Scouting, Volume 60, Number 1, January-February 1972 Page: 12
68, [20] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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COMMISSIONERS-
MORE THAN DELIVERYMEN
12
COMMISSIONER service in Scout-
ing has often been compared to
newspaper delivery. If the newsboy
drops the paper in the bushes or
throws it on the roof, his customer
won't receive the printed word. Like-
wise, if the commissioner doesn't do
his job, unit leaders won't get the
"word" either.
Ask commissioners of the Gover-
nor Clinton Council, however, and
they'll tell you that this definition is
a vast over-simplification. And, as I
visited them at their recent council
commissioners' conference, I be-
came a quick convert to their broader
point of view.
The conference is an annual event
for the council, which covers the
Albany, N.Y., area, and this year it
was held at the Hudson Valley Com-
munity College in Troy. Both new-
comers and old-timers showed up,
all ready to soak up new materials
and methods.
Helderberg District Commissioner
Clayton Rose and his gang provided
part of this when they greeted com-
missioners with new literature and
supply exhibits. Then Hudson Dis-
trict Commissioner Bill Wixted, serv-
ing as master of ceremonies, sur-
prised everybody.
"You all have to kick in with ideas
at this conference," he pointed out.
"Even you new fellows have had ex-
periences that will help others do a
better job in Scouting."
In less than 30 minutes after the
opening ceremony, conducted by
Capital District Commissioner Nor-
man Tillman and his team, Bill di-
vided the entire gang into three
"buzz" sessions—district commis-
sioners, unit commissioners (formerly
called neighborhood commissioners)
and roundtable commissioners. To
many of them, this part of the con-
ference was the highlight of the
whole show. Here they shared ideas
By LEX REED
on building better Cub packs and
Scout troops and discussed prob-
lems encountered "down where the
rubber meets the road." And it was
when I sat in with each group that I
realized the so-called "commissioner
job" varies greatly with each position.
The district commissioners were
joined by assistant district commis-
sioners who share line responsibility
for recruiting, training and supervis-
ing the other commissioners. As soon
as Colonie District Commissioner
Carl Behr opened the session, the
word "image" popped up.
"Television commercials invariably
portray Scouters as always playing
and working outdoors with boys,"
said one concerned commissioner.
"That's a handicap when I try to re-
cruit some guys because many of
them aren't outdoor men."
"Righto!" chimed in another. "We
need many types of talent, not just
the outdoor type. Many of the com-
missioners in our district do their
best work without even stepping into
the woods."
Hitchhiking on this angle, another
commissioner declared that "We re-
cruit too many fellows from among
Cubmasters, Scoutmasters and unit
committeemen. If a guy's doing a
good job in his unit, let's leave him
alone."
And another added, "We've got to
get more non-Scouters into these
jobs, as well as Scouting in general,
especially if we expect to meet our
manpower needs for BOYPOWER '76.
If we continue to recruit only from
men who are already in Scouting,
we'll be in serious trouble."
This gang also agreed that good
training plus regular follow-up is
needed. "You don't just give your
new man a book and turn him loose,
as they did to me a few years ago,"
said one assistant DC. "You have to
build his confidence, keep him up-to-
date and praise him once in awhile."
Hopping over to the roundtable
group, I was just in time to watch
Robert Armet of Hudson District liven
up proceedings with homemade Cub
Scout games. "Play these at your
roundtables," Bob said, "and maybe
your Cubbers will try them with their
Cubs. Even though most of these
games are listed in our Cub Scout
literature, many people won't try
them unless they actually see the
games tried beforehand. Besides, the
games add some extra fun and action
to the roundtable."
Bob also showed a literature dis-
play rack made from a store's tissue
display board and suggested that
Cubbers keep their eyes open for
other advertising displays. "All you
have to do is ask," he added. "Most
store managers will be glad to help."
Bill Wixted, who was doubling in
brass as discussion leader, smiled at
this point and commented, "Maybe I
shouldn't say this, but most good Cub
Scout leaders are good scroungers.
In fact, Den Mothers are probably the
biggest scroungers around. They can
make something from nothing and
never seem to throw anything away."
Nods from his cohorts indicated they
agreed.
Another gimmick in this session
was a totem pole used to spur at-
tendance at Mohawk District Cub
roundtables. The pack with the larg-
est attendance each time takes the
pole home, adds its own totem and
brings it back for the next roundtable.
"That's fine," said one roundtable
staffer, "but let's face it. The leaders
who win the totem are the ones who
always show up. The guys who are
(Continued on page 50)
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 60, Number 1, January-February 1972, periodical, January 1972; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353658/m1/16/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.