Commissioner Service Positions Duties and Responsibilities

This web page provides links to brief descriptions of the general duties of various types of commissioners. These are not all-inclusive lists since additional duties may be assigned. However, these lists will hopefully help the reader understand what commissioners do and can be called upon to provide. These descriptions come from the "Commissioner Fieldbook for Unit Service" (catalog # 33617) and "Commissioner Administration of Unit Service" guidebook (catalog # 34238C),

Council Commissioner (CC)

Leading all commissioner personnel is the council commissioner, whose duties are set forth in the bylaws of the local council. The council commissioner is elected at the annual meeting of the local council. Working in close cooperation with the council Scout executive, the council commissioner shall:

Supervise the activities of the commissioner staff and preside at regular meetings of district commissioners.
Lead efforts to recruit a quality commissioner staff to provide continuing and effective commissioner service for each unit (a ratio of one commissioner for every three units and one assistant district commissioner for every five unit commissioners). Join with the Scout executive to hold district commissioners and district executives accountable for adequate recruiting.
Be sure that districts provide opportunities for immediate commissioner orientation, frequent basic training, and monthly learning experiences for all commissioners.
Assist district nominating committees in selecting district commissioners as needed. Serve on a district nominating committee in those districts where the council president believes you could help the district replace its district commissioner.
Conduct an annual council commissioner conference. Be sure that the conference includes the best in training sessions, fellowship, inspiration, and information on the latest in Scouting. Do every- thing possible to make it easy for everyone to attend, e.g., attractive setting and close to home.
Maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America, uphold national policies, promote good uniforming, and lead efforts to hold regular roundtable programs in the districts.
Be concerned with proper recognition of unit leaders. Maintain their morale, periodically reporting unit conditions to the executive board.
Help the district commissioners maintain a good working relationship with related district executives.
Maintain procedures to assure maximum on-time unit charter renewal by district commissioner staffs.
Work with the council president to secure the help of committees in meeting unit needs.
Develop a no-lapse/no-drop commitment in the council and each of its districts. Be sure each district has a commitment and a strategy to provide prompt, intensive, and persistent care when major problems occur that could threaten the life of a unit.

The council commissioner is all-important to the council's unit service program. Because unit service is one of the four key functions of every council, the council commissioner and assistants are automatically placed in positions of high responsibility that demand active leadership.

The council commissioner is accountable for the unit service program and responsible for its outcome. The commissioner reports on the program's progress to the council executive board and leads the other commissioners.

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Assistant Council Commissioners (ACC)

Successful council commissioners know they cannot do the job alone. Council commissioners who attended a recent national annual meeting had an average of three assistants. But what do they do?

A "stand-in." Like the vice president of an organization, an assistant council commissioner can be appointed by the council commissioner to act as a substitute when he or she is temporarily unable to serve (out of town, vacation, etc.).
A "copilot." A good assistant does more than wait for emergency action. An assistant should share the weight of leadership as determined by the council commissioner. There are many ways that the assistant can help: by handling topics at the council commissioner's cabinet meetings, or helping to guide a new district commissioner.
On "special assignment." The council commissioner might ask assistants to do special ongoing assignments. This is the most popular role of the assistant. Five are listed in order of popularity.
- Training.The assistant council commissioner for training coordinates commissioner training in the council; sees that basic training is available somewhere in the council during all parts of the year; trains district trainers; and sees that the concept of "continuing education for commissioners" really works.
- Geographic service area. Councils with eight or more districts often have assistants who provide special support as needed for clusters of districts in various parts of the council. The assistants are careful to give district commissioners their rightful direct responsibility for operation in their districts. Council assistants make themselves available for guidance and help where needed.
- Roundtables. Many councils have assistants to help in training district roundtable personnel by bringing them together twice a year to exchange ideas, share new ways of promoting attendance, creating active program features, and handling good roundtable logistics.
- Program. Some councils have program assistants for Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing, and Exploring.
- Commissioner conference. Some councils have assistants who lead the team that runs the annual council commissioner conference (college or non- college type of conference).

Build the team that best fits your council; and then lead that team to a winning performance.

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District Commissioners (DC)

This leader is approved and appointed by the council executive board, with the concurrence of the Scout executive, on the recommendation of the district nominating committee. Working with the district executive, he or she recruits, trains, guides, and evaluates the required commissioner personnel of the district. Specific responsibilities include:

Identify and recruit enough of the right people as commissioners so that all Scouting units in the district receive regular, helpful service.
Provide opportunities for immediate commissioner ,orientation, frequent basic training, and monthly learning, experiences for all commissioners.
Supervise and motivate unit commissioners to visit each unit regularly, identify unit needs, and make plans to meet unit needs.
Administer the annual commissioner service plan, which gives specific purposes for commissioner contact with units at designated times of the year.
Oversee the unit charter renewal plan so that each unit reregisters on time and with optimum membership.
Guide roundtable commissioners. to ensure that monthly roundtables are well attended, and provide practical and exciting unit program ideas.
Plan and preside at monthly meetings of the district commissioner staff.
Work with the district chairman and district executive to stimulate and coordinate the work of the district.
Helpmeet district goals.
Represent the district as a member of the council commissioner cabinet.
Support local and national Scouting policy, procedures, and practices.
Attend district committee meetings to report on conditions of units and to secure specialized help for units.

The district commissioner must he a proven leader capable of enlisting other effective persons to serve. The district commissioner, or DC, is the chief morale officer of the district: upbeat, personable, determined, and a role model for Scouting ideals. He or she is passionate about the benefits of Scouting and is a champion of the unit to make Scouting happen in the lives of young people.

The DC understands and communicates the best skills available in unit service: how to counsel and inspire unit people, how to enrich unit program, and how to help units solve problems before problems sink the unit.

District commissioners measure their success by the progress of other commissioners on their staff, as they in turn make good:Scouting happen in their assigned units. They are "can-do" people who are interested in results rather than in procedure.

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Assistant District Commissioners (ADC)

Assistant district commissioners, or ADC's, can make or break a district's ability to see that every unit receives competent commissioner service. Even the best district commissioner in the council cannot personally train and guide all unit commissioners in the district (in a 60-unit district that is at least 20 people). So, ADC's are assigned certain units in the district, and they supervise the unit commissioners who serve those units.

A good staff has one ADC for every 15 units. That is one ADC for every five unit commissioners needed. That provides one unit commissioner for every three units. Good ADC's have good people skills and they

Help recruit the right people
Provide clear instructions and specific ideas for their staff Listen to what people say and feel.
Never play favorites.
Coach unit commissioners through real unit problem solving situations.
Treat all Scouter's with courtesy and dignity
Praise each commissioner often for specific achievements
Do not try to take over for their staff but always are ready to support or help them to be successful.

ADC's work closely with the district commissioner and district executive. This team must have a vision of effective Scouting, and they must communicate that vision-through unit commissioners-to every unit leader in the district.

When a unit commissioner resigns, or cannot adequately fulfill the responsibilities of the job, the assistant district commissioner temporarily assumes the vacant position. However, immediate action must be taken to provide a replacement. Administrative com- missioners are not unit commissioners. Their job is to find unit commissioners.

Assistant district commissioners. measure people's progress, not in the number of meetings those people attend but in the way they handle their responsibilities. The ADC's job is accomplished largely on a personalized basis. Although there are meetings for all commissioners in the district, service to individual units is best handled separately as an ADC meets with one to five unit commissioners.

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Unit Commissioner (UC)

Many unit commissioners serve more than one type of unit. One might serve a Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, and Explorer post in the same chartered organization. Other unit commissioners may serve only packs or only troops or only posts. Check with your commissioner leader or coach to see how your district is organized.

The unit commissioner is a generalist whose passionate overriding mission in Scouting is to help units succeed. Specific duties include:

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 the Scouting program and be able to describe what each is and how each works. Review Scouting program literature.
Visit unit meetings.
1. Observe the unit in action and determine the degree to which the descriptions in the literature are being followed.
2. Privately use the commissioner worksheet.
3. If called upon, participate or help in some of the regular activities of the unit.
Visit regularly with the unit leader.
1. Listen to what the unit leader has to say.
2. Offer encouragement and support.
3. Using the literature, help the leader see new opportunities for improvement.
4. Maintain the best possible relationship with unit leadership.
5. Help the leader with forms and applications.
6. Encourage unit participation in district and council program events.
Work to assure effective and active unit committees.
1. Visit with the unit committee periodically.
2. Observe the committee in action.
3. Using the literature, offer suggestions for improvement.
4. Work with the committee to solve problems and improve unit operation.
Keep in touch with the chartered organizations of the units you serve.
1. Meet and orient the chartered organization representative.
2. Meet the head of the organization and explain your role as helper of units.
3. Help develop a good relationship between unit leaders and chartered organization leaders.
4. In close cooperation with the district executive, give the leaders of the organization a brief progress report and compliment them for using Scouting.
Know the neighborhood in which your units are located.
1. Help graduating members of one program join the next level of Scouting.
2. Identify potential sources for new youth members.
3. Cultivate men and women of good moral character who might become Scouting leaders.
4. Know chartered organizations and prospective ones.
5. Learn about resources and characteristics of the neighborhood which may affect a unit.
Know the district and council.
1. Identify resources that can help the unit.
2. Know scheduled events that will help the unit.
3. Work closely with the professional staff,
4. Use members of district operating committees to help meet specialized needs of your units.
Set a good example.
1. Adopt an attitude of helpfulness.
2. Keep promises.
3. Be concerned about proper uniforming.
4. Be diplomatic.
5. Be a model of Scouting ideals.
Continue to grow as a commissioner through training, experience, and consultation with others in the district.
Involve unit personnel in Cub Scout roundtables, Boy Scout roundtables, Varsity Scout huddles, and/or Explorer officers' association meetings.
Make certain that proper techniques are used to select and recruit unit leaders.
Facilitate the on-time annual charter renewal of all assigned units.
1. Help the unit conduct a membership inventory of youth and adults.
2. Help the unit committee chairman conduct the charter renewal meeting.
3. See that a completed charter renewal application is returned to the council service center.
4. Present the new charter at an appropriate meeting of the chartered organization.
See that unit leadership participates in adequate training.

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Roundtable and Huddle Commissioner Duties

Recruit and train a staff qualified to put on quality roundtables/huddles for unit personnel.
Plan monthly roundtable/huddle programs.
Make all arrangements for roundtables/huddles including meeting places, equipment, and supplies.
Conduct regular critiques to determine how roundtables/huddles can be improved.

Professional Scouter

A registered, salaried, full-tie employee who is commissioned to serve in an approved professional position in a local council or on the national staff by having successfully completed formal training at a National Executive Institute or a National Training School or who has been designated by the Chief Scout Executive as a member of the national Management Executive Staff.

NOTE: A commission is an appointment to serve as a official representative entrusted with special duties and empowered with the authority to carry out those duties. The commissioned personnel of a council includes all professional Scouter's and these volunteer Scouter's: Cubmaster's, Den Leaders, Den Leader Coaches, Scoutmasters, Varsity Scout Coaches, Venturing Advisors and Ship Skippers, and the assistants and associates to these positions, and all commissioners.

Commissioner professional relationships should involve the finest fraternal qualities. They both share the wreath of service.

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