Commissioner LifesavingMCS 303MCS 304

Cornhusker Council

College of Commissioner Science

October 16, 1999

What is Commissioner Lifesaving

• Scouting paramedic

• Lifesaving Team

• Urgent cases– loss of adult leadership– no unit program– conflict between unit leaders– conflict with Chartered Organization

Watch the Vital Signs5 4 3 2 1

Meetings Well Attended Irregular MeetingsProgram Planned in Advance No Written Program

Good Advancement Little AdvancementFully uniformed unit Few in Uniform

Good Participation in Council/District Events Seldom seen outside their unit(Troop only) Frequent outdoor activities Little outdoor program, no camping

(Pack only) Participation in Day and Webelo camps Little participation in outdoor Cub Scout ActivitiesSupports FOS No FOS participation

Attend Roundtables Never Attend roundtablesConstant membership growth No new members

Strong Unit Committee Unit Leader works aloneExcellent Parent support No parent involvementUnit recharters on time Unit charter lapses

(Troop only) Strong boy leadership Unit Leader does all the leading(Pack only) Boys involved in Pack Meetings Cubmaster only in front of the PackGood Relationship with Charter Organization No partication on the part of the Charter Organization

Active Assistant Leaders Only one active leaderHaving Fun Lack of discipline

Unit leader always Available Unit leader hard to findUnit Leaders Properly Trained Very little leader training

A total between 70 and 90 is a green unitA total between 50 and 70 is a yellow unit

A total below 50 is a red unit

Green Unit is a strong healthy unitYellow Unit is a unit which needs to make some corrections

Red Unit is a unit that is in trouble and needs help.

Score each Unit from 5 to 1 in each catagory...5 being Excellent, 3 being Average and 1 being Very Poor.

Comments______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Going into Action

• Don’t wait until the next Commissioner Staff Meeting

• Establish that Unit as a Priority

• Consult with your Assistant District Commissioner or your District Commissioner

Going into Action

• Ask Six Basic Questions– What problems must be solved to save this

unit? (Distinguish between a real problem and merely a symptom of a problem)

– What are alternative strategies for solving the problems and saving the unit? (Outline at least two possible strategies)

– Which strategy are you going to try first? Why?

Going into Action

• Ask Six Basic Questions– Who will you involve? Who is going to do

what? When?

– How will you know if the unit is saved?

– If all else fails, what is “Plan B”?

Going into Action

• Be ENTHUSIASTIC!– Discouraged leaders need to know that their

situation is not hopeless– Share a realistic Vision– Demonstrate that you care

Typical “Hurry Cases”

• Stopped Breathing– Unit not meeting

• Leaders

• No Heartbeat– No Leader

• Committee Chairman

• Appoint someone on a Temporary Basis

• Charter Rep

• New Leader needs training

Typical “Hurry Cases”

• Choking– Unit with No Committee

• Contact Charter Rep to explain necessity of a Committee• Parental Involvement is not Optional

• Severe Bleeding– Unit with No New Members

• May only be a symptom of lack of program• Program Planning• Don’t want boys because not enough leaders

Typical “Hurry Cases”

• Poisoning– Unit Conflict with Chartered Organization

• Unit belongs to the Organization

• Commissioners are mediators

• Preventative Medicine– Commissioners should know the Reps as well as the Unit

Leaders

Typical “Hurry Cases”

• Disorientation– Lack of Training on the part of New Leaders

• Fast Start Videotape

• May mean you going to training over and over

• Explaining how BSA works

• Put in touch with past leaders to get the history of the unit

Preventative Medicine

• As in all types of “medical” situations, being aware of how

units are doing will prevent a virus from becoming a life threatening

disease!