Discussions Around the Campfire.....
Well,
a BLOG is not much of a discussion since there is so little back and forth. In
light
of that, I try to get out as often as possible and meet with and talk
with everyone in the Scouting community. Admittedly, it's never enough.
But I think I have a pretty good read on what the actual discussions
around that campfire sound like. I try hard to listen to what everyone
says, I try to listen to how many people say the same thing, I try not
to listen to rumors, yet I do try to understand where rumors come from
and why they are started. I also try
to listen to what people don't say and anticipate the "mood of the
Scouting community." I'll try to address what I hear in this months blog and as
always, I'll
welcome your comments and responses. The first thing I hear is support and encouragement that we are "going in the right direction." That is clearly the MOST common voice. However, right behind that is a sentiment that we are not going fast enough or we just can't get a particular thing right. That second response is frustrating for all dedicated volunteers! (me too!) The speed and choice of projects is in some ways a great vote of confidence. It is sort of a double edged sword and sounds like this "you fixed this but when I called ..... this happened." or "just when it seemed we where doing things better ...... this didn't happen." I'll give you some specifics:
- "You opened the pool - but I can't go the nights and times I need"
- "You made a pretty website for new families - but we still don't have the training dates for the winter or spring"
- "You are doing all these programs at Sayre - but we want to do rifle shooting on a weekend at Storer"
- "You are providing all these programs - but they cost too much"
- "You want my help - but then .... this happens."
The answers to all those questions are contained within the strategic plan.
- Original Plan
- 2012 Update (2013 Update will be published in January - your feedback through the survey will impact the 2014 adjustments)
The
basic premise around the strategic plan is a two step process 1. Make
Scouting Sustainable and 2. Make Scouting Thrive. Sustainable is all
about the providing products and services required to help Scouting
grow. And the number one need to help troops and packs thrive is help
get parents involved in your unit. Yes, that's right :) the most
important thing the council can do is help leaders get parents to become
involved in Scouting. (That means it's not - FOS, Popcorn, District
committees, owning camps, commissioner service, alumni relations,
eliminating the debt or whatever the issue of the day seems to be,
rather it's how all those things help parents get involved in your
unit). The value of these campaigns is not measured by the success of the campaign - rather by how much it ultimately helps families engage. Each of those projects, and everything we do has shifted and needs
to continue to shift toward helping unit leaders recruit and retain more
parents and families.
Some examples -
- The
mission behind Training and NOT to get everyone trained - it is to get
parents excited about Scouting and the outdoors so they happily and willingly help the pack /
troop or crew thrive.
- The
mission behind Pumpkin Fest or SOAR is NOT to run a big event (or even marketing) - it is
to provide a great family experience in the first few weeks of your
Scouting year so parents can get excited about Scouting.
- The mission behind the products and services at Sayre is NOT to bring in more revenue - it's to provide great programs that helps get the Scout and his family more engaged in Scouting.
The following letter goes out monthly to every family who joins Scouting
Some
of this may seem counter to common thinking for a Scout council or it
may help fill in the gaps between what seems to be happening in the
council and why. I hope it's feels like both. Our strategic plan and the ultimate
destination for Camp Sayre is to become the Scouting and outdoor
headquarters. Where Scouts can do everything they love about Scouting
and parents can engage easily in the program. Older boys learn to rock
climb (or whatever outdoor pursuit interests them) and younger families
learn to camp and become comfortable in the outdoors.
A boy who likes baseball plays everyday - on a team, in the back yard with his friends, he watches the Red Sox on TV, learns the stats and plays catch with dad. The common thinking about Scouting is that we hold archery (or whatever activity he loves) out there as a "carrot" so he "comes to camp." In the fast paced world we live in this current Scouting philosophy is actively disengaging parents and Scouts.
A boy who likes baseball plays everyday - on a team, in the back yard with his friends, he watches the Red Sox on TV, learns the stats and plays catch with dad. The common thinking about Scouting is that we hold archery (or whatever activity he loves) out there as a "carrot" so he "comes to camp." In the fast paced world we live in this current Scouting philosophy is actively disengaging parents and Scouts.
Please review the three links below - you'll get a pretty good sense of how Scouting is attempting to reverse this trend.
Sayre Map
CampSayre.org
As
part of the strategic plan, during 2014 Boston Minuteman will put
$500,000 worth of property improvements into Sayre, (as well as
continuing to improve Storer). Please take the survey below to provide
your voice to program development and the property improvements - Don't
be shy! Don't hold back!
Thanks, See you around the campfire
Chuck
