Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Fall 2021 Sean Byrne Resources Chair sppbks@gmail.com  Hopefully by now, you’ve read each of the service team’s articles on the culture of unit service. If you haven’t, I encourage you to stop reading this one and go read those first. Across many of those articles you’ll read quite […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021 Steven LeeProgram Support Chairstevel0923@gmail.com Following a year and half of pandemic restrictions and waiting for easements to allow social gathering and traveling, many folks spent this summer enjoying the great outdoors and traveling to see friends and relatives all over the country. Scouting was […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021 Craig MartinExploring Chair bruin1967@aol.com Commissioners’ Role in Re-Growing Exploring after Covid-19 Impacts.  Thanks to COVID-19 vaccinations, we are seeing Scouting and Exploring units returning to in-person meetings and activities with proper prevention protocols in place. However, we have a long road in front of us […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021 Sean Byrne Resources Chair sppbks@gmail.com  Last month I had the pleasure of giving the keynote presentation at Atlanta Area Council’s quarterly commissioner meeting. My topic was ‘Growing Scouting,’ and it was a slightly expanded version of a talk I gave during Commissioner’s Week at Philmont Training […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021 Linda Baker lalbaker@aol.com Council Support Chair  Build Belonging to Grow Scouting Qs: 1. How can Scouting enhance its appeal to youth and young families? How can Scouting retain youth and their families once they’ve joined? A:  According to sociological researchers, the most important factor […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021 Chris BeaverRoundtable Chair cbbeaver@gmail.com As we move into the fall season it will be crucial to engage all unit volunteers through roundtable, meeting each where they are and providing the Unit Service each Scout deserves. In fact, this idea of engagement is key to the […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021   John CherryDevelopment Chair jcherry628@aol.com The Boy Scouts of America has been through some challenging times over the last eighteen months! The combined effects of a worldwide pandemic and the bankruptcy have had an impact on many aspects of Scouting. Commissioners are in the perfect […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2021   John CherryDevelopment Chair jcherry628@aol.com Ninety-two conference participants converged at the Philmont Training Center the week of June 6-12 for the 2021 edition of Commissioner Week. When you add in faculty members and families, there were a total of 163 attendees. Here are some highlights: […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Spring 2021 Steven LeeProgram Support Chairstevel0923@gmail.com Choose an achievement this year you consider memorable, momentous or a milestone. Maybe the unit you serve achieved an improved JTE. Maybe you set a new record of roundtable attendees. Or on a personal level, maybe your child or grandchild […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Spring 2021 Craig Martin Exploring Chair  bruin1967@aol.com     It is probably an understatement to say that COVID-19, along with the ongoing BSA restructuring, has turned our Scouting and Exploring world upside down. At the beginning of 2020, before the pandemic, the Exploring program had 4,450 […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Spring 2021 Mike MoegenburgMarketing and Communication Chairmikemoegenburg@yahoo.com We are seeing change in many aspects of our lives. We need to adapt to change when it occurs, and as commissioners, we need to communicate that change to others. To adapt to change, you need to be aware […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Spring 2021 Chris Beaver NCS Roundtable Support Chair cbbeaver@gmail.com At this point a year ago, many of us were not necessarily familiar with virtual meeting platforms. Now, we use these online spaces frequently to maintain our connections with each other. We commissioners need this connection and […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Spring 2021 Jeff BostwickRecruiting and Retention Chair  bostwick.jeffrey@gmail.com If you are like me, you might be exhausted with all the new normals we have confronted in the last year. With the upheaval of 2020-2021, you might be craving constancy, not change. So if adapting to change […]

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Spring 2021   John CherryDevelopment Chair jcherry628@aol.com One of the new areas of focus as we continue to adapt to change is “developing commissioners to enable them to serve units effectively.” Your Commissioner Development team is focused on several areas to support local councils in this effort: […]

Overview To encourage troops to do more outdoor trips and long-term camping, have an annual program plan, have an activity with a Webelos den, conduct a Leave No Trace program, and teach outdoor-related merit badges. Who Can Earn This Award? Earned by Scouts BSA members. How to Get the Award Return completed form to your […]

Overview To encourage a pack to be active when school is out for the summer, by doing one activity per month in June, July, and August. Who Can Earn This Award? This is an individual recognition for Scouts. The pack can qualify for the certificate and streamer by planning and conducting three pack activities—one each […]

Resource Material Aquatics Supervision is the primary resource for aquatics at the unit level. Aquatics activities at district and council day and short-term/long-term (overnight, resident) camps must follow appropriate National Camp Accreditation Program (NCAP) standards. Aquatics Leadership Training Programs Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat training programs are available online at my.scouting.org and may also […]

Doing service projects together is one way that Cub Scouts keep their promise “to help other people.” While a Scout should do his best to help other people every day, a group service project is a bigger way to help people. While you’re giving service, you’re learning to work together with others to do something […]

To serve as a chaplain or chaplain aide is a unique opportunity for ministry. While serving in these offices, you will have the opportunity to help Scouts as they grow, both physically and spiritually. Some techniques to be used are modeling, mentoring, and offering faith-based experiences. Use this manual to help you become better oriented […]

Below are pack meeting plans that can be used if your pack wants to focus on a specific value of the Scout Law.  In addition the meeting plan has a theme to make the meeting fun.  These pack meeting plans can be used in any order.  The meeting plans are a template and may reference […]

Playing games before flag raising, Cub Day Camp at Camp Belzer, Crossroads of America Council, Lawrence, IN

Contents What is a Service Project? Planning a Service Project Service Project Ideas Public Relations Frequently Asked Questions Recording Service Hours Ideas for Everyday Kindness and Good Turns What is a Service Project? Who: All Scouting groups are encouraged to participate in this service project initiative. What: This is a time for all Scouting groups […]

The end of summer means many units are returning from high-adventure time. And many of those adventures happen on, in or under the water. If a unit you serve has just come back from a fantastic sailing, paddling, or diving adventure, remind them that they can sail or paddle or dive all year around if they join or start a Sea Scout Ship (unit).

Commissioners The Commissioner a publication for commissioners and professionals Summer 2022 Linda Bakerlalbaker@aol.comCommissioner Facilitator NSTs 9-16 To rebuild Scouting, we must put extraordinary effort into welcoming millennial parents. Most parents of current school-age children are in the 26-to-42 age range of the generation called “millennials” because they came of age starting in the millennial year […]

Cub packs have long had special relationships with their unit commissioners, and the best way to create a special relationship is to make the commissioner a member of the Cub Pack family.

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.” – Jack Kornfield, Buddhist scholar, author, teacher

A year ago, the theme for the Fall 2021 The Commissioner was our new commissioner culture theme Be the Heart. Built Relationships. Change Lives. Boy, does that theme apply also to this Fall 2022 “The Commissioner” theme of “Taking Care of Commissioners”. And, I think, we could all agree our commissioner staffs need this same consideration applied to them too.

National Service Territory Commissioners recently reflected on how important it is for commissioners to help each other feel productive and appreciated. Keeping TR’s quotation in mind and mentally adding “about them” to the end of the wording can help. Remember that Teddy Roosevelt was himself a Council Commissioner and knew what he was talking about.

Many of our current commissioners first engaged with the Scouting movement to have fun with their children and to create great family memories. – and many stayed involved because they realized the life-changing impact that Scouting could have on everyone involved. Some took on multiple roles to help the organization be as effective as possible. At some point, some will realize that they are overcommitted and run the risk of becoming discouraged. That will eventually lead to burnout and in some cases, we may lose great volunteers

The Scouts BSA program is a source of inspiration for countless individuals who have dedicated themselves to the values it embodies. It is easy to assume that our years of involvement have made us experts, leaving us with nothing new to learn. As commissioners our calling is distinct—to be the foremost wellspring of support and guidance for our Troops. Achieving this lofty goal necessitates a spirit of perpetual learning and an openness to embracing latest ideas. To help you support this, I will delve into the concrete suggested resources commissioners can use to elevate themselves into the single most indispensable resource for Scouts BSA leaders.