Venturing Unit Commissioner
“Do you have a head—and a heart?” Then you will want
to consider becoming a Unit Commissioner—the “shining stars” of
Scouting.
Unit
Commissioners are the quality link between the units—Packs, Troops,
and Crews—and the District.
Venturing Unit Commissioners are key advocates for this vital
Scouting program for boys and girls, 14-120. Young adults at this
stage in their life are at a crossroads. They face increasing
challenges from many different directions. Our North Florida
Council and the Alachua District understand that the Venturing
Program is directly focused on that “crossroads” to help these young
men and women find the right directions for their lives. By helping
create stronger units—Venturing Crews—Unit Commissioners help these
young adults:
·
Overcome nagging self-doubts and
develop new leadership skills;
·
Lose feelings of isolation as they
enjoy the camaraderie of their units;
·
Reach for and achieve new levels of
independence and feelings of self-worth; and,
·
Resolve questions of moral values.
A
unit 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 themselves 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 youth. 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.
Unit Commissioners:
·
Meet regularly with unit leaders to
reinforce communications, determine unit needs, plan action programs
to meet needs and review the district’s annual calendar.
·
Establish and maintain a system of
frequent visits to each unit, report problems through regular
meetings of the district commissioner’s staff, and review plans to
solve such problems.
·
By staying in touch with the units, the
Unit Commissioner understands its needs and where progress can be
improved in delivering the Scouting programs. Using the Quality
Unit Award as a guide and as an incentive, the Unit Commissioner
works with the unit’s leadership to achieve steady progress.
·
Stay current on all developments and
new ideas, including the use of program planning tools, and sees
that units are kept informed about developments and “actionable
news.”
·
Work closely with leaders of all units,
but particularly new units and new leaders of established units.
·
Help units prepare for charter renewal
and lead them through the process.
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