In the 1990s there was a popular kid’s show called Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? In the program you had to solve geography-based clues to try to track down the nefarious Carmen and try to capture her and her co-horts. Why do I bring up Carmen Sandiego in an article about Unit Commissioners?
Unlike the arch-villain Carmen, your Unit Commissioners are your unit’s good guys and can help you with a variety of things. In this article I want to explore the role of the Unit Commissioner.
The first and most important, a Unit Commissioner is a friend of the unit, offering assistance and advice to help the unit succeed in its goals, including achieving Journey to Excellence (JTE). As a friend of the unit, he or she will get to know the people and key players so that if and when a situation arises where the unit needs a helping hand, you will be going to a familiar face.
To know the members of the unit, the commissioner should be regularly visiting at meetings and events where appropriate. Seeing how the unit works can help the commissioner identify where they can help out the best.
Unit commissioners can help with identifying training opportunities in the District and Council and encourage the leaders to attend and stay up on their trainings. This includes promoting attendance at Round Table and keeping track of Youth Protection Training needs.
While Unit Commissioners don’t have to know it all, they can offer constructive advice. They have resources that can help them answer the questions they are unsure of. Use them to get your District, Council, and BSA questions answered. Unit Commissioners are typically experienced scouters with a wealth of knowledge about the programs and processes. Lean on them, they are there for you.
Toward the end of the year, your Commissioner can help you with your charter renewal and will work with you to help you fill out your JTE scorecard.
So, Where in the World is Your Unit Commissioner? If you don’t know who your Unit Commissioner is, please reach out to me and we will connect you. commissioner@northshoredistrict.com
As your District Commissioner I have the distinct pleasure of working with our fantastic Commissioner Corps. We are always looking for more Unit Commissioners so if you are interested in working with and mentoring another unit, let me know.
Kevin F. Clark
District Commissioner
512-771-5845
kfclark1962@yahoo.com
