rkfrance

We've been approached by our District to form a new Troop. We are starting from scratch for equipment. I'm looking for a MORE THAN COMPLETE list of equipment needs, for each Patrol (definitely 1, possibly 2), and anything separately for the Troop. Any ideas would be helpful. Also if suggestions could be separated by NECESSARY vs WISH LIST. I've spoken with other Troop leaders in the district for ideas.

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

Our perspective, our oldest son might be slightly ADD, but we've never had him tested. No modifications at school. He has been in Scouts since 2nd grade (now 7th).

I was a Cub Scout. Was asked to be a leader for my oldest. Now hold many hats.

Our middle son has AS/ASD. Because of our oldest being in Scouts, he wanted to be. My wife became a leader for him. We wanted him to be in Scouts to be in a more controlled environment besides school and church to interact with other kids. The sports programs around here couldn't deal with his needs. Scouting provides a good environment.

I'm sure the same could be said for 4-H, Camp Fire, YMCA, etc. We just happen to be a Scout family.

Our youngest has had to watch his brothers in Scouts and can't wait til next year when he can join.

BTW, we are in the process of starting a Special Needs Unit in our district, just 2 years after starting a regular Pack. The primary need for a SN unit is that, as seen many times in these forums, leaders have no clue how to deal with the issues that arise from SN Scouts and they will refuse to deal with or register any boys with SN. (Too many leaders don't even take the time to get the regular programs right).

There should be documentation of completion for the award with the church/pastor that you completed it. Also, possibly with the unit and council you were with. You might also have been given a copy. You can use that documentation to get another medal.

I would just go to a jeweler.

Roles the Commissioner Plays

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 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.

Generally, a UC should not be noticed by the majority of the unit, but should be very well known to the leadership of the unit.

I'm sure this is gonna open a can of worms, but my opinion is, if the SM is yelling, and then, yelling louder at Scouts, whether special needs or not (especially if), he is putting himself in a position to be removed due to YP violations. It is something for your Troop committee, CO, COR, and UC to address.

You said they are coming close to being out of time. Are you saying they'll be 18 soon? With proper documentation, special needs Scouts can get extended time to complete all rank requirements, even Eagle, even beyond 18. I don't know all the details for all that stuff, but I've seen it.

The job description for JASM is in the SM Handbook, the SPL Handbook, and the PL Handbook. Our Troop has a JASM but he is active in school and less active in the Troop now, as his big focus was on Eagle, which he got last summer.

My situation is virtually the same as bbng. Our Council's site was a joke which has since been completely revamped. Our District Chair volunteered me to build a District website. It's up, and some people check it out. We also have our District Program Chair send out mass emails to the District for quick fix or time sensitive info. I then incorporate the appropriate info onto the website. It doesn't get to everyone. Some still don't care.

My Unit Commish doesn't check her emails regularly but she visits every 2-3 weeks.

As a Commissioner, I know it's next to impossible to actually talk to a real person on the phone. I really prefer email. I've considered doing surveys for the preferred ways of communication, but there again, how do you deal with those people that don't care if they get the info in time or not? Many leaders I know have opted out of going to RT because their UC is going to come tell them what's going on.

You can only help those that want to be helped. If you related it to the rest of the world, the response that you would get back most of the time would be, "I"M JUST LOOKING."

If they have Red Cross certified life guards on duty, your fine.

Haven't you seen this guy before though? You know, the one that is always saying, "It's just kids having fun," or "Where's the harm?" He's the one that talks through roundtable and doesn't feel that he needs to go to training because he's "been around" and knows everything.

Actually, there's too much resemblance to some SM's I know.

I've kinda wondered the same thing.

Maybe they're on the soccer site, or maybe the PTA site, or the 4-H site, or .... Or possibly, all the issues in Scouting have been resolved and I just missed that post. I'll bet they'll be back soon though.

There is no such position as assistant CC.

She can (and sounds like probably should) be a committee member. It also sounds like you could use several new committee members.

You are CC. Part of your responsibility is to find leaders. Don't burn yourself out (or do it to someone else) because there's too much to be done by one person. If you are having a hard time getting parents to commit to being leaders, contact your Unit Commissioner. Your COR might also be able to help.

Once you get parents signed up to be leaders, get them to training and hold them accountable to their position. (And if you haven't been trained as CC, get it done ASAP.)

TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING for all the committee.

I'd also invite the UC in to have discussions with the committee.

BOY LED means just that. Sounds like you are on the right track, stick with it.

Dan is right. Part of the job expectation for a UC is to keep a good relationship with the Unit. Not just the Troop or Pack, but the whole Unit which includes the CO and COR. By working closely with the COR, they can reduce huge headaches like described above. (This is of course assuming the UC exists, and also cares, and the COR knows his/her position, and also cares.)

To me, it sounds like either there is no UC, or the UC isn't/wasn't doing his/her job. In either case, the District Commissioner is not doing his/her job.... Snowball effect. Yeah, it's a Unit issue, but it is directly a Commissioner issue, which makes it District/Council.

As OGE said. Keep the focus on Scouting. Last year our Council went to a DVD presentation. There were scripts available for any presenter that didn't have TV/DVD available.

We have our FOS presentations at the beginning of B&G or R&G banquets. When done with the presentation, stay and mingle. As people line up for food, chat with them about Scouting. Keep it in their face, but don't shove it down their throats.

Before the whole thing begins, know who the Unit FOS Captain is, and give him/her a quick "This is how I'd like to be introduced" speech. Don't let them start out with "Up next is our necessary evil, FOS" or something along those lines. Work with them beforehand to stay positive.

Has the person completed training to change the light bulb?

How often do you have to go through that training?

A partially trained person probably won't be covered under insurance protection.

:-)

I was asked to find the details for Junior Assistant Scoutmaster for another leader. I told her the specifics were located in the SM Handbook, SPL Handbook, and PL Handbook. (I read her the specifics from the PL Handbook because I had the book handy.)

The Reader's Digest version is that the boy must be 16 years old, appointed by the SPL, and approved by the SM.

The issue arises from Troops adding requirements for the boys to qualify to be JASM. Some say they must be Eagle which is contrary to POR requirements for Life which JASM is an option. Some say they must have been an SPL which could limit the boys qualifying if elections are held, as common, once or twice each year.

Are these things a Troop/SM/Committee can decide?

scoutldr

I can only verify that was the info given to me by my District Commissioner. Quite probably a typo. Sorry.

I just know it changed.

These Boy Scout Publications have recently been updated in either June or July 2005

Guide To Safe Scouting - 34416R

Scoutmaster Handbook - 33009C

Senior Patrol Leader Handbook - 32501A

Patrol Leader Handbook - 32502A

Merit Badges:

Skating - 35006B

Reptile and Amphibian - 33288A

Computer's - 33246A

Photography - 33340A

Bird Study - 33300B

Also, the Boy Scout Handbook will be updated soon.

I stand corrected on the knot.

The point I was eluding to is that the religious awards programs are not BSA awards. They are religious awards for the great variety of denominations. Most of these awards are available by faith for the BSA, Girl Scouts, 4H, Camp Fire, and other church based youth groups, including Sunday School. The BSA recognizes the achievements of earning the awards, and allows for the wearing of the knot and devices.

The religious awards cannot be earned through a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Venturing, etc activity, but are extracuricular (as it were) from Scouting. Therefore, no matter when they are earned, the knot may be worn from that point forward, whether earned as youth or adult, on that individuals uniform, regardless of position or division, as long as he/she is registered in Scouting.

Don't sweat it JD.

A quick clarification for the original post. The purple religious knot and the awards that are associated with them are not BSA awards. They are awards of religious organizations. The BSA believes it is very helpful and rewarding for all Scouts to participate and be recognized for religious awards as part of their duty to God.

The Arrow of Light is a Cub Scout award, and the only Cub Scout award that can be worn on the Boy Scout (or higher) uniform.

On another side note, meritorious awards earned during Cub Scouts would also be tranfered onto the Boy Scout (or higher) uniform. They are not awards earned for Cub Scouting, but as a recognition of heroism while in Scouting.

I had the same question last year. Check with your Council. The answer should be something like - if you conduct your popcorn sales during the period the Council has selected, the activity is a Council activity, and no tour permit is required.

Going door to door is good, but a lot of walking. The younger Scouts will get tired faster. If you were going to do a table or stand, get permission from the property owner/manager first.

BALOO is for Cub Pack camping. Each Council sets its own policies for Cub camping based on the guide sent down from National. It MAY vary from Council to Council.

Be daring, take both trainings. It'll help the Pack go.