youth
 Do leaders find the program rewarding
 Is there a membership growth plan
 Will the unit register on time.

Specific things you can do:
Consult your Assistant District Commissioner or
District Commissioner
Ask some basic questions
Be enthusiastic
Apply “first aid”
Apply “second aid”
Generate teamwork
Using a team approach
Ad Hoc or
Organized effort
LIFESAVING
COMMISSIONER
Danger Signals

Style of leadership
• Leader wants to keep authority
• Lacks faith in boys / leaders
• Leader trains only by mass instruction
• Leader does not grasp possibilities of patrol method
Unit is not meeting
 Unit is without adult leaders

Danger Signals
Unit has no committee
 No new members being added
 Low attendance at meetings
 Weak or poorly organized program
 No advancement
 No participation in day camp or summer
camp
 No unit budget

Vital Signs

What are they?
Vital Signs
Youth dropping out
No youth recruiting or poor recruiting methods
 No adult leader
 No planned program
 No youth leaders
 No discipline
 Unit stops meeting
 Charter lapses
 Chartered organization leader unhappy
 Only one active adult
 No parents involved
 Adult conflicts / poor communications

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TAKE ACTION FAST
Consult ADC / DC
 Ask some basic questions

•
•
•
•
•
•
What are the problems?
What are possible solutions?
What do we do first?
Who do we involve?
How do we know when unit is saved?
What is “plan B”?
Be enthusiastic
 Apply "first aid“
 Apply “second aid”
 Promote teamwork

Hurry Cases
Unit not meeting
 No leader
 No committee
 No new members
 Conflict with chartered organization
 New untrained leader
 Weak leadership

Lifesaving Team
Ad hoc, or organized
 Bring appropriate skills to bear on the
problem
 Adapt to the individual problems

Commissioner Resources
Jeff Schweiger
Open Forum:
Questions and Concerns
Further Training
• Supplemental training at monthly
District Commissioner meetings
• College of Commissioner Science
• Wood Badge for the 21st Century
• Commissioner’s Arrowhead Honor award
• Commissioner Key award
• Commissioners Award of Excellence
• Distinguished Commissioner Service
Award
Commissioner Training/Service
Awards
Arrow Head Honor + 1 Yr
Commissioner Key + 3 Yr
Distinguished Commissioner Service Award + 5 Yr
Summary
As a Commissioner,
You have made a personal commitment..
Graduation
(If you have a current Youth Protection
card)