Lone Scouting USA

Image of Unit Commissioner emblem

The second most important support person in Lone Scouting -- your Commissioner!

Lone Scouting requires additional support -- and the role of the man or woman serving as your Commissioner is essential to your success as a Lone Scout Friend and Counselor and your youth's success as a Lone Cub Scout or Lone Boy Scout.

The Commissioner's role is steeped in the history and annals of Scouting. The Commissioner exists to do five key roles to SUPPORT (not take over) for you. He or she is NOT your "assistant leader" nor are they a "unit committee member or chair". But they can advise in many of the way that "assistant leaders" and "unit committee members or chairs" can do. Just remember that they are not just YOUR Commissioner, but the Commissioner in some cases to SEVERAL OTHER Lone Scouts and their Friend and Counselors also!!

The five areas:

- registration and membership support. Your Commissioner will be the person who represents the local Council in rechartering and getting you membership cards and other documentation needed to make your registration "official". Even though much of our registration is done electronically nowadays, your Unit Commissioner can help you navigate through all of the registration areas.

- program support. You have some great ideas for activities and program ideas for your Lone Scout. Your Lone Scout have some ideas as well. The Commissioner will help you two generate even MORE ideas, and may have some indepth information about District and Council activities you and your Lone Scout may want to participate in.

- advancements and recognitions. Your Commissoner also will assist you with awarding special recognitions to your Lone Scout or yourself coming from the local Council and the Boy Scouts of America. In particular, your Commissioner will be a position to assist you with managing Arrow of Light and Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremonies.

- council outreach services. Your Commissioner will be able to coach you as to what key services are available from your Council -- day camps, summer camp, special program camps, and other opportunities.

- and training. The Commissioner is specially trained to provide dedicated basic training and also some supplemental training when you cannot get to a District or Council training location.

Some Councils may NOT have dedicated local Unit Commissioners. There are many reasons why but it comes down to availabilities of local Commissioners and their workload.

In those cases, the local Council may designate a senior Council-level Commissioner as Assistant Council Commissioner - Lone Scouting. This person serves as the coordinator of all of the Lone Scouts in a Council (typically not more than 15) and reports to the Council Commissioner.

The function of the Assistant Council Commissioner - Lone Scouting and Unit Commissioners are essentially the same except that Unit Commissioners report to a District Assistant District Commissioner or perhaps to the District's Commissioner.

Bottom lines: the Lone Scouting program is a PROGRAM OPTION. Every local Council is a "franchase" of the national organization. Some may have "Lone Scouting" and others may not.