I listened to show #230's chat about the Unit Commissioner position. I could put this feedback attached to the show but I thought it was interesting enough to pull it out.

A little background about me…I was asked to be an ADC for Cub Scouts for our district. That meant I got to go to Committee meetings galore! I did a bunch of the trainings (the online ones and you can feel free to take them, they're all open to everyone and it gives you some insights)

Now, our district has very few ACTIVE Unit Commissioners. There's been a recent push to get more of them active. This push really started 2 years ago when we got a new DD (District Director). He, our District Commissioner & myself visited a large number of the units. It was great to visit units I hardly even knew existed. Our District Commissioner started to make himself more available to the units and it was great. I felt good putting it out there to let units know I was available to help if they needed it. A few even took me up on it!

Unfortunately, units with "experienced" leadership didn't invite us much. They still saw it as "spying" (HATE that BTW). But the newer leaders really seemed to like it because it gave them faces to turn to. I still don't think everyone feels comfortable going to Mike or me but we put it out there and the ones that won't reach out to us, don't reach out to anyone.

NOW….I have since resigned as ADC as well as all of my other District/Council level positions and stepped in to be acting CM for a small, reorganizing Pack (one I worked with as an ADC). I also "consult" with another small pack in our town that is trying to rebuild. My Pack has a GREAT UC, if you know the right questions to ask. The other pack, not so much. He comes to visit at the beginning, asks if everything is okay, she says yes and he's on his way without even staying for the meeting. In reality, she's having problems with a parent, the CC & the CO. We (me & her) did get most of the issues resolved (parents are never an easy fix) and her UC never got wind of any of it. Some inside information on the CC issue is that she has the DD's ear for another reason and she asked him how to "remove" him. WRONG phrasing. The DD went all text book, freaked her out and almost made the situation worse. In actuality, the CC had resigned and she needed to know how to put someone new in (fill out the paperwork). Going to the DD did not help!!!

Now…just recently I needed some information for my Pack. I followed the chain of command to a T (slightly crooked, but for the most part, correct). I emailed my question to my UC and cc'd the District Commissioner (he & I are still friends). The UC came back with a very PC reply of he'd research it and get back to me. Just what I wanted (expected). Unfortunately I was in a hurry for the info so I pulled in a brownie point or 2 (that I earned by volunteering for the secretary at council) and got the info a bit quicker. The next day he comes back to me with a forward from the DD. I had to laugh because the DD told my UC that the information I had requested was not available (didn't exist) as I stood with it in my grimy little hands.

My former CM hubby asked why I didn't just go to the secretary in the first place? I replied that it isn't the way it should happen and I'm training these new parents how to do stuff so I have to do it "right" (no one knows about the secretary favor but ya'll).

I guess, the long & the short of it is that the UC program is a great program….IF it's done right. Most of the people WE have in UC positions haven't been directly involved in program in YEARS and really have no clue about how it works, either practical or theoretical even. That's part of why I dropped hints to our District (and even Council) Commissioner that they should talk to my former CM hubby about being an UC or even better, ADC. He's in touch with how it SHOULD be and can genuinely help (also people feel comfortable talking to him).

And that's MY view of the whole thing