Unit Commissioner Nomination

Nominate someone to be a Unit Commissioner

A Unit Commissioner will:

• Actively participate in the monthly District Commissioners meeting.
• Present the District calendar of events, such as training, planned activities, camporees, etc., at your unit’s monthly Committee Meeting.
• Assist with annual events, such as unit rechartering, unit inventories of scouts and adult leaders and membership drives.
• Communicate any unit concerns or issues to the Assistant District Commissioner (ADC) assigned to your unit.
• Assist in the recruitment of adult leaders for your unit.
• Attend annual Unit Commissioner training sessions.
• Utilize BSA on-line Unit Commissioner tools, such as the Commissioner unit reporting system to communicate unit activities to the District.

Characteristics of a Successful Unit Commissioner

• Be an effective communicator
• Be a good listener
• Have sound judgment
• Be enthusiastic
• Be task-orientated
• Fulfill promises
• Be a team player
  Note: The position of Unit Commissioner is a District level position and is a commitment of time. Therefore, it is not recommended that adult leaders already in primary positions in the unit, such as Committee Chair or Scoutmaster be considered as Unit Commissioner.

Roles the Unit Commissioner Plays

A commissioner plays several roles, including friend, representative, unit “doctor,” teacher, and counselor.

The commissioner is a friend of the unit. Of all their roles, this one is the most important. It springs from the attitude, “I care, I am here to help,what can I do for you?” Caring is the ingredient that makes commissioner service successful. He or she is an advocate of unit needs. A commissioner who makes himself known and accepted now will be called on in future times of trouble.

The commissioner is a representative. The average unit leader is totally occupied in working with kids. Some have little if any contact with the Boy Scouts of America other than a commissioner’s visit to their meeting. To them, the commissioner may be the BSA. The commissioner helps represent the ideals, the principles, and the policies of the Scouting movement.

The commissioner is a unit “doctor.” In their role as “doctor,” they know that prevention is better than a cure, so they try to see that their units make good “health practices” a way of life. When problems arise, and they will even in the best unit, they act quickly. They observe symptoms, diagnose the real ailment, prescribe a remedy, and follow up on the patient.

The commissioner is a teacher. As a commissioner, they will have a wonderful opportunity to participate in the growth of unit leaders by sharing knowledge with them. They teach not just in an academic environment, but where it counts most—as an immediate response to a need to know. That is the best adult learning situation since the lesson is instantly reinforced by practical application of the new knowledge.

The commissioner is a counselor. As a Scouting counselor, they will help units solve their own problems. Counseling is the best role when unit leaders don’t recognize a problem and where solutions are not clear-cut. Everyone needs counseling from time to time, even experienced leaders.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Thank you.

Allan Arntson
District Commissioner
[email protected]