Unit Commissioners

[Basementdweller]

Been in scouting for a number of years and I have never seen a Unit Commissioner do anything other than add a line to his/her Scouting resume.

 

I do not need a Commissioner to do anything for me. If I have a problem I will call the DE or DC my self. Outsiders don't need to get involved with internal Pack or Troop End fighting or Politics.

 

I don't need a UC to quote BSA guidelines.

 

So what else are they supposed to do??

[moosetracker]

I think my old district ran the camporees, chuckwagons, and hike-a-thons. We had one guy that was just dynamite with ideas and he seemed always in the center of things. The themes were fantastic, but they were always hosted at the same place.

 

Our current distict has units or the OA run them. Our troop has hosted a Spring Camporee, Klondike and a hike-a-thon over the last 8 years. This is fine people come up with different sites to host it at and different themes. But, it would be nice if at least the council took care of things like ordering the port-a-potties and Water buffalos, check-in etc.. The underwear stuff. That way the units can just concentrate on organizing the fun. I think it would encourage the smaller units to attempt it.

 

I could see if you are a UC and at the camporee with your own troop, taking time to pay a visit to the units you oversee during the off hours. At the events that are only for the day and the units are on the move all day, the units would seem to much in motion for any significant time to "visit".

[jhankins]

UCs are to do just what it says for them to do -- be a friend to the unit. It's not all about policy, it's about being there to offer a hand in any way possible, be there for the annual planning meeting to share ideas of what other events have been done in other units, help with the Webelos to Scout Transition process (finding good troops), share news from the district, and the list goes on.

 

I went to my troop meeting following camporee last month and we faced two issues: a boy issue that had parents fuming and ready to quit over another boys's behavior at camporee, and during camporee, one if the troop's new members passed away from an asthma attack while out of town.

 

I listened, I shed tears with the other parents, I aimed the parents in the direction they needed to go, I advised the Scoutmaster following the meeting when he explained what he had learned that night regarding a Youth Protection issue that to the Scout Executive for reporting, offered up the "Spirit of the Eagle" program to the committee to have sent to National in the boy's honor (as they didn't know about it), and suggested other honors for them to explore.

 

I didn't quote but one policy that whole evening, and that was for the SM to call the Executive regarding a youth protection issue, and I only had to quote it to reassure the SM that he was doing the right thing. Everything else in that meeting was offering support to the committee and the boys.