New Unit Commissioner

We are very lucky to have Tammy Courtemanche joining us from the Central Florida Council. She brings a ton of experience and even more energy. The units I've been working with will be introduced to Tammy as she becomes your primary Unit Commissioner (UC). I will still be active, working in the background to provide support and guidance. We look forward to helping all the new and current adults leaders as you deliver this great program for our youth!

In Scouting,
Paul Bicknell
Assistant District Commissioner
Pioneer Trails District
Denver Area Council
Boy Scouts of America

New for 2019

I deprecated (stopped) the old email list. Mailchimp is a great tool. I was getting about 50% opens, which is high for a list like that (where I added people without them opting in). 

I will post thoughts here as I have them. I can tell that I'm slowing down a little since my Son earned his Eagle in 2018 (With 7 palms!). 

My goal for this year is to convert to "Commissioner at Large". Thinking I could help to troubleshoot the tough problems. For some reason I seemed to find myself helping adult leadership work through a lot of challenges, which I truly appreciated. You learn much more from a challenge than from a unit that's just humming along.

While this was a personal goal, the district needed a little more help. I am currently serving three packs and a troop, a total of four units. If you're getting email from me, you know you're one of the four. 

I think LDS leaving us at the end of the year will affect a little chaos. I will miss our LDS friends and look forward to crossing paths in the shooting sports. This change is another reason I'm opting to stay on for a little longer, to ensure we continue to deliver quality program for the youth in our community. 

Thanks for reading and please reach out with your Scouting questions.


In Scouting,
Paul Bicknell
Assistant District Commissioner
Pioneer Trails District
Denver Area Council
Boy Scouts of America

Back To School And Year End Planning - 2017

Scouting Update from Paul Bicknell

Journey to Excellence & Free Rank I appreciate all of your committees talking about Journey to Excellence and including it in your annual planning. In two short months, we will be focusing on your progress in completing this simple form for 2017. If you manage Silver or above, your unit will be eligible for FREE rank advancement. That alone can save you hundreds of dollars that you can use for more fun activities for the boys! Find the 2017 forms here. Please let us know if you need any help or if you have any questions.     What is a Turn-In Night? This is an opportunity to turn in any applications or other forms to the BSA in a quick and convenient location. Avoiding the long trip up to the Council office will save you time and fuel. Plus, you get to meet your hard-working District Executives! For Castle Rock, Garrett Byrd (District Executive) will be at the Philip S. Miller library at 100 South Wilcox St. from 4PM-7PM on Wednesday, September 27th.   Questions for your Unit Commissioner? We will be at the District Camporee on September 23rd. I will be working on the archery range. Please stop by and say hello.   Would you like to know more? I post most of the old messages to this group here. Check out my super-helpful Scouting blog here. I share some of my thoughts on training here. -- In Scouting, Paul Bicknell Assistant District Commissioner Pioneer Trails District

NYLT 2017 Registration OPEN & Filling Up Fast

Scouting Update from Paul Bicknell

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) "Big Horn" registration is OPEN! Big Horn is NYLT in the Denver Area Council. There is no better way that I know of to get your Scouts started in leadership. Please let me know if you have any questions about Big Horn (NYLT) DAC Presents: National Youth Leadership Training Take your troop or crew to the next level - send your scouts to National Youth Leadership Training - “NYLT Big Horn” National Youth Leadership Training is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. The NYLT Course is leadership training experience sponsored by the Denver Area Council and held annually at Tahosa High Adventure Base near Ward, Colorado. The training is conducted by highly qualified youth staff under the supervision of adult advisors. NYLT Big Horn is open to Boy Scouts age 13 or older and First Class, and Venturers age 14 or older – both young men and young women. Registration is Now Open! - http://www.nylt.org Five Session Weeks in 2017: Week 1: Sunday, June 11 - Saturday, June 17, 2017 - Session full, taking wait-list registration Week 2: Sunday, June 18 - Saturday, June 24, 2017 - 18 slots still available Week 3: Sunday, June 25 - Saturday, July 1, 2017 - 12 slots still available Week 4: Sunday, July 2 - Saturday, July 8, 2017 - 22 slots still available Week 5: Sunday, July 9 - Saturday, July 15, 2017 - 29 slots still available, featuring smaller troop sizes For more information please visit http://www.nylt.org, or contact Bill Van Horne at 303.870.4375. Additional information from Assistant Camping Registrar JoLynne Conrad, 720.266.2143. NYLT Big Horn - Be Prepared to Lead the Way! Would you like to know more? I post most of the old messages to this group here. Check out my super-helpful Scouting blog here. I share some of my thoughts on training here. -- In Scouting, Paul Bicknell Assistant District Commissioner Pioneer Trails District

What is a Commissioner and Welcome New Scouters 2017

Scouting Update from Paul Bicknell

Welcome to the "Castle Rock West" Email List (again?) Some of you already received my welcome message, others are new to the list following Charter Renewal. Welcome new Scouters! I pledge to do my best to not to repeat news that you can get from other sources (see links below to subscribe to District and Council email). This email list is intended for occasional communications. For example, Unit Commissioners are asked to share announcements with their units from time to time, like the new dates for the Pioneer Trails Merit Badge College. Speaking of Unit Commissioners, that brings me to the topic of this annual note...     What is a Unit Commissioner, and what can they do for you? A commissioner plays several roles, including friend, representative, unit "doctor," teacher, and counselor. The commissioner is a friend of the unit. Of all their roles, this one is the most important. It springs from the attitude, "I care, I am here to help,what can I do for you?" Caring is the ingredient that makes commissioner service successful. He or she is an advocate of unit needs. A commissioner who makes himself known and accepted now will be called on in future times of trouble. The commissioner is a representative. The average unit leader is totally occupied in working with kids. Some have little if any contact with the Boy Scouts of America other than a commissioner's visit to their meeting. To them, the commissioner may be the BSA. The commissioner helps represent the ideals, the principles, and the policies of the Scouting movement. The commissioner is a unit "doctor." In their role as "doctor," they know that prevention is better than a cure, so they try to see that their units make good "health practices" a way of life. When problems arise, and they will even in the best unit, they act quickly. They observe symptoms, diagnose the real ailment, prescribe a remedy, and follow up on the patient. The commissioner is a teacher. As a commissioner, they will have a wonderful opportunity to participate in the growth of unit leaders by sharing knowledge with them. They teach not just in an academic environment, but where it counts most—as an immediate response to a need to know. That is the best adult learning situation since the lesson is instantly reinforced by practical application of the new knowledge. The commissioner is a counselor. As a Scouting counselor, they will help units solve their own problems. Counseling is the best role when unit leaders don't recognize a problem and where solutions are not clear-cut. Everyone needs counseling from time to time, even experienced leaders. PLEASE - Let us know how we can help. Would you like to know more? I post most of the old messages to this group here. Check out my super-helpful Scouting blog here. I share some of my thoughts on training here. -- In Scouting, Paul Bicknell Assistant District Commissioner  Pioneer Trails District

JTE Due ASAP (Part of a Charter Renewal Series)

Scouting Update from Paul Bicknell

90% of you have not turned in your JTE form! District Leadership has extended for a few more days to give you more time to get FREE RANK (Gold and Silver levels). PLEASE take a moment and fill out the form, then send to your Unit Commissioner. What is JTE? "Scouting's Journey to Excellence" is the BSA's council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success... It is meant to encourage excellence in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA. Why does a unit want to do JTE? FREE rank at the Scout Shop for Gold [and Silver!] Level You're probably doing most of the requirements anyway FREE rank means you can spend your money on other things for your Scouts You're probably closer than you think, check the form and work with your Unit Commissioner or District Executive Did I mention FREE rank? What do we need to do? Find the Journey to Excellence (JTE) form here. If you need help filling it out, please let us know ASAP. Your JTE form is DUE by the END OF THE YEAR. Would you like to know more? I post most of the old messages to this group here. Check out my super-helpful Scouting blog here. I share some of my thoughts on training here. -- In Scouting, Paul Bicknell Assistant District Commissioner Pioneer Trails District

What is a COR? (Part 1 of my Charter Renewal Series)

What is a Chartered Org Representative? How many CORs took the job to get involved in Scouting and because “signing a couple forms a year” sounded like an easy way to dip a toe in the volunteer pool?  How many CORs are trained for their position? According to my source, less than 25% (for Pioneer Trails, we are about 6 out of 48)!  The COR’s roles and responsibilities can be summarized as follows: Represent the Chartering Organization (CO) to the Scouting Unit(s) and vice versa. Work directly with the Institutional Head (IH) from the Chartering Organization (CO). Encourage the Unit (maybe even coordinate) a quarterly service project to benefit the CO VOTE for District leadership - CORs are invited to the District Annual Meeting. For 2017, this will be on January 12th at 6:30 at 7160 Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134 Get involved with roundtable and encourage others from the unit to attend. The Chartered Organization Representative (COR) is the direct contact between the unit and the Chartered Organization. This individual is also the organization's contact with the District Committee and the Local Council. The chartered organization representative may become a member of the district committee and is a voting member of the council. If the chartered organization has more than one unit, one representative serves them all. The Chartered Organization Representative appoints the Unit Committee Chair.   Would you like to know more? I post most of the old messages to this group here. Check out my super-helpful Scouting blog here. I share some of my thoughts on training here. -- In Scouting, Paul Bicknell Assistant District Commissioner Pioneer Trails District