Scouting Magazine

[click23]

In the latest issue of Scouting they list a link that you can take a survey, for which you will receive a "Year of the Volunteer" patch.

 

www.scouting.org/bsasurveycenter password is SCOUTING, all upercase.

 

It only asks a few questions, but these two seem to be the reason behind the survey:

 

 

Would you pay an additional subscription fee to receive Scouting magazine in print as it currently exists?

 

Which of the following best describes your likelihood of using Scouting magazine if it were no longer available in print and was available only as a Web site?

 

 

I think this goes back to the McKinsey study, one item that I have heard mention is that all bin publications, the freebies from you council office, will only be available online, or printed at the council level. Having Scouting online sure seems to go along with that.

[John-in-KC]

< SARCASM >

 

Happy, happy, joy, joy, an iron-on.

 

< / SARCASM >

 

You want your new volunteers to connect? Give them hard paper.

 

< cynicism >

 

They've already made the decision to charge us a subscription. They'll make up results if the real data doesn't meet their needs.

 

< / cynicism >

 

Welcome to the world of big business, Scouting volunteers.

 

PS: I wrote these comments after doing their survey.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[Eagle92]

We pay to be leaders through registration.

We pay for uniforms so that we can set the example.

We pay for supplies to provide a quality program.

We pay for the activities so that we can put in practice what we teach in the meetings.

We pay with time taken away from out families, especially those who don't have kids in the program.

 

Now we will have to pay for our magazine that provides us with a wealth of information?

 

I am so glad that this Scouting habit of mine is legal. LOL!

[eagle97_78]

That is great since I have not been receiving my Scouting Magazine so now I will have to pay for something that I am still not getting even though I am a registered leader.

[DenZero]

It took about a year after I registered before it started to show up. For my unit I see it as being useful for the leaders who don't take their positions seriously to see some propaganda about what good programs can be like. It might provide them some inspiration. Since they wouldn't willingly subscribe on their own, I suppose the pack can buy it for them out of popcorn money, but there's another expense. And I don't see these people as reading it online or responding to surveys.

[Gold Winger]

Mo' money!

 

 

[clydesdale115]

I do read my Scouting magazine each month - in fact, we get 2 each month, one for me, one for hubby - I've tried to get one stopped, but alas...

 

I enjoy magazines in general and I like this one. I keep them, just like my son keeps all of his Boys' Life mags. But in truth, I don't ever refer back to them for anything - I just keep them :-)

 

I "probably" would read it if it was offered online, but I'd need an email reminder to check out the latest issues. I doubt I would be sitting at my computer each month waiting anxiously for the next issue. And I definitely would not pay to keep getting it in print form.

 

clyde

 

[SSScout]

I received TWO copies this month. I cannot descern any difference in the two address blocks, they are identical. I will call them later.

I cannot fathom preferring an electric version over the paper version. That might label me as old fashioned, but you can't sit back in the woods and worry about the battery on my laptop to read it. I just got back from a 50th anniversary camp out at my church's camp. A very good time was had by all. Got to acquaint the camp with the Campfire ash tradition and added the camp to the pedigree.

Ditto eagle92.

Shall we talk about bank fees too?

[Apache Bob]

Well, they do charge for Boy's Life. Does anyone know how many copies of it go out each month. What is its profit each month?

How many copies of Scouting are printed each month?

[gcnphkr]

You can't take a laptop to a kybo.

 

The wife is willing to give up her copy.

 

 

[SctDad]

I got my first copy in 6 months today. I filled out the survey. I have one thing to say. We are volunteers. We pay registration, buy leaders books, uniforms, pay for registration to weekend trips, day camps and such, and now they want to make us pay for the only free resource that we get. I too like to sit back and read the print version. Don't need technology, just light. And that can be the light of the campfire. I even get first crack at the boys life mag when it comes. I still like those mags when they arrive.

 

If they make us pay for Scouting Mag, I may just elect to not recieve it.

[Twocubdad]

If we can assume the subscription cost would be about the same as Boys' Life, $12, I would probably pay it. But I would also guess that of the 25 or so registered leaders in our unit only four or five would do so.

 

It's unlikely I would use a web version of the magazine. I don't care for the e-zines related to the other magazines I take. But I would sure make better use of the main national site were upgraded.

[Gold Winger]

" Does anyone know how many copies of it go out each month. What is its profit each month?"

 

Every year, they have to publish the number of copies printed and number of subscriptions in order to keep the post office happy. Look through your back issues and you can find it.

 

Profit? Those number are double-secret. With the amount of advertising in those magazines, I'm sure that they aren't losing money.

[Gunny2862]

My experience with web content delivery is that when organizations take that route they tend to drop deadlines that are hard fixtures in the print publishing process quality tends to suffer and the content itself gets watered down.

 

Unless there is a real commitment to maintain the content I can see this being a very bad thing.

 

That said, I also prefer the paper copy for reasons stated above, it's great bathroom reading and I haven't installed my laptop swing arm over the porcelain fixture yet.