Recruitment

          +  Training

= Good Programs

     + Recognition

          = Retention

                             Lord Baden Powell

Mazzuca and Gottschalk Interview

Click on above Black Underlined Words, for Interview on pdf. 

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BSA's CSE, and President were interviewed while visiting Families of 4 Scouts who were killed, and many Scouts, who were injured in Hospitals, from the Tornado at Little Sioux Camp in Iowa. They had dropped every thing they were doing to make the trip to MAC's Camp, and visit our Scouts, and Families. Rob Mazzuca, and John Gottschalk received 100s of e-mails, from all over the World, asking how they could help. I myself received many e-mails from Scouters all around the Country, offering prayers,and other assistance too. John Gottschalk told us at our CCS in march, that 50 % of Families in USA, don;t know what the BSA offers, but that has changed since Little Sioux's tragedy.                          

I tried to teach my 4 children that, there are 2 ways to be a success; 1 is, help those around you, to be a success, then theirs is automatic: the other is, do those things that, others won't do. I have this this, my whole life, and now, with this web site, I can help others, do the same. 

When I was selected as the 1st ACC for Retention, in 1993, I was asked to find out why Scouts leave Scouting. As a Commissioner since 1978, I realized the reason was because they didn't like the program offered, or there was no organized program. So, we 1st needed our DCs to find those Leaders that offered good programs, by finding Units that, had advancements on a regular basis. They then needed to find a way to recognize those Leaders, in a special way, because it had been proven over the years that, Recognitions, encourages Retention. We also learned that, those Leaders took advantage of all the training available to them, from basics, Roundtables, continuing education (University of scouting), and higher education, such as Wood Badge. Then, when their sons were finished with Scouting, after earning the Eagle Award, or turned 18, those Leaders could share their programs, on a larger basis, by becoming a UC.

This web site is designed for Commissioners, specifically interested in Retention in Scouting. However, I will share the successful use of the 3 Rs of Scouting, Recruitment, Retention, and Recognition. The title for this web page came from my thesis, for Omaha’s MAC’s (Mid America Council’s) CCS’s (College Of Commissioner Sciences’s) Doctorate. The thesis was from a 2 year daily log, written for the new Cub Pack #650, I started on October 2^nd, 2002, at my Parish, in Elkhorn Nebraska, while I was the 1^st CM, to be used at the planning meeting, every August. Even though it was about a new Scout Unit, it will work for, an established Unit, as well as one that might be in trouble, before the last result, cancelling a Charter.

This web page can also be used, for Commissioners to add a personal opinion, critiques, observations. The title of, my thesis, and this web site, “The Commissioner & The Unit”, was written in book form, so I will attempt to, turn it into a hand book, to be available to all Commissioners, or any other Scouter. Until then, I will attempt to share it chapter, by chapter, beginning with, the 1^st chapter, the Charter Organization.

Like you, in the 45 years that, I have been with the BSA, I have taken advantage of, every Training, available to me. As the PT (Pack Trainer), for the above Pack, I have encouraged the same for our Leaders, which we currently have 57 Scouts, and 27 Leaders. I have also been a Commissioner since 1978, and the ACC for Retention, since 1993. I have also been responsible for  4 recommendations that, were approved Nationally,  a Tiger Cub Graduation pin, for a Parent, the 4^th  requirement for the Wood Carving Merit Badge, and 2 uniform Devices for, the 1910 Society, and Founders Circle Endowments, to go on the James E West Fellow Square Knot. I have sent in a 5^th recommendation, when I received my Doctorate, for the CCS, which I received a Certificate, patch, and a Black Neckerchief, with a White Woggle, but not a Square Knot, for the highest Training Award, for Commissioners. I sent the proposal, to Keith Christopher, Director of District/Council Programs, who showed it to our National Commissioner, Don Belcher,  I Met at our last College, in March. Both liked it enough to, sent it to the National Volunteer Committee. This proves that the BSA Professionals at every level, listens to our Volunteers. I will make this new Proposal available per request, and I will try to include it, on this Web Site.

Special Note: 

Click above Black Underlined Words for this page on pdf

Yours In Scouting

Joseph E Wherry I PhD

A Long History of Scouting:

The Scoutmaster 1956 

100 Years Of Scouting

Click on Brown Underlined Words, for picture on pdf. 

My favorite Normon Rockwell's Picture is, The Scout Master 1956, done the same year I became a Cub Scout 

Below is my Cub Pack in 1956. I am the 2nd to the right, back row.

It Begins In Cub Scouts

Click above for on Black Underlined Words, for picture in pdf.

Below is Troop 49 at Boys Town 1977.

 

 

Troop 49 1977 In Boys Town

Click above on Black Underlined Words, for picture on pdf.

I stayed in Scouting through my 1^st year, in a Boy Scout Troop, before being put into Boys Town, where I joined Boy Scouts, and in 1965, I earned my Religious Award, continuing in Scouts, until I graduated in 1966. After 2 years, as a “River Rat”, in Vietnam, for the US Navy. After receiving a Honorable/Medical Discharge, at age 22, I became an SA (Assistant Scout Master), SM (Scout Master), and District “New Unit Organizer”, in the same Unit, and District, I was in, as a Foster Child, my late wife, and I, became Family Teachers, at Boys Town in 1976 -1977. While there, I reopened the Troop I was in, as a Scout, becoming it’s SM.

 

 

Below is my sons, myself, and Archbishop Sheehan, who presented us, our Scout's, and Leader's Religious Awards, between 1965, and 1993. 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Generations Receive Scouts And Leaders Religious Awards 

 

Click aboveon Black Underlined Words,  for picture in pdf.

 

After holding every position, on the DC’s (District Commissioner’s) Staff, and the District Committee, when my youngest son was old enough, to be a Tiger Cub, I created a Cub Pack, then a Troop, when his Webelos Den was ready to Cross Over. Then, when my 3 sons left Scouting, after my oldest became a Life Scout, I was chosen as the 1^st ACC for

 

Retention, in 1993. Then, in 2002 I was given the opportunity to, start a Cub Scout Pack, at my Parish, becoming it’s CM (Cub Master), for 2 years. We started with 8 Scouts, and 7 Leaders, holding 9 Positions.

 

Pack 650 was Chartered October 2nd 2002. 

 

Below is the Pack's 1st Christmas.

 

 

where we had 13 Scouts, and 9 Leaders, including it’s IH/CR.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above picture is Pack 650's  5th Anniversary'y Pack meeting, which was also my last, as a Unit Leader, becoming it's Unit Commissioner. We currently have 65 Scouts, and 24 Trained Leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had 3 Scouts earn the new Centennial Recruiter Patch, which only 2 Recruiters, and 2 new Scouts are pictured. 

The Pack has earned every Award available to them, since the 1^st 15 months, including the DC’s 100%

 

 

Trained Leader’s Award, each year, and the Great Expectation’s, the 1^st year it was offered, and we have earned it again,

 

this year. After being it's 1st Cub Master, for 2 years, and have been it's Pack Trainer, and Membership, since January 2005.

 

I have continued as the ACC for Retention, which I will retire from, in April 2008, after 15 years as ACC, and 30 years, as a Commissioner, which I will continue as, a Commissioner at Large.

 

I will become the ACC for Unit Visitations Co-Ordinator, with the new Power Point Program.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this Web Site, and will use many of the tools I have used to help Units, Districts, and our Council, be successful. I look forward to hearing your responses, and looking at some tools you will share, that will help me, and other visiters, to continue to be a success.

 

Yours In Scouting

 

Joe 1st

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am reviewing and updating this Site for 2010 and beyond, without taking the most important parts that I hpe continue to assist Leaders in improving service to our youth.

Read Special Note, bottom left column the goal of this  web site is to share  thoughts, opinions, tools, etc. which comes  from personal successes, over 45 years, for all who access this site. It is not just my ego trip. I wish to show how, a Special Needs Scouter, as I am, has helped others with Retention, which is a goal for everyone, so the best way to do this is, to use a specific Unit that has reached that goal, each year, since being  Chartered, in 2002. Another good example of this is on the Endowment page, where I began in 1982, where my late wife, and I set goals, which I have stayed on track with, since her passing in 1991. On the last Unit I created, and already mentioned, it was because I continued to go through all training available to me, and for all Leaders, in that Unit, to do the same, that gives us it's success. Those are the kind of things, we ask from those of you, who visit this site, to share your successes, that we will publish, on the appropriate Page, it relates to, for us, and others to learn from. What ever you want to share.

Thanks

Joe 1st

NEW: When adding new items, it will show at top of this Web Site

Allot has happened since starting this site: First, the Square Knot Proposal, was approved in May 2008. Requirements, to be approved, for it to go forward. Next, the Recruiting Tools on the Recruiting Page is now on my Council's (Mid America Council) at Omaha Web Site, which I have theirs on the MAC Page, and for all other Councils, is on my recruiting Page, which Central Region, has passed on to their Councils USScout/netcommish.com has created a link for this Site that, goes directly to my Thesis, and includes my E-Mail Address, and Web Site. New is the National Commissioners Service Organization has been created, and I have already gotten on their e-mail address, which Tim Acrea has already visited this Site, and he introduced my 3 Rs of Scouting to another Staff member in charge of Recruiting and Retention.