As commissioners, we seek to ensure that every member of the BSA has a great Scouting experience. For sure, this applies to the roundtable program as a whole. Let’s be clear; roundtable exists in districts and councils across the BSA to provide a consistent service to unit leaders and, ultimately, to the young people we serve. The key here is consistency. We must plan ahead and keep our eyes and ears open to the needs and desires of unit leaders on a consistent basis. We must seek to make roundtable less of an activity we do and more of an impact we have on the Scouting movement.

To be sure, your impact as a roundtable commissioner will be important as we move forward. In fact, there are some significant hurdles with which unit leaders must contend in 2022 and beyond. Some of these include retention and recruitment of new members; safety precautions for all participants in Scouting; program helps to encourage enthusiasm and excitement; promotion of Scouting in a given locale; and so on. So how can your roundtable program address some of these opportunities?

• Have you considered hosting a monthly “Membership Minute” segment similar to the Safety Moments and Hot Topics?
• Do you include a robust Safety Moment at each roundtable to shed light on the health of all Scouting participants?
• Are you taking advantage of the breakout content provided by the national program committees for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA? If not, do you enlist the help of subject matter experts in your area to present program helps?
• Does your promotion plan for roundtable include multiple channels, thereby modeling best practices to unit leaders? (Email, newsletters, social media, word of mouth, collaboration with unit commissioners, etc.)

As we move into the summer and fall, look for support materials and resources commissioners can use to leverage roundtable in the growth of Scouting. A “Membership Minute” could be just the boost unit leaders need to grow their units. Likewise, the extensive list of existing Safety Moments on Scouting.org will undoubtedly touch on the health and safety needs of all unit leaders. The national program committee breakout topics are meant to be a starting point for discussion to meet your unit leaders’ needs. Roundtable planning materials exist on the Roundtable Support webpage.

If we are going to make an impact on Scouting this summer and fall, we will need to engage unit leaders and determine what they want and need from us. We can’t assume that young den leaders or even veteran Scouters will show up to a monthly roundtable on any given date at any given location. Rather, we will have to make an effort to reach out via multiple communication channels and provide our plan so that we can show clearly what roundtable has to offer and meet people where they are. Some of the things you can do include:

• Promoting your roundtable program using the existing communication materials.
• Attending a College of Commissioner Science and enrolling in the updated roundtable courses.
• Offering a hybrid roundtable model (in-person, virtual, or a mixture of the two).

These are just a few of the actions you can take to make a significant impact on unit leaders and young people alike. Your enthusiasm and actions will serve as a model for unit leaders, and, as a commissioner, you will Be the Heart, Build Relationships, and Change Lives.