Commissioner College, Spring 2022
Pictured above are (left) Tom Wood, (center) Robert “Bob” Casey,
(right) Mike Menefee, Dean of Doctoral Program
Commissioner College is excellent training for ANY Unit Leader, as well as new and current Unit Commissioners.
If you have just completed a tour as a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, or any other adult Scouter position and want to continue to service Scouting in a different capacity, consider becoming a Unit Commissioner. A Unit Commissioner normally supports three units and draws on your experiences to help new leaders provide the Scouting program to their unit. Unit Commissioners are the “behind-the-scene” support that ALL units need. Commissioners are district and council leaders who help Scout units succeed. They coach and consult with adult leaders of Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews. Commissioners help maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America.
Includes courses recommended for:
- Unit Leaders (Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, Explorers)
- Unit Commissioners
- Roundtable Commissioners and Staff
- District Commissioners and Assistant District Commissioners
Commissioner College Registrar – scoutershade@gmail.com
Commissioner College Doctoral & Postgraduate Papers
| Title | Author | Description | Pages | Council | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Webelos II to Scout Transition” | Everett, Adam | This thesis explores the loss of Webelos II youth during the transition period from the beginning of the Webelos II period through shortly after graduation into a Boy Scout troop. I address the Webelos-to-Scout transition by correlating elements of the national transition plan with ideas that can be affected by unit commissioners and other district volunteers. Local commissioners potentially connect local unit and district resources to improve the effectiveness of the Webelos-to-Scout transition. | - | Virginia Headwaters Council | 2018 | |
| “A Scout is Reverent” | Nicolay, John | This research paper provides an examination of the evolution of the Scout Oath (“duty to God”) and 12th point of law, “A Scout is Reverent”. Scout movement founders Baden-Powell, Seton and Beard were vague or ambivalent about the urgency of connecting a formal designation to faith principles. They preferred that the boy derive ministerial reflections from observing nature and striving to be a responsible, valued citizen. | 32 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 2016 | |
| “Recharter Tools” | Fletcher, Marian M. | The current recharter process is quite complex and, as such, has many areas that, if not done properly, will cause a recharter to be rejected or delayed once it leaves the unit coordinators possession. Automated tools, at this time, are not available to prevent many of the errors that happen during recharter processing. | 30 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2016 | |
| “A Unique and Alternative Venue for Scout Reach – A Cub Scout Level program in the Regional Jail” | Pupa, Dennis | This thesis explores the relationship between incarcerated mothers and their sons by using the Cub Scout program as a medium by providing rehabilitation incentives. It also shows the benefits not only to Scouting, in general, but also to the community specifically to the women and children directly involved. | 49 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 2013 | |
| “Training to Fit Unit Needs, The Commissioner’s Role.” | Merica, Phillip | This thesis explores the problem of trained leaders through the eyes of the Unit Commissioner. What are the root causes of why we have so few trained leaders and what actions the Unit Commissioner can take to help improve the number of trained leaders? | 37 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 2012 | |
| “A New Scout Center” | Larson, Mark A. | The design and layout of a Scout Support Center provides a vision into what a Scouting Center could be. The Center needs to be focused on the Scouting program and not merely the business of Scouting. The Center should showcase the fun in Scouting through activities and challenges while supporting the volunteer leaders. | 35 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2012 | |
| “Deep Bench Scouting, Support Volunteer Recruitment on the Unit Level” | Dunnavant, Lloyd | Many Scout units suffer crisis and possible failure because unit leaders often fail to recruit, train, and support their replacements. This thesis provides a plan and training outline that will support a healthy unit leadership transition process. | 45 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2011 | |
| “Contingency Planning Guide” | Hahn, Larry D. | The Boy Scout’s motto is “Be Prepared,” making it one of Scouting’s highly recognized organizational pillars. Those two simple words are an essential and critical key to successfully surviving and managing ones way through an emergency or disaster. For it is the act of being prepared that leads one to perform in ways that support successful outcomes and to develop solutions to problems experienced under the stress of an emergency or unplanned circumstance. However, it is not just an act of preparation, such as ensuring you pocket a knife or carry extra food and water, but rather it is also a state of mind. The motto helps instill the idea of preparedness in our Scouts, and within the movement, creating a culture of preparedness that teaches our young people to be smart about dealing with a contingency situation or an emergency. Many experts will note that it is this attitude and state of mind that is the most crucial aspect to how well a person or group can deal with an emergency that was unforeseen and unplanned. | 179 | Colonial Virginia Council | 2010 | |
| "Creating Faith-Based Venturing Programs" | Chaffin, Bill | A faith-based application of the Venturing method encourages and empowers youth to dig deeper into their faith. This is true whether they are currently members of the youth group or new to the group. When this happens, the youth in a church youth group become more effective leaders and a healthier church evolves. The church then experiences a direct benefit to their youth ministry and their overall mission. That benefit begins when a new or existing church youth group is chartered as a Venturing crew. | 23 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2010 | |
| “Total Commissioner Involvement in the Recharter Process” | Smith, Paul E. | During the 2008 Recharter process, Capitol District had 44 out of 48 units complete the internet recharter prior to the December 31st deadline. On February 10th, the District Executive called to inform me that 17 units had not completed recharter and they were in danger of being dropped on February 28th. Capitol District was not unique; the other Districts had similar results. Why did this happen? Was it lack of communication, lack of coordination, or lack of knowledge of who is responsible for tracking and following up on unit recharters? | 22 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2010 | |
| “Learning Disabilities Awareness – A Guide for Leaders.” | Smith, Robert | A report primarily designed for the unit leader. This report defines what are learning disabilities and how to identify them. | 24 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2009 | |
| “Trail to Scouting.” | Dadisman, Kemper | The concept of showing the aspects of Scouting, the adventure of camping, caving, hiking in the forest with someone that knows what he is doing and can detail the pleasures of nature, the advantages of joining the Order of the Arrow, the advancement program and how to get there. What really happens at the Council Camp? An explanation of the wonders of a patrol box and all the equipment in it. Venturing activities and the advantages of this program. All this under one roof, in the dry and warm, could this give these youths an easing of the concerns of entering Scouting? | 33 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 2004 | |
| “Quality Unit Award” | Bryant, William G. | The Boy Scouts of America is like most large organizations in the world today, an inherit desire exists to provide the highest level of product or service quality possible. Within the current structure of the Boy Scout programs, there exists a method of objectively identifying units that deliver a program designated to be a “quality” program. The program is called the National Quality Unit Award program. This program has been operating for approaching two decades. The criteria for are well established and communicated within the units on a regular basis in leader training and indoctrination, annual charter renewal, and ad hoc sessions among leaders. | 110 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2003 | |
| “The Venturing Silver Award” | Berry, Gerald J. | The Silver Award was introduced in 1950 and phased out in 1966; Why? The Venturing Silver Award was introduced in the late 1990’s. This award is a unique award and deserves unique treatment and recognition. | 31 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2002 | |
| “The Commissioner’s Guide” | Menefee Sr., Michael R. | There are over twenty-two different publications in Scouting that covers various aspects of Commissioner Service. This research project is an attempt to bring the key points of all these publications into a single source without duplicating the existing publications. It is written in layman terms along with suggestions, hints, goals, and ideas derived from training sessions and discussions with other commissioners. | 105 | Heart of Virginia Council | 2000 | |
| “Are We Really Delivering the Promise?” | Kochansky, Thomas M. | Are we really Delivering the Promise? Are we providing the excitement that a boy expects to find in Scouting? I believe a wide spectrum exists in what Scoutmasters consider adequate to providing that excitement. If our literature is correct, boys want to be in the outdoors. My personal experience has been that boys prefer campouts to even the best conducted troop meetings. Many of us Scoutmasters do too believe the troops that we all consider successful are those with healthy outdoor programs. But is it more than that? Are there other contributing factors? Are they the Best Kept Secrets in Scouting? | 40 | Greater Tampa Bay Area Council | 1998 | |
| “Scouting – Is it Cost Feasible?” | Hudson, Edward L. | The cost involved in Scouting prohibits, or hinders a boy’s ability to enjoy the benefits of a complete Scouting program of which contributes to a number of units classified as “High Risk”. If this is so, what are we doing about it? | 36 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1996 | |
| “To Determine Why Some Commissioner in the Capital District are Performing Their Duties and Other are Not.” | Johnson, James M. | Early descriptions of leaders accepted the hypothesis that leadership was largely an inherited ability. This hypothesis underlay the psychological classification of characteristics that differentiate leaders from followers. | 30 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1991 | |
| “To Produce an Automated Registration Management and Operations Plan for the College of Commissioner Science.” | Ryan, Thomas J. | Registration for the College presented difficult problems because of the lack of structural organization and the wealth of material and data involved. This thesis is to produce an automated Registration Management and Operations Plan via the IBM type PC computer. | 101 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1991 | |
| "Different Situations Call for Different Styles of Leadership." | Rockett, Frank | The purpose is to ascertain when Commissioner perceive their duties and responsibilities were and compare that with their performance. | 16 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 1990 | |
| “Reorganization turns Failing Units into Thriving Units.” | Lippard, Bonnie | The purpose is to show the impact a restored unit has on the Scouting organization outside the unit. Letting a unit fail and then form a new unit is not the best method. Reorganization may be a better solution. | 22 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1990 | |
| “Helping to Improve Attendance at Cub Scout Leader’s Basic Training.” | Hall, Ann R. | Looks at ways to improve Cub Scout Basic Training attendance. | 11 | Shenandoah Area Council | 1989 | |
| “The Positive Effect of the Cub Scout Roundtable on Unit Programs.” | Sullivan, Charles W. | Examines the positive effects of Cub Scout Roundtables on the unit’s program. | 24 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1987 | |
| “Performance Follows Expectations.” | Louthan, Thomas A. | The purpose of this thesis is to develop a program to improve quality and quantity of Unit Commissioner visitations. | 25 | Shenandoah Area Council | 1987 | |
| “Development of a Multi-Media School Night for Scouting presentation.” | Stevens, Norm | Using previously developed programs and Scouting materials develop a high quality color slide program for use on School Night by units in the council. | 17 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1987 | |
| “A Procedure for Determining Why Unit Deaders Do/Do Not Attend Cub Roundtables.” | Hodges, Nancy L. | A survey to determine why unit leaders do/do not attend Cub Scout Roundtables. | 8 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 1987 | |
| “What is a Scouting Coordinator?” | Barb, Mary E. | Defines the role and duties of a Scouting Coordinator. | 6 | Virginia Headwaters Council | 1987 | |
| “Meeting Management as a Commissioner Service Tool.” | Crutchfield, George T. | The purpose of this paper is not to advocate alternate commissioner activities, however, it is to provide a management view of commissioner meetings and administration. | 8 | Heart of Virginia Council | 1986 |