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Commissioner's Priorities

Training without action is futile; action without training is fatal.

Your unit leaders need training. You must encourage them to participate and to use the methods and skills that they learn in training events. Help them to put their training into practice. Knowing how to be successful does little good if that knowledge is not used. Sometimes you find a unit with a lot of activity and a hardworking leader, but the program only vaguely resembles that of the Boy Scouts of America. With training, the leader could be really effective. Action which does not lead toward the purposes of Scouting is dangerous to the life of a unit.

Major Deviations

The BSA Scouting program is broad and flexible in operation. There is no canned program, and units do not operate under a rigid system. However, you must learn to tell the difference between creative programming and major deviations from Scouting methods.

For example,

When a Cub Scout pack substitutes a theme of its own that doesn't appear in any of our program material, but has activity for everyone, that's creative programming.
But when a pack committee decides that each mother will be a den leader for one month on a rotating basis, that's a major deviation from the Scouting method.
If a troop that has the capability decides to camp on its own halfway across the country, that's creative programming.
If a troop becomes a drum and bugle corps, eliminating the patrol method and advancement, that's major deviation.

Often it is best to involve the district committee in such situations. You, as a friend of the unit, provide help and counsel through others as you deem necessary.

Roundtables

Roundtables are the major source of program ideas for unit leaders. Roundtable attendance by unit leaders is a priority concern of commissioners. While you counsel leaders in unit operation, they receive program help from roundtables. Roundtables are fun, practical, inspiring, full of skills and program ideas. They allow program ideas that work in one unit to work in others. Encourage your unit leaders to attend roundtables and take assistants and committee members along. Plan to visit a roundtable as often as you can. You'll find the evening well worthwhile.

Priority Problems

Unit Not Meeting.

A unit that has ceased regular meetings is in serious trouble. You must move quickly to salvage resources that may remain: leaders, committee members, parents, or members of the chartered organization.

Unit With No Leaders.

If the unit leader quits or leaves. find a replacement quickly. Do this by calling the committee chairman and helping the group select and recruit a suitable replacement.

Unit With No Committee.

If the committee is not functioning, get in touch with the Scouting coordinator and explain the importance of having an active committee of at least three persons. If the Scouting coordinator is not responsive, go to the head of the organization. Set a date for the meeting of those who could serve. If the head of the organization is reluctant, ask the district executive for help.

Unit With No New Members.

If, after a reasonable period, no new members are added and there are plenty of boys in the area, find out why the unit is not growing. A commissioner should be alert to the need for regular boy recruiting and bring this to the attention of the unit leader.

Unit With Low Attendance.

Boy attendance is the clearest indication that the members are getting a good program. When the trend is consistently downward, program planning may be defective or the leadership may be weak.

Unit With Weak Leadership.

In almost every case, a problem unit stems from weak leadership that must be either bolstered or replaced. But the unit belongs to the chartered organization, and you have no license to remove its leaders. You do have a responsibility, however, to see that the boys receive a good program. Therefore, it's your duty to impress upon the Scouting coordinator and committee the importance of providing strong leadership for Scouting. In the final analysis the program is only as good as the leader who delivers it.

Lapsed Unit.

This should never happen. There is no reason why a unit that meets regularly under a strong leader with an active committee should not endure. When the commissioner has done the job, the unit will invariably reregister on time with great prospects for the year ahead.