Absent Unit Commissioner?

[fritz1255]

Is the Unit Commissioner position a paid position, or strictly volunteer? The only time we see ours is when I get his signature on the annual recharter (I drive to his house or work to get this). I think he is supposed to be touching base with us every month or so, which our Unit Commissioner did when I was a Cub Den Leader. If this is a strictly volunteer position, I guess we get what we (don't) pay for, but if he is getting paid to meet with us periodically, that's a different matter. While I don't really see any unmet needs from his absence, I would like to clarify what our relationship is supposed to be.

[Lynda J]

The only positions in BSA that are paid are the Council and National. All other positions are volunteer. And one of the hardest positions to fill for a district are Unit Commissioners. Because they are dealing mostly with units that are in trouble. Our District has 34 units and right now we have 2 Unit Commissioners. One commissioner has 13 Packs. I have 21 Troops, Crews, and Posts. The ideal would be that I could contact each unit once a month. Well guess what. I also have my troop to take care of. If I have a unit that is having trouble I will work with them. But to contact all of my units each month simply isn't possible.
They all have my number and e-mail and know that I will do anything I can to help them. All they have to do is contact me.


My dad use to say. If you aren't part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

So for Scouters that have experience, and complain about not being contacted by your Unit Commissioner. Please help you districts by taking district committee or commissiosners positions.

[commish3]

Lynda is correct about commissioners but what was said at the beginnibg of her post might need further clarification for many people.

The only positions in BSA that are paid are the Council and National. All other positions are volunteer.

Most everyone in Scouting is a volunteer...including most of the people at the district, council, and national levels

A very small percentage of scouters are in paid positions. These include district council region and national executives and support employees of many kinds INCLUDING unit leaders in some situations.

[Lynda J]

I don't know of any Unit Leaders that are paid. District Exets are paid.

[Nuts4Scouts]

I have also never heard of any Unit (Pack, Troop, Team, Ship, Crew) Leaders who are paid Council employees. Even the Scoutreach Units that I am aware of are lead by volunteers. LFL leaders are paid, but not by BSA. They are either teachers paid by their school system or employees of the business that sponsor the Explorer Post (ie - Fireman, Policeman). LDS unit leaders might not technically volunteer (they are "called" by their Bishop), but they are not paid BSA employees either.

The only paid BSA employees that I know of are Council & National staff personal (SE, FD, DE, Secretaries, office mgrs, shop, etc, etc). Please clarify what/when a Unit would have a paid BSA employee as a leader.

[commish3]

Usually referred to as paraprofessionals these are volunteers who are paid to help local districts or councils in a specific area of service without the training and authority of a regular scouting professional. This service can include program leadership under certain conditions.

Remember Lynda that there are Commissioners, committee members, even CRs that are considered district, council, regional, and even national staff but they are not paid scouting professionals.

[Nuts4Scouts]

Usually referred to as paraprofessionals these are volunteers who are paid to help local districts or councils

If they are paid they are not volunteers, they are employees.

We do not have any paraprofessionals leading units in our area.

Remember Lynda that there are Commissioners, committee members, even CRs that are considered district, council, regional, and even national staff but they are not paid scouting professionals.

Around here the only time volunteers (Commissioners, Committee Members, CR's, etc) are considered staff is when they are working an activity. For instance I was on staff at our District's Day Camp because I was running a station & I was part of the staff for the last BALOO because I was one of the trainers. Other than that, in this area, only the people who are actually paid by BSA & work out of a BSA property (like their office building) are considered "Council Staff".

[Scouting179]

If you are having problems with your Unit Commissioner, contact your District Key 3: District Commissioner, etc. One of them or one of his helpers should be overseeing all Unit Commissioners. If you don't know who these are, ask someone, such as your District Executive. But first, try to contact your UC to talk to him.

The fact you're asking about this tells me you want/need his help, which is his job and he appears to not be doing it well.

Some VERY FORTUNTE units have lots of experienced ASMs and Committee Members and don't really need a UC, but these are the exception.

[commish3]

Scouting 179 gives very good advice. If you need a commissioner or would like a visit contact your volunteer District Commissioner. They are the chair of the commissioner service in your area.

Nuts 4 Scouts
Remember not all councils are the same or have the same administrative or support needs. In the council I serve we have two paraprofessionals
leading cub packs in ScoutReach programs.
They are as the name implies nopt really professionals. If you look up the definition of a BSA papaprofessional you will see that they are volunteers paid for a specific service without the responsibilities, training, or authority of a professional.

It would similar to being paid to be the water front director at summer camp but for a longer period of time and usually connected to unit or field service.

[commish3]

sorry duplicate

[commish3]

Scouting 179 gives very good advice. If you need a commissioner or would like a visit contact your volunteer District Commissioner. They are the chair of the commissioner service in your area.

Nuts 4 Scouts
Remember not all councils are the same or have the same administrative or support needs. In the council I serve we have two paraprofessionals leading cub packs in ScoutReach programs.
They are as the name implies not really professionals.

If you look up the definition of a BSA papaprofessional you will see that they are volunteers paid for a specific service without the responsibilities, training, or authority of a professional.

It would similar to being paid to be the water front director at summer camp but for a longer period of time and usually connected to unit or field service.

[Guneukitschik]

Our unit commissioner is also useless. I've found it easier to drop an phone call or email straight to our District Executive. I realize this is jumping the chain of command....

However sometimes there are issues that can't wait until the next time the unit commissioner wanders into our troop meeting.

[commish3]

There is a nearly sure way to see your unit commissioner at a meeting...invite them. Commissoners have for years been treated badly partly by their own fault and partly due to unit leader misconceptions about the purpose of commissioners.

A friendly invitation will likely get you the response you desire.

[riverwalk]

A chance meeting, OR a chance to meet them, haha. Yes do invite them. That is one way to identify them, or see if anyone will do that "job". We've posted in here before, and one can look at National stats on Commisioners......most Districts are underserved by not having enough of them. Then comes part of the problem...Commisioners trying serve too many Units. Span of control is worth considering in any organization

Also many of the DD/DE's would rather not hear from all their Scouters. There are other volunteers in place to manage these things, unless those Positions are in trouble as well.

Generally speaking, and as posted before, there will be one/two BSA employees for each District. If many in-District Scouters only know these DE's, there needs to be some local effort to educate the Units.

[Lynda J]

If you are having trouble reaching your Unit COmmissioner you should contact your District Commissioner. Also ATTEND ROUND TABLES
Even if you don't make it every month at least 6 times a year and especially the first of the year before Camporees, before PopCorn and at Recharter time. I have had leaders complain about not finding out about activities. Guess what they are also the ones that never come to Round Table.

[cballman]

Lynda you are most right on this matter. I have seen our comm. more at roundtable than any other place. hes not a bad fellow but like was posted earlier if you dont need them then why complain about not seeing them.but still if you dont pursue training and knowledge then I beleive you are doing your scouts a disservice by not knowing.

[Lynda J]

Training is the only way to manage a troop. Trying to have a troop without training is like trying to push a rope uphill.
The one unit I am having trouble with currently is one that has only one person trained and that was years ago. As most know, I am big on training. I take trainings over just to take it with a different group of people. And I learn something new from each and every one. I also staff New Leader Training and Outdoor Skills. Just finished staffing at Pow Wow. If we want to provide our boys with a great program we have to not only get trained but pass our knowledge on to others.

[Eamonn]

I feel sure that in some places units must be receiving outstanding Commissioner Service.
I just don't know where?
We seem not to have any problem filling the Key 3 position. Nearly every District and Council seems to have a District and a Council Commissioner. Sadly these fine people don't provide the service that the units need or want.
I know, because I was a District Commissioner and other than B&G Banquets and COH I was never invited to a run of the mill meeting.
I attended the Philmont Conference on Commissioner Service. There was a lot of good ideas and really good stuff. I came home on a "Training High" but after a few months I looked at the Commissioner Staff and they were still the same group of really old people that they were before.
Our Council Commissioner is a super nice man. I don't think he has seen the inside of a unit meeting is a very long time.
I really think that the time has come to face up to the fact that Commissioner Service is broken and is beyond repair.
I'm not sure what could replace it? Maybe nothing?
The BSA Commissioner web site is about the best of the bunch.
Sadly I don't think it gets that many hits. We don't have that many active commissioners and the older ones are too busy telling us that they don't need a darn computer.
I'm sorry I think it's a dead duck -Waiting for a funeral.

[cballman]

sadley enough I know what lynda has said but where the problem to me seems to lie is that most troops and packs have one or two leaders that are trained and the rest either dont care or wont make the time for training. no matter how many times we have put it on I have learned more each time that I have either attended or taught just as lynda has. but when you have people who have earned the rank of Eagle and will stand up and say that i went through the program and I dont need to be trained then guess what? PROBLEM MAJOR I have attended and taught at our troops jr. leader training and I have learned more and more each time. so IMHO when the commissionor dont show up then maybe he has no clue who or where the troop meets. no then if i am not mistaken they could check the records of each troop and pack to see who has the most trained leaders then show up at the others who do not have that many trained people. or he could help with troops and or packs that do not have the numbers to have a good group. now that is my humble opinion. I moght not be right but hey guess what I do have a mind that i use sometimes.

[wagionvigil]

It is time to remove the words"should Be" or "should" from all BSA Literature. Like "Should Be trained" or should be a First Class Scout" Change those words to " Must Be Trained" an Give a time Limit or registration is dropped. The Word "Should" opens thing up to intrepretation.