Welcome!
We are pleased that you’re visiting the Dan Beard Council’s Commissioner’s pages, and hope that you find what you’re looking for while you’re here. It is our goal to be welcoming and helpful, and to always sincerely practice the Scout Oath and Law in our service to Scouting.
We’ve worked hard to construct a website which Commissioners (or those who are interested in becoming a Commissioner) can find everything that they need to do a better job serving Scouting units. Here you’ll find links to the many documents we use to guide us as we help unit leaders to always reach a little farther to better serve the boys in their units. You’ll also find that Commissioners are dedicated to lifelong learning, so naturally, there is a lot of Commissioner Training information here, too.
Hopefully, we’re providing just what you’re looking for, but if for some reason you have difficulty navigating our pages or can’t find what you need, please give us the gift of feedback. We’d love to hear from you.
About Commissioning
Commissioners are Scouting’s first line of support for units and leaders. We are coaches, friends, and mentors as we help unit leaders deliver the Scouting Promise. Others have described the role as Scouting’s “customer service department”, meaning that we are responsible for customer satisfaction and quality control. That’s a tall order!
But simply put, a Commissioner stands in the gap with leaders who may be either new in their position and have questions about how to best work with the boys to deliver on the Promise of Scouting, or to be on hand to be representatives of their District and of the Council. They may, from time to time, even be asked to help find and recruit new leaders for the unit or to work with the Chartering Organization to assure that the unit is operating at peak efficiency. Regardless of the details, our job is to be behind the scenes, supporting the unit and its leaders, helping them reach the highest level possible on their Journey to Excellence.
Perhaps the most important characteristic of any Commissioner (or Commissioner candidate) is a true heart for service. There must be passion for the mission of Commissioning, which is to help more youth to participate in (and thus benefit from) Scouting. You don’t need to have years of Scouting experience (we can teach you all about Scouting), but you should have a deep desire to help our children succeed, and you must recognize the importance of the values based character development program that is the Boy Scouts of America. Many people who are in careers such as law enforcement, fire protection, military service or the teaching professions make great Scouting Commissioners, even if they’ve never been in Scouting as a youth and even if they have no children of their own in the program. When looking for new Commissioners to join our ranks, don’t be afraid to look outside your circle of friends that already proudly wear a Scouting uniform.