Collaboration and Marketing

It’s been a little over a week since I accepted the position of Scout Executive for Boston Minuteman Council. Wow! I am overwhelmed with the amount of well wishes, congratulations, and welcome home notes I received. Honestly, it feels like everyone I’ve ever met is excited for me. Thank You! Now, I have a lot to live up to!

Last week we hosted a Mid-Atlantic, words to live by / BEASCOUT.org meeting. As you may know last year the National Council adopted words to live by as our official re-branding campaign. This year they are launching the new version of BEASCOUT.org.

WORDS TO LIVE BY was created in Seattle through the work of their local marketing committee, Director of Field Services, Alicia Lifrak, and a marketing firm Garrigan Lyman. The program grew over a few years and eventually Alicia and I met, became fast friends and we (Cradle of Liberty Council) developed a practical application for the east coast called BEASCOUT.org

I’d like to share a few aspects about my role in the development of BEASCOUT.org.

First, I believe the Boy Scouts need to aggressively to re-brand themselves in the eyes of the American public. That re-branding has to take place in every corner of the marketplace. By creating a valuable website that streamlines the registration process and puts interested parents directly in touch with Cub Masters and Den Leaders we subtly communicate to those interested parents that we are savvy, current and relevant. By marketing that website through
1. mass media, (TV, bill boards and radio)
2. grass roots efforts (yard signs, flyers, posters, bumper stickers etc)
3. current social media (word of mouth, face book, you tube etc)
We again show our relevance and understanding of today’s parents.

Secondly, the business community DOES want the Boy Scouts to thrive. By collaborating with local councils and leveraging our combined membership we can secure significant pro bono resources. It’s not easy but the opportunity is available for us to increase our public relations and media presence even in a significant market like Philadelphia (or Boston). The fun part of the project is there is a role for everyone. Board members can leverage their business stature to acquire pro bono resources, while unit leaders and Scouts participate in highly publicized events and television interviews.

Finally, in developing BEASCOUT.org and serving other councils and media markets as a “marketing consultant,” I learned so much about our national council. Often local councils suffer from an “us vs. them” relationship with the Scout Masters, Cub Masters and other unit leaders they intend to serve. Our National Council suffers from a similar “us vs. them” mentality regarding local councils. It’s clear from my experience with BEASCOUT.org and words to live by that the National Office is determined to reverse that stigma. In this case two local councils (Seattle and Philadelphia) worked together and created a branding and marketing plan that grew organically. The National Council listened, learned, supported, and eventually the project grew so large they came in and adopted our ideas and plans. That refreshing change is indicative of a true partnership. I am proud to have developed such a popular and useful program. And I am invigorated that our national leadership is a partner in the process and they are leading by example.

These recent experiences illustrate my leadership and service. Please feel free to forward this blog to other Scouters and provide feedback. Your feedback is critical to my decision making process.

Thanks