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Commissioner Service Cascade Pacific Council Commissioner Service Calendar March 11.......... ........................Commissioner Basic Training.........................CPC Office March 22..........7:30 pm........Roundtable Commissioner Meeting March 27..........6:30 pm........Commissioner Cabinet Meeting March 27..........7:00 pm........District Commissioner Meeting April 24 ............6:30 pm........Commissioner Cabinet Meeting April 25 ............7:00 pm........Top Team Meeting April 26 ............7:30 pm........Roundtable Committee Meeting May 22..............6:30 pm........Commissioner Cabinet Meeting May 22..............7:00 pm........District Commissioner Meeting Does A Uniform Need to be Perfect? Philip S. Westover Council Commissioner ome Scout S leader development courses I’ve attended had a strong emphasis on uniforming – perfect uniforming. Perfect complete uniform parts (socks, shirts, hats, pants, belts, etc.) Perfect placement of insignia. Perfect w earing of the neckerchief, and so on. Many participants in this training took exception to the strong emphasis. They thought it w as too militaristic. Too rigid. But to “play the game,” they obliged to get their uniforms as perfect as possible. This came to my mind several years later w hen I saw a Scouting unit that had less-thanperfect uniforming (to say the least). Incorrect insignia placement w as just the beginning of w hat I saw . Shirts w ere not tucked in, Scout socks were w orn only by a few and in most cases, no one w as in a complete uniform – only parts. But then I realized something I had never thought of: Less-than-perfect uniforming is “normal” and is not noticed. After all, boys are boys, right? Most of us recognize the value of uniforming in developing pride and I recently visited a unit that had close to perfect uniforming. It almost looked like something out of Boys’ Life Magazine! unity among our members. But if “normal” is not a thing that is really noticed, do w e lose the opportunity for developing such pride and unity? I think w e do lose the opportunity. I recently visited a unit that had close to perfect uniforming. It almost looked like something out of Boys’ Life Magazine! But I, and other visitors present, noticed it! And I could see that those boys noticed it also! I could see and feel their pride. No one w as barking military commands. No leader appeared to be a hard core disciplinarian. Instead, I heard a lot of praise by youth and adult leaders w hich reinforced the unity and pride of that unit. Those boys w ere a solid team! I’m sure that if I did a uniform inspection w ith a ruler and the Insignia Control Guide, I could have found things out of line. But that unit w as closer to perfection than I had ever seen, and it show ed. I saw it, and they saw it! Does uniforming need to be perfect? No, but if it is close, w e are applying a pow erful Scouting Method to develop the character and citizenship of our members! For your unit, it might be w orth a try! −Philip S. Westover Council Commissioner 6 Commissioner’s Unit Visitation hings of importance for commissioners to check on during unit T visits in March and April. Friends of Scouting units should now have FOS family campaigns planned and underw ay. Unit committees must understand the importance of FOS and how the funds raised contribute to the council’s ability to deliver the high level of Scouting programs. The requested family gift is $140, w hich supports one Scout for one year. The district finance chair and FOS family campaign chair can assist w ith individual units and their campaign plans. Unit Summer Program Plan Units should sign up now for one of the council Cub Scout or Boy Scout summer camp programs. Summer programs are an integral part of the Scouting experience. Ensure that every Scout has an opportunity to participate in one of the council’s summer programs. Goodwill Day Units should plan to participate in Goodw ill Day, Saturday, March 4, and appoint a coordinator or chairperson. Goodw ill Day is one of the council’s most important community activities. It is a “good turn” that helps the entire community while building character in youth members. All units should plan to participate. Recognition and Awards Ceremonies Host regular advancement ceremonies or courts of honor. Recognize youth for their achievements and experiences in an appropriate forum. If units need assistance in setting up or “beefing-up” aw ards programs, contact district advancement chairs, district training chairs, or roundtable commissioners. Other items to check on include membership and retention. Is there a Webelos-to-Scout Transitions/ Program in Every Pack and Troop? See Commissioner Helps for Packs, Troops, and Posts (Booklet #33618) or contact district commissioners or assistant district commissioners for help and ideas.
Commissioner Service Commissioner Basic Training Offered ommissioner Basic Training - C Saturday, March 11 at the Portland Service Center. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. This is required training for all commissioners. If commissioners have not taken this basic training course in March Charter Presentations nit charters are typically U presented to the chartered organization in March. Commissioners should take full advantage of this opportunity to recognize the relations hip betw een Scouting and the chartered organization. The presentation of the charter should be staged at a regular meeting or activity of the chartered organization. This strengthens the relationship, puts the organization in a better position to recognize its unit leaders, and assures attendance of the largest possible number of organization members. Adult Leader Training hen you think about the challenges faced by den, pack, troop, W or crew leaders and the number of youths w ith w hom they interact, the importance of training becomes very apparent. Currently, only about 43% of top leaders throughout the council are trained. Trained leadership is the single most important aspect of healthy units. It is a commissioner’s duty to see that leaders in their assigned units have participated in appropriate training. District commissioners, in conjunction w ith the council’s training Seeking a Few Good Commissioners urrently, there are not enough C commissioners to meet the goal to have at least one designated unit commissioner for every three units. If you are an experienced Scouter (e.g., former den leader, Cubmaster, the last three years, they are strongly encouraged to attend this class as a refresher, as there have been a number of changes over the years. Contact your district commissioner or Phil Westover at 503.620.6846. The charter presentation must be made to the organization, not the unit. Often members of an organization w ill attend an organizational affair, but may not be motivated to attend a meeting conducted by the Scout unit. It is important to capture the interest of as many members of the chartered organization as possible. Parents of youth members w ill be just as likely to attend in either case. Consult the Commissioner Fieldbook for Unit Service, No. 33617 for more information. Contact your assistant district commissioner or district commissioner for ceremony ideas. committee, are to w ork w ith district leadership to ensure that districts have a strong leader training program and every untrained unit leader is invited (and is encouraged to invite their assistants and other leaders in the unit) to training. Diligently pursue direct leader training. Commissioner’s leadership assistance is needed. For more information, contact your district commissioner or district training chair. assistant Scoutmaster, etc.) w ho is interested in helping other units deliver the Scouting program, contact your district commissioner or district executive about possibly becoming a unit commissioner. 7 April is Youth Protection Month pril is Youth Protection Month. A This is an excellent time for commissioners to visit w ith unit leadership to review the BSA Youth Protection Standards. There is training for leaders and parents, as w ell as age-specific training for youth members of the unit. Using a video presentation and discussion guide, the causes, signs, and proper responses to and reporting of child abuse incidents are explained in detail. Every leader, including Merit Badge Counselors and parents w ho accompany a unit on outings, must receive this training. Commissioners should meet w ith leadership of each unit to ensure they understand the importance of Youth Protection Training. All volunteers and parents should participate in Youth Protection Training. Review the BSA policy on “Tw o-Deep” leadership w ith all unit volunteers. Help unit mentors guide youth w ith the “Three–R’s of youth protection” (Recognize, Resist, Report). Review BSA procedures for leadership selection and approval w hen new adult leaders are recruited. District Roundtables Provide Resources istrict roundtables are an integral D part of Scouting’s continuing education program. Each month leaders gather to acquire ideas on how to conduct unit meetings, learn w hat council and district activities are planned, and netw ork w ith other leaders. Scout leaders are committed to deliver the promise of a quality program to youth, and roundtable is w here they learn how to effectively deliver that promise. Ideas and tools offered at roundtables can simplify a leader’s job. Help deliver a consistent program – attend roundtable, and encourage unit leaders to attend.
Page 1 and 2: Volume 64, N o. 2: March - A p ril
Page 3 and 4: Simply Scouting Scout Executive Mes
Page 5: Membership Corner 24 Ways to Invite
Page 9 and 10: Finance Service In Memory of Jason
Page 11 and 12: Program Pow Wow Resource CD Availab
Page 13 and 14: Training Talk Outdoor Skills Instit
Page 15 and 16: Advancement Arena Key Program Quali
Page 17 and 18: Camping Connection Need Summer Camp
Page 19 and 20: Community Service Service to the Co
Page 21 and 22: Simply Scouting Help Maintain Camps
Page 23 and 24: Simply Scouting Cub Scouts from the
Page 25 and 26: Cub Scouts & Webelos Camps: Each ov
Page 27 and 28: Calapooia District Cascade Service
Page 29 and 30: Columbia Gorge District Columbia Se
Page 31 and 32: Fort Clatsop District Pacific Servi
Page 33 and 34: Lewis & Clark District Pacific Serv
Page 35 and 36: North Clackamas District Columbia S
Page 37 and 38: Scoutreach & Hispanic Emphasis Dist
Page 39 and 40: Sunset Trail District Pacific Servi
Page 41 and 42: Thunderbird District Columbia Servi
Page 43 and 44: Tuality District Pacific Service Ar
Page 45 and 46: Willamette District Cascade Service
Page 47 and 48: Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri - 9 am -

Mar-Apr 2006.pub - the Cascade Pacific Council Home Page!

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