Northern Ridge District
Atlanta Area Council, BSA
Northern Ridge District
Atlanta Area Council, BSA

District Commissioner:

Bill Affeldt

Bill Affeldt

District Commissioner

Latest News:

November 2023 Roundtable

Roundtable November 2023 In-Person The Boy Scouts of America through the Commissioner teams supports a monthly Roundtable all over America.   These meetings are reminiscent of the

Read More »

October 2023 Roundtable

Roundtable October 2023 In-Person & Virtual The Boy Scouts of America through the Commissioner teams supports a monthly Roundtable all over America.   These meetings are reminiscent

Read More »

Recharter Recap

We were able to record the recharter meeting at this months roundtable. If you have any questions about recharter please reach out to

Read More »

September 2023 Roundtable

URGENT UPDATE: Venue Change Roundtable September 2023 In-Person & Virtual The Boy Scouts of America through the Commissioner teams supports a monthly Roundtable all over America. These

Read More »

August 2023 Roundtable

Roundtable August 2023 In-Person The Boy Scouts of America through the Commissioner teams supports a monthly Roundtable all over America. These meetings are reminiscent of the legendary

Read More »

2023 Recruiting Kick-Off

2023 Recruiting Kick-Off In-Person | Open to Packs, Troops and Crews Where Alpharetta First United Methodist, Youth Center When July 20th Time 7:30pm to 9pm

Read More »

Commissioners:

Commissioners are district and council leaders who help Scout units succeed. They coach and consult with adult leaders of packs, troops, crews, and ships. Commissioners help maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America. 

The commissioner is the liaison between the local council and Scouting units. The commissioner’s mission is to keep units operating at maximum efficiency, maintain regular contact with unit leaders, counsel leaders on where to find assistance, note weaknesses in programs, and suggest remedies. The commissioner is successful when units effectively deliver the ideals of Scouting to their members. 

Roles the 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. How Are Commissioners Selected?

How Are Commissioners Selected?

The selection process and criteria vary depending on the position.

 

Unit Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Unit commissioners should—

  • Have excellent people skills
  • Have a Scouting background or be fast-track learners
  • Know and practice Scouting ideals

 

Assistant District Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Assistant district commissioners should—

  • Be able to recruit and work through a team of unit commissioners.
  • Have excellent people skills
  • Have a broad Scouting background or be fast-track learners
  • Know and practice Scouting ideals

 

Roundtable Commissioners are appointed by the district commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

Roundtable commissioners should—

  • Be congenial and enthusiastic performers
  • Have the ability to recruit a roundtable staff
  • Have a good Scouting program background in the program for which they will run roundtables
  • Be a good planner

 

District Commissioners are approved and appointed by the council executive board, with the concurrence of the Scout executive, on the recommendation of the district nominating committee.

District commissioners should—

  • Be widely respected in the community
  • Be an enthusiastic leader of adults
  • Have the ability to recruit a complete team of commissioners for their districts
  • Have the ability to guide and motivate commissioners to visit units regularly, identify unit needs, and help unit adults to meet needs
  • Be a role model of Scouting ideals

 

Assistant Council Commissioners are appointed by the council commissioner with the approval of the council executive board.

  • Assistant council commissioners should have some of the criteria for district commissioners and/or council commissioners.

Council Commissioner is elected at the annual meeting of the local council after selection by the council nominating committee.

The council commissioner should—

  • Have the ability and proven experience to lead and meet objectives through a large structure of other people
  • Become a role model of exceptional Scouting service to units throughout the council
  • Be a person with a vision of how a good unit program helps youth stay in the program long enough to learn Scouting values
  • Have the ability to develop a good working relationship with the Scout executive and professional staff advisor, characterized by mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual recognition of each other’s role and competency

District Commissioners Meeting

2nd Thursday @ 7:00pm

District Roundtable

3rd Thursday of each month
7:15pm Start time