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Brief History of Commissioner Service

 

 

The word “commission” dates back to 1344, when it was derived from the Latin word commissionem, meaning “delegation of business ” The nation’s monarch delegated authority to a deserving few.

Individuals identified by the monarch had to qualify as a “gentleman,” legally defined as a man who earned his income from property and as such was independently wealthy with time to devote to other agendas It was exactly this kind of man that Lord Baden-Powell wanted as his volunteer commissioners: men of both money and leisure.

Baden-Powell’s first chief Scout commissioner was Lieutenant General Sir Edmond Roche Elles Baden-Powell’s commissioners included W F deBois MacLaren, who donated Gilwell Park; and Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book.

As communities formed more troops, it became evident that leadership was needed to maintain standards, provide camping opportunities, recruit leaders, give training, establish local courts of honor, and stimulate local Scouting. This person was the commissioner.

The Scout commissioner represented the local community committee or council. A great deal of importance was placed upon the selection of this man. He was expected to have a great deal of outdoor experience and act as the local authority in all Scoutcraft matters.

While originally a volunteer, in some areas the community was able to raise enough funds for the Scout commissioner to become a salaried position.

The areas with paid leadership positions, such as a Scout executive or executive secretary, became known as first- class councils, while those with a volunteer head, still called the Scout commissioner, were known as second-class councils. By 1931, there was only one second-class council left.

The wreath of service that surrounds all commissioner and professional position badges is a symbol of the service rendered to units It also symbolizes the continued partnership between volunteers and professionals.

Chief Scout Executive James West, at the first National Conference of Scout Executives in 1920, suggested that the Scout executive should be the general in the background, with the Scout commissioner as the ranking uniformed officer giving leadership to the Scoutmasters and acting as the ranking officer in public appearances.

West recognized that Scout executives would move around, and that the council would benefit from finding and developing a good Scout commissioner.

Volunteer national field commissioners were available as early as 1910 to help communities organize their local council and troops. There were 68 volunteer national field commissioners in 1913. Many of the volunteer national field commissioners worked for other agencies and traveled extensively, helping with Scouting wherever they went. Besides organizing new councils, they had to spend time correcting false starts and restraining those that wanted to implement their own brand of Scouting.

District commissioners were introduced in 1931 as an outgrowth of the deputy Scout commissioner position.

In the 1930s, local field commissioners were specialized representatives of the council and served a functional responsibility such as Cubbing, senior Scouting, Catholic Scouting, camping, emergency service corps, or Sea Scouts. They were on call to the district or neighborhood commissioners as technical experts of the program. Later, Exploring posts created commissioner positions known as the service team.

The growth of Scouting soon overloaded the district commissioner and his deputy, making it necessary to add commissioners to serve specific packs, ships, crews, and troops.

Scouting in the ’30s was very community-focused, so the neighborhood commissioner position was developed to serve up to four units in the immediate local area.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Scout commissioner was renamed the council commissioner. In many councils, this evolved into a ceremonial position with few or no duties. The district commissioner had reporting responsibilities to the Scout executive.

The 1970s were a decade for substantial growth in commissioner service. The neighborhood commissioner evolved into the unit commissioner, and the mission of the commissioner quickly became clear: help units succeed District commissioners were expected to hold a monthly meeting of the district Scouters roundtable. Eventually, this became too much for the district commissioner to handle, and the roundtable commissioner became an official position. In 1973, women were allowed to become Cub Scout unit commissioners or Cub Scout roundtable commissioners, and just a few years later, women were allowed to hold any commissioner position.

The first College of Commissioner Science was held in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1976. Courses included physical education, staging roll call and inspections, and exciting charter presentation ceremonies.

Beginning in 1999, there has been renewed emphasis on the role of the commissioner. Council commissioners are now accountable for the unit service program. The appointment of area and regional commissioners, as well as the creation of a national commissioner service support group, shows that at all levels of the organization, the importance of commissioner service is being recognized and emphasized.

Throughout the years, the commissioner service has been the one unifying factor that has made Scouting permanent. The commissioner has remained the line of service from council to unit to chartered organization.


National Commissioners:
2008–Present      Tico Perez
2004–2008           Donald D. Belcher
1999–2004           William F. “Rick” Cronk
1990–1995           Earl G. Graves
1943–1960           George J. Fisher
1910–1941           Daniel Carter Beard
1910–1911           Peter S. Bomus
1910–1911           William Verbeck

From A History of Commissioner Service in Scouting by Randy Worcester.

For more Commissioner History, download the History and Evolution of Commissioner Insignia and the History of Commissioner Service: The First 100 Years

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel Carter Beard

One of the first
National Commissioners

 

 

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