Beccachap Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) Can you request a different Commissioner other than what you have been assigned? Also, what exactly is the value - if any - to a Commissioner? Edited February 15, 2020 by Beccachap clearer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertrat77 Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello @Beccachap, and welcome to scouter.com! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David CO Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 1 hour ago, Beccachap said: Can you request a different Commissioner other than what you have been assigned? Also, what exactly is the value - if any - to a Commissioner? I don't see the commissioner position as having any value to the unit. You could always try asking for a different commissioner, but I don't see the point. If you make it clear to a commissioner that you have no intention to listen to him or heed any of his advice, he will sometimes go away. Good luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkMan Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 1 hour ago, Beccachap said: Can you request a different Commissioner other than what you have been assigned? Also, what exactly is the value - if any - to a Commissioner? Hi @Beccachap, Yes - certainly. Call or email your district commissioner, explain the situation, and ask if he/she can assign someone else. The district commissioner may ask you some questions about why - most likely in the interest in understanding if there is an issue that he/she needs to be aware of. But, the district commissioner should work it out for you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malraux Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 8 hours ago, Beccachap said: Also, what exactly is the value - if any - to a Commissioner? I am curious about the answer to this. My unit doesn’t have one, so I have no idea what we are missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PACAN Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 No value added. Most are not current with what's going on so they are unable answer even simple questions. District gets JTE points for unit Commissioner visits which includes drive by ones or wandering around camporee asking how it's going. The Doctorate of Commissioner Service is only self serving. JMHO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beccachap Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 You folks are wonderfully reassuring. Thank you for your feedback. My husband has the thickest pair of rose colored glasses wrt Scouting and insisted that there was value added there, but I've been skeptical. I called our Commissioner in to appease my non-confrontational husband when I had to diffuse a situation with a hot mess Scoutmaster in another Unit, and detected several notes of 'little woman, you don't know nothin', so I thought a male mouthpiece might help him dial it down. But no. I just had to repeat myself 5 times in writing and 2 times in person. With an audience. Lol. I think I won't bother getting a new one. My guy is very geriatric and when reviewing the situation with him I felt he wasn't capable of consistent and coherent thought. We almost never see him, but now I am putting him the category of liability. But simple liability. I think I'll leave it alone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treflienne Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 10 hours ago, David CO said: I don't see the commissioner position as having any value to the unit. 1 hour ago, PACAN said: No value added. Most are not current with what's going on so they are unable answer even simple questions. We've heard from the naysayers. I could certainlly see that a well-established unit, with lots of its own experience, might not be looking for an outside perspective. Now for the rest of you. If you have found a unit commissioner valuable to your unit: what help were you hoping for? and what help did they give you? and just how experienced was your unit anyway? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David CO Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 53 minutes ago, Beccachap said: My guy is very geriatric and when reviewing the situation with him I felt he wasn't capable of consistent and coherent thought. I wouldn't rush to judgement in deciding that this is a geriatric thing. You don't like it when men are condescending to women. So try not to be condescending to us old folks. There are plenty of people at council (who are incapable of consistent and coherent thought) who can't blame it on age. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beccachap Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, David CO said: I wouldn't rush to judgement in deciding that this is a geriatric thing. You don't like it when men are condescending to women. So try not to be condescending to us old folks. There are plenty of people at council (who are incapable of consistent and coherent thought) who can't blame it on age. David, I had one conversation with him where he appeared to understand and follow along. The second conversation the next day he couldn't string his thoughts together. I'm talking bizzaro, completely inconsistent thought. I mentioned his age as a correlative factor, not as a causative factor. No offense intended. Edit: The more I think about it you have a point. Evening mentioning his age was indicative of my being ageist, so I will work on that, starting with being aware of my shortcoming. Edited February 15, 2020 by Beccachap second thought 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 My unit has never had one, our district views us as one of the stronger and more stable units, since there aren't enough commissioners to go around, we've never had one as long as I've been involved in the troop. On paper there can be some valuable, but it's not inherent in the commissioner job, but in the man or woman in the job. If they are plugged into resources, understand the program, and have a broad experience to share, then they can be helpful. If they don't then they are likely of little help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David CO Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) 19 minutes ago, Beccachap said: David, I had one conversation with him where he appeared to understand and follow along. The second conversation the next day he couldn't string his thoughts together. I'm talking bizzaro, completely inconsistent thought. I mentioned his age as a correlative factor, not as a causative factor. No offense intended. Dementia is an obvious possibility when dealing with people of my age. But don't overlook the possibility of substance abuse. You might be surprised to learn how many senior citizens abuse drugs. It's not just a teenager thing, you know. If a younger person exhibited the same behavior, you might have suspected something else. In any case, it is not your job to comment on or investigate the reasons for his incompetence. Just avoid him. Edited February 15, 2020 by David CO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAHAWK Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) I was an SA with one troop for 25 years. Our Unit Commissioner appeared at a meeting once - of the Troop Committee as it happened - never at a troop meeting or activity where Scouts would be present. I have been repeatedly told by CCs and DCs that the council goal is to have 1/3 of units "covered" by a UC who "contacts" each of "his" units once a quarter. Edited February 15, 2020 by TAHAWK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwazse Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Don't worry about being ageist, the organization opened that door 60 years ago when they decided that Eagle Scout was a boy's award. We had a UC who was a bit meddlesome. About half his advice was useless. It might have worked for his troop when he was SM, but made a lot of worrying about nothing for our troop. The other half, however, was useful So, UC's are kinda like handbooks. They don't open to the right chapter automatically. In fact, a lot of times they're fine left on the shelf 'cause sometimes you just need to go out with your uniform and a smile. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malraux Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 48 minutes ago, qwazse said: fact, a lot of times they're fine left on the shelf 'cause sometimes you just need to go out with your uniform and a smile. Points at uniform inspection sheet thread 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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