Membership Growth
"The main thing is to keep the main thing
the main thing." ~Stephen Covey
“What is your job?” Our job is to grow Scouting.
No matter your role within our Scouting Movement, paid or volunteer, no matter your title or position, our primary charge is to “grow Scouting.”
When I arrived in the INWC they had just lost 7,500 LDS youth. The council, staff and community had no history or experience with traditional recruitment. For many years, they had relied upon the LDS church and their policies to grow Scouting membership. It was a complete rebuild in skillset, culture and staffing to grow a traditional Scouting campaign.
We organized a School Night for Scouting TEAM comprised of council staff, school superintendents, administrators, and other stakeholders. They provided great insight and information as we developed our annual growth plan. Most importantly, the collaboration ensures we design a plan that allows for school access and strengthens our partnerships. Providing an opportunity for classroom-to-classroom scout talks in every school is paramount to achieve our goals.
To support spring recruitment, we organized Shooting Sports Extravaganza’s. We know that we lose newly recruited Cub Scouts within the first six weeks of joining. We wanted newly recruited youth, their families, and existing members to have an immediate activity. We hosted regional indoor events that included shooting sports activities, RC cars races, games, snacks, and they received their first recognition patch. The events were held indoors in vacant warehouses and were corporate sponsored. No operating funds were used. The extravaganzas were also used as a recruiting event. The members of our council shooting sports committee and Troops helped to deliver FUN & memorable experiences to our boys & girls and Scouting families.
To support fall recruitment, we organized a Target Growth Club. Any pack that grew in membership from June to December by 30% or a Troop, Crew or Post that grew by 20% received a free unit event at one of our three camps that included age-appropriate activities such as tomahawk throwing, war canoes, fishing, swimming, cowboy action shooting, black powder rifles, outpost camping, etc. All corporate sponsored and free to the participants.
It has been said, “showing up” is half the battle. When I arrived in the council, we were providing great service to upper middle-class families. Frankly, we had stunk at serving all other communities. We were delinquent at serving the underserved because, as a council, there was no leadership to make it a priority, so it was not important. In all areas we worked diligently to change our culture, and that included making a priority of serving the underserved. People of color, lower socio-economic families, Scouts with Disabilities, middle school youth, et al., we “showed-up,” and it opened many new markets and new relationships.
Within the BSA the average field executive posts 1.4 (one point four) new units per year. In 2023, our three INWC field executives started nine (09) new units. In 2023, INWC experienced membership growth for the first time since losing the LDS partnership.
In my prior council experiences staff were given a recruitment binder. It held the printed recruitment plan. No matter the composition of suburban, urban, or rural service areas that was the plan staff was required to follow. There was no room for innovation nor flexibility to adjust to a changing environment. In effect, we were shoving a square peg in a round hole.
When I arrived at CAC and again in INWC, I asked staff to bring to our team meeting our recruitment binders. In both cases I watched their expressions as I took the binders and tossed them into the trash. Then I rolled in a large white board. From there we began to develop our recruitment plan. The benefit of the white board is that items can be easily erased, added, or edited. Each season (spring & fall) and each year, we begin with a clean white board and build. We include volunteers, unit leaders, teachers, and school administrators in the building of our strategy. In this way we have collective buy-in and collaboration from all stakeholders.
No matter your role within our Scouting Movement, paid or volunteer, no matter your title or position, our primary charge is to “grow Scouting.”
When I arrived in the INWC they had just lost 7,500 LDS youth. The council, staff and community had no history or experience with traditional recruitment. For many years, they had relied upon the LDS church and their policies to grow Scouting membership. It was a complete rebuild in skillset, culture and staffing to grow a traditional Scouting campaign.
We organized a School Night for Scouting TEAM comprised of council staff, school superintendents, administrators, and other stakeholders. They provided great insight and information as we developed our annual growth plan. Most importantly, the collaboration ensures we design a plan that allows for school access and strengthens our partnerships. Providing an opportunity for classroom-to-classroom scout talks in every school is paramount to achieve our goals.
To support spring recruitment, we organized Shooting Sports Extravaganza’s. We know that we lose newly recruited Cub Scouts within the first six weeks of joining. We wanted newly recruited youth, their families, and existing members to have an immediate activity. We hosted regional indoor events that included shooting sports activities, RC cars races, games, snacks, and they received their first recognition patch. The events were held indoors in vacant warehouses and were corporate sponsored. No operating funds were used. The extravaganzas were also used as a recruiting event. The members of our council shooting sports committee and Troops helped to deliver FUN & memorable experiences to our boys & girls and Scouting families.
To support fall recruitment, we organized a Target Growth Club. Any pack that grew in membership from June to December by 30% or a Troop, Crew or Post that grew by 20% received a free unit event at one of our three camps that included age-appropriate activities such as tomahawk throwing, war canoes, fishing, swimming, cowboy action shooting, black powder rifles, outpost camping, etc. All corporate sponsored and free to the participants.
It has been said, “showing up” is half the battle. When I arrived in the council, we were providing great service to upper middle-class families. Frankly, we had stunk at serving all other communities. We were delinquent at serving the underserved because, as a council, there was no leadership to make it a priority, so it was not important. In all areas we worked diligently to change our culture, and that included making a priority of serving the underserved. People of color, lower socio-economic families, Scouts with Disabilities, middle school youth, et al., we “showed-up,” and it opened many new markets and new relationships.
Within the BSA the average field executive posts 1.4 (one point four) new units per year. In 2023, our three INWC field executives started nine (09) new units. In 2023, INWC experienced membership growth for the first time since losing the LDS partnership.
In my prior council experiences staff were given a recruitment binder. It held the printed recruitment plan. No matter the composition of suburban, urban, or rural service areas that was the plan staff was required to follow. There was no room for innovation nor flexibility to adjust to a changing environment. In effect, we were shoving a square peg in a round hole.
When I arrived at CAC and again in INWC, I asked staff to bring to our team meeting our recruitment binders. In both cases I watched their expressions as I took the binders and tossed them into the trash. Then I rolled in a large white board. From there we began to develop our recruitment plan. The benefit of the white board is that items can be easily erased, added, or edited. Each season (spring & fall) and each year, we begin with a clean white board and build. We include volunteers, unit leaders, teachers, and school administrators in the building of our strategy. In this way we have collective buy-in and collaboration from all stakeholders.
When I arrived in Texarkana in January 2017 the council had a prior year loss in membership and units. We remade our processes and philosophy (led the change in culture with staff and volunteers) with a focus on new units in diverse and under-served markets. Following our first annual council-wide Impact Luncheon we secured 42 new charter partner commitments. (One of the best methods to grow membership is to grow units.) As a result, we have experienced three years of consecutive membership and unit growth.
We have grown membership and units in underserved markets including Scouts with Disabilities, middle school Exploring Clubs, rural and ethnically diverse outlying areas, we are developing a successful (corporate funded) Scoutreach program, and we transitioned membership chartered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints into a traditional setting. We ended 2019 as the number-one council in Southern Region for membership growth (by percentage) with a School Night close rate of 97%.
While serving as an Assistant Director of Field Service, in the Heart of America Council, Kansas City, MO, (prior to multiple council-wide reorganizations) I provided staff leadership to 14 field executives comprising 7 service areas, 17,350 youth and 703 units. Throughout my tenure in Kansas City I also supervised the Scoutreach District serving 3,903 youth, 186 units, thirty-eight Program Aides, with a $330,000 budget.
At the time, every district in the council served (ineffectively served) units chartered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As a result, we consolidated all units into one newly formed Mormon Trail District. Two years in a row, we took a large contingent of members to General Conference in Salt Lake City. Our organized efforts increased and improved communication, grew units with the full family, increased FOS contributions and participation at district and council events.
While serving as the Field Director, in the Golden Spread Council, Amarillo, Texas, I led our team’s development of a new year-round membership and new unit growth campaign. In 2012, our field team achieved 10.1% growth in membership, serving 6,111 youth, 1,900 adult leaders and 228 units. In 2011, our team achieved 4.1% growth in membership, serving 5,550 youth, 1,701 adult leaders and 225 units.
While serving as the District Director, in the Conquistador Council, Roswell, New Mexico, I led our team’s development of a new locally specific year-round membership and new unit growth plan. Our field team increased membership by 34% (2007 – 2010). With the support from volunteer leadership we updated the council’s long-range strategic plan to include the development of “at least one Cub Scout Pack at every elementary school in the seven counties served by the Conquistador Council.”
We have grown membership and units in underserved markets including Scouts with Disabilities, middle school Exploring Clubs, rural and ethnically diverse outlying areas, we are developing a successful (corporate funded) Scoutreach program, and we transitioned membership chartered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints into a traditional setting. We ended 2019 as the number-one council in Southern Region for membership growth (by percentage) with a School Night close rate of 97%.
While serving as an Assistant Director of Field Service, in the Heart of America Council, Kansas City, MO, (prior to multiple council-wide reorganizations) I provided staff leadership to 14 field executives comprising 7 service areas, 17,350 youth and 703 units. Throughout my tenure in Kansas City I also supervised the Scoutreach District serving 3,903 youth, 186 units, thirty-eight Program Aides, with a $330,000 budget.
At the time, every district in the council served (ineffectively served) units chartered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As a result, we consolidated all units into one newly formed Mormon Trail District. Two years in a row, we took a large contingent of members to General Conference in Salt Lake City. Our organized efforts increased and improved communication, grew units with the full family, increased FOS contributions and participation at district and council events.
While serving as the Field Director, in the Golden Spread Council, Amarillo, Texas, I led our team’s development of a new year-round membership and new unit growth campaign. In 2012, our field team achieved 10.1% growth in membership, serving 6,111 youth, 1,900 adult leaders and 228 units. In 2011, our team achieved 4.1% growth in membership, serving 5,550 youth, 1,701 adult leaders and 225 units.
While serving as the District Director, in the Conquistador Council, Roswell, New Mexico, I led our team’s development of a new locally specific year-round membership and new unit growth plan. Our field team increased membership by 34% (2007 – 2010). With the support from volunteer leadership we updated the council’s long-range strategic plan to include the development of “at least one Cub Scout Pack at every elementary school in the seven counties served by the Conquistador Council.”
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