Boy Scouts of America

Assessing the Commissioner Recruiting Need

GO TO: Assess | Plan | Act | Resources

Assessment Identifies and Prioritizes Needs

Recruiting begins with assessment. It’s impossible to look for candidates to serve as commissioners unless you know

  • How many of what type of commissioners are needed?
    • The organizational structure of a council or district will determine the number of administrative commissioners (assistant council or district commissioners) needed. In developing the structure, consider span of control: how many unit commissioners can each administrative commissioner lead effectively?
    • The number, type, and health of units in a district will help determine the number of unit commissioners needed. A new unit needs a unit commissioner dedicated to serving only that unit for three years; units at risk (those with significant issues that could jeopardize continuing operation) also need a unit commissioner dedicated to serving only that unit. Commissioner Tools can identify the number, type, and health of units in the district.
    • Consider the smallest possible responsibilities. What could you ask a new commissioner to do that would require a minimal time commitment and offer an opportunity to learn about the rewards Unit Service offers? Meeting small responsibilities can enable a large impact on units.
  • When will they be needed?
    • Existing units with the greatest need of service should be the first to have a unit commissioner assigned. Commissioner Tools can identify units with no commissioner assigned and current unit health.
    • The district membership committee should be able to provide plans for forming new units which will identify the need for new-unit commissioners.
  • What experience is required?
    • Our basic training and onboarding processes often will enable a volunteer with no prior experience as in Unit Service – or in Scouting – to be an effective commissioner.
    • Experience can be a factor in determining the number of units a commissioner can service effectively; prior experience as a commissioner is an asset in serving new units and units at risk.
  • What skills are essential?
    • A servant’s heart is a prerequisite.
    • The work to be done will identify other skills of value. Leadership skills are an asset for administrative commissioners, for example.

Things change: the health of units, an unexpected opportunity to start a new unit, a volunteer’s need to step back for a bit. All can change the number and type of commissioners needed. While a base-line assessment should be completed at least annually, it should be reviewed periodically throughout the year and adjusted as needed to reflect changes. And remember, when recruiting needs change, the plan should change, too.

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.