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kbeirne

kbeirne
Member since : Oct-27-2008 (Verified)
3 Ideas, 10 Comments, 78 Votes

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Ideas Posted

Many food items will occasionally have special branding to donate to a cause. Why not have Coca-Cola, Little Debbie, cereals, etc. include information about 100 years of Scouting on their packaging and in return give a very small percent back to Scouting - maybe a penny each. It would be free promotions for Scouting and selling mass quanitities could yield some new gifts to the BSA foundation.
Moderator Comments
12/2/08
From: Stephen Emerick, Corporate Alliances Director, Council Solutions Group

As part of the BSA’s commitment to forging corporate alliances with Fortune 500 companies, cause-promotions play a big role in the strategy. Whether it’s a special edition product with BSA branded packaging, a custom product that benefits the BSA, or a portion of sales of an existing product being raised for the organization, our corporate alliances team is working to incorporate cause-marketing components into every sponsorship deal. If councils have direct connections to companies with products that could be a nice fit with the BSA for nationwide promotions, please forward any information available to CorporateAlliances@scouting.org and a team member will get back to you.
I would suggest FOS pledge cards include the individual's email address, either for them to make changes or blank to encourage submission of information.
Also, an option for Council's to add another field. Our local United Way added, "Check here to add a $5 gift to the Endowment Fund". Imagine if even 50% of our donors made a $5 or $10 gift to the endowment fund. Good marketing and it would be painless.
Moderator Comments
11/18/08
From: Mark Moshier, Council Funding Team,Finance Impact Department

All kinds of customized FOS pledge card options are on the development list in MyBSA FR. Custom Reporting will address this issue.
The FOS Enroller Kits need to be updated. They look old and don't present our image positively to those that we need most in the campaign, our FOS manpower.
Moderator Comments
12/17/08
From: Mark Moshier, Council Funding Team Leader

The enroller kit is scheduled for update that the next printing.
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Comments Posted

kbeirne 3 months ago
Thank you Wayne for being willing to ask a hard question and putting it out for discussion. In my nearly 30 years in Scouting, our movement has changed, some for the good and some not so good.

I'd like to echo the comments above as well. Our chartered partners are more like sponsors and our volunteers are, generally speaking, not interested in our goals.

To sum it up, I think our biggest obstacle is accepting that our unit's and their programs are "good enough". People (adults and youth) want to be a part of a winning team. They really don't want to join a program that is good, they want to be a part of something great! A strong unit program will attract youth to be a part of it. That strong unit will also advance more youth, send more kids to camps, involve more parents, and retain more youth.

Someone already referenced Jim Collins' book, Good to Great. He starts his book by stating, "Good is the enemy of great". I think we have moved away from our core vlaues and programs and need a transformation to bring us back to our days of providing and supporting excellent Scouting programs.
kbeirne 5 months ago
Our local Post Office asked for this the last time I brought a bulk mailing. This would not only save postage but is now a requirement. We will fall way behind if we can no longer do any bulk mailings or prove we are up to date with USPS standards.
kbeirne 5 months ago
It would be great if the "W" vs "B" category would also be fixed after all these years. If I mark a "W" Work phone number, it does not appear on their FOS pledge card. Only if it is marked "B" Business does it then show as in the "W" phone filed on the card. Confusing at best.
kbeirne 5 months ago
Downloading to and Excel file and then sorting by date pledged or paid can accomplish this in the meantime.
kbeirne 5 months ago
There is a tremendous benefit that could be reaped from outside consultants that can look at a problem/situation with a new pair of eyes and ears. Our movement has professionals with decades of experience that don't always aspire to be a Scout Executive (also a prerequisite for area and regional positions) and their knowledge could be shared with others.
kbeirne 5 months ago
Not offering a Tall option has been a set-back for our BSA uniforms for a long time. Let's get with the times and actually provide service to our customers. What looks worse than a uniform that doesn't fit correctly or the shirt keeps coming untucked?
kbeirne 5 months ago
I have a Facebook account and it has been a great way to connect with former school mates, family and friends. A Facebook account for Scout alumni, Eagle Scouts, former volunteers, Scoutmasters, etc. would be easy to set up and could even then direct people to the 100th Anniversary website or Alumni Connection.
kbeirne 1 year ago
Let's take this even further and put Scouting back in the forefront of the "Green" environmental initiative - isn't this part of what we are founded upon?

We should look for every opportunity to go paperless. And why stop at just paper? Every Council office and Scout camp could have recycling bins for aluminum cans, plastic bottles and paper. Let's market this triumph and put Scouting back in the "green" camp.
kbeirne 1 year ago
I favor an August - July year to coincide with a Scout's school year. when they sign up in fall, they are paid for the entire year, and are still covered for camps in June and July.
kbeirne 1 year ago
Excel export/import would also be very useful in budget preparations for the Council. ScoutNet does not allow for any formulas and manual changes in the Excel spreadsheet are required each time our accounting specialist adds or deletes and event line.