Membership Initiatives

As the Scouting America and other organizations have evolved and changed some of their membership rules and standards, and the way programs are delivered, there have been many critics of the process.

The world is certainly changing and we need to be proactive in securing our place in it. The opportunity for all youth, male and female, without respect to culture or personal characteristics, etc. to obtain the benefits of Scouting is an important step. As an Eagle Scout myself, I can see the tremendous benefits of being able to advance in Scouting for anyone willing to put in the work. There is no threat to the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

I have said to many, "which of the points of the Scout Law is not equally important and applicable to a girl as much as to a boy?" Shouldn't our daughters also be taught to do their Duty to God or to do their Duty to Others? Of course they should, and we have the knowledge, historical context, and proven program to teach them. Every boy and every girl should be able to experience the great Scouting program!

Every council has communities that are underserved. Even the cities that have multiple units are generally underserved when considering Cub Scout Packs, Scouts BSA Troops, Venturing Crews, etc. We can achieve the goals expressed by Chief Scout Executive, Roger Krone, if we will learn to fill in the gaps and focus on the communities that are underserved. In the spreadsheet represented above, we not only consider where revenues and income can come from, but we also consider how to delegate our field executives into communities that are underserved. Analytics do work! This process does show how every member of the team can contribute to overall success in the Council.

This photo is from a media event we called "SIGNING DAY." (A take on the young college athletes who hold press conferences to announce the College of their choice.) The young girl directly in front of me in this picture is my own daughter. She has now completed her Scouting journey, having had numerous amazing experiences with other girls and boys, and having developed attitudes and attributes we instill in Scouting. Her three older sisters, all of whom are now adults, did Scouting with me for many years without the possibility of acknowledgement or official recognition. They are thrilled for their sister to have had the opportunity, as well as all the girls and boys we might be able to attract to this amazing program!

The group of Scouts in this picture are refugees. Most of these boys have now earned their Eagle rank. These Scouts were a contingency we sent to the Summit to have their first high adventure experience. What boy or girl should not be allowed to have this experience?

These youth and their families came from war-torn countries experiencing civil war, unrest, and terrorism. They came with nothing. They were vulnerable to gang activity and many other problems when they arrived in the U.S.A. Scouting saved their lives!

Duty

From Webster's Dictionary: "a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility."

I believe that duty regulates the progress of our lives. Our first duty is Duty to God. Next is our Duty to Others/the Community. Then we have our Duty to Self.

My Duty to God includes my duty to my religious community and to my family, but it also includes all other things that are good.

As I take care of my obligations and responsibilities to the organization, and to its established community, I am doing my duty to God - regardless of what those obligations and responsibilities are. The best of who I am is represented in my faith, my family, and my service to others.

Community

People that know me, and that have worked with me, know that one of my most common themes is that RELATIONSHIPS are everything! An executive that puts a significant amount of time and effort into building relationships in the community will, under most circumstances, find success. That person will also find fulfillment and happiness in the performance of their duties.

In the non-profit world we use the term "servant leadership." This term is often used without context. It means that we are engaged in doing service - in the community, in the committees we work with, in our homes - and that service is given freely, without thought for reward. When service is given this way we build relationships of trust. We find that people want to emulate our behavior and be like us. That is leadership!

We want to partner with other agencies, organizations, businesses, families, and like-minded individuals in providing meaningful service in the community. This will allow the organization to lead the way in the community. Others will want to be a part of what we do and all aspects of our presence in the community will grow stronger: Philanthropy will become synonymous with who we are!