Commissioner’s Corner
Build a Bridge

September, 2008 will be remembered as a month of challenges, opportunities, and successes as many in Sam Houston Area Council recover from Hurricane Ike and its’ aftermath. Many of you are just recovering your normal lifestyle and we want you to know that so many prayers have been offered for you and your loved ones. May God’s richest blessings be on all of the families in our storm challenged area!

We have observed literally thousands of examples of “Bridge Building” through acts of kindness from volunteers, giving of themselves so that others lives are returned to normal after Hurricane Ike. This bridge building concept strikes a chord that relates to Scouting and Commissioner Service. How can we take our Commissioner tools and help construct stronger Scouting programs this fall? Here are some guaranteed successful “bridge builders”.

• Encourage your units to specifically follow one portion of the Scout Oath. HELP OTHER PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES. Ask your units to be a part of Good Turn for America. Go to Square Knot Notes for the website address for this service to others.
• Continue your support of Back to School rallies and Popcorn sales. Both of these programs are important to our membership for the future and our unit and Council funding.
• Prepare yourself to help your units be successful in the upcoming 2009 Recharter process. Once again, the October issue of Square Knot Notes offers you 7 key steps to building the recharter bridge for a successful journey for 2009.
• Sharpen your tools to assist in the Centennial Quality Award designation responses for 2008 and 2009. We can do it all at one time this year so the process will be much simpler.
• ATTEND THE UPCOMING COUNCIL COORDINATED MEETING ON OCTOBER 16, 2008. (7:00 p.m.- Cockrell Service Center). We are requesting that every Unit Commissioner, ADC and Roundtable Commissioner in our Council join us for this special evening as we introduce a new two year program that will take us through the 100th Anniversary of Scouting. Come join us for this special session, fun filled evening!

As Commissioners, we recognize that our jobs are varied and we are presented with unique opportunities on every visit that we make to our units each month. A bridge cannot be constructed effectively without a plan and the implementation of that plan. It is up to us to utilize the Scouting tools of Commissioner Service to build sturdy bridges of success with every unit in our Council. Let’s get our tools sharpened and use them effectively.
BUILDING BRIDGES BUILDS BOY’S LIVES!

Until the next campfire….

Stan Stanley
Council Commissioner