Recruiting Commissioners

[SeattlePioneer]

I see that the subject of recruiting Commissioners, for Roundtables, Unit Commissioners and such appears to be a chronic problem.

 

That's true in my district as well. The District Commissioner is strongly encouraging the Commissioner staff to suggest people who might be good candidates to be Commissioners, and this is a point on the agenda each month.

 

So far, the District Director (DE) has suggested several names. No one else has suggested any.

 

I saw one post suggesting that an effort to communicate with Troop Committee members, Assistant Scvoutmasters and such through a dinner produced people potentially interested in serving. Unfortunately, that might resemble cannibalizing the staff of your units.

 

I'd like to throw out the idea of reviewing the names of Eagle Scouts and perhaps Life Scouts who are aging out of Boy Scouts and considering whether it would be appropriate to invite them to attend the College of Commissioner Science with an eye to appointing them as Unit Commissioners might work.

 

I suspect that many such very carefully trained young men simple disappear from Scouting for ten or twenty years until they reappear with their own children in Cub Scout programs. Are there ways to keep them active in Scouting by giving them jobs that need to be done.

 

I throw out the idea that carefully selected Eagle Scouts should be invited to attend the College of Commissioner Science.

 

I also invite other ideas on how to fill positions at district level with capable people.

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

 

 

 

 

[Scout Commish]

I had suggested the dinner. It worked for us. What it produced was experienced Scouters that had temporarily dropped out and decided to drop back in.

 

I had to laugh because one of these people said that when they first met me at a meeting, he wondered how I was still alive considering some of the past experiences in our district with Commissioners. Having moved in recently, I had no knowledge of what had happened 5 -6 years previous. He believed in the Commissioner work, but only signed up when he knew for sure that the existing staff was dedicated and knew what they were doing.

 

The other night we were looking over the list of merit badge counselors and plan to use this for the next dinner.

 

 

Scout Commish

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Merit Badge Counselors sound like a promising source. Will this be a special dinner with recruiting commissioners as it's primary purpose?

 

I hope you'll post on how that works out in practice.

 

I was talking to another Scouter about this last night at our District Recognition Dinner. He suggested recruiting Webelos Den Leaders as Commissioners. That sounded like a promising idea, since many probably have several years of experience in Scouting, and may well have children who are "ageing out" of Cub Scouting, so you would be less likely to be raiding the leadership structure of the Cub Pack.

 

My idea of recruiting Eagle Scouts was rejected by this experienced Scouter, who thought these young men would be 1) too young to have credibility with the leaders they would have to deal with and 2) too busy with their own lives.

 

Those are probably reasonable concerns, but it might be worthwhile to give it a try and see how it might work.

 

Does anyone else have ideas of list or groups of adults within Scouting that might be combed for new Commissioners?

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

[rkfrance]

Start by asking. Oh! Did I say that? Ha ha ha ha.

 

I was asked (and sort of offered). I am/was the Cubmaster for a newer unit. We put together a solid bench. The ACM is stepping up while I transition to my new responsibilities. I understand the need.

 

I hadn't considered being a commissioner before. I had planned on moving into the troop as ASM or some other function while staying on as Cubmaster. But the demanding need is there. There are good commissioners and not so good commissioners.

 

I know a lot of units in our area would not be able to do what we're about to do. The team isn't there, or it's been there so long, that's all they want to do (I can't remember which of Newton's Laws it is, an object at rest wants to stay at rest).

 

Expect that people want to help and GO looking for them. Look at it like an employer, who's the best person for the job? You find a candidate that already has a job, they may not be (and possibly aren't) looking. But to build or improve your team, you try to recruit that person. It doesn't always work, but the more you practice and refine, the better you will become. Trying once or twice will not cut it. As with most things, it's a numbers game. Recruit everywhere you go.

 

I would not go to the Eagles or Life Scouts as a source. Keeping them around is a great idea. I think they would work better on a unit or district committee, rather than as a commissioner. I don't believe these Scouts have the experiences necessary (to be commissioner) and earning respect from the units they serve would be a constant battle taking away from their purpose. Even with my experience, I know I'm getting in deep.

[SeattlePioneer]

Excellent post, RK France! Good luck on your new job.

 

 

Your advice to "start by asking" is the classic suggestion of the BSA on how to recruit new leadership ---and new Scouts. Since you have developed a good team of leaders in a relatively new unit, I'd say you have been practicing what you have suggested.

 

You are to be congratulated in particular for not just developing the leadership needed for your own unit, but also a reserve (you) that can be drawn upon to help run the District.

 

That's one of the byproducts of having well run units ---they can develope that surplus of leaders, while weak units need to have their leadership propped up by the District in various ways.

 

One problem with "asking," though, is that leadership needed by units can be gobbled up by the District, leaving units short handed, and possibly short handed enough to nose dive.

 

Another possible difficulty is that if unit leaders see their best people being recruited away, they will avoid sending people for training and roundtable.

 

This kind of thing happened to me when I rejoined Scouting a year ago. I was encouraged to attend training and roundtables, which I did. But that brought me to the attention of District leaders, who were skilled in recruiting me to do other things, and I wound up leaving the unit I originally volunteered with.

 

Perhaps there's such a thing at being too good at asking!

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

 

[Trevorum]

I've always thought that the parents of Eagle Scouts were the logical pool for district volunteers. Many of these folks were probably very active in their son's troop and some may desire to continue a relationship with Scouting.

[dkurtenbach]

I think the best candidates for unit commissioners are active, competent Scouters who have one other Scouting job doing something else, whether a unit leader or member of a district operating committee. The unit commissioner job, assuming a unit that is in pretty good shape, really can be done in just a couple of hours a month (including the monthly District Commissioners meeting). There are a few practical aspects to using the UC as a "second" job. An active, working Scouter is more likely to be current on the program his assigned unit is in, and will be sensitive to "outsiders" sticking their noses into unit business. He or she will understand the importance of getting the job done and so is likely to give it appropriate attention rather than ignore it. At the same time, as a "second" job, the UC won't be tempted to lavish his/her time and attention on the unit, but instead will keep appearances and contacts appropriately brief. For the UC, it is an opportunity to see how other units "do Scouting" without taking on responsibilities in those units. It is also a way to get to know other Scouters in a different context, and flirt with aspects of District operations the UC may not be familiar with.

 

Dan K