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

Who is my Commissioner?

District Commissioner:

This leader is recommended by the district nominating committee for approval and appointment by the council executive board with the concurrence of the Scout Executive. The district commissioner leads the commissioner staff of the district, guiding and measuring the districts unit service function of the program. The district commissioner is one member of the district key 3. The district chairman and the district executive make up the other members of the key 3.

Major responsibilities include:

  • Develop a vision for unit service in the district and a plan to fulfill the vision.
  • Recruit a full staff of commissioners to include assistant district commissioners, roundtable commissioners, and unit commissioners.
  • Oversee the training program for all commissioners in the district and encouraging commissioners to take training.
  • Guide unit commissioners to contact each unit regularly, identify unit strengths and needs, and using the Unit Service Plan, make plans to meet their needs.
  • Ensure that unit commissioners are performing detailed collaborative assessments which is the precursor to creating a unit service plan.
  • Encourage unit commissioners to enter both their unit contacts and unit service plans in Commissioner Tools.
  • Make sure the roundtable commissioners are providing a vibrant roundtable each month.
  • Work with the district chairman and district executive as a member of the district’s Key 3.
  • Plan and preside at monthly meetings of the district commissioner staff. See Appendix A for sample meeting agenda.
  • Attend district committee meetings to report on conditions of units and to link district resources to units to secure specialized help for units.
  • Represent the district as a member of the council commissioner’s cabinet.
  • Use Commissioner Tools to review the health of units and review activities of the commissioners in your District, and monitor roundtable attendance.
  • Review the recognition of all commissioners in the district.
Bill Affeldt

Bill Affeldt

District Commissioner

Assistant District Commissioners:

A district may have one or more Assistant District Commissioners. Each is responsible for an assigned share of the units in the district and the unit commissioners who serve those units. Assistant District Commissioners are often assigned a geographic area of the district. They work closely with the District Commissioner and District Executive.

Major responsibilities include:

  • Become familiar with the vision the district commissioner has created and understand your role in fulfilling the vision.
  • Recruit enough unit commissioners to serve their assigned units and area.
  • Conduct personal coaching and orientation sessions for unit commissioners.
  • Maintain regular contact with their unit commissioners to provide guidance in unit service needs.
  • Meet with their team of unit commissioners at the monthly district commissioner meeting to plan specific actions to help units be more successful.
  • Serve units with no assigned unit commissioner.
  • Help Unit Commissioners evaluate and improve their unit service performance.
  • Assist unit commissioners in using Commissioner Tools, including adding entries for commissioners who are unable to add their own.
  • Track charter renewal status of all their units.
  • Use Commissioner Tools to review the health of the units; review commissioner activity in recording contacts and creating unit service plans; and monitor roundtable attendance.
  • Be sure to recognize the accomplishments of the commissioners in your charge.

Unit Commissioners:

Many Unit Commissioners serve more than one type of unit. One might serve a Cub Scout pack, a Scouts BSA troop, Venturing crew, Sea Scout ship, or an Explorer post in the same chartered organization. Other Unit Commissioners may serve only packs, only troops, only crews, only ships, or only posts or clubs. Check with your commissioner leader or coach to see how your district is organized. The Unit Commissioner is a Scouting generalist whose passionate overriding mission in Scouting is to help units better serve more youth through scouting.

Specific responsibilities include just 5 things. Listed under each are suggested methods for accomplishing the responsibility.

  1. Supporting unit growth and retention through the Journey to Excellence. a. Use the Unit Service Plan to help guide units to continuous improvement.
  2. Making meaningful unit contacts that capture in commissioner tools their strengths, needs, and a unit service plan that enables continuing improvement.
    1. Serve as the unit leader’s friend and coach.
    2. Offer encouragement and support.
    3. Use a detailed collaborative assessment with the unit’s leaders at least two times per year to review the unit’s strengths and needs.
    4. Create a Unit Service Plan based on the detailed collaborative assessment.
  3. Linking unit needs to district operating committee and other resources.
    1. Use members of the district operating committees to help meet the needs of your unit(s). As a Unit Commissioner, you are not expected to know everything.
    2. The district operating committee can provide access to subject matter experts who can address the unit’s specific needs.
    3. Engage other resources (for example; from another unit) when needed.
  4. Supporting timely unit, district, and council charter renewals.
    1. Facilitate the on-time annual charter renewal of all assigned units using Internet Rechartering or the traditional paper rechartering method.
    2. See that a completed charter renewal application is returned to the council service center.
    3. Present the new charter at an appropriate meeting of the chartered organization.
  5. Supporting unit leaders by delivering effective roundtables that provide program ideas relationship development, and timely communication.
    1. The unit commissioners can promote roundtable attendance in their assigned units.

Roundtable Commissioners:

Roundtable Commissioners are responsible for the monthly Roundtable in the district.

Roundtables are monthly meetings where scout leaders from all units attend. When skillfully executed, the roundtable experience will inspire, motivate, and enable unit leaders to provide a stronger program for their youth.

There are two main purposes for Roundtables. First, to provide the skill to do – skills, techniques, information, program ideas – the know-how that makes for a successful unit. And second; to provide unit leadership with the will to do – the morale, enthusiasm, inspiration, and vision that periodically renews the desire to serve youth.

Major responsibilities include:

  • Recruit and train a staff of Assistant Roundtable commissioners to put on quality roundtables for unit personnel.
  • Plan and conduct monthly roundtable programs using the National roundtable guidelines.
  • Make arrangements for roundtables, including meeting places, equipment, and supplies.
  • Conduct regular critiques to determine how roundtables can be improved.
  • Use Commissioner Tools to enter roundtable attendance.
Commissioner's Corner

District Commissioners Meeting

2nd Thursday @ 7:00pm

District Roundtable

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

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