Lion Cubs 

In the interest of increasing membership and retention within the Cub Scout Program, the Northern Star Council in St. Paul, MN has launched a five (5) year pilot program called “Lion Cubs” targeted at boys age 5 and/or in Kindergarten and their adult partners.

The program is focused on parent planning and delivery with support from the Cub Scout pack using literature specifically designed for the younger age group (Lion Cub Scout Adult Guide and Lion Cub Scout Adventure Guide). The Adult Guide contains a detailed plan for each month’s curriculum and breaks down each section in Family/Den Activities, At-home Activities and Grand Adventures.

The pilot began in the fall of 2008. Initial results from Year 1 of the five year pilot are as follows:

• Year 1 pilot had 274 kids (and 274 adults)
• Of these boys, 224 have signed up to stay in and crossover into the Tiger Cubs program – an 82% retention rate
• Year 2 targeting to have in excess of 500 boys in the pilot
• Parents who haven’t previously had a child in the program are very satisfied;
• Parents who already have boys in the program want Lions to be “more”…e.g. selling popcorn, going to every Pack meeting, etc.
The contact for this pilot program at the Northern Star Council is Elaine Sinn.

All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) Pilot 

In support of our collective goals of increasing membership and retention while simultaneously delivering relevant and engaging program, the “New BSA” has embarked on a new initiative to pilot All Terrain Vehicles, more commonly referred to as ATVs.

Therefore, we have initiated the process of selecting councils to pilot the use of ATVs during 2010. All councils interested in being considered to pilot ATVs should submit their proposals to the Innovation Team (National Council), attention of Merril Davis, merril.davis@scouting.org, by November 30, 2009.

To access the proposal form, please click on this title at the top of this web page, then scroll down to find the .pdf file.

Personal Watercraft/Jet Skis 

 In Progress

In support of our collective goals of increasing membership and retention while simultaneously delivering relevant and engaging program, the “New BSA” has embarked on a new initiative to pilot Personal Watercraft, more commonly referred to as jet skis.

Read the ProSpeak article in the September 2009 issue at: http://www.scouting.org/ProSpeak/best_practices/watercraft.aspx
(Copy and paste the link)

Early in the spring of 2009 councils were invited to submit proposals detailing how they would potentially deliver a Personal Watercraft pilot program. The proposals were required to include details such as; location, training, safety, budget, equipment, promotion and staffing. It was anticipated that our first tests of this new concept would occur during the summer 2010. However, as a result of some great work by the Blue Ridge Mountains Council in Roanoke, VA, we were able to conduct our first pilot during their seven (7) week summer camp program at the Claytor Lake Adventure Base.

High level results of the first pilot are as follows:

• 280 Scouts participated in the pilot
• 90% stated the program “met” or “exceed” their expectations
• 90% of all youth indicated they were either “somewhat” or “very likely” to return to camp because of the PWC program.
• 35% stated participating in the PWC program increased their likelihood of staying in Scouting
• 59% indicated participating in the PWC program increased their likelihood of recommending Scouting to others

Moving forward, we have initiated the process of selecting additional councils to pilot the use of Personal Watercraft during 2010. All councils interested in being considered to pilot Personal Watercraft should submit their proposals to the Innovation Team (National Council), attention of Merril Davis, merril.davis@scouting.org, by November 30, 2009.

To access the proposal form, please click on this title at the top of this web page, then scroll down to find the .pdf file.

Pilot Process Guidelines 

The Piloting of new ideas and processes is an ideal way to assess the viability of a concept before making the time, labor and financial commitment required for a full scale implementation. In an effort to provide additional structure, clarity and support to the Piloting Process, the following will serve as a “road map” of necessary steps and things to consider when developing a successful Pilot Program.
Guidelines:
• Goal/Objective - Outline specifically what the pilot program is expected to achieve. What are you trying to accomplish?
• Concept - Overview of the program itself including the targeted audience/participants and market(s) as well as anticipated development, training and implementation requirements.
• Benefit - How will Scouting benefit from the pilot program in terms of measurable results? For example, Increases in Membership, Retention, Return on Investment and Brand Awareness.
• Budget - What are the anticipated expenses associated with executing the pilot program? What do you forecast to be the start up and development costs vs. ongoing expenses?
• Timing - What is the expected duration of the pilot and deadlines for interim deliverables? Is the pilot/program restricted to a particular time of year?
• Measurement - What are the metrics for evaluating the performance of the pilot? Identify a baseline level of performance today and compare the pilot program against that standard.
• Definition of Success - How will we know if we have achieved the goals of the pilot?
• Broader Application - Does the pilot have the potential for application outside of your council? If so, what adjustments (if any) would need to be considered?

Additionally, we should leverage the Innovation Engine at ideas.scouting.org as a forum for sharing new ideas and best practices. To include your Pilot in the listing of activities focused on moving Scouting forward, please email the details of your Pilot to Merril Davis of the Innovation Team at Merril.Davis@Scouting.org.
If you require any additional support, please feel free to contact Rani Monson (Rani.Monson@Scouting.org) of the Innovation Team or Pat Wellen (Pat.Wellen@Scouting.org) of the Research & Evaluation Team.

BSA Lifetime Membership 

 In Progress

My idea to offer a BSA Lifetime Membership (LTM) Registration in BSA's 100th year.

The timing for this launch is perfect for our Centenary Celebration although it needs to be started real soon. Especially the media blitz. The technology is here and it is proactive and forward thinking. I feel if advertised correctly in Councils, Scouting Magazine, Boys' Life, Scouting Web Sites (NESA, AO, Councils, Districts, etc.), Local Media (Radio, TV, WebSites (YouTube), Newspapers, etc,) then expect a flood of new money like you have never seen before.

My suggestion also would be to say,"100 Years,... $100.00" After the Centennial year, the cost will be $200.00 and still a great deal. NESA is $180.00 right now.

If there was a prize for helping with fundraising for the BSA,... this would surly be in the Top 5%. I see it as a Win-Win all the way around.

Perks for the LTM would have to be determined but some that come to mind are:
• Discounts at Scout Shops and/or Scouting Events, etc.
• Boys' Life Magazine until age 18; then converts to Scouting Magazine
• Possibly used as a tie-breaker in the event of determining when there are more applicants than slots for an event such as Philmont or Jamboree
• Maybe,... and this is a stretch,... Give a Square Knot for a Lifetime Membership such as James E. West or like the new NESA Eagle Square Knot. That type of pride goes a long way with many volunteers.

-Dave French
678-516-1305