The BSA, Program is it still relevant to 21st century youth?

[dkurtenbach]

As Ann Landers used to say, wake up and smell the coffee.

 

Relevance is ALL about marketing. It doesn't matter how good you are at what you do if people aren't using you. If people don't choose Scouting to fulfill their needs and wants in a youth program, then Scouting is not relevant to them. Scouting's market share is slipping in a growing population, which means our relevance to that population is slipping.

 

Influence? Other than social historians, no one cares how much influence we had in the past. What matters is how much influence Scouting has TODAY. With all the litigation and negative publicity on membership issues, the stories about Councils cooking the books, and the recent spate of stories about lost Scouts and Scouts that had to be rescued, how do you think we're doing?

 

It is easy to be complacent. It is easy to say, "We'd be more competitive IF we had (more resources, more trained leaders, more parent participation)." It is easy to say that kids have more choices so Scouting will never be as big as it was before.

 

Poppycock. Other youth programs are growing, and they have the same resource, training, and participation problems we have. There is no reason we can't grow. The whole point of Scouting is to grow, to reach more and more youth. It is supposed to be a Movement. If we are incapable of growing, that also means we are probably incapable of retaining the market share we already have.*

 

We've stopped moving. If we aren't advancing, we aren't fulfilling our mission. Scouting is still big now, but is losing market share. When are we going to do something about it? When it is down to 70% of what it is now? 50%? Never? No -- the time to act was when we stopped growing. We're late.

 

Dan Kurtenbach

Fairfax, VA

 

*And please, none of that philosophical blather about how Scouting isn't about market share, it is about building character in individual boys. Of course it is about building character in individual boys -- and the more individual boys we reach, the more successful we will be at carrying out our mission.

[Prairie_Scouter]

This is a crosspost from a thread in Council Relations. After reading this, I thought it would fit better here.....

 

BSA is shrinking, for a variety of reasons, I think. BSA can come up with things like "Learning for Life" to make the numbers look better, but the fact remains that the organization is getting smaller.

 

Based on the discussions we like to have here, we could point to ideological issues and say that THAT's why BSA is getting smaller, but, to be honest, I think that that really has little to do with BSA's problems. I think very, very few people come to Scouts asking "do you allow gays and athiests" before they sign up. For the vast majority of people, it's really just not that important.

 

BSA has a model that is meant to grow character in growing boys, and uses the outdoors as its mechanism for doing so. One argument could be that not as many people want to visit the outdoors as in the past. That is refuted by the number of National Park visitors and the usage of state parks, I think. But, it could be that people want their outdoors in smaller bites than before. The outdoors in Scouting means weekend, and longer, trips. It could be that people don't want to commit that much time, when other venues are available that can be said to offer equal value.

 

A possible problem might be the lack of effort to keep up with the times. What do we read here? "The program is fine", "the program has worked for almost 100 years", "all you have to do is follow the program". Maybe the program isn't fine if the goal of BSA is to reach as many boys as possible. But, maybe that's ok, too.

 

So, what if BSA went with a "local option" in the program as well as application of other "issues". I'm thinking of something like the Venturing program, akin to the idea put forward by otheres here, but applied across BSA all the way down to Cubs. Something like this.....

 

The overall "character" message remains the core of BSA. The outdoor program remains the core mechanism of that for now. But, BSA creates alternative core programs that reach the same goals, but through different mechanisms. Perhaps a "technology track" for areas where there is a large interest in computers or other technology related activities. Perhaps a "sports" track. And a small number of others, to keep it manageable. Basically, take things that are currently small elements of the program, and make them programs of their own. You intertwine the elements of character building into all of them.

 

Now, this is dramatically different than the historical underpinnings of Scouting, but so what? The idea is to help boys grow, not give them a history lesson. The biggest problem I see in BSA is the attitude that "everything is fine". Innovators need not apply. And maybe it is fine. Maybe BSA should satisfy itself with a particular focus, regardless of what their membership size becomes. But, if we want an organization that reaches out to boys of all kinds, then maybe some changes are needed to remain relevent. Change isn't always a bad thing, and just because something has been done the same way for 100 years doesn't mean that you can't improve on it.

 

So, perhaps we provide a local option, and give the local units more freedom to choose among a number of possible programs provided by BSA. BSA can control quality by providing, say, an annual checklist that says "here are 10 key components; you have to have 7 to be considered a BSA unit" (similar to the Quality Unit Award now).

 

And, the next thing I'd do is get every paid executive together and say "you know that whole thing about running BSA like a business? FORGET THAT!".

 

[sst3rd]

So you guys want Scouting to be relevant and marketable by being all things to all people. This is such a joke. Gee, since I can't use philosophical blather," I almost don't have much to say, except, who says we have to "reach as many boys as possible." Please list BSA documentation.

If you haven't figured out the obvious yet, the Scout age population is growing, but the diversity of that growth also is growing, and the cultures of this diversity has never been exposed to a youth led program like the BSA. It takes much more effort to break through culture barriers, to make Scouting a plausible choice for their sons.

Scouting changed over the years, some good, some not so good. The BSA program is extremely flexible. Oh, but let's keep changing it to where it doesn't even resemble what it was, just so more folks join. Hey, change is good. Let's have lots of local options. But then, it wouldn't be the BSA.

So, here's an option you forgot to mention. Why don't you guys create your own "movement" and make all of the changes you want. How does that make you feel?????????

I'm done here. Have at it.

 

sst3rd

[dkurtenbach]

Um, sst3rd, what makes you think that Scouting is intended for a limited audience? And of course breaking through cultural barriers is not easy -- no one said expanding the Movement and competing in the 21st century would be easy. That doesn't mean we can't do it. "[A]ll things to all people"? Well, not quite. But Cub Scouting was a radical departure from what Scouting had been up to that time; yet now Cub Scouting contains 2/3 of our youth membership. Notice that we are suggesting _adding to_ Scouting, not taking away from it; bulking it up, not watering it down. If we can achieve our mission in many different ways, why not?

 

Relevant "documentation" follows.

 

Dan Kurtenbach

Fairfax, VA

 

From "Aids to Scoutmastership" by Robert Baden-Powell, http://www.pinetreeweb.com/aidstosm-9.htm :

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TO SUM UP

 

THE WHOLE OBJECT of our Scouting is to seize the boy's character in its redhot stage of enthusiasm, and to weld it into the right shape and to encourage and develop its individuality so that the boy may educate himself to become a good man and a valuable citizen for his country.

 

By so doing we may hope to take a useful part in bringing strength, both moral and physical, to the nation.

 

But in developing national aspirations there is always the danger of becoming narrow and jealous of other nations. Unless we avoid this we bring about the very evil we are anxious to escape.

 

Fortunately in the Scout Movement we have Brother Scouts organised in almost every civilised country in the world, and we have formed already the tangible nucleus of a World Brotherhood. And the potentialities of this are being supplemented by the wider development of the cooperative sister movement, the Girl Guides (Girl Scouts).

 

In every country the purpose of the Scouts' training is identical, namely, efficiency for Service towards others; and with such an object in common, we can, as an International Brotherhood in Service, go forward and do a far-reaching work.

 

In our training of the boy we develop the individual in both spirit and efficiency to be an effective player in his national team of citizenhood. Acting on the same principle in the case of a nation, we should try to develop the right spirit and efficiency for helping that nation to work effectively in the team of nations.

 

If each, then, plays in its place, and "plays the game," there will be greater prosperity and happiness throughout the world, there will be brought about at last that condition which has so long been looked for-of Peace and Goodwill among men.

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And from the BSA's 2002-2005 Strategic Plan, quoted in the 2003 Annual Report, http://www.scouting.org/media/reports/2003/20022005.html :

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TRADITIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND UNIT GROWTH

 

The traditional Scouting program, which includes Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing, is the core bond between local communities and the Boy Scouts of America. To further our values and faith-based mission to serve young people and their families, the growth of traditional membership and units is essential.

 

SCOUTREACH

 

As America's population becomes more diverse, the organization continues to focus on providing Scouting to all minority communities. The BSA has always been and will continue to be strongly committed to offering its program to all economic and racial groups. It is the right thing to do and it ensures a representative membership that encompasses all ethnic groups.

 

* * *

 

MARKETING AND STRATEGIC POSITIONING

 

Future growth depends on a clear understanding among parents, youth, chartered organizations, donors, and the general public that Scouting provides a unique value to the youth of this country and their families. The marketing message needs to build awareness and reinforce the fact that the Scouting program supports the physical, mental, and spiritual development needs of young people and their families. They need to understand membership is an investment that will pay dividends in the future.

[dkurtenbach]

A couple of statements from BSA's 2002-2005 Strategic Plan, http://www.scouting.org/media/reports/2003/20022005.html , bear repeating:

 

"To further our values and faith-based mission to serve young people and their families, the growth of traditional membership and units is essential . . . Future growth depends on a clear understanding among parents, youth, chartered organizations, donors, and the general public that Scouting provides a unique value to the youth of this country and their families. The marketing message needs to build awareness and reinforce the fact that the Scouting program supports the physical, mental, and spiritual development needs of young people and their families. They need to understand membership is an investment that will pay dividends in the future."

 

Dan Kurtenbach

Fairfax, VA

[Prairie_Scouter]

"faith based mission"?

 

Sounds like somebody is attempting to push the religious aspects of Scouting to the forefront.

[sst3rd]

Bring all of this down to the unit level. You know, the real world.

 

Adding to the program without taking anything away. So, where are these additional dedicated volunteers (and other resources) coming from?

 

You still don't get it. But that's okay. Keep dreaming.

 

Really done this time.

 

sst3rd

[dkurtenbach]

Increased youth membership brings with it additional resources (parents, some of whom become leaders), money, new chartered organizations, and additional contacts with people, businesses, and other institutions that provide support. That is the real world.

 

Dan Kurtenbach

Fairfax, VA