Scouting America

[AwakeEnergyScouter]

Scouting America is going to be just fine, as long as everyone is indeed welcome so that we do live our timeless values.

[Eagle1993]

Name changes and minor program tweaks won't make a significant impact.  I'm seeing a complete collapse of scouting in my area.  Multiple Packs ending, others seeing limited growth.  Multiple Troops in my area are also near collapse.  Summer camps, camporees are losing attendees.  The answer from National... A name change?  I think the change is fine, but hopefully I hear about their plans to reverse the decline.

[mrjohns2]

1 hour ago, Eagle1993 said:

A name change?  I think the change is fine, but hopefully I hear about their plans to reverse the decline.

I don’t like it since I feel like it is a distraction. I assume “they” feel like it is “action”, when it really is just a district from the real work. Very disappointing. 

[MattR]

Does this mean the BSA has joined with Scouts Mexico and Scouts Canada to form Scouts America? That would be fun. Oh wait, what about South America?

[RememberSchiff]

A broader welcoming?  a distraction? ... maybe a lifeboat for upcoming Supreme Court and bankruptcy decisions. Old brand sunsets, new brand rises.

Remember the old 5 year plans with metrics (largely not met). Now we have 5 month plans developed from "surveys" with no metrics.

How much will this cost? What youth membership numbers will we see by Feb, 2025. So is local option void? Patrol method? Does the Federal Charter for the BSA end?

What restructuring will be done to improve efficiency and reduce costs? Could we start with completely new Bylaws?

Will we see a return of past BIG corporate sponsors who left due to our past membership policies?

My $0.01,

Edited May 8 by RememberSchiff
clarify

[Armymutt]

It's like the Army changing the name of Ft. Hood to Ft. Cavasos.  Guess what, nothing else changed and it is still a terrible, depressing place.  Frankly, this sounds like some staffer getting a bullet on an evaluation.  Someone recently went through and changed the names of several organizations in the Army.  Nothing else changed and we're still not getting recruits.

[AwakeEnergyScouter]

I think a lot of you guys who are saying that renaming does nothing haven't quite appreciated how important this is for growing membership and strengthening the program again.

I don't expect to convince you now, but hearing not just that the organization is changing name, but what Krone said about the rationale and the context he put it in, makes it clear to me that Scouting America leadership is willing to do what it's going to take to keep delivering a quality scouting program, but to more young people.

I'll be out there helping make that happen. Back to basics - Scout Oath, Law, outdoors program. No exceptions or faking on the Scout Law and Oath anymore. Everyone is welcome.

https://apnews.com/article/boy-scouts-new-name-scouting-america-d583f5712680f155b4f6b762128734d3

I fully expect Scouting America to overtake GSUSA as the scouting program of choice for girls in 10-15 years now.

[mrjohns2]

20 minutes ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

Scouting America leadership is willing to do what it's going to take to keep delivering a quality scouting program, but to more young people.

You can’t convince me now because all it ends up being is a name change. Money and time spent. How about some plans? Some actions to really move the needle? And I don’t mean the plans / actions around renaming. Renaming is easy. Success is assured with the renaming. Plans can and will be completed. Growing numbers is hard. How about a review of the 5 year plan and where we are at? Like another said, basically failed. 

[mrjohns2]

23 minutes ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

keep delivering a quality scouting program

Tell that to those that went to the Jamboree. I’d like to see how the next WILL be a quality program vs 2023’s meh program. 

[BinTharDunThat]

Well, let’s drive forward.

Edited May 8 by BinTharDunThat

[FireStone]

4 hours ago, mrjohns2 said:

I don’t like it since I feel like it is a distraction. I assume “they” feel like it is “action”, when it really is just a district from the real work. Very disappointing. 

I feel like the name change helps remove a distraction, the constant complaining from folks who still felt like the name "Boy Scouts of America" was some kind of mandate that girls not be allowed. Removing the basis of that argument ("Boy" in the main organization name) means there is no argument anymore. It's part of the org name, it's codified into the primary brand identity. It's done, we can (finally) move on from having to defend the contradiction in the name.

[AwakeEnergyScouter]

2 hours ago, mrjohns2 said:

Tell that to those that went to the Jamboree. I’d like to see how the next WILL be a quality program vs 2023’s meh program. 

Well, ok.. you have a point. I didn't want to get into program weakness details because I see this as a big picture reframing that will allow us to get to that with good windhorse. Of course, we do have to actually get to that, and I could be mistaken.

But check this brand new marketing video out - this is like a US version of Scouterna's We are raised by adventure video. This is our wheelhouse, we can "sell" it, and people want it. And I'm sure my unit isn't the only one that can deliver (age-appropriately) almost everything in that video to anyone that signs up today. 

 

[Eagle1993]

5 hours ago, AwakeEnergyScouter said:

And I'm sure my unit isn't the only one that can deliver (age-appropriately) almost everything in that video to anyone that signs up today. 

And then you join and realize 90% of BSA activities are meetings and merit badge clinics where you have to write reports while adult leaders argue if googling information for your report was sufficient or if you should have used an Encyclopedia written in 1982.

[RememberSchiff]

7 hours ago, FireStone said:

I feel like the name change helps remove a distraction, the constant complaining from folks who still felt like the name "Boy Scouts of America" was some kind of mandate that girls not be allowed. Removing the basis of that argument ("Boy" in the main organization name) means there is no argument anymore. It's part of the org name, it's codified into the primary brand identity. It's done, we can (finally) move on from having to defend the contradiction in the name.

I have found "duty to God" more of a stumbling block for potential members and their families than the name "Boy".

“It (the rebranding) sends this really strong message to everyone in America that they can come to this program, they can bring their authentic self, they can be who they are and they will be welcomed here,” Krone said.

Will atheists also be welcomed? Will the DRP be removed from the youth membership application (524-406)? Will the BSA Scout Oath (duty to God) and Law (A Scout is Reverent) be changed?

What was learned from girls BSA membership pilot program from 5 years ago that will be applied to this pilot program?

A lot of questions.

Another $0.01,

[Armymutt]

8 hours ago, FireStone said:

I feel like the name change helps remove a distraction, the constant complaining from folks who still felt like the name "Boy Scouts of America" was some kind of mandate that girls not be allowed. Removing the basis of that argument ("Boy" in the main organization name) means there is no argument anymore. It's part of the org name, it's codified into the primary brand identity. It's done, we can (finally) move on from having to defend the contradiction in the name.

I think that changing the name to appease simpletons isn't a good solution, but it seems to be the way the BSA wants to go anyway.  Rather than expect people to be critical thinkers and rise up to the organization's level, it will come down to meet them.  We saw this with the elimination of the Bobcat badge.  Simpletons were confused so the solution was to destroy a legacy rather than insist that people take time to learn and understand.

To me, the BSA has been the only constant in my life.  My parents divorced when I was young, so neither was in my life 100% of the time.  We moved around in the Air Force, so no location was a constant either.  Consequently, I feel very little devotion to anything.  Haven't seen my dad in 2 years.  Haven't seen my mom in about a year and a half.  I haven't seen one of my sisters since 2021, the rest in about 2 years.  It doesn't bother me because it was all fluid anyway.  Missing a weekly Scout meeting was murder as a kid and being forced to not be at our meetings these days has made me very grumpy.  Now I have to question my future involvement.  If the organization is so fluid as to completely change its name and toss away over 100 years of being a solid foundation simply to appease the simpletons, is it really something I want to dedicate my time to?  I'd estimate that I've spent about 1000 hours a year for the last 3 years  on Scouting.  I'm currently a pack committee chair, a unit commissioner, and a part-time OA Associate Advisor.  Frankly, I don't know if I can continue to advocate for an organization that is willing to compromise itself essentially for "likes".  While a name change may seem like a small thing, it's not.  If your parents decided that they were going to change the family name it would be a pretty significant event.  If this came right after they decided to toss out some item you would have inherited, the impact would be even more significant.  Changing the name to me makes "Scouting America" equal to Trail Life, American Heritage Girls, and whatever the other youth orgs with a short history are.  It tosses away a legacy and a history simply because people are unwilling to look beneath the surface.  Makes me question the values of the people at the top.