Resources

Commissioner Manuals

Five important books guide the service of commissioners and their professional staff advisors in the Boy Scouts of America. Obtain the latest revision from one of the Scout Shops in your area.

For all commissioners

• Commissioner Fieldbook for Unit Service, No. 33621E Commissioner Resources
  Consider this handy book the commissioner's best friend, the book every commissioner should own. It's packed with essential information on commissioner style, commissioner lifesaving, commissioner responsibilities, and dozens of other topics on providing unit service. It's the definitive reference on unit charter renewal.

For council and district commissioners and their assistants

• Commissioner Administration of Unit Service, No. 34128E Commissioner Resources
  This valuable tool guides district and council commissioners and their assistants (and their staff advisers) in leading a successful unit service team. It addresses the responsibilities of commissioner leaders and the people they lead. It details commissioner recruiting, commissioner training, commissioner evaluation, commissioner meetings, and many other topics. A new chapter highlights considerations in assigning units to commissioners.

For all commissioners

• Commissioner Helps for Packs, Troops, and Crews, No. 33618E
  A practical how-to-reference book chock-full of handy tips on helping units upgrade unit program. It suggests specific commissioner actions to help unit adults meet specific program standards and objectives. This book also includes unit commissioner worksheets for packs, troops, and crews.

For trainers of commissioners

• Commissioner Basic Training Manual, No. 33613F Commissioner Resources
  This complete three-part training program for all commissioners focuses on commissioner responsibilities, unit visitation, and commissioner priorities. It's a complete syllabus for commissioner trainers and can be presented in three evenings or a single all-day format. See that basic training is available somewhere in the council at least every other month.

For conference planners, trainers and commissioner leaders

• Continuing Education for Commissioners, No. 33615E Commissioner Resources
  Provides administrative commissioners and their staff advisers with nearly 40 training session outlines for use at district and council commissioner meetings, and the annual council commissioner conference. It includes a detailed planning guide for those planning council commissioner conferences, including the college of commissioner science. Commissioners must continually adjust their skills to provide a more valuable service to units. Commissioners should therefore view learning as an important part of their entire Scouting lives. For all commissioners, training is a continuing process—every month, every year.

Videos

• The Unit Commissioner's Orientation: Helping Units Succeed, Time: 17:10, AV-04V001R

The varied roles of the unit commissioner are discussed. This video dramatizes how the unit commissioner is a friend, teacher, unit "paramedic," problem-solver, and resource person. Unit commissioners are shown working with the unit leader, unit committee, and chartered organization, and attending meetings to check the unit's "vital signs."  Audience: New unit commissioners as part of initial immediate orientation

• Unit Problem-Solving for Commissioners, Time: 44:10, AV-04V002

This video helps commissioners increase their skills in handling common, often unit life-threatening problems. Use one or two tape segments as a training topic at each monthly council and district commissioner meeting. Use several segments as a session at the annual council commissioner conference. Problems included are:

 

Unit Stops Meeting

Unit With No Leader

No Active Committee

Leader Lacks Training

No New Youth Members

Weak Leadership

Conflict With Community Organizations

Lapsed Charter

No Planned Program

No Youth Leaders

Adult Conflicts

No Camping

No Advancement

District Activities

Audience: All commissioners

Literature

• Commissioner Volunteer Duties Cards, No. 34265D
  Use these sheets of eight wallet-size cards to remind commissioners of their exciting responsibilities in the Boy Scouts of America. This sheet of cards includes duties for council commissioner, district commissioner, assistant district commissioner, roundtable commissioner and unit commissioner.

• Highlights for Unit Commissioner, No. 34721A and Highlights for District Commissioners, No. 34723A.

Use the Highlights books to help recruit new commissioners. Personalized to the prospect and written to the specifics of a volunteer position, each of these books is a great sales tool to use at the recruiting visit. Each book, in about four minutes reading time, answers three questions: What specifically is my job? How do I get started? How will I know if I did a good job? And as a bonus benefit, each Highlights book is fast-start help in orienting new volunteers in their specific responsibilities.

• Commissioner Conference Folder, No. 26-028, for use at the annual conference of all commissioners in the council.

• Unit Commissioner Program Notebook, No. 26-006
  This pocket-size commissioner planner, calendar, and resource guide helps unit commissioners plan and schedule their weekly and monthly service to units. It's available annually from Boys' Life magazine.

The Distinguished Commissioner Service Award administered by the local council.

Selecting Cub Scout Leadership - Guiding a chartered organization in the process of selecting unit leaders is one of the commissioner's most important tasks.

Selecting Quality Leaders - Guiding a chartered organization in the process of selecting unit leaders is one of the commissioner's most important tasks