Commissioner's Corner
February 2012: Your Unit Key 3
I'm sure most of you have heard of your District Key 3, and even your Council Key 3, but did you know your unit has a Key 3? Let's start with what a Key 3 is. A Key 3 is the three top positions in a council, district or unit. At the council level it is the Council President (Joe Brake), Council Commissioner (Eric Chiles), and the Council Scout Executive (Craig Poland). In the district it's the District Chairman, District Commissioner and the District Executive.
Your Unit Key 3 is slightly different. It consists of your unit Committee Chairperson, the unit leader (Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, or Crew Advisor) and your Chartered Organization Representative (COR). I'd be willing to be most units rarely see the COR with the exception of the Blue & Gold Banquet or the Red & White Banquet. However, the COR is a member of the unit committee and therefore needs to play a greater role.
A benefit from having your COR involved is that you better communications between the unit and your unit sponsor. By having this kind of relationship you can better serve each other. Did you know your COR is a voting member of your District Committee and can vote at the Council's Annual Meeting? They are your rep at those levels, too.
The Unit Key 3 should meet at least once a month before the committee meeting and the leaders meeting. Their job is to monitor the things that are needed to make a great Scouting program. Every month they review the calendar, budget, your Journey to Excellence scorecard, and discuss any issues that come up.
This is not to say they run the show, only that they monitor from a big picture level. In military parlance, they handle the strategy, develop objectives and present them to the unit committee and leaders. The committee and leaders look at the Key 3 plan and develop tactics to obtain these objectives. For example, the Key 3 identifies a need for more funds to pay for equipment damaged on the last outing and the committee decides how to raise those funds.
Where does your Unit Commissioner fit in to this? He or she acts as an advisor, sounding board and friend. They are the unbiased observer that helps keeps things in perspective.
Yours in Scouting,
Doug Stoudt
Trexler District Commissioner