"Troop 123 meets here every Thursday, 7:00 PM" sign 

 In Progress

What ever happened to those signs that were proudly displayed in church social halls and school auditoriums for so many years? Is there value in bringing these back? Is this something the supply division can carry for sale to units and Chartered Partners?

Marketing the 100th Anniversery in Public Libraries and Schools 

Libraries and to a lesser degree schools are looking for displays in their lobbies. Can National put together a set of pre-made stickers, posters, flyers that Unit Serving Execs can use to create displays in these venues during February 2010.
Some places will let you place a large science fair size display board while others are smaller spaces. By having pre-made items we can use, we can customize the display to the size permitted as well as add some district/ council specific items. Councils can order as many kits as they need for public displays across their area.

Museum Video Box 

 Completed

Who cares what kids think?

Other kids.

Let's set up a camera at the Scouting Museum, then ask visiting Scouts to sit in the video box and respond to a question such as: ...what's the biggest problem in the world today?...and what should be done?


We post the edited result on our new You Tube video channel.

Build on it. Ask Scouts (out there) to post more ideas to us at the BSA You Tube channel (and then on to Boys' Life).

Add the national service desk number to Scouting.org 

 In Progress

this was posted in the Scouting Community group called "Innovation Engine for Volunteers":

The main page of scouting.org has no phone numbers on it. No postal address.
No physical address. No map to the scouting museum. No "Contact us" link or
contact page.

Even in the area where it gives direction for someone applying for a job (I
am not) all they offer is a PO Box for the 4 regions. No fax, no phone, no
physical address.

Search the website for "Irving".... you'll find no hits.
Search the website for "National office" or "national headquarters"...
you'll find no hits.
Search the website for "scouting museum"... you'll find no hits.

If you dig around and end up on scoutingfriends.org, youll eventually find
an email form and a PO Box for Irving. But still, no phone number.

If you wanted to contact the national office about anything - such as giving
them a bazillion dollars, becoming a major sponsor of the Jambo, calling the
museum, or simply to ask a question that a council office absolutely CANNOT
answer (I guarantee it), you are out of luck unless your message is suitable
for US Mail.

By contrast, girlscouts.org has a contact us link at the bottom of the main
page, which takes you to a page with a mailing address, physical address, a
phone number, council finder and email contact form.

There is always a silver lining: I have a new question for my communications
merit badge students, which is "Look at scouting.org and tell me what's
wrong with it as it relates to the communications merit badge."

Mark

Scout Buddies Program 

 Completed

Many sports programs are beginning to offer leagues for preschool-aged children. While I don’t agree that we should offer a full-blown Scouting program to preschoolers, I think we can not afford to ignore this market completely, as families are developing their activity involvement habits very early. To respond to this need I would propose two programs. In each case the youth and adults would not be officially registered, rather they would be materials and supplies based program (T-shirts and program materials, etc.).

Program #1) Scout Buddies MOPS. (Mothers of preschoolers) group – These types groups already exist, some are organized by churches others are more organic (playgroups). Our role would be to provide materials that would allow mothers to work together with their children (gender neutral) to add value to their outings and interactions. In other words, the youth might have a t-shirt that they can earn heat transfer patches (or some other form of inexpensive recognition) as they complete activities with their mothers and families.

This would make Scouting a source of social interaction for mothers as well as help instill early character traits in their children that are frankly already in place when we receive Tiger Cubs in 1st grade. The pay-off would be during the first year of “official Cub Scout” program. Many of these groups might transition their boys directly into the program as a Den. The mothers are comfortable and familiar with each other and would be very willing to step into leadership positions supporting one another. If they are anything like our experiences, the fathers also become well-acquainted and comfortable with one another. As the program matures, I am sure that most Packs would take the time to ensure these groups exist to ensure a steady stream of willing parents into their Pack.

Program #2) Scout Buddies Preschool – This program would be very similar to the MOPS. groups. The change would be that the program would be designed to work in preschools. The field trips and activities would have Character Connections that would tie to them. The program would be designed to have take-home involving the parents as an active part of this Scouting experience. Perhaps recognition could be designed much like the MOPS program to be presented at parent nights and preschool programs.

Undoubtedly there will be strong opinions on programs such as these. However I believe that they are necessary to compete in the realities of today’s youth market. I believe that it is important that with both of these programs that we not consider them youth members and that we not charge a registration fee. Rather they are programs that are a service to the community and provide low to no cost materials to help families and communities raise strong preschoolers. The payoff will come with an increased familiarity, comfort and exposure to the BSA brand by young families and new markets.

Most importantly these programs put the Boy Scouts of America at the fore of community building activities in an era when commuting and gated developments have added barriers to families joining a cohesive community.

Streamline Marketing and Brand Management to Save 

 Completed

Money, Improve Efficiency
In the New BSA, it’s all about individual contributors making the difference and employees using their brains to collectively contribute to a New BSA. Brand Management and Marketing should publish guidelines that allow us to make individual decision for the collective benefit of BSA. This would reduce the number of staff needed by Brand Management and Marketing and save BSA money. It also would be less intrusive to getting things done.

Under the current structure, Marketing and Brand Management have set themselves up as an inhibitor to individual creativity and have effectively projected that they are the only group allowed to be creative.

BSA Branding of Council websites 

 In Progress

Many council websites are poorly done. They use designs from the early 90s (when the worldwide web was just starting). Most of all, visitors to some sites can't even tell the site is a BSA site. Very poor branding. Council websites should scream Boy Scouts, with style of course.

I'm sure lots of DE's and volunteers have graphics talents to share.

BSA Blogosphere 

 Completed

The Innovation Engine demonstrates that National has the ability to use technology to improve communication within the profession. It seems to me that the next logical step is to also use technology to more effectively reach out to our volunteers and the general public. Many districts have begun writing weblogs with varied results.

How about a BSA-created and -maintained blogosphere that helps us get the message out from our districts - and helps to make sure that the message is consistent acoss the BSA?

"No Child Left Inside" "Nature Deficit Disorder" 

 In Progress

In follow up to Bob's blog post over the summer and the book "Last Child in the Woods", Scouting nationally needs to be able leverage this concept as we introduce "Scouting to the America public" again as part of our 100th Anniversary celebration.

Locally in 2009, our Friends of Scouting and Membership Theme will both be "No Child Left Inside." We think by combining this idea into our fund-raising and marketing plans we will be able to have many touch points with parents and donors, who all seem to agree that our kids are "too plugged in" and not spending as much time outdoors.

In May of 2009 we are hosting a "No Child left Inside" Hike with the Girl Scouts of our area to bring awarness to the terrible growing "Nature Deficit Disorder" amongst our young people. We hope to message to parents, donors and the community that Scouting is well positioned to address this growing epidemic.