District Positions?

[CNYScouter]

What are the responsibilities/duties for the District Chairman and District Commissioner?

 

In another thread it was suggested that I contact these people to help start up the new ship.

 

About 6 weeks ago, after the DE told me if you want a UC for the ship you will have to recruit one yourself I contacted the DC about a finding someone to work with the CO to help them better understand Scouting.

The response I got was if I can find someone Ill let you know.

Havent heard anything from him since.

 

The District Web Sitet doesnt list a District Chairman, but there is a name with no contact information listed in the council newsletter.

 

I just found out last night the District Chairman is the insurance person for the CO.

Hes known about the trying to get a Ship started for months there but hes never contacted me about the unit.

 

It seems all I hear from council (both volunteers and professionals) is the need to boost enrollment and the need to start new units but it seems there is very little effort into doing so.

 

I just dont get it.

 

 

 

[bt01]

 

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 to commissioners visit units regularly, identify unit needs, and help unit adults to meet needs

Be a role model of Scouting ideals

 

[bt01]

It is up to the key 3 to make sure that all units have a Unit Commissioner. They have other reposonables other than finding commissioner.

 

They have to deal with membership, finance and program.

 

 

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

 

[scoutldr]

Show up at your next District Committee meeting (should be on your council calendar). The person running the meeting should be the District Chairman. His/her job includes:

 

chairing the District committee meetings

Serving as 1/3 of the District "Key 3" (along with the DC and DE)

With the Key 3, recruit other District Committee members

Make committee chair assignments (Training, Finance, Camping, Program, Membership, etc)

Monitor committee performance - goal is to make Quality District

Keep close contact with all CORs and encourage them to attend District Committee meetings to exercise their unit's vote

Serve and vote on the Council Executive Board (ex officio)

[emb021]

There is a pamphlet available called "The District" that explains the basic district structure (this may very from district to district).

 

District Commissioner is responsible for all the commissioners in the district. He/she, not you, is responsible for making sure every unit has a unit commissioner, and that these commissioners are supported by ADC, get trained, etc. Not sure if Roundtable Commissioners fall under them as well, but if so they need one for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing Roundtables.

 

District Chair is the top elected volunteer in the district. (equivalent to the Council President). He/she is in charge of all the various district committees: Training, Activities, Membership, Finance, etc. Chairs the District Committee, made up of the heads of all these committees, plus the OA Chapter Advisor, etc. Its these district committees that deal with fundraising, training, district events (camporees, cub events, etc), and all the rest (most of these committees have counterparts at the council level. depending on how your council is organized, the council ones just coordinate the district ones, or the council ones do the job instead of having district ones).

 

The District Chair, District Commissioner, and District Executive make up the "District Key Three". They usually attend council level meetings with their other district counterparts to plan/organize/coordinate things council-wide.

 

does this help?

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

CNY,

 

Let's play like I am your UC for a few serves. I call you and say, "Hey CNY, how are you doing?

 

You look a little forlorn and try to say that all is well but with my wealth of people skills I say, "You look like we need to talk over a pot of coffee. Do you have some time?"

 

You begin to smile, knowing that I have a bundle of secrets that will make Scouting fall right into place for you. The pressure is off. You know that you will not need to do two people's job instead of the one that you want to do for your hour this week.

 

I begin by telling you that, "my background is not in Sea Scouting but I have a real interest and am willing to learn. I know allot about Scouting otherwise and am willing to share what I know with you. I also have several resources in the District and some from Scouting past that may be able to help as well."

 

"So, CNY are you ready to share some of your questions or worries. I am going to share my hour this week listening to you, so go ahead, I'm ready." FB

[Bill_Q]

I agree, show up at your next district committee meeting voice your concerns there. it is there job to help you build start and run a unit. If they wont help you then go to your DE if he cant help go directly to the head of your council. Thats what these people are for remind them that without proper guidence in starting a unit then you cannot justify letting the FOS presenter into your next unit meeting. that should turn some heads. cause without FOS there is no money to pay these people.

 

Bill Q,

[AvidSM]

"Not sure if Roundtable Commissioners fall under them as well..."

 

Yes, Roundtable Commissioners fall under the District Commissioner.

 

But I'm not certain if Unit Commissioner selections have to be approved by the Council Executive Board. I think that might be only the District Commissioners themselves have to be approved by that body.

[Eamonn]

All commissioners should be approved by the council executive board.

They receive their commission from the council.

Clicking around the Commissioner pages on the BSA web site will or should give you a good idea about what Commissioner service should be.

Back in 2000 I attended the Philmont Conference on Delivering Commissioner Service, the conference is aimed at Council and District Commissioners.

I came away thinking that some councils just don't understand what the heck Commissioner Service is about.

Some commissioners have no idea what they are supposed to be doing.

What the heck am I doing with all these old people?

When I became District Commissioner, the staff I inherited were a very mixed bag.

We had the really good commissioners.

The really bad commissioners and the ones that when asked why they hadn't been near a unit or meeting asked if they were still on the list?

I never worked out how come the better commissioners seemed to serve the better units that didn't need the same amount of help as the struggling units.

Sadly some people see becoming a District or Assistant District Commissioner as some sort of promotion. Along the lines if you are there long enough and hang in there one day you'll make it.

Sadly we had a lot of old timers who seemed to have been there for ever and were of about as much use as pockets in your underwear. In fact they were hurting the program by giving wrong information and retelling how they used to do things back in the day.

It seems in some councils and districts Commissioners have become the dogs bodies, they are busy doing everything from FOS to Day Camp and helping with recruitment. This really isn't their job.

I have to admit to finding the Commissioner Training a real pain, the books are good but for the most part Commissioner College is a waste of time. Good fun and fellowship but not a lot of new ideas.

Starting new units is not the job of the District Chairman or Commissioner, this should be done by the District Membership Committee, they should do the "Ask" and introduce the DE to the Executive Officer of the CO.

They should work with the other committees to get the ball rolling

The Training Committee to get training under way.

The District Commissioner to get a UC.

Maybe the camping committee to promote summer camp.

The relationships committee to help set up Good Turn For America or other service projects.

The Finance committee to help set up budgets.

Does this always happen? No.

I think that maybe you are in the same boat (pardon the pun!!) I'm in.

The BSA "Model" for starting a new unit starts with either the CO contacting the Council/ District and the Membership committee swooping in to do their magic.

They get the CO and get the CO working on recruiting the adults they want to lead their unit. After that things should fall into place.

You and I didn't follow the model.

We had the adults (Us!!) We knew what we wanted to do. (Sea Scouting) We found our own CO and started recruiting.

All the stuff that the District Committee should have or could have done for us was by-passed.

Like you we are the only Sea Scout Ship in our council. It seems that everyone else is a dirt Scouter and knows nothing about what the heck Sea Scouting is.

Still looking back to when I was District Commissioner, nearly all the big problems I had to deal with had nothing to do with program.

Most had to do with adults who couldn't play nice.

Dealing with unit funds was a big one.

Parents who felt that their son was being picked on by other Scouts.

Leaders just up and quitting leaving units with out a leader.

Problems with units with CO were also a big one.

These are the same problems that a pack, troop, crew or ship might face. They are not program specific.

Nine times out of ten if I just got everyone together and listened to what they said by the end of a meeting they had resolved their own problems, my role was just bringing them together and getting the ball rolling so that they could talk.

At this time we really don't have a UC. The District Commissioner is new and new to Scouting (Nice fellow and a really good Den Leader.) There is a feeling that I can look after things -Maybe because I said I could? The Council Commissioner and I are really good friends so if something came up I'd give him a call. He is doing the "Big" Charter Presentation, now that we have all the Scouts in dress whites. It will be at the Elks, they are sponsoring a Ship's Ball and we are holding a Bridge of Honor and Change of Watch Ceremony. The Scouts are doing all the cooking and parents are serving.

Later there will be an adult dance in the Elks. It's $60.00 a couple and we hope to make a few bucks.

Eamonn.