National Commissioner - Don Belcher

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• National Commissioner - Don Belcher
• Podcasts
• Monthly Visits

Dan Beard Council
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Monthly Visits

• Monthly Visits Why Are they important?
• Role of the Unit Commissioner
• How we measure success in that role
• How we execute against that role
• Monthly visits ties all of these pieces together
• Single most important responsibility of UC

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Monthly Visits

• Role of the Unit Commissioner
• Make every Unit successful
• How do we measure success?
• Is Unit a Quality Unit?
• Has Units retention improved?
• If both of these are happening your Units are
  certain to be successful
• Clear definitions exist for Quality Units

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Monthly Visits

• How can you ensure success in each Unit?
• Regular monthly visits see what is happening
• Places you in a position to bring your help and
  support to the unit

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Monthly Visits

• You cant just Fly By! It means boots on the
  ground
• It doesnt mean that every visit has to be to the
  Unit itself
• Monthly visits could include
• Unit visit
• Committee meeting
• Roundtable meeting

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Monthly Visits

• Visits have to be face-to-face
• You have to see what is actually happening in a
  Unit
• We know something about kids
• You have to be there and see that the kids" are
  having fun!
• If they are having fun
• Membership is up
• Retention is up
• Advancement is going on
• Strong leadership
• Kids invite friends to attend
• When they are not having fun
• Kids will vote with their feet Leave Scouting!

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Monthly Visits

• Role of Unit Commissioner
• Coach
• Counselor
• Helpful addition to the Unit leader
• Ensure Unit leaders are keeping the kids engaged
• Unit Commissioners dont have all of the answers
• They should know who to contact for the answers
• Use all of the available resources
• Are exposed to successful Units

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Monthly Visits

• Typical Unit Visit
• Talk to Unit leader in advance
• Make sure the Unit leader understands that you
  would like to come observe the Unit
• Ask if you can help with anything
• After relationship is developed it is probably
  not necessary to notify in advance
• You are not there to grade them
• You are there to help and support them

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Monthly Visits

• Commissioners Worksheet
• Review before Unit visit
• Dont check off or fill in during the visit
• Keep in mind those areas you are going to focus
  on during the Visit
• Are the kids have fun?
• Whos leading the meeting? Only adults? youth
  leading?
• What about advancement is it happening?
• What does the membership look like?
• Growing?/Declining?

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Monthly Visits

• Commissioners Worksheet (Contd)
• What does the retention rate look like?
• Improving?
• Stable?
• Getting Worse?
• How can I help this Unit?
• After the meeting summarize your findings
• Review worksheet with your ADC or DC for
  recommendations

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Monthly Visits

• Unit Self-Assessment
• Each Unit goes through this process annually or
  semi-annually
• Unit Self-Assessment
• Unit Leader how do I feel about the progress I
  am making in this Unit?
• Quality of program the kids are getting?
• Advancement status?
• Membership status?
• Retention status?
• Are the camping/outings taking place as
  scheduled?
• Unit leader assesses his/her own performance
• UC assists the Unit to make them successful

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Monthly Visits

• Units Need Physical Contact
• Meeting people seeing what is going on
• We are challenged with re-invigorating growth
  retention
• Make sure every unit is successful
• Unit Commissioner does this by visiting Units
  monthly
• Being in a position to provide help support

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Monthly Visits

• Keeping track of all of our visits
• Vitally important that there is a measurement
  system
• No big national system each Council has their
  own system
• Setting expectations for our Unit Commissioners
• Make a minimum of one Unit visit in some form
  every month
• Measurement System Make sure we can follow-up
  and correct issues that need support and some
  help

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Monthly Visits

• I do not believe that there is a single more
  vital role in building the success of the Boy
  Scouts of America than the work done by the Unit
  Commissioner
• Unit Commissioners are making a difference in
  the lives of our youth
• - Don Belcher, National Commissioner, BSA

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Monthly Visits

• Final Thoughts
• If in every Council . . . in every District . . .
  we set expectations of monthly Unit visits
• . . . if we measure these visits . . . If we have
  a reporting process . . . and we follow-up on
  these visits
• . . . we will dramatically positively effect he
  Quality of Commissioner Service and will
  contribute significantly to the revitalization of
  membership growth and retention
• . . . That is our job as Commissioners!

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Monthly Visits

• Discussion