Schedule
7:00 am – 7:40am Registration and breakfast, NST 3 mixer
7:45 am – 8:00 am Opening Plenary Session for all Attendees
8:05 am – 8:55 am First Session
9:00 am – 9:50 am Second Session
9:55 am – 10:45 am Third Session
10:50am – 11:40am Fourth Session
11:45 am – 12:00 pm Guest Introduction
12:00 pm – 12:55 pm Lunch and Keynote Speaker
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Fifth Session
1:55 pm – 2:45 pm Sixth Session
2:50 pm – 3:40 pm Seventh Session
3:45 pm –4:15 pm Closing
Basic Trainings
| Training Code | Course Sessions | 2023 Training Name | 2023 Training Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| D24 | 1-3 | Unit Commissioner Basic Training | This course offers the complete national syllabus for commissioner basic training at the unit level. |
Bachelors Level Courses [Masters Level] [Doctoral Level] [Continuing Education]
| Degree | Course ID | Course Session(s) | 2023 Course Name | 2023 Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCS 100 | BCS 101 | 1 | Core Concepts of Unit Service | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to define & identify the role and types of commissioners, describe the five commissioner focus areas, state the key skills needed to be a good commissioner, and apply this new knowledge and understanding for exceptional unit service. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 103 | 2 | Linking District Resources | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to explain typical District structure and the functions of the District, know how to use the resources of the District to better support the units they serve, and utilize the Unit Service Plan when assessing the unit needs by identifying District resources. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 104 | 3 | Contacting Units | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to describe how the concept of commissioner service is demonstrated in frequent unit contacts, identify ways to demonstrate good commissioner service as we serve as a coach/mentor and representative of the BSA, and explain the importance of using Commissioner Tools to record and manage unit contacts. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 105 | 4 | Resolving Common Unit Issues | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to use the Detailed Assessment to identify unit strengths and needs, understand early warning signals of unit issues, and identify focus areas for observing specific unit needs during regular contacts. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 106 | 5 | Coaching Leaders | In this course a commissioner will become familiar with the new Coaching Model and how to use it to better serve their units. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 107 | 6 | Journey to Excellence (JTE) | JTE is the BSA’s tool for helping leaders plan their program, monitor progress and assess their Scouting success. Scouting success takes many forms, and JTE success employs a “balanced scorecard” as a result. The standards enable both large Scout units and small ones to succeed — as long as they provide good Scouting to youth. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 108 | 1 | Mining Internet Resources | As a result of this session, participants will recognize internet resources with good information, select reliable websites for use, and summarize internet resources for unit and commissioner use. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 109 | 2 | The Essential Element: A Servant’s Heart | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to define the characteristics of servant leadership, understand a servant’s heart, and apply this concept in commissioner service. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 112 | 3 | Recruiting Unit Commissioners | One of the duties in your role as the district commissioner as part of the District Key 3 is to recruit, train, guide, and evaluate the required commissioner personnel of the district. District commissioners take ownership of the district team of commissioners to ensure that all units are well cared for throughout the year. This course will focus on recruiting. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 114 | 4 | Understanding and Communicating With Today’s Leaders | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to identify the characteristics of generations within scouting’s leaders, understand the differences in relating to Generations involved in Scouting, and embrace the differences and similarities to make the scouting program stronger. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 116 | 5 | Collaborative Assessments | At the end of this training a commissioner will be able to, understand the importance of the Collaborative Assessment, develop and utilize a Unit Service Plan, and assess and record results of the USP in Commissioner Tools. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 117 | 6 | The Commissioner and the Unit Key 3 | In this course, we examine the roles of the unit key 3 and how commissioners work and coach each. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 150 | 1 | Roundtables in Commissioner Service | The course discusses how roundtable helps units succeed by providing ideas, policy updates, and current information on council & district events and training opportunities. An effective roundtable is vital to commissioner service. See how roundtables fit into the commissioner service structure by providing services to unit leaders. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 151 | 2 | The Roundtable Commissioner Team | Properly recruiting, training and recognizing the roundtable team is vital to the success of all roundtables. One of the duties in the role as the district commissioner is to recruit, train, guide, and evaluate the required commissioner personnel of the district. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 152 | 3 | Planning, Implementing, and Promoting Roundtables | In this course, the participants will be learning how to plan a year roundtable program to best serve the units in their districts. They will also discuss how to promote Roundtables to the units they serve. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 153 | 4 | Roundtable and Commissioner Tools | In this course, the participants will learn how to use the roundtable tab on Commissioner Tools. They will also learn to create power pivot table reports. For a participant to be fully engaged in the course they need to have a computer to be able to access Commissioner Tools. |
| BCS 100 | BCS 154 | 5 | Roundtable Fundamentals | Cub and Scouts BSA Roundtable is a valuable commissioner service for volunteers at the unit level. Roundtables provide leaders with program ideas, information on policy and events, and skill development opportunities. It is a forum for sharing experiences and enjoying fun and fellowship with other Scout leaders. When skillfully executed, the roundtable experience will inspire, motivate, and enable unit leaders to provide a stronger program for their Scouts. |
| BCS 200 | BCS 260 | 1 | Introduction to Scoutbook | You’ve heard of Scoutbook, but what is it? How does it work? What benefits might it provide for a unit and for a commissioner? How do I get started? |
| BCS 200 | BCS 280 | 4 | Introduction to Exploring for Commissioners | In this course, we examine the roles of the commissioner working with Exploring Units. |
| BCS 200 | BCS 290 | 1 | The Program – Membership Cycle | Membership is one of the highest priorities in any Council. In this course, find out how Commissioners can seamlessly coach and support Unit Membership in the natural Program cycle. |
| BCS 200 | BCS 291 | 2 | Webelos Retention and Transition | Retention is as important to Membership growth as recruitment. Too many times, Units and Leaders neglect Webelos Transition, and parents treat Arrow of Light as graduation instead of transition. This presentation will highlight the misconceptions, opportunities to communicate our goals to parents and Pack leaders, and strategies to promote healthy Webelos Transition in our Districts and Councils. |
Masters Level Courses [Bachelors Level] [Doctoral Level] [Continuing Education]
| Degree | Course ID | Course Session(s) | 2023 Course Name | 2023 Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCS 300 | MCS 303 | 1 | Managing Unit Service at the District Level | Managing unit service in the district is the main responsibility of the district commissioner who is aided by various assistant district commissioners. This course will familiarize the student on the modules available in Commissioner Tools so that they can enhance their ability to support the unit. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 304 | 2 | Commissioner Service for Units at Risk | In this course indicators of units at risk, approaches for investigating units reported to be at risk and resolving the issues that have put the unit at risk are discussed. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 305 | 3 | Resolving Critical Unit Issues | In this course you will practice and discuss making a detailed assessment and unit service plan for units with different issues. This course is scenario with different issues. This course is discussion driven. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 306 | 4 | Mentoring Skills | The course will discuss the new mentoring model, differences of coaching and mentoring, and how it applies to commissioner service. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 307 | 5 | Serving Newly Formed Units | In this course, a commissioner will learn the role of a new-unit commissioner and become familiar with working side by side with a new unit organizer. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 309 | 6 | Good Commissioners Need Both Head and Heart | The objective of this session is to help commissioners with at least one or two years of experience reflect on some of the important qualities of good commissioner service (the “head”). The session also provides a variety of inspirational anecdotes for them to share with unit adults as well as other commissioners (the “heart”). |
| MCS 300 | MCS 312 | 2 | Recruiting the 21st Century Volunteer | Effective recruiting is vision-based. Your success will be greater if you have a vision for your term of service that guides you. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 313 | 3 | Onboarding New Commissioners | In this class we will explain why we onboard commissioners, discuss what is included in onboarding process, and review the onboarding process for new commissioners. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 314 | 4 | The Commissioner and the Professional | In this course, learn more about the relationship between the commissioner and the professional. How can they work closely together to reach a common goal of providing quality service to units? What can the professional do to help the volunteer accomplish their goals and what can the commissioners do to help the professional accomplish their goals and fulfil their critical achievements? |
| MCS 300 | MCS 315 | 5 | Effective Unit Service in Rural Communities | What is the definition of a rural community? This course will discuss the unique issues of rural units and how to solve them. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 316 | 6 | The Unit Service Plan | The Collaborative Assessment of a unit gives an in-depth picture of the unit, its strengths, and its needs. To work toward making systematic changes in the unit’s service to youth, the Key 3 with the commissioner develops a Unit Service Plan using information from the Collaborative Assessment and other sources. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 350 | 1 | Unit and Roundtable Commissioners Working Together | This course will provide an opportunity to see how all the members of the commissioner corps in a district help units identify and resolve their problems. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 351 | 2 | Conducting the Annual Planning Session | An effective roundtable annual plan is vital to the success of all roundtables. Every district and council should have an annual roundtable plan. This course will discuss annual roundtable planning in your district or council. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 352 | 3 | Roundtable Is Over – Now What?? | The course will discuss the concept that roundtable isn’t over when the last chair is put away. There are things that need to be completed to help get ready for the next roundtable. There are also items that need to acted on, to helpunits with their problems. Letting them go until later often means they don’t get done at all. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 353 | 4 | The Cub Scout Roundtable Breakout | This course will help you use the Cub Scout breakout to develop a plan to help units solve their problems using program specific interest topics and resources, employ the breakout sessions to focus on the needs of leaders in unique positions, and apply unit service resources to help pack leaders solve their own problems. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 354 | 5 | The Scouts BSA Roundtable Breakout | The Scouts BSA breakout session focuses on the needs of troop leaders and helps them solve their problems. The Scouts BSA breakout session should help adult leaders learn scout skills as needed to help their youth leaders plan and run the troop program. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 357 | 6 | Managing Long Distance Roundtables | This course will provide an understanding of the current resources available to enhance long distance roundtables. |
| MCS 300 | MCS 358 | 6 | Addressing Unit Challenges Through Roundtable | District roundtables have a unique position to help units and unit leaders solve their problems. A great roundtable team will deliver a quality event that encourages leaders to return each month. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 420 | 4 | Commissioner Tools | Learn how to navigate and use the tools that are needed as a commissioner to log unit visits. This course will look at everything Commissioner Tools from entering contacts and Roundtables to administrative actions like assigning units. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 422 | 5 | MyScouting Tools | There’s a lot of power in our online tool kit these days. Come learn how to unleash the full capabilities of my.scouting.org! |
| MCS 400 | MCS 423 | 6 | Online Registration | Learn everything about managing membership registration online. From managing beascout.org, to getting leads, and sending and approving applications, find out how your units can be more efficient with new member registration. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 460 | 3 | Scoutbook Laboratory | Come and see Scoutbook in action! We will demonstrate aspects of the functionality of Scoutbook. Come with your questions and issues. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 480 | 5 | Advanced Exploring for Commissioners | In this course, we continue to examine the roles of the commissioner working with Exploring Units. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 481 | 6 | The Camp Commissioner | In this course, we examine how to be an effective Camp Commissioner. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 490 | 3 | Seeking New Units: Cat Packs | The number complaint today for recruiting young Cub Scouts today is “The nearest Pack is too far away.” But having a Commissioner led “Cat Pack Team” can help your Scout District quickly new Cub Scout Packs in those barren urban deserts in your community. We’ll explain the mechanics of this novel new (and perhaps easiest) approach to new unit formation and retention. Especially encourage all New Unit Commissioners to attend. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 491 | 4 | Building Meaningful Relationships as a Powerful Recruitment Tool | Building Scouting relationships with your community is a mighty tool for both membership growth and exciting, successful program opportunities. Understanding and growing these relationships is critical for growth for the Council. We’ll share some examples of relationship opportunities and success stories unique to NST-3 members and why each one of these relationships should have a dedicated Commissioner closely involved. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 492 | 6 | BSA Alumni Association Tools | The alumni of the BSA represent one of the most under-used and unconsidered non-capital resources in the organization. As we are coming out of the recent bankruptcy process, units and councils across the nation are reeling from the loss of capital resources, membership, and momentum. This presentation will introduce and review BSA Alumni Association tools, and some methods in which they may be effectively used to improve unit and district health. |
| MCS 400 | MCS 499a-j | 7 | Council Leadership Huddle | This council leadership huddle is an opportunity for all of each council’s participants in today’s college to enjoy a time of reflection and recognition with their council commissioner. |
Doctoral Level Courses [Bachelors Level] [Masters Level] [Continuing Education]
| Degree | Course ID | Course Session(s) | 2023 Course Name | 2023 Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCS 500 | DCS 501 | 1 | Selecting and Limiting Scope of Your Doctoral Project Thesis | This discussion workshop will introduce those candidates who are beginning the DCS program to the process of proposing and preparing a DCS thesis. |
| DCS 500 | DCS 503 | 2 | Developing Your Project or Thesis | This will be a workshop in which we work together to develop thesis plans for our participants. |
| DCS 500 | DCS 506 | 3 | Coaching Commissioners | Coaching is about relationships. It is the ability to listen, to observe, to share, to support and to engage in a way that will help others solve their own problems, grow as individuals and attain their full potential. This class will focus on coaching skills for administrative commissioners. |
| DCS 500 | DCS 509 | 4 | Legacy of Servant Leadership | Leading is not about what we gain from others but about what others gain from us. Leading well means serving others. |
| DCS 500 | DCS 514 | 5 | Building Meaningful Relationships | Commissioner service is all about relationships. This session suggests ways in which commissioners may go about building and maintaining positive relationships with those they serve. It also discusses possible pitfalls that can undermine relationships. |
| DCS 500 | DCS 516 | 6 | The Unit Service Plan and the District | This session examines the district commissioner’s role in completing unit service plans and how the district committee plays a key role in service plan completion. |
Continuing Education Courses [Bachelors Level] [Masters Level] [Doctoral Level]
| Degree | Course ID | Course Session(s) | 2023 Course Name | 2023 Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CED 700 | CED 701 | 1 | Combatting Commissioner Stress/Burnout | Whether we work with a unit or on the Commissioner staff, we have to be ready to face the reality that everyone gets burned out with Scouting at one time or another. This course will look at some ways we can help overcome those burnout situations and motivate ourselves and others toward better tenure in the BSA. |
| CED 700 | CED 707 | 2 | Becoming a Project Thesis Advisor | This course prepares a person to become a project or thesis advisor, provides proven techniques to make this task easier, and helps to provide consistent standards for the acceptance of a completed Doctorate of Commissioner Science project or thesis. (It is preferred that instructors and advisors have their CCS Doctorate.) |
| CED 700 | CED 712 | 3 | Roster Mining for Recruiting | This course is designed primarily for administrative commissioners (council and district) to practice recruiting commissioners using the Roster Mining method. The following plan has been used successfully by commissioners across BSA. The key to success is to use what works for you. |
| CED 700 | CED 716 | 4 | Navigating Difficult Conversations | Scouting is full of conversations. Most are pleasant and productive- but at times, differences can arise. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. Sometimes these differences appear trivial, but they can trigger strong emotions. As commissioners, we need to be able to navigate these difficult conversations in a way that leaves everyone feeling heard, understood and valued. |
| CED 700 | CED 720 | 1-2 | A Commissioner’s Introduction to Valuing Diversity | The purpose of this course is to increase knowledge and general understanding of diversity issues without making value judgments or calling into question peoples’ religious, culture, or political beliefs and affiliations as well as physical and cognitive skills, health issues and life experiences. |
| CED 700 | CED 751 | 5 | Role of the Administrative Commissioner in the Roundtable Program | This course describes how to create a roundtable culture committed to unit service, discusses developing a team with that mindset, and talks about how administrative commissioners such as the Assistant Council Commissioner for Roundtable and the Assistant District Commissioner for Roundtable can be reliable resources for units at the district and council level. We’ll also learn how nurturing relationships helps build an effective roundtable commissioner team. |
| CED 700 | CED 752 | 6 | Advanced Roundtable Promotion | When it comes right down to it, the roundtable program is not a situation of “if you build it, they will come.” Rather, you must first create a robust roundtable program that unit leaders need and THEN, in turn, create a robust promotion plan to tell unit leaders WHY they should come to roundtable. The focus of this course will be the promotion plan. |
| CED 800 | CED 890 | 5 | Recruiting in the Latinx Community | California’s Latinx community is the fastest-growing demographic in the state, accounting for 70% of our population growth over the last decade. There are structural incompatibilities in the way that Scouting traditionally approaches prospective scout families that systematically alienate Hispanic parents and prevent our best efforts to embrace this key stakeholder community. This presentation will discuss how some units and districts have been successful in welcoming our Latinx neighbors into Scouting and show the barriers that councils must confront to engage this growing community. |
Understanding the Commissioner College Course Numbering System
National Courses
BCS 101-199, MCS 301-399, DCS 501-599, CED 701-799
These courses are the courses listed on the Commissioner Training web page. With minor variations, these courses form the curriculum of Commissioner’s Colleges all across the country.
Southern California Commissioner College Specific Courses
BCS 201-299, MCS 401-499, DCS 601-699, CED 801-899
These courses were designed to meet a need, identified by the Commissioners in our service area, which was not met by the National courses. They are intended to be equal in quality to the nationally identified courses and count equally toward degrees.
