Contacting Units

What, Why, Who & When?

 Objectives
1. What is a contact?
2. Why are contacts important?
3. Who does the contact?
4. When should it be done?
5. The importance of the Contact Report
 What Is a Contact?
• It is a formal review of the Scouting program
of any given unit
– Den/Pack
– Patrol/Troop
– Roundtable
– Committee/Unit Key 3 Meeting
• It is a record that can be used to determine an
action plan to improve
 Why Unit Contacts?
• Why do you think Contacts should be done?
• Strengthens the unit to meet the needs of the
Scouts
• Provides feedback to leaders on how to
improve their program
• It provides a historical perspective for
subsequent adult leaders
 Who Does the Contact?
• Commissioners have the responsibility
– Unit Commissioners
– Assistant District Commissioners
– Round Table Commissioners
– District Commissioners
• Contact reports are based on the Unit and on
Roundtable performance
 Who Are Commissioners?
A Commissioner is a Member of the LDS Stake YM or Primary Presidency
YM Presidency Primary Presidency Scouting Role
President President Unit Commissioner
1st Counselor 1st Counselor Unit Commissioner
2nd Counselor 2nd Counselor Unit Commissioner

A Commissioner is a Member of the LDS High Council

Young Men Organization Primary Organization Scouting Role
High Councilor High Councilor Assistant District Commissioner

Traditional Unit
Traditional Unit Commissioner
Traditional Assistant District Commissioner
 LDS Unit Commissioner Responsibilities
“Ward Leaders’ Responsibilities for Scouting*”
• “Conducts (Scout) training in each ward*”
• “Provide ongoing instruction and
encouragement*”
• “Meet regularly with Scout unit leaders*”
• “Register with BSA as a Unit Commissioner*”
• “Receives appropriate Scout leader training*”
• “Participates in District Committee
Meetings and Roundtables*”
• *Quotes from LDS Church Handbook(Scouting Handbook)
 Unit Commissioners
• “Establish a close relationship with adult Scout
leaders in wards, interact with them regularly
and report the condition of Scouting to the
assistant district commissioner.”
• “Learn about Scout policies, procedures and
evaluation programs.”
• A BSA procedure is to report on the Ward
Scout program using the evaluation process
established by the BSA.
 Assistant District Commissioners
High Councilor over YM & Primary
– “Registers as an Assistant District Commissioner*”
– “Receives appropriate BSA(Scout) training*”
– “Participate in monthly District Commissioner Mtg*”
– “Work closely with District Commissioner and Unit
Commissioners in Stake*”
– Loads the Unit Commissioner Assignments in
Commissioner Tools
*Quotes from LDS Church Handbook
 Bonneville Shores Commissioners
Name Position Name Position Name Position
Allred, Daren UC/DC Gibby, Michelle UC Parkinson, Seth ADC
Bingham, Sondra UC Glissmeyer, Ashley UC Reid, Suzanne UC
Bitner, Preston UC Green, Tyson UC Rowberry, Rebecca ADC
Bowers, Brian UC/ADC Green, Diane UC Sanders, Rodney DC
Cannnon, Jana RTC Hintze, Eric ADC Savage, Jack UC
Christensen, Kevin ADC Hughes,Ben UC Schaelling, Lynda UC
Cook, Bryan UC Lasson, Russell ADC Schmidt, Tina UC
Cottrell, Kelly UC Lebaron, Eric RTC Scholes, Cheryl ARTC
Creed, Tara UC Loveland, Glen UC Scholes, Elizabeth RTC
Erickson, Mark UC Monsen, Natalie ADC, UC Smith, Tyson ADC
Francis, Mark ADC Moore, Stephanie UC Sorenson, Richard UC
Franson, Gregory ADC Packer, Cheryl UC Spillman, Mary UC

ADC= Assistant District Comm, UC=Unit Comm, RTC=Roundtable Comm

 Bonneville Shores Commissioners
Name Position Name Position
Stanger, Jed UC Wright, Becky UC
Stevenson, Daren UC
Summers, Steven UC
Talbot, Brad UC/RTC
Timothy, Adam ADC
Weger, Robert UC
Wilcox, Bryce UC
Wilkes, Thalene UC
Willmore, Karen UC
Wood, Brett UC
Wood, Jessica UC

ADC= Assistant District Comm, UC=Unit Comm, RTC=Roundtable Comm

 When?
• Unit Commissioners do 2 types of contacts
– Simple Assessment
– Detailed Assessment
• A Simple is done 4 times a year per unit
• A Detailed is done 2 times a year per unit
• Is a visit to Priesthood or Primary Mtg
considered a “contact” for Scouting?
• A “contact” is only a Scout Mtg
 What Is Reviewed?
• What should I review?
– Have the Scout leaders been trained
• Basic training
• Leader specific training/Outdoor training
• Safety training
– Do they attend monthly Roundtables
– Are committee meetings held monthly
– Is there a patrol leaders council
– Is there an annual program calendar
– Many other items(Handout)
 Why Do Contacts?
• A very wise man once said:
“Performance improves when performance
is measured and feedback given.”
• How do we measure performance in Scouting?
• What do we have that helps measure performance and provide
feedback to Scout leaders or Charter Executives?
• How many golfers or basketball players in the audience today?
• What does the Scorecard or Scoresheet mean to your game?
• Do you think that a scorecard to Scout Leaders would help?
• Responsibility: have all Commissioners perform contact
assessments and reports on a monthly basis
• A contact report is a scorecard
• Review it with Unit Leader for feedback
 Unit Contacts
• Contacts can be done as a:
– Visit to Unit Meetings & Activities
– Unit Committee Meetings
– Key 3 Meetings
– Phone call
– Email
• Contacts are reported in “Commissioner Tools”
• ADCs and UCs are to make contacts
• Important point is to make the contact
 This is a measure
that can be
Why are some districts not doing contacts?
improved?
District/Stake/Ward January February March Total
Bonneville Shores 5 13 7 25
Creekside 0 1 1 2
Layton 38th Ward 0 1 1 2
Layton Legacy 1 0 0 1
Layton 2nd Ward 1 0 0 1
Layton South 2 6 0 8
Bridgecreek Ward 1 1 0 2
Layton 37th Ward 1 1 0 2
Pheasant Place Ward 0 1 0 1
Roberts Farms Ward 0 1 0 1
Stone Creek Ward 0 1 0 1
Evergreen Ward 0 1 0 1
Layton West 2 6 6 14
Chelsie Park 2nd Ward 1 2 1 4
Green Leaf Ward 0 1 0 1
Suntrails Ward 0 1 1 2
Windsor Meadows 1st Ward 1 2 4 7
 How Do You Record a Contact?
• Contacts should be recorded in
– my.scouting.org on the internet or
– myScouting on a cell phone
• In either case it is in Commissioner Tools
• Access to Commissioner Tools is automatic
upon registration as a Commissioner
• Access it from a computer, iPad, iPhone or
Android
 Commissioner Contacts
• Preparation before the contact
– Schedule with the Scout leader the contact
• Assess and communicate the key issues
• Share best practices and bring ideas
• Don’t be critical
• In Presidency & Commissioner Meetings share
effective contact ideas
• Use the scorecard to give feedback
Scout Handbook: "Contacting Units is the Commissioner’s most basic task”
 How Do I Get It All Done?
• Allocate your time wisely-plan
• Prioritize- focus on the weakest units first
• Call extra counselors to do just contacts
– LDS Handbook reference
• Use all of your resources
• Regular contacts can become a habit

A Contact Report takes less than 5 minutes to complete!

 Benefits from Contacts
• Effective Scouting programs will help YM:
– Be responsible
– Become better prepared missionaries
– Learn to be caring and effective husbands and fathers
• A Scout will feel confidence and recognition
thru rank advancements and badges earned
• A good Scouting program will help a Scout:
– Develop character
– Understand citizenship and responsibility
– Learn personal fitness
– Practice the Scout Law
 Practice Entering a Contact
• Take out your cell phone
• Go to App Store and download “MyScouting”
• Login using your own sign-on to Commissioner
Tools or use wpchild1 and password Pioneer7*
• Have an ADC, DC or ACC assign you to a unit
• Select a unit that you have visited or have
perspective on their performance
• Load in the unit number
• Complete the report
To get into Commissioner Tools on
the iPhone or Android click on the
Scout Emblem.
To do a contact report on a unit
Unit Commissioners
To do a contact report on a Roundtable
Roundtable Commissioners
To assign a Commissioner
Assistant District Commissioners
To do unit administration
District Commissioners

To start a contact on a unit,

click on Units Assigned
To do a Contact Report select “Add New Contact”.
 Type of Contact
Complete the Contact: Unit Meeting
Unit Committee
Unit Key 3 Mtg
1-Select Type of Contact Unit Activity
2-Select Unit Health Unit Parent Mtg
3-Click Simple Assessment Other

Unit Health
Unchanged
Declined
Improved
 Unit Assessment Scoring Matrix
Relative Score Color Definition Program Plan
Ranking
High 5 Green Nearly an idea situation Plan created and
distributed
Medium-High 4 Lime Making Progress towards the ideal unit Plan completed

Medium 3 Yellow Typical unit; could be improved Meeting

scheduled
Medium- 2 Orange Needs improvement; watch Unit will
low carefully schedule
Low 1 Red Weak situation; needs immediate No meeting
action planned
Save

1-Select a score
2-Add comments
3-Click on Save

Continue the assessment

Click on Save and
Publish Contact
 Summary
• Contacts are the responsibility of Commissioners
– Unit Commissioners (YM/Primary Presidencies)
– Assistant District Commissioners(High Councilors)
– District Commissioners
• Contacts are done per unit (Den, Troop, Unit)
– Simple Assessment is done 4 times a year
– Detailed Assessment is done 2 times a year
• Contacts are done to help Scouts, leaders
and the unit
 Resources
• www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Commissioner/t
ools.aspx -
• www.facebook.com/CommissionersoftheBoySco
uts of America
• Training on Unit Assessments and Service Plan
• Commissioner Tools training on YouTube
– Entering a Unit Contact
• Simple Assessment
• The Detailed Assessment
Goal: Do Two Contacts a Month
Questions or Comments
Thank You!
 The Mission

The Mission of Unit Service is to help

units better serve more youth through
Scouting