What are Commissioners?
Commissioners are district and council leaders who help Scout units succeed. They coach and consult with adult Scouters in Cub Scout packs, Scouts BSA troops, and Venturing crews. Commissioners help maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America.
A commissioner plays several roles, including friend, representative, unit “doctor,” teacher, and counselor. But the commissioner’s most important role is that of friend of the unit. It springs from the attitude, “I care, I am here to help, what can I do for you?” Caring is the ingredient that makes commissioner service successful. Each commissioner is an advocate of unit needs, and a commissioner who makes himself known and accepted now will be called on in future times of trouble.
The commissioner is a representative. The average unit leader is completely occupied in working with youth. Some have little, if any, contact with the Boy Scouts of America other than a commissioner’s visit to their meeting. To them, the commissioner may be the BSA. The commissioner helps represent the ideals, the principles, and the policies of the Scouting movement.
The commissioner is a unit “doctor.” In that role, commissioners know that prevention is better than a cure, so they try to see that their units make good “health practices” a way of life. When problems arise, and they will even in the best unit, they act quickly. They observe symptoms, diagnose the real ailment, prescribe a remedy, and follow up on the patient.
The commissioner is a teacher. Commissioners have a wonderful opportunity to participate in the growth of unit leaders by sharing knowledge with them. They teach not just in an academic environment, but where it counts most—as an immediate response to a need to know. That is the best adult learning situation since the lesson is instantly reinforced by practical application of the new knowledge.
The commissioner is a counselor. As a Scouting counselor, commissioners will help units solve their own problems. Counseling is the best role when unit leaders don’t recognize a problem and where solutions are not clear-cut. Everyone needs counseling from time to time, even experienced leaders.
Unit commissioners focus on the following four primary areas:
- Supporting unit growth through the Journey to Excellence.
- Contacting units and capturing their strengths and needs in Commissioner Tools.
- Linking unit needs to district operating committee resources.
- Supporting timely charter renewal.
Find out more about commissioners by visiting the official commissioner website or liking Commissioners of the Boy Scouts of America on Facebook.
Retention Mission Statement
The retention mission of the commissioner corps is best achieved by providing an adequate number of trained unit commissioners who provide a link to district committee resources in support of a quality unit program.