Commissioner’s Corner
April 22, 2012
It has been too long since the last note from the commissioner’s corner, for that I apologize. The one thing however, is you have to keep in contact to see if there is another report. It was a long time between when we started this year’s re-charter and when we finally completed the re-chartering for 2012. We cannot let this occur again for our 2013 re-charter. The question is if we continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results, what does that say in reference to our sanity? The question then is what can we change to correct our past history and improve the integrity of the program? We want to improve the program by providing quality programs in all levels of scouting. We have spent large amounts of money on our camps so that we can have great facilities, but are without the needed number of great leaders and support people to provide the best for the best.
We must start visiting all of the units in Sequoyah District and recording them. The purpose of the visit is to see how the units are operating and what their needs and desires are. This will assist us in providing the required training and/or program(s) that will help the unit to develop and grow while encouraging the members to advance and keep hooked up with bringing in fellow scouts to the program.
➢ If you are visiting units be sure to record your visits.
➢ If you are not visiting units please help us all out and visit your units soon as well as record them.
➢ If you are having trouble recording your visits please let me know and we will see what we need to do to get the visits recorded.
We just had a great District Camporee and of the troops I visited with as a whole, all were having a good year. Let’s see if we can help in any way to get the units more active in the opportunities before them. We need to have a person designated for the unit re-charter person soon. It seems like a long time off before we start doing our preparation for re-charter but it is just around the corner.
I hope everyone is ready for the summer activities, but if not please encourage the units to participate in the many activities that are available this summer.
Regards,
Gary A. Bedford
February 2012
The last Commissioners corner article was written in March of 2011. That may seem like an extended period of time, but as we all know time is something that we cannot stop but we have a tendency of placing good intentions above the things we actually do or do not do. I have taken the position of Sequoyah District Commissioner this year and am in the process of learning the system and realizing the depth of the organization that is required to provide the finest organization for the boys of America and especially in Sequoyah district. We are one of the top districts in the nation by achieving GOLD with our Journey to Excellence program in 2011. Once we have achieved this honor we must continue to strive to maintain this level in our program. The way we can hold this level is to visit our units and provide them with the aids and materials that are required to keep the high level of programming that is possible. If we do not make the unit visits, the units may be operating not realizing that they are missing out on available training or programs.
It is my honor to have the opportunity to address you as the current district commissioner. As we travel through the next few years we will all have the joy in seeing Sequoyah district excel. I have been involved in Sequoyah district for the last 16 years in various levels of scouting and have seen enormous changes in the council and district. One such change in the council includes the move of the scout office from Brookside (the scout office when I was a scout in the 50’s and early 60’s) to its current location on 42nd and Garnett. In addition, we have enjoyed the many transformations and organizational changes that have come into effect since Bill Hanes came on board. The national council has also evoked changes that will raise the level of the scouting program. We are seeing new innovations in how we operate and how we better communicate with the community and most importantly with the boys in our communities. We have new requirements to insure that all of our leaders are trained in the positions that they hold so we can have a better program for our boys. With the training of our adults we are also promoting the leadership roles of our scouts. We need to develop our commissioner corps so we can concentrate on helping the packs, troops and crews as we travel on our journey to excellence.
Every year we re-charter our units and it seems that we have some units that always do their paperwork and re-charter at the very first opportunity. However, we have some units that do not get their paperwork submitted in a timely manner. At this writing we still have units that have yet to complete their re-charter. This includes a range of those that have not started their re-charter process to units that are just short of completing re-charter but for lack of paperwork, signatures, and missing applications for adults and/or youths. Please take a moment and check your units to confirm that they have completed all the required paperwork to insure that the unit is registered. If the unit has not completed the paperwork, the boys will not be registered. We can have a disaster if we have to start new charters because we failed to complete our re-charter.
If you are serving as a unit commissioner, I challenge you to continue to make your unit visits and record them online. If you are not a commissioner, we need you to consider helping the scouting program by volunteering to become a unit commissioner.
Gary A. Bedford
District Commissioner
March 2011
Since there are 12 months in the year, and 12 points in the Scout Law, it is fitting that each month this year we will explore an element of the Scout Law in everyday life. Last month we looked at Loyal as exhibited through the efforts of dedicated adults who support Scouting in our community. This month we look at the third point of the Scout law, which is “Helpful”.
Coincidentally, I also find it fitting that the topic for Roundtable for March is Environment. In the same sense that a Scout is helpful to others by lending a hand and by doing a good turn daily; he is also helpful towards our natural environment because of his role as custodian of his camp site. If we follow the Outdoor Code, and Leave No Trace behind, then we are being helpful by preserving the parks and natural environments for others to use and enjoy in the future.
A scout’s duty is more than just to leave the place better than they found it, they must also be committed to preserving the environment by reducing the impact which Humans have made on our world. Through merit badges such as Soil and Water Conservation and Fish and Wildlife Management, the scout gains an increased appreciation for the environment and the associated conservation needed to preserve the world for future generations.
The World Conservation Award and William T. Hornaday Award reflect exemplary efforts by conscientious scouts seeking to make a difference in our environment. The next time you see a scout wearing one of these awards; please make a special extra effort to commend them on their accomplishment. By earning these awards, they have taken specific significant steps to be helpful towards Mother Nature and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.
Jeff Gilstrap
Sequoyah District Commissioner
February 2011
The Scout handbook defines the Scout Law, Loyal, where, “A Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation.” Due to the recent schedule changes from recent historical snow events, which caused various meeting cancellations and rescheduling, it occurred to me that many Adult Leaders in our District also embody this sense of Loyalty for Scouting through their overwhelming support and attendance at the District Recognition Banquet. On February 11, a last minute need to move the Banquet to the Scout Resource Center (because parking lots could not be cleared) prompted concerns that we would have a small turnout. However, to my surprise, over 130 participants attended the event. Only a Loyal and Dedicated group would have ventured out on an otherwise cold and snow swept night. I do appreciate everyone who made it to the Banquet, and those who joined us in spirit, but could not make it in person. A special recognition goes out to everyone who received awards, which again reflects the Loyalty concept through continued commitment to their respective roles and responsibilities in Scouting.
I am optimistic about the future of Scouting in the Sequoyah District because of the Loyalty demonstrated by everyone including Unit Leaders, Unit Commissioners, the District Committee, the Key 3 and every volunteer who makes scouting a priority in their lives. In this year of the celebration of 100 years of Scouting in the Indian Nations Council, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the impact Scouting has provided to thousands of local youth, and a time to promote the benefits of a strong program which will provide positive benefits for youth into the future.
Jeff Gilstrap
Sequoyah District Commissioner
