Commissioner’s Corner November 2011  - Committee Meetings

Are your Committee Meetings as effective and efficient as possible?  Committee Meetings should be monthly on the same day each month at the same place and time.  Exceptions can be made if needed, but should not be the norm.  Meetings should not exceed 1.5 hours and the shorter the better, providing the business of the unit is completed.

 

The meeting agenda should be published ahead of time along with the previous meeting minutes so that everyone can come prepared.  A typical agenda would start with the Committee Chair calling the meeting to order and having a brief opening.  New members and guests should be introduced followed by approval of the previous meeting minutes.  A brief period of time should be allowed for any parent concerns.  There may not be time to address the concerns immediately, but it is important that any parent concerns be heard.  Ideally, each of the sub-committees (Scoutmaster, Secretary, Activities, Treasurer, Advancement, Chaplain, Training, Equipment, etc) has submitted their reports ahead of time so they only need to mention those items requiring extra attention.  This would be a good time to review your progress on the Journey To Excellence.  Then Old Business (reports on task assignments from previous meetings) followed by New Business (assign tasks as issues are discussed) should be discussed.  The meeting should wrap up with any announcements/reminders including a reminder about the next Committee Meeting.

 

It is the responsibility of the Committee Chair to make sure the meeting keeps moving along as efficiently as possible.  Items that do not need immediate decisions can be tabled to the next meeting.  The meeting should focus on confirming/wrapping up plans for the next month, make sure everything is coming together for the following month and plans are starting for the 3^rd month.  Thus each meeting covers the business of the next 3 months to varying degrees. 

 

Be mindful of the time because we are all volunteers and meetings that run too long or feel like a waste of time will quickly lead to lost help.  Together Everyone Achieves More…Go TEAM!

 

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner October 2011  - Journey To Excellence Revisited

How are you doing on your Journey To Excellence?  Recharter time is upon us which means we will need to be completing this year’s journey.  I’m sure you have accomplished a lot of the goals for the Journey To Excellence program, but do you know where you are at on the journey?

 

You should have a placeholder on your monthly Committee Meeting Agenda to review your current status on the Journey To Excellence.  It is not too late to finish a few more parts of the journey, but soon it will be.  Review the goals and mark your progress at http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Commissioners/Journey.aspx .  If you have any questions, contact your Unit Commissioner for help.

 

Remember, it is not the numbers that are important, but what they represent … a quality program for the youth!

 

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner September 2011  - Succession Planning

Are you practicing succession planning?  Succession Planning is making preparations so that your unit is prepared to continue providing an excellent program after you have moved on to a new role.  Many of Scouting’s volunteer positions have a corresponding assistant (i.e. Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, Den Leader and even District Commissioner).  This is not only intended to remind us that we shouldn’t try to do everything on our own, but also that we should be helping prepare our assistants to take over our role.  We do not get to name our successor, but in working together the unit will be better prepared for the future.

 

One of the differences between a good unit and a great unit is the current leadership has a succession plan and are prepared to hand off the responsibilities.  While you may be planning to step down in two years, there are many unforeseen circumstances that may require you to step down sooner, so you should always be prepared. 

 

With success being the root of the word, all of us should be doing succession planning so start working on it today.  We all want to see the program continuously improve for the youth.

 

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner May 2011  – Adult Leader Recognition

Encourage youth advancement by completing the forms for adult leader recognition awards.  An important part of the Scouting program is the path of advancement.  It recognizes their accomplishments and encourages them to continue advancing thus learning more.  We also teach to lead by example.  As such, I would ask you to lead by example in the case of advancement.  By having adult leaders recognized for their achievements at Pack Meetings and Court Of Honors, we reinforce the idea of advancing for the youth.

 

There are a variety of recognitions available for adults including ones for years of service (every 5 years), training, and doing everything recommended for a leadership position like Den Leader, Cubmaster or Scoutmaster.  There are also religious awards for encouraging youth to earn the youth religious awards and be active in their church.  Some of the civic organizations like the Lion’s, Mason’s and American Legion also have awards for adult leaders working with the youth.  Even if the award is awarded at a special ceremony like the Unit Recognition Dinner or Council Dinner, recognize the adult leader at the next unit gathering as well.

 

You can even turn in the form for one of your fellow adult leaders providing they have met the requirements.  Some awards require that a fellow leader nominate them for the award.  If you have questions about an award, ask your Unit Commissioner or contact the Council Service Center.  It is important to recognize the achievements of our adult leaders not only as a thank you for the work they have accomplished but also to encourage our youth to continue striving towards their next goal in advancement.

 

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

 

p.s. Requirements and pictures of awards can be found at the following sites:

Official Site – http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards.aspx

Unofficial, but nice page – http://www.boyscouttrail.com/square-knots.asp

Commissioner’s Corner April 2011 - Court of Honors

Is your troop holding Court of Honors frequently enough?  The gold standard per National BSA is 4 Court of Honors in a year.  It is important to hold them frequently enough to encourage the boys to keep working on advancement and also to keep the parents informed and involved with the troop.  I recommend holding Court of Honors in March, June, September and December. 

 September is the most common month troops have their Court of Honor since the boys have earned lots of awards during the summer.  This is also an opportunity to share the unit calendar for the next 16 months and encourage participation in the upcoming Camporee, Good Turn for America and next year’s Summer Camp.

 By December, most of the new scouts should have completed their Second Class requirements.  This can be a holiday party with a focus on giving.

 In March, you can welcome the new scouts that crossed over from Webelos and recognize the boys that finished Merit Badges with the extra free time they had during the winter. 

 June is a good time to recognize the scouts that have earned badges during the school year.  Most if not all of the first year scouts should have completed First Class by now.  This also provides another opportunity to make sure scouts and parents are prepared for Summer Camp and the rest of the fun activities coming up.

 The Court of Honor doesn’t have to be a large meal, but try to make each one distinct and fun.  September could be focused on apples, December on cookies, have a BBQ in March and Ice Cream in June.  If you find one that works well, consider repeating it next year.

 Please try this out even if you do not currently have the advancement occurring regular enough to warrant the Court of Honor.  If you lay the framework, the scouts will be encouraged to work harder so they can be recognized at each event.  This also helps keep the parents involved in the troop.  If the parents see their scout is not advancing like the others, they will encourage him to work harder too.  With all of us encouraging the scouts, we can be confident that we did our best to help them be prepared.

  Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner March 2011 - Event Planning

Are you doing everything you can to be prepared for an event?  Sometimes unit activities end up being canceled; following the steps below can help minimize the chances of this occurring.

1. Event should be added to the Unit Calendar as a part of the Annual Program Planning Meeting where it was verified as not conflicting with other calendars. i.e. District, Council, School
2. One or two adults (parent or leader) accept responsibility for organizing the event.  This ideally should also be done at the Annual Program Planning Meeting.
3.  The adults responsible for the event (Event Coordinators) ensure that reservations are made as soon as possible.  They also make sure that enough parents/leaders will be available to help transport youth and gear to and from the event along with providing adequate supervision for the event.
4. The Event Coordinators make sure the correct tour permit is filed (local or national).  This should be done early so you have a chance to resolve any issues (1 month for local / 2 months for national).
5. The Event Coordinators make sure the permission slips are sent to the parents at least a month before the final count is needed.
6. The Event Coordinators ensure that the collected permission slips, health forms, signed tour permit, copies of reservations, check for remaining monies needing to be paid and contact numbers for both event leaders and homes are brought on the trip.

 While the Event Coordinators are ultimately responsible for organizing the event, many of the details should be done by Committee Members that are responsible for those areas (i.e. Ensuring Transportation, Filing Tour Permits, Creating/Sending Permission Slips home, Paying Bills).  

 Remember the 7 P’s – Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance.

 Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner February 2011 - Journey To Excellence

Do you know why the Journey to Excellence program is important?  It is not the numbers that are important, but what they represent. 

• Advancement – This is a proven method of tracking what the youth        have accomplished.
• Retention – If the youth are having fun, they will be staying with the program.  Also, better retention means less time recruiting.
• Size of the Unit – There is a point where a level of momentum is achieved both with the excitement of the youth and also with having enough adults to help.
• Trained Leaders – You cannot be providing the best possible program for the youth without being trained.
• Camping & Outdoor Activities – This is part of what makes scouting fun.
• Summer Camp – Often this is where the best memories of Scouting are formed.  Summer Camp is the best Scouting experience of the year.
• Service Projects – We are a service organization and helping others provides opportunities for personal growth.
• Budget – Good budgeting skills can allow opportunities for a variety of exciting events for the scouts.
• Re-register On Time – Registering on time ensures that Scouts are covered by the insurance and can be earning advancement.

Through working together to achieve as many of these goals as possible, we will provide the best possible program for the youth.  The Commissioner Staff is prepared to guide you on this Journey to Excellence.

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner December 2010 – Role of the Committee

What does your Unit Committee do?  The Unit Committee is the business equivalent of a board of directors.  While the Program Leaders are working directly with the youth, the Unit Committee is responsible for supporting their efforts.  The Unit Committee has many responsibilities so it is important to make sure they are trained and actively supporting the unit.  Their duties include:

 

-         Ensuring that quality adult leadership is recruited and trained

-         Arranging for adequate meeting/event facilities

-         Advising the Cubmaster/Scoutmaster/Crew Advisor on BSA policies

-         Being responsible for finances, fundraising, and disbursements in line with the approved budget plan

-         Obtaining, maintaining, and properly caring for unit property

-         Serving on boards of review and courts of honor (troops and crews)

-         Providing for the special needs and assistance some youth require

-         Helping with Friends of Scouting campaign

-         Assisting with handling youth behavioral problems

-         Arranging for a Charter Presentation with Unit Commissioner assistance

-         Managing membership recruitment and retention

 

With this many responsibilities, the need for a group of active Committee Members is essential for a unit to provide the best possible program.  Thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of our youth.

 

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner November 2010 – Unit Training Coordinator

Who keeps track of what trainings have been completed by the adults in the unit?  This is a task that someone on the Unit Committee should be responsible for, a Unit Training Coordinator.  You can check on your training records by visiting your MyScouting account at http://scouting.org.  If you are not able to get online, your training records can be requested from council.  When you complete training, it is important for you to keep a copy of the certificate for your own records and provide a copy to your Unit Training Coordinator.

 The Unit Training Coordinator can also help new adult leaders in recommending which courses to complete first as there are many available.  Maintaining these records within your unit will make you better prepared for current and future training requirements.  Remember, a fully trained leader is better equipped to provide the best possible program for the youth.  We are all trying to do what is best for the youth.

 Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner May 2010 – Email Do’s & Don’ts

Does your unit use email effectively?  Having used email for 20 years and having seen some of the troubles that result in business and scouts as a result of poor email etiquette, I can tell you that email is a very useful tool providing a few rules are followed. 

 The number one rule of email is to not send anything that deals with emotion; stick to the facts.  You can not control the mood of the reader at the time they receive your email and as such, regardless of the words you choose, they will be the one to decide whether your email is positive or negative and how much so.  Even an email as simple as “good job”, can be interpreted in a sarcastic manner if the reader has had a bad day and as such cause the opposite reaction of what you intended.

 If you receive an email that has emotion and makes you want to respond, don’t do it!  Your email response will not help.  If possible, let it sit for a day so you can rationally look it over and evaluate the best way to respond, assuming it even needs a response.  Then when you do respond, do so in person if possible or by phone otherwise.  By hearing their voice and seeing their body language, you can help control the mood of the conversation and reach a common understanding.  Remember, we are all trying to do what is best for the youth so look for the positive.

 Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner April 2010 – Spring Recruitment

When is your spring recruitment scheduled?  All Packs, Troops and Crews should be taking advantage of the great weather in spring to hold a special recruitment event.  Since Scouting is an outdoor adventure, spring is the start of a busy time for camping and many other outdoor activities.  There is no better way to get a youth interested in Scouting than to invite them to a fun outdoor event.  Many different outdoor activities will work for spring recruitment, but some ideas would be to have a bike rodeo, rocket launch, Frisbee golf challenge, or a picnic with organized games.  The important thing to make the event successful is to make sure the activities planned will be fun for the youth and there is an opportunity to talk with the parents about the program.

Once you have the event planned, make sure to advertise the program.  Grocery stores, community newspaper, local cable channel, church bulletins, and flyers in local businesses are all great places to advertise for little or no cost.  If you need help getting flyers into the schools, call the scout office.  Start early.  Do not wait until the last minute since there are a lot of units in our district and it takes time to advertise effectively.  If you get new youth active in the spring, they have all summer to have fun with your unit and take advantage of great opportunities for advancement.  Good luck!

 Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner March 2010 – Webelos To Scout Transition

Are your Webelos doing their best to be prepared?  All of our Webelos II scouts should be transitioning from Cub Scout Packs to Boy Scout Troops.  This can be one of the most challenging times in their Scouting careers.  There are many differences between how Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops work and the leader expectations from the scouts is quite different as well. 

As leaders, it is our responsibility to help make this transition as easy as possible.  The best way to do that is to not assume anything.  Just because everyone else in the troop knows how the troop works, don’t assume the new scouts do.  The Patrol Guide is an important part of this process, but we can help by making sure the new scouts’ parents are also kept informed.

Only by all of us doing our part, can we make sure these boys continue to benefit from the program as they grow in to young men that we can all be proud of.

Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner

Commissioner’s Corner February 2010 – Mall Shows

What is the point in doing Mall Shows?  Mall Shows are a fun opportunity for the scouts to demonstrate some of the many activities and skills that they have learned.  With it being the 100^th Anniversary of the BSA, this is a great time to make the community aware of what scouts do.

Through activities like Mall Shows and Parades that are widely attended by the community, we have the opportunity to recruit new youth and adults.  Even units that are further away from the mall can benefit from this since extended family and friends of youth in their area may live near the mall.  I hope to see you there.

 Michael Kiesinger

District Commissioner