How accountable are councils and national for this continuing decline?

[Fuzzy Bear]

I guess since we can repeat certain topics, I can repeat stories also...

 

At one District Camporee after the Troop had gone to bed and the lights had been extinguished, I walked over to Windy Point near our camp to watch the stars and contemplate the day. As I neared the point, I noticed the outline of another person standing there doing the very thing that I had in my mind. All of a sudden I knew who it was; it was Lew, the other SM in our District. He wasn't just any SM but the Other One. He had been around for a long time and he had a very successful unit. They were mainly a backpacking group that emphasized the individual rather than the patrol. I used to think that we were in competition but after a while, I understood that we were more in league together, rather than against each other. We never spoke of it but we both knew it and for the life of me, I can't tell you how.

 

I was unsure about this meeting so I started by apologizing for interrupting. He just simply picked up the conversation as if it had been a minute ago when we had left off. We had never spoken much before but this round was very natural. He noted that both of us had successful programs and that we had more or less taken all of the Webelos for the last few years between our two units from across the District. He didn't analyze how each of us had done it but just stated it as fact. I knew that our Troop was as active as his. We had Patrols, we had boy leadership and planning. We had all kinds of camping experiences, including some backpacking. Our programs were fairly unique but somehow our Units appealed to allot of Scouts.

 

Both of our units also kept Scouts. We had ASM's that actively recruited from Webelos Dens. We both were active in counseling boys and making the Scout program meaningful. When there was a problem, we had a Committee that took care of the problem. We both had parents that were active and took on projects. I could go on and on with the many comparisons. I think that mostly we both made the Scouts responsible for the Troop and the program. We both knew how to stand back and observe and intervene at critical moments.

 

The conversation lasted for only a few minutes and the reality of it was that we didn't speak much. We were both kind of happy with what we were doing and how we had done it. We both used the Scouting program and it worked. It wasn't glossy ads or slick media presentations or certain badges. It was just simply the program. It really is a great program and when we engage it, it works.

 

Both of us walked slowly back to our camps. It was the last time we actually spoke. He seems to still be standing there on Windy Point in my imagination. I want to walk over and thank him because without him knowing it, he taught me many things even from a distance.

 

FB

 

[sitrep]

Besides looking inside we also need to look outside. Let's be honest with groups like the ACLU and their liberal cronies out to cut the BSA off from access to public schools and other oppertunities to market the BSA to kids it becomes a lot harder to recruit.

[Zahnada]

A lot of people are pointing the finger at National for not having a strong advertising campaign. This topic was somewhat covered in:

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=84963#id_86114

 

I'll reiterate some of my major points from that thread. I have worked on a television advertising campaign for Boy Scouts and discovered just how difficult it is.

 

To put it simply, there just isn't the money for a major television advertising campaign. Remember, every extra dollar that goes into marketing must be taken out of summer camp maintainence, camp staffing, administrative staff, program funding, etc. Basically, this is money taken away from the program and the boys who are already in it. With many councils undergoing massive budget cuts from loss of United Way funding, the money is hardly there to maintain the current properties.

 

But, what about Public Service Announcements (PSAs) which are free to non-profits (ie BSA) and required by television stations? Well, now we have the paid-PSA. These are the special messages "brought to you by Zahnada Ford!" Any station will play a PSA that has a sponsor over one that brings the station no money. So just producing a spot and giving it to stations won't work. Also, because it's a business, don't expect the premium times for the spot to air.

 

So, those were my learnings during my career in television advertising. Options?

 

1. Find corporations who want to sponsor an ad. This is getting more difficult because of the political image of scouting in the country now.

 

2. Grassroots campaigns.

 

3. Something besides television advertising (which I know nearly nothing about).

 

4. Other?

 

 

By the way, for the low, low budget of $0, my station (the local FOX station) did produce a 30 second spot. I wrote, directed, produced and edited it. But it did get made and it has seen some limited airtime. So it's not impossible.

[Eamonn]

I have to admit that this thread took off in a different direction than I thought it would. Which is a good thing.

I still get all the E-mails about Scouting events going on in the UK. I'm really impressed. First that I get as many as 2 or 3 of these a week. They really are using the communication tools that are available to keep everyone in the picture. I know more about what is happening in Scouting in England than I do about what is happening here in the USA. Other than paying the guy who writes the stuff, I think the cost of keeping everyone informed is minimal. I don't know why we are not doing something like this.

The information is a very mixed bag it ranges from sales and promotions in the Scout Shops, availability of different grants, Training opportunities in different parts of the country, free tickets to see the latest Disney Movies and different activities that are going on. Even job openings at Gilwell Park.

Some of the activities are pure marketing and are very clever.

When the position of Chief Scout became available about two years ago they broke from tradition and managed to get a well known TV personality to fill the spot. Kids of Scout age knew him from the work he had done on Blue Peter a children's magazine show that airs twice a week. He had also done a prime time serious about traveling around the world. He has used his celebratory status and his connections to invite other well known people to do things for Scouts and Scouting, even a celebratory soccer match at Gilwell Park. Scout groups from all over the country came and camped so they could be there - They had received all the details via E-mail. The event made the news all over the country. Scouting is working really hard to be kid friendly and dare I say cool. Children both in Scouting and those who aren't know who the Chief Scout is. Very few people know or care who the top professional is. I wonder how many of us know who the National President is? While I have never met Roy L. Williams,and I'm sure that he is a very nice chap he doesn't come across as being warm and fuzzy in fact most kids have no idea who he is or what he does. I find it a little odd that his title has the word Chief in it and Roy S. Roberts the National President doesn't. In most other countries the volunteer guy gets the Chief in his title.

Maybe we need to follow the lead of the NRA, they used Charlton Heston and no I am not suggesting that we recruit Mr. Heston, but I sure was cheering him when he said:

The gay and lesbian movement is another good example. Many homosexuals are hugely talented artists and executives... also dear friends. I don't despise their lifestyle, though I don't share it. As long as gay and lesbian Americans are as productive, law-abiding and private as the rest of us, I think America owes them absolute tolerance. It's the right thing to do.

But on the other hand, I find my blood pressure rising when Clinton's cultural shock troops participate in homosexual-rights fund-raisers but boycott gun-rights fund-raisers... and then claim it's time to place homosexual men in tents with Boy Scouts, and suggest that sperm donor babies born into lesbian relationships are somehow better served and more loved. (Dec 1997)

Sure he took a lot of heat for that speech and parts of it were not nice. Still he said what he believed, he took a stand. I wish the people who are charged with leading our organization would stand up and give both a voice and a face to our timeless values. Sure there will be some heat, sure not everyone will be happy but a Scout is brave, we are being bashed now so what have we got to lose?

Next time there is an opening for a National President maybe we won't look at a former vice president and group executive of vehicle sales, service and marketing for General Motors, but we will look for a General Colin L. Powell or a Neil Armstrong.

Eamonn