Commissioner Balch

I am now one year into my volunteer position as Unit Commissioner for the Voyageur District, Bay Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization. It has been a long road that I wanted to share with you.

As a kid, I was both a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. I regret never making it to Eagle Scout because I got interested in other activities as I got older. I did however fall in love with camping.

When my oldest son was getting ready to join First Grade, I attended a Cub Scouts Round-up so my son could get a free bug-sucker. I was asked to come to a very special meeting by these two adult scout leaders. When I arrived, I was introduced as the new Tiger Scout Den Leader of Pack 4172. Needless to say, I was caught off guard. I persevered and my son and seven other Tiger Cub Scouts were in my Den where we did many “Go-See-Its” throughout Green Bay, projects in the kitchen, snacks, and letting the scouts run around a lot since they can’t sit still for more than five minutes. Eventually, the Tigers graduated to Wolves, then to Bear, and then for a year and half as Webelos. Throughout these years my wife and I became the Popcorn Kernal for the annual fall fundraiser and had plenty of popcorn stored in the garage during these events. Towards the end, I became the Pack Committee Chair, then went off to Iraq as I was mobilized in the reserves. In Iraq, I worked closely with the Iraqi scouting program trying to get it up and running after it was disbanded when Saddam Hussein turned it into a paramilitary organization.

When I came back from Iraq, my oldest son “crossed-over” into Boy Scouts and I assumed the role as an Assistant Scoutmaster for the Troop. I helped make sure the scouts would not hurt themselves on the camp outs so I was pretty busy. In 2015, I did a leadership course called Woodbadge. To satisfy the “ticket” to get the badge, I became the Troop Chairperson working with the adult leaders and having the troop run effectively. I am happy to say all three of my sons went through Scouting and attained their Eagle Scout award – the highest rank in scouting. That was a proud moment as a parent. We also did many fun high adventure camp outs including Boundary Waters, Pictured Rocks, and Isle Royale. I got involved with the National BSA and World Jamborees in West Virginia as an instructor on the scuba diving staff. I am a merit badge counselor for sailing, motor boating, sales, stamp collecting, communications, and personal management (aka finance) merit badges.

In 2018, I got “drafted” to become a Unit Commissioner. I work with four troops (two female and two male), and one Cub Scout pack. I provide whatever help I can to these units so they run effectively. As a Unit Commissioner, I also attend District meetings and am exposed to more strategic issues. Right now the challenge we are working on is the finances for the Council and District (I guess that is a good fit for me also). The good news is that the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy recently filed against BSA does not affect the local units, districts, or councils. It is still challenging as the organization membership has been shrinking. One project I am recently getting involved with is learning about the Sea Scouts program and determining if a Ship can be re-established in Green Bay or Sturgeon Bay. I look forward to sharing some great scouting success stories in the future.