Commissioner Basic Training

A commissioner is considered trained when they complete the prescribed online training or the facilitated in-person training, and when they complete the defined onboarding requirements outlined in the Onboarding Progress Record appropriate for their position while working with an assigned onboarding coach. The Onboarding Progress Record is a set of 10 to 12 position-specific tasks that the commissioner and their coach work through together. The coach’s role is to review each of the onboarding requirements with the new commissioner and assist them in completing each task. The onboarding coach is usually an experienced commissioner who is familiar with the duties expected of the newly appointed commissioner and who will help the new commissioner to become effective in their role. 

The person who appoints a new commissioner should at the same time also appoint the onboarding coach and is responsible for ensuring that the onboarding process is completed.

In the case of a newly appointed Unit or Roundtable Commissioner, the onboarding coach may be the Assistant District Commissioner with whom the new commissioner will be serving. It could also be another experienced Unit Commissioner or Roundtable Commissioner appointed by the District Commissioner, or the District Commissioner can serve as the onboarding coach.

Ideally in the case of a new Assistant District Commissioner, the District Commissioner should be the onboarding coach. However, the District Commissioner might choose to appoint another experienced Assistant District Commissioner to serve as the onboarding coach. 

District Commissioners are nominated by the district nominating committee and approved by the Council Executive Board, with the concurrence of the Council Commissioner. In this instance, the Council Commissioner designates the onboarding coach, or the Council Commissioner can serve as the onboarding coach. 

Assistant Council Commissioners should be onboarded by the Council Commissioner or by another Assistant Council Commissioner appointed by the Council Commissioner. 

Council Commissioners can have the assistance of the Council Scout Executive acting as their coach in completing the onboarding process. Alternatively, the Territory Commissioner can serve as coach or appoint an onboarding coach. 

Coaches are responsible for verifying that the online or facilitated in-person training has been completed. In the case of online training, the coach does this by reviewing the online training record of a new commissioner to be sure that each required module has been completed. The required module SCO numbers for each commissioner position are listed on the back of the onboarding progress records. In the case of facilitated in-person training, the coach should verify completion of the appropriate in-person training session by reviewing the new commissioner’s Certificate of Training record card for that training. These cards must be completed and provided by the in-person training facilitator to each participant upon completion of each course. 

Once a new commissioner has completed the necessary training sessions and the onboarding requirements for their position, their coach will enter the appropriate training code into the new commissioner’s training record using the Training Manager application in My.Scouting. The final duty of the coach is to notify the appropriate level commissioner (usually the District Commissioner or Council Commissioner) that the new commissioner has completed their training and onboarding successfully, and that they are ready to receive their Commission Certificate in an appropriate commissioning ceremony.

Onboarding Summary Document is available here.

The following video provides additional details to help the onboarding coach accomplish their responsibilities.