Topic
Unit commissioners, roundtables and district service. Commissioners shared how they helped units thrive, from the first unit visit to charter renewal time.
109 posts · 2006–2019
A reading list that spans blogs and years.
Author F. Darnall Daley, Jr. has a long record of service to Scouting at the District, Council, and Regional levels. He has plenty of Unit-level experience too – notably as an Assistant Scoutmaster and Assistant Cubmaster for two different grandsons. "The Commissioner's Corner", a collection of essays, thoughts, and poems, reflect his love for, and appreciation…
For over fifteen years, I served as a den leader, Cubmaster and committee chair, as well as on the training committee for our district. In that time, I worked with dozens of other Scouters and well over a hundred Scouts (not to mention more Scouting professionals than I can recall) in supporting the Scouting program…
It has been busy the last two nights. We had our district wide School Night For Scouting on the 3rd. My district, Keystone picked up a few more than 300 scouts. I turned in 15 scouts with one withheld for payment of fees.
Tuesday night was the Scenic District roundtable at the Scout Service Center. Al and I make up the staff for the Boy Scout roundtable. We have been trying to make them fun and informative. I think we succeeded last night.
The Commissioner's Corner by F. Darnall Daley Jr. is another Christmas gift I asked for and received this year. It is a collection of essays and articles originally published in a council newsletter. He wrote the articles during his tenure as the Council Commissioner over the span of a few decades, and republished them as…
Baloo's Bugle for July Roundtables & August Activities is on-line Come check out Baloo's Bugle for Honesty Core Value and "Kids Against Crime" Supplemental Pack Meeting Theme. These are for July Roundtables and August Activities Be sure to read the article on Den Chiefs by Jay.
Recently, I stepped down as an Assistant Commissioner and while being away from that part of the scouting program, I have found that several scouting friends and acquaintences do still approach me for counsel and advice on issues that they have within their respective units.
Tico Perez has received nearly every award in Scouting: Eagle Scout, Silver Buffalo Award, Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award - the list goes on. He has served on the committees that selected the past three Chief Scout Executives. And everywhere he goes he speaks passionately about Scouting, presenting a powerful, often off-the-cuff argument for…
A volunteer Roundtable Task Force was started in 2011. The mission of the roundtable group was to: Undertake a comprehensive study of how effectively we are delivering and supporting roundtables in the various types of councils around the country, with a separate focus on the needs of each of our traditional programs: Cub Scouts, Boy…
Hello fellow Scouters, Should you bother with leader recognition knots? Do they add any value to your Scouting program? Isn't it really about the boys, not us leaders? I hear these questions a lot when I discuss leader recognition. I say it does matter!
Showing 1–50 of 109 posts
Enjoy the warm weather of Florida while acquiring the latest tools to help your Scout unit succeed. That’s the promise of a volunteer training conference at the Florida Sea Base. Pick from six weeklong conferences, each held in January 2020 at the BSA’s Florida home.
Josh Gilliland, PR Chair for the Sea Scout Support Committee at the Pacific Skyline Council. Article submitted by Josh Gilliland, PR Chair for the Sea Scout Support Committee at the Pacific Skyline Council. Sea Scouts is a High Adventure program for older youth and is one means of rapidly increasing council membership by retaining Scouts…
This post was originally published June 25, 2018, and last updated July 17, 2019. Despite being one of the smallest patches in Scouting, square knots tell a big story. Many of these tiny, colorful rectangles represent an award earned as a youth or adult.
Depending on where you are, school is probably out, or will be out soon. Packs are wrapping up their program year and reminding parents of the summer’s planned activities. Troops are still meeting, though perhaps on a relaxed schedule, and are getting ready for summer camp, the highlight of the year.
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably an adult volunteer in the Boy Scouts of America or another Scouting organization. We were the ones who took a step forward – or stayed in place when everyone else stepped back – and found ourselves in a job we didn’t know much about at first, other than it would…
For over fifteen years, I served as a den leader, Cubmaster and committee chair, as well as on the training committee for our district. In that time, I worked with dozens of other Scouters and well over a hundred Scouts (not to mention more Scouting professionals than I can recall) in supporting the Scouting program…
The Boy Scouts of America’s national board last week elected two new volunteers to join our National Key 3. Jim Turley , the former chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young who has served as a Scouting volunteer for nearly 25 years, has been elected national chair.
Escape the chill of winter while acquiring the latest tools to help your Scout unit succeed. That’s the promise of a volunteer training conference at the Florida Sea Base. Pick from five weeklong conferences, each held in January 2018 at the BSA’s Florida home.
BSA’s information delivery group along with many volunteer beta testers are excited to present the new myScouting mobile app, complete with a fresh look and added features. Better yet, you can check it out for yourself today—the app is now officially available for download on iPhone (iOS 9.0 or greater) and Android (4.4 or greater)…
Scouters, now you can carry more of the tools you need to do your job everywhere Scouting takes you. The myScouting app, the BSA’s official app to help leaders facilitate the Scouting program, has a refreshed look and all-new features.
The Summit Center at the jamboree boasts several interesting booths and activities, ranging from merit badges to information on the 2019 World Jamboree. At the Commissioner's Corner booth, an award is offered for both youth and adults who can complete just a few simple requirements.
If you’re a commissioner assigned to an LDS unit, this could be the most important 13 minutes of your week. LDS Commissioner Orientation, a new training module for commissioners who work with LDS units, is now online. In the free online training, LDS commissioners will learn about their role and responsibilities — all with the goal…
Calling all commissioners! Annual unit charter renewals are upon us and now is the time to take action to ensure that 100% of renewals are completed on time, with no lapsed or dropped units. Charter partner organizations must renew their unit charters annually.
The District Roundtable. That once a month training meeting for all Scout Leaders. They are a good meetings for all Scouters to attend, filled with lots of ideas and knowledge, but in reality only a small percentage of Scouters attend them.
With the 2016 National Annual Meeting in the rearview mirror and the role of the BSA’s National Commissioner now led by Charles W. Dahlquist II, we wanted you to get to know the man behind this volunteer role. Sure, you know he’s the man charged with leading efforts to help chartered organizations and BSA leadership…
Irving, Texas (May 26, 2016) — The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Council today announced Charles W. Dahlquist II as the organization’s National Commissioner. In this volunteer role, Mr. Dahlquist will lead efforts to help chartered organizations and BSA leadership achieve the aims of Scouting to benefit 2.3 million youth members the BSA serves today.
Tico Perez has received nearly every award in Scouting: Eagle Scout, Silver Buffalo Award, Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award - the list goes on. He has served on the committees that selected the past three Chief Scout Executives. And everywhere he goes he speaks passionately about Scouting, presenting a powerful, often off-the-cuff argument for…
Without any doubt, Scouting is a movement that relies on the strength of its more than 1 million adult volunteers to provide the values-focused, character development programs that define us. This week, we salute our outgoing National Commissioner, Tico Perez, who has served as the leader of that volunteer force for the last eight years.
How do you encourage a fellow Scouter to attend roundtable? That can be tricky, and it's the subject of our latest Tuesday Talkback.
Once a year the roundtable staff of the Central Minnesota Council, Scenic District, invites the Eagle Board chairman, the district advancement chairman, and other key people to attend a meeting to discuss Eagle Scout projects, workbooks, and board of reviews.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
I had received a couple emails this summer from Bob at the council office asking if I would be on the roundtable staff again for the 2015-2016 program year. I really did not feel like being on staff for a third year so I sort of ignored the messages.
When it comes to coaching and consulting with adult leaders of Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews, Commissioners are Scouting’s go-to experts. Commissioners help maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America, while also wearing a variety of hats in Scouting.
Day 2 (Monday): The morning started with a camp inspection after breakfast by our assigned commissioner. We found out we were in the "Baymax Clan". The troop scored a 67, which seemed low, but at lunch we found it was the high score for the group checked by that commissioner.
Do you attend your district Roundtable? When I was first recruited to be a den leader, our Cubmaster told me that, besides basic leader training, I needed to attend Roundtable each month. I viewed it as part of my commitment to the boys in my den, and found it to be really valuable as a
Over the weekend of March 14th, the 2015 Cascade Pacific Council held it's annual Commissioners College. I believe that I have been to Commissioners College now four times. I have now gotten my Associate, Bachelor and just this year …
You’re probably accustomed to receiving supplemental roundtable content the first week of each month, but we’ve decided to release this month’s roundtable early. (Keep an eye out for “Voice of the Scout” survey information at the beginning of the month!)
Why draft a Unit Service plan? Why use Commissioner tools? What’s in and out for 2015? Find out in this winter’s Commissioner Newsletter. Check it out here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/commissioner/newsletter/2015_winter/pdf/winter_2015.pdf
The Commissioner's Corner by F. Darnall Daley Jr. is another Christmas gift I asked for and received this year. It is a collection of essays and articles originally published in a council newsletter. He wrote the articles during his tenure as the Council Commissioner over the span of a few decades, and republished them as…
A Commissioner Training Conference will be held at the Florida Sea Base from January 18-23. This conference is designed to provide an open forum for sharing best practices and current ideas for commissioners at all levels of the BSA. Whether you directly serve a unit, serve as a roundtable commissioner, or as an administrative commissioner…
We're excited to announce that to date, 18 councils have successfully transitioned to the new Commissioners Tools. Councils that wish to know more about this new tool are encouraged to visit the Commissioners website for important information.
We're excited to announce that the following councils have gone live with Commissioner Tools: Crossroads of America Council (9/18/14) Los Padres Council (9/18/14) Theodore Roosevelt Council (9/18/14) Capital Area Council (10/1/14) Chester County Council (10/1/14) Cradle of Liberty Council (10/1/14) Great Salt Lake Council (10/1/14) Greater Niagara Council (10/1/14) Before councils can start using Commissioner…
Last night was the first Tuesday of September. That means the Scenic District roundtables have started once again! I must have done something right last year as the assistant roundtable commissioner because Commissioner Al asked me back for a second year.
Earlier this year, we announced the development of Commissioner Tools, a set of resources within MyScouting that will replace the Unit Visit Tracking System. The following 16 councils are currently testing these Commissioner Tools, with the assistance of 67 individual testers who have a broad range of experience and computer skills: Atlanta Area Council Capitol…
Our relationship with other Scouting organizations around the world has become increasingly important, and it requires a strong and creative ambassador to keep us all connected and serving each other's needs to the best of our ability. That's where the BSA International Commissioner comes in.
Author F. Darnall Daley, Jr. has a long record of service to Scouting at the District, Council, and Regional levels. He has plenty of Unit-level experience too – notably as an Assistant Scoutmaster and Assistant Cubmaster for two different grandsons. "The Commissioner's Corner", a collection of essays, thoughts, and poems, reflect his love for, and appreciation…
For the last 15 or 20 years I have been collecting videos of Scouting commercials and promotional films. I have a few dozen of them. Some of them are very good. Several not so much. A few are just plain weird.
Commissioner Week at the Philmont Training Center for 2014 will be Week 2: June 15-21. All of the conferences offered last year will be offered again this year and, as in the past, the Commissioner College will be held on Friday.
The deadline is approaching for the 2013 Boys' Life Commissioner Award, which was created to recognize and thank commissioners who successfully promote the good reading and good Scouting of Boys' Life . Applications are being accepted until January 31, 2014. You may nominate commissioners who meet the following qualification requirements: Unit Commissioner: Serve at least two…
Click image to download form It is time to complete the 2014 Local Council Charter Renewal Application . The signed application must be submitted to the Mission Impact Team at the national office (SUM 210) by February 1, 2014 . Make sure you fill in all the information requested on both sides of the application and supply…
With the introduction of MyScouting Tools, all volunteers and professionals now have access to a new set of resources based upon their position in Scouting. For volunteers, these tools provide critical information they did not previously have access to unless they requested it from their council office.
The Commissioner Award of Excellence in Unit Service was developed as a nationwide effort to engage Scouting volunteers and professional Scouters in working together to focus on unit retention. The award was designed to recognize volunteers who are providing excellent commissioner service with a knot and to let those commissioners lead by example.
Near the end of this month's Scenic District roundtable meeting I asked the Scouters if many of them had any of the digital copies of the old Boy Scout themed novels written in the early 1900′s. I had noticed that many of the Scouters owned smart phones and tablets and that they used these during…
One of the things we are doing a bit different this year at the monthly Scenic District Boy Scout roundtable meetings is to break up the meeting, near the half way point, with a game, song, or skit. The goal is to introduce a new game or teach a new song or skit to troop…
Tuesday night was the Scenic District roundtable at the Scout Service Center. Al and I make up the staff for the Boy Scout roundtable. We have been trying to make them fun and informative. I think we succeeded last night.
A new Unit Performance Guide will be released on November 1 to help start and sustain high-performing quality units. Under the new methodology, "No Unit Before Its Time," there are four pillars (or steps) of new unit organization and retention: 1) Know the Market 2) Make the Call 3) Build the Team 4) Grow the…
Last Tuesday was my second meeting as a member of the roundtable staff once again. I have to admit, I am having fun. And I think the Scouters who have been attending have discovered my method of roundtable training is a bit different then other peoples' methods.
That nice, uniformed, young man who visited your troop last week, was he your unit commissioner, district commissioner, district executive or someone else entirely? For new adult volunteers, keeping track of your own Scouting title and responsibilities can feel pretty overwhelming.
Shortly after becoming a 21 year old scoutmaster in 1981 I began attending the monthly district roundtable meetings, and learned quite a bit about how to be a good adult Scout leader. It did not take long for the commissioner to recognize my enthusiasm about Scouting.
We are delighted to announce that Ben Crabb has been appointed as East Midlands Regional Commissioner from October 2013.
