Commissioners are district and council volunteer leaders who help Scout units succeed. Commissioners coach and regularly consult with adult leaders of Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Venturing Crews, Explorer Posts and Sea Scout Ships. They help maintain the standards of the BSA through maintaining regular contact with unit leaders, counseling leaders on where to find assistance, noting weaknesses in programs and suggesting remedies to improve. The commissioner is successful when units effectively deliver the ideals of Scouting to their members.
As commissioners, we share the BSA’s mission: To prepare youth to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
OUR VISION
Every member of the BSA has a great Scouting experience.
OUR OBJECTIVES
Supporting unit growth and retention through the journey to excellence.
Contacting units and capturing in commissioner tools their strengths, needs, and a unit service plan that enables continuing improvement.
Linking unit needs to district operating committee and other resources.
Supporting timely unit, district, and council charter renewals.
Supporting unit leaders by collecting and distributing information, enabling program training, and providing networking opportunities.
OUR GOALS
Enable an increased number of traditional units.
Enable the retention rate of traditional units.
Enable implementation of a unit service plan through collaborative detailed assessments and an increased number of significant unit contacts.
OUR METHODS
The UPG Methodology
New Member Coordinators
Unit Key 3
The Unit Service Plan
Journey to Excellence
My.Scouting Tools (Including Commissioner Tools)
Continuous Recruiting
Assigning Resources to Greatest Needs
Retention Mission Statement
The retention mission of the commissioner corps is best achieved by providing an adequate number of trained unit commissioners who provide a link to district committee resources in support of a quality unit program.
Maybe you’d like to be a Commissioner?
It’s a great Scouting job, and very rewarding. Commissioners in the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council have many years of experience in Scouting, but that’s not a requirement! Even if you are new to Scouting, if you like working with people to promote good Scouting and solve problems, and you are willing to take advantage of the many Commissioner training opportunities put on throughout the year, you may be a great candidate for this area of Scouting service. Just contact Bill Guglielmi acting Director of Field Service, by, e-mail and you will be on your way. The Greater Tampa Bay Area Council Commissioner Corps is currently looking for volunteers at the Unit Commissioner level for all districts.
Commissioner Qualifications
Trained Scouter (or willing to be trained)
Meet basic Boy Scouts of America membership requirements
Willing to visit and regularly contact Scout units
Willing to attend district activities
Be pro-district and pro-council
Willing to attend monthly commissioner staff meetings
Commissioner Tools is available via the my.Scouting.org portal. Commissioner Tools helps commissioners perform by providing access to information critical to supporting units. Here are a few examples of Commissioner Tools capabilities:
Assign commissioners to units.
Record contacts. A commissioner is most effective through frequent contact with units to build a friendly and trusting relationship.
Roundtable administrations. Plan, record attendance, and monitor effectiveness.
Conduct assessments to help a unit improve. In concert with the Unit Service Plan and Journey to Excellence (JTE), the tool provides the ability to record the results and build action plans that may access and incorporate district, council, and other resources beyond the unit.
Monitor a unit’s progress. Access unit information.
Commissioner Tools PowerPoint presentation. Includes speaker notes that could be used for local training. Note: For the sake of completeness and to promote learning through repetition, there intentionally is some overlap between this presentation and the Unit Service Plan presentation.
Updates to Commissioner ToolsThis is the most recent update information regarding changes and improvements made to commissioner tools.
Unit Service Plan
Unit Service Plan PowerPoint presentation. Provides a fundamental understanding of the concepts for Commissioner Tools. The Unit Service Plan was developed to help improve unit performance based on unit needs discovered during a Detailed Assessment. Commissioner Tools incorporates both the Detailed Assessment and the Unit Service Plan.
The purpose of the College of Commissioner Science is to provide supplemental training for all functions in the council and district related to commissioner service. It is recognized that commissioners are key to the continued health and growth of the units in the council.
BACHELOR OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE DEGREE
Credit for a Bachelor of Commissioner Science Degree will be granted by this College if the participant Commissioner completes the following:
PREREQUISITES:
Has up-to-date Youth Protection Training
Has current BSA Youth Protection Training Certificate
Completion of “Commissioner Basic Training”
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of seven courses of instruction, at least five of the courses at the Bachelor’s program level.
MASTERS OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE DEGREE
Credit for a Masters of Commissioner Science Degree will be granted by this College if the participant Commissioner completes the following:
PREREQUISITES:
Current registration as a Commissioner
Current BSA Youth Protection Training Certificate
Has earned the Arrowhead Honor.
Have received a Bachelor of Commissioner Science Degree or a Bachelor of Roundtable Degree, or has been awarded the Commissioner’s Key.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of seven (7) additional courses of instruction (total of 14), at least seven of the courses at the Master’s level.
DOCTOR OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE DEGREE
Note: Earning the Doctor of Commissioner Science Degree does not qualify you to receive the Doctorate of Commissioner Service Knot Award.
PREREQUISITES:
Current registration as a Commissioner
Current BSA Youth Protection Training Certificate
Completion of Master’s Degree.
Have been awarded the Commissioner’s Key.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of 10 additional courses of instruction (total of 24) at least five of the courses at the Doctorate or Continuing Education program level. Courses
may not have previously been counted toward other college degrees.
THESIS OR PROJECT:
It is recommended that the topic of a project or thesis be directly related to unit service. There may be specific circumstances under which a topic related to another area of Scouting would be appropriate. Local councils have the authority to approve topics related to another area of Scouting when selecting one directly related to unit service isn’t appropriate or practical. The council commissioner or designee may authorize an alternate topic. This can be on any topic related to Commissioner Service.
The topic must be pre-approved by the college of commissioner science committee. Complete the thesis/project using the approved format as determined by the college. The topic and final paper must be approved by the doctoral review committee. All segments(proposal, proposal acceptance, thesis/project completion, thesis acceptance) of the degree must be approved by the college of commissioner science.
COMMISSIONER PERFORMANCE:
Serve for at least one year on the college of commissioner science staff (instructor or support staff), or work with training support for commissioners for at least one year.
DOCTORATE OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE SERVICE KNOT AWARD
Credit for a Doctor of Commissioner Science Degree will be granted by this College if the participant Commissioner fulfills the following:
PREREQUISITES:
Current registration as a Commissioner
Current BSA Youth Protection Training Certificate
Completion of Doctoral Degree in Commissioner Science
TENURE:
Serve as a commissioner for a minimum of 5 years. (Years need not be consecutive). This service can be in one or more roles or positions commissioner of service.
RECRUITING:
Recruit or assist in recruiting at least three new commissioners during tenure as a commissioner.
FINAL APPROVAL:
Approval of council or assigned assistant council commissioner.
BSA SUGGESTED STATEMENT OF COURSE WORK RECIPROCITY
“The College of Commissioner Science accepts a Commissioner’s course work from any Boy Scouts of America College of Commissioner Science provided that an official transcript is made available.”
The College of Commissioner Science will credit courses from another council to be applied towards a College of Commissioner Science Degree if prior approval has been obtained from the current Dean of the College of Commissioner Science.
Classes taken at a University of Scouting that are not listed in the BSA National Curriculum (http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/commissioners/training.aspx) will not be accepted for credit. The College will also honor Commissioner courses taken at the Philmont Training Center. (Please submit a transcript to the College of Commissioner Science Registrar.)
DEGREE RECOGNITION
The College of Commissioner Science will continue to recognize degrees earned from other Boy Scouts of America College of Commissioner Science and Philmont Training Center College of Commissioner Science degrees provided that an official transcript is made available.
AWARD RECOGNITION
The College of Commissioner Science will honor all Commissioner Arrowhead, Commissioner Key, Distinguished Commissioner, and the Commissioner Award of Excellence in Unit Service, and the Doctor of Commissioner Science Awards.
COLLEGE STAFF
Greater Tampa Bay Area Council President – Rachelle Dexvaux Bedke
Council Commissioner – Matthew Cordani, G. T. B. A. C.
Director of the College – Matthew Cordani, G. T. B. A. C.
Advisor – Dr. G. S. Torres, G. T. B. A. C.
Dean of Bachelors – Frank Brown, Timucua.
Dean of Masters – Javier Fuentes, Suncoast.
Dean of Doctoral – J. Ronayne, Miccosukee.
Registrar/Provost – William Haggard, G. T. B. A. C.
2027 GREATER TAMPA BAY AREA COUNCIL COLLEGE OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE
Matt Cordani, Program Director
15 May 2027
GREATER TAMPA BAY AREA COUNCIL OFFICE
TIME (24hr clock)
05/15/2027 0830 College of Commissioner Science Official Start
Welcome to CCS 2027
0800 – 850 Coffee, Introduction for ALL Colleges With Council Commissioner, Matthew Cordani
BACHELORS-Javier Fuentes, DeanMASTERS-Tim Bobo, DeanDOCTORATE-Jim Ronayne, Dean
Lunch Choices, Please pick only one (A, B, C, or D):
A: 2 piece fried chicken, no breasts, with mac & cheese and green beans for sides. Hawaiian rolls.
B: 2 piece fried chicken, no breasts, with mashed potatoes and collard greens for sides. Hawaiian rolls.
C: Publix Italian (Genoa Salami, Tavern Ham, Cappy) whole sub, with provolone cheese, on Italian bread, with lettuce, tomato, green peppers, & olives on sandwiches. mustard & mayo on the side.
D: Publix roast beef whole sub, with muenster cheese, on white bread, with lettuce, tomato, green peppers, & olives on sandwiches. mustard & mayo on the side.
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portal. Commissioner Tools helps commissioners perform by providing access to information critical to supporting units. Here are a few examples of Commissioner Tools capabilities:
Includes speaker notes that could be used for local training. Note: For the sake of completeness and to promote learning through repetition, there intentionally is some overlap between this presentation and the Unit Service Plan presentation.
. Provides a fundamental understanding of the concepts for Commissioner Tools. The Unit Service Plan was developed to help improve unit performance based on unit needs discovered during a Detailed Assessment. Commissioner Tools incorporates both the Detailed Assessment and the Unit Service Plan.
Team Detailed Assessment Blank Form 
BACHELOR OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE DEGREE
MASTERS OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE DEGREE
DOCTORATE OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE SERVICE KNOT AWARD