Leon Valley District Commissioner Meeting Notes

24 Feb 2007

Meeting attendees where; Robert K., Kevin S., John H., and Forest P.

 The Commissioner Staff Meeting has been set for the “First Tuesday” of the month @ 19:00 hrs. This meeting will be held at the DE Office until all Commissioner Staff otherwise decides on a new location. This meeting allows the DC to disseminate information from the Council and allow the Commissioner Staff to discuss our Units health.

Commissioners emphasize with Unit Leaders that training leads to a better program for the boys. BSA offers the following e-learning courses: Cub Scout Leader Fast Start, Boy Scout Leader Fast Start, Youth Protection, Venturing Advisor Fast, Safety Afloat, Safe Swim Defense, and the Troop Committee Challenge. There are many other “Supplemental Training options available on-line also at http://olc.scouting.org/ , BSA Online Learning Center. Unit Leaders can gain knowledge form a Pow Wow, Scout University, Monthly Roundtable, and local training sessions.

Charter Organization Representative’s have a voice on the District and Council level. Commissioners and the District Executive should be proactive with COR’s, making sure they understand what role they play in Scouting. Training is needed for COR’s.

Guidance for the COR: As a Chartered Organization Representative, you hold a key position in Scouting. While there is honor attached to this position, it is not an "honorary" one. Your primary function is to ensure that the chartered organization's Scouting program succeeds. The COR is head of the "Scouting department" in the organization, and as such the responsibilities of the units and leadership is ultimately the COR's responsibility.

UC’s/ADC’s, I need information from your units with the information of Webelos who have “Bridged” into Boy Scouts recently. Please be sure to add what CS Unit they bridged and the Troop the now joined.

The new “Quality Unit” patch is available from Longhorn Council at the cost of $0.25 per patch. There is also a new Longhorn Council Patch which looks exactly like the current one, but with a black thread boarder.

Kevin is still interviewing to fill the District Executive position.

I would like for the Commissioner Staff to talk to friends and former Scouters who may have left Scouting. As we all know, our District is in need of volunteers for the Commissioner Staff, Roundtable, and Unit Leadership. If needed, Kevin or I can talk to them face-to-face. Invite them to attend a Roundtable.

Monthly Unit Visitation helps provide the District with the status of a unit’s health. Be sure to forward your Monthly Visitation Report to the District Commissioner.

Thank you again for your service to the community through Boy Scouts.

Leon Valley District Commissioner

 This information was brought to the attention of those who did attend the 13 February 2007 Roundtable. Please remind your Units this option is available. Units in the District also need to understand their Re-Charter is not complete until it is turned into Council with the Charter payment. Electronic Re-Charter does not mean the objective is complete. Units receive Re-Charter Packets which are to be returned to the Council for completion. 

 As your new District Commissioner, I hope this will become an effective tool for the Commissioner Staff in Leon Valley District.

 Robert Kratzer, Leon Valley District Commissioner, YIS

How are commissioners selected?

Selection process and criteria vary depending on the position.

Unit Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Unit commissioners should—

• Have excellent people skills
• Have a Scouting background or be fast-track learners
• Know and practice Scouting ideals

Assistant District Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Assistant district commissioners should—

• Be able to recruit and work through a team of unit commissioners.
• Have excellent people skills
• Have a broad Scouting background or be fast-track learners
• Know and practice Scouting ideals

Roundtable Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Roundtable commissioners should—

• Be congenial and enthusiastic performers
• Have the ability to recruit a roundtable staff
• Have a good Scouting program background in the program for which they will run roundtables
• Be a good planner

District Commissioners are approved and appointed by the council executive board, with the concurrence of the Scout executive, on the recommendation of the district nominating committee.

District commissioners should—

• Be widely respected in the community
• Be an enthusiastic leader of adults
• Have the ability to recruit a complete team of commissioners for their districts
• Have the ability to guide and motivate commissioners to visit units regularly, identify unit needs, and help unit adults to meet needs
• Be a role model of Scouting ideals

Assistant Council Commissioners are appointed by the council commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Assistant council commissioners should have some of the criteria for district commissioners and/or council commissioners.

A Council Commissioner is elected at the annual meeting of the local council after selection by the council nominating committee.

The council commissioner should—

• Have the ability and proven experience to lead and meet objectives through a large structure of other people
• Become a role model of exceptional Scouting service to units throughout the council
• Be a person with a vision of how a good unit program helps youth stay in the program long enough to learn Scouting values
• Have the ability to develop a good working relationship with the Scout executive and professional staff advisor, characterized by mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual recognition of each other's role and competency

Commissioners must not be registered simultaneously as unit leaders. Some commissioners may be registered on a unit committee because they have a son in the unit or because of previous personal history in the unit, but their principle Scouting obligation should be with commissioner responsibilities. Commissioners may be currently registered in only one commissioner position.

A commissioner plays several roles, including friend, representative, unit "doctor," teacher, and counselor.

The commissioner is a friend of the unit. Of all their roles, this one is the most important. 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. He or she is an advocate of unit needs. 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 totally occupied in working with kids. 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 their role as "doctor," they 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. As a commissioner, they will 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, they 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.

Volunteering is good for everyone – the individual volunteer, the person or groups the volunteer helps, and the community as a whole. Volunteering helps increase our social, physical, and cultural health. The Leon Valley District, Longhorn Council, BSA, is inviting you to make that difference in the lives of the youth living in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Nolanville, Gatesville, and other surrounding Communities. Volunteer with The Boys Scouts of America!  

Visit our webpage-- http://www.leonvalleydistrict.org/