Commissioner Report

By Dan Lentz | Council Commissioner, Baltimore Area Council

Many Scouters have seen Commissioners during the annual recharter process, but probably couldn’t tell you what they do the rest of the year!  Day-in and day-out, they can play a vital role as your single best resource for addressing your questions and needs for delivering a great, year-round Scouting program.  So how can Commissioner service support you in this mission?

Unit Commissioners serve each of our Scouting units – Packs, Troops, Crews, Ships and Posts – by providing advice and resources with program planning; unit financial planning and fundraising; service opportunities; membership; leadership recruitment, development, training and succession; policy matters; problem solving; issue resolution; and yes, annual rechartering and member registration.  The Commissioner culture is built around three key objectives:

Be the Heart: Scouting’s units are its heart; its success is dependent upon them; they deliver its programs to youth. Commissioners Support unit leaders in developing a safe, welcoming environment and delivering Scouting’s programs effectively. We exist to support Scouting’s heart. Commissioners serve as conduits to the resources needed to create a lasting program. Commissioners who strive to be the “single best resource” may not always have the answers, but they are connected to Scouting’s resident experts on topics critical to your success and can help you to quickly address needs.

Build Relationships: Commissioners seek to develop relationships with unit leaders we serve based on mutual respect, candor, and trust. Without that, the communication and collaboration required to effectively support units is impossible. Commissioners aim to be recognized as valuable contributors to your success. Our Commissioner teams encourage you to actively seek them out and are prepared to help with upcoming changes, including new member registration and recharter processes, the launch of a new Cub Scout program in June 2024, and evolving advancement and merit badge requirements.

Change Lives: Scouting changes lives – of the youth it serves and the adults who support it (both volunteers and professionals). As they adopt Scouting’s values, they become engaged citizens who strengthen our communities, nation, and world. Commissioners are committed Scouters, true believers in the merits and benefits of Scouting for all youth. We consider it an HONOR TO SERVE as a Commissioner and take joy in witnessing vibrant, successful, and growing Scouting units.

In recent challenging years, Scouting has undergone significant changes, with more transformations ahead as it charts its course for the future. But the overarching goal is to broaden Scouting’s appeal to today’s families by providing safe, fun and engaging experiences through highly relevant programs attractive to today’s youth.  The service mission of the Commissioner staff remains unchanged, while recognizing that changes in focus and approach can help us be even more effective. Going forward, Commissioner service will focus more on impactful relationships and connections that allow Commissioners to act as allies and advisors for units in creating outstanding Scouting programs. Simplified processes and use of objective goals and success attributes will allow Unit Commissioners to help you foresee challenges, solve (or avoid) problems, and adapt to program changes planned and under way.

To explore more about Commissioner resources, roles, responsibilities, and connections, please click this link http://www.baltimorebsa.org/resources. And if you are an experienced Scouter looking to use your knowledge to help other units achieve success, we extend a warm invitation to you to join the Commissioner team in your District! For additional information on becoming a Commissioner, feel free to contact your District Commissioner or our Assistant Council Commissioner for Commissioner Recruiting, Dave Malkiewicz at Commissioner.Malk@gmail.com !!