What is a Commissioner?
At Scoutorama I was approached by a Den Leader who saw my distinctive, tan Commissioner's jacket. She asked me, “What is a Commissioner?” I was momentarily at a loss for words. It is easy to forget, after having been a Commissioner for quite a while, that this question is probably very real for most Scouters. As I paused thinking of an appropriate reply, it also occurred to me that there is no easy answer to the question.
My first thought was to focus on the notion that the main reason for there being Commissioners was to “Help Units Succeed.” But then I thought, while true, that reply was too abstract and did not really answer the question.
I then thought about telling her that Commissioners helped units through the (sometimes confusing) rechartering process, but decided this also failed the test because it describes a thing that Commissioners do rather than what they are. My mind shifted over to trying to explain to her the wealth of good advice that a unit leader could get from an experienced Commissioner when they faced problems like recruiting, finding activities, adult leadership changeover, and understanding local and national scout policies and practices. But, I wondered whether a Den Leader could relate to that.
The easy out then popped into my mind. Commissioners run Roundtables which deliver continuing supplemental training to Scouters of all levels and also provide a source of new ideas for unit activities and a source of information about things happening at the District and Council levels. But, if I focused on that, something she should be able to relate to, would I be neglecting the unit visits, the counseling sessions, the informal phone calls, and the encouragement talks that I knew good Commissioners did routinely? The words “friend” and “mentor” came to mind as synonyms for good Commissioners. Just like good parents...
What I finally said was, “A Commissioner is like a good parent for Scouters. They are people you can turn to when you need help and advice, and people who sometimes let you know you need help and advice, even if you don't recognize it. Their job is to help you to become a better Scouter, and through you, to help your unit become a better unit.”
She seemed quite satisfied with that as an answer, and, after some long reflection, so was I.