1. INTRODUCTION TO EXPLORING
FOR COMMISSIONERS
PREPARED IN COLLABORATION WITH
JEFF SCHWEIGER,
NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA COUNCIL ASSISTANT COUNCIL COMMISSIONER

2. National Key 3 Announcement
NOVEMBER 2016
National Commissioner Charles Dahlquist and Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh clarified the purpose of the Commissioner Service to Exploring initiative and charged the field with utilizing Scouting Commissioners as a temporary stop gap while councils develop more comprehensive plans to serve their Exploring units. Here is an excerpt:
“Based on input from the field, the national Key 3 has defined two service models to best serve the needs of local councils. This will help in providing sustainable growth and developing necessary resources for Exploring today and in the future.
The first and most preferred model is to recruit and grow Exploring at the council level by enlisting an Exploring Service Team to provide the necessary resources to grow and support Exploring units. These positions will count in your Journey to Excellence criteria in the same manner as unit-serving commissioners.
If a council doesn’t have the resources to develop a full Exploring Service Team, the alternate model should include utilizing current council and district structures and resources to serve Exploring units. This model could include integrating Exploring into the current district committee and commissioner structure. It also should include an aggressive volunteer recruitment and training plan in order to ensure continuous support to unit service and growth.”

3. Commissioner Tools My.Scouting.org
Exploring data is now available as of March 1st
Commissioners & Service Team members have access to review data for Exploring units.

4. Commissioner Tools
Commissioners AND Service Team Members can record unit contacts
Commissioner Admin supports the inclusion of Exploring units
Detailed assessment form is based on 2017 Exploring JTE requirements
Other areas of
Exploring support
in my.scouting
will be added at a later date

5. Commissioner Training
New in Q2 is a supplemental module for Commissioners working with Exploring Units – “Servicing Exploring Units”.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Understand the role and structure of an Exploring Service Team
Understand the  role of a Unit Commissioner in supporting Exploring Units acting in place of a service team member
Understand the role of the Exploring Committee
Become familiar with the tools and resources available for unit support and finally to
Understand the differences between unit service of a traditional Scouting Unit and an Exploring Unit

6. Commissioner Training
For a more in depth Exploring training:
Service Team learning plans available to all in Exploring LMS within my.scouting

7. A Little History
1940’s Sea Scouting, Exploring & Air Scouts 1950’s Youth automatically an Explorer at age ’s Career Exploring introduced 1970‘s Women joined Exploring as adult leaders and youth Members. National Youth Officers 1980’s 17 Career and Traditional Program Clusters 1991 Curriculum-based Learning for Life Program started 1998 Career Exploring Fields Move to LFL. Venturing started with 5 traditional fields

8. WHAT IS EXPLORING ? A career education program for young men and women
Helps them make more informed decisions about future careers

9. Twelve Career Fields

10. Post vs Crew Post/Club = Careers (Vocation) For example:
Law Enforcement
Nursing
Mechanical Engineer
Architecture
Crew = Hobbies (Avocation)
For example:
Geocaching
Astronomy
Skiing / Snowboarding
Genealogy

11. A Word About “lingo” BOY SCOUTS VENTURING EXPLORER POST UNIT Troop
Crew
Post
LEADER
Scoutmaster
Advisor
YOUTH LEADER
Senior Patrol Leader
President
YOUTH PARTICIPANT
Member/Scout
Member/Venturer (Scout)
Participant/Explorer
RE-REGISTRATION
Recharter
Renewal
SPONSOR
Chartered Org
Participating Org
SPONSORING AGREEMENT
Charter
MOU
UNIT SERVICE
Commissioner
Service Team
YOUTH RUN
Yes
AGE SPAN
11-18
13-20
14-20
UNIFORM
Boy Scout
Venturing or Unit Selected
Post Selected, not required

12. A word about CORs and Exploring
NOTE: The COR position does not exist in Exploring. COR’s are voting members of a council, and Exploring leaders are not voting members because they are officially participants under our Learning for Life Affiliate program.

13. Online Registration Tools
Exploring has an online registration renewal system similar in concept to Internet Rechartering. It is, however, a different system, and will be replaced by a new system common with traditional Scouting (date to be determined)
Start the process at
Exploring will be added to the new Online Registration System for new registrations, but is not there yet.

14. Where to Find Leader Training

15. Youth Protection Training
CURRENT YPT for Exploring (Y03) available at my.scouting. FUTURE Exploring will be included in the YPT overhaul (YPT2), delivery date TBD.

16. Standard District Structure Applies to Exploring
District Commissioner
Service Team Chair
Unit Commissioners
Service Team Mbrs
District Chair
Finance Chair
Membership Chair
New Unit Organizer
Career Survey Chair
Program
Training
Camping
VOA EOA
Activities
Advancement/ Recognition
Nominating Committee
Vice Chair (optional)
District Executive
An Exploring-only committee structure mirrors that of a Scouting committee structure with a couple of additions. Note the differences in blue that represent the Exploring-specific positions within the traditional district committee structure.

17. Exploring in Traditional Districts
District leadership appoints a District Exploring Chair
Exploring chair will work with other elements of the district committee (membership, program, activities and civic service, etc.) in promoting the district’s Exploring program.

18. Exploring Chair in a Traditional District
Position on District Committee
Reports to: District Chair
MUST RECRUIT: Those to help with…
Career surveys
Awards and recognition
Activities
ATTEND: bimonthly/quarterly meetings
ASSIST WITH: promotion, JTE, search committee

19. ALL RESOURCES AT www.exploring.org
Cub Scous
Boy Scouts
Venturing
Varsity
Sea Scouts
Clubs
Posts
DUAL
MULTIPLE
MULTIPLE

20. STAY CONNECTED page | lflexploring group | Exploring Success!
group | National Explorer Alumni Association
learningforlifeusa
exploring.org | Stay Connected

21. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO

22. QUESTIONS? EXPLORING exploring@lflmail.org | 972-580-2433 TECH SUPPORT|
COMMISSIONERS
Member Care |