Congregations Religious Emblems the Lynchpin to Membership BSA

Congregations Religious Emblems: the Lynchpin to Membership BSA

How to Have Congregations and Clergy Begging You to Start the Full Family of Scouting

Stop Selling Packs, Troops, and Crews

Stop Selling Scouting as Ministry

Start Selling SOLUTIONS to Congregations and Their Needs

Whose needs are these? • Membership growth • Retention • Program • Money • Trained Volunteers

“You can have everything in life you want, if you'll just help enough other people to get what they want!” – Ziglar

Why Collaborate? What’s in it for Congregations?

What’s in it for Congregations? Question: What are the five most stated items in any strategic plan of a local congregation?

What’s in it for Congregations? Answer: • Membership • Retention of new members • Religious training • Volunteers / Leaders • Money

Religious Organizations Benefit • Common Goals • Enrich current program – Scouting has high brand recognition – Membership opportunities – Proven youth program: citizenship training, character development, fitness – Outdoor resources (local and national facilities) continued

Religious Organizations Benefit • Trained Leaders – Provides leadership training skills – New leaders (adults may volunteer to be leaders because they see it as service to their religious organization) – Religious organizations select the leadership that reflects their values

Religious Organizations Benefit: Membership Congregations need • Young families • Adult males

Religious Organizations Benefit: Faith Formation Religious Emblems Programs: • Are developed by the national religious organizations, not BSA

Religious Organizations Benefit: Membership • The average size of a pack is 30 • 50 to 60% of youth in a pack troop or crew do not currently have a faith home • These parents are pre-qualified as looking for values for their children • 15 pre-qualified families already in your building without a faith home

Religious Organizations Benefit: Membership • The unit leader makes a presentation on religious emblems using the R. E. C. / Duty to God resources. • The congregation offers a religious emblems class.

Religious Organizations Benefit: Membership • The chartering congregation offers their religious emblems program for their youth members and extends an invitation to the Scouting unit, especially those without a current congregational home. • Invite the parents to the first class and start building relationships.

Religious Organizations Benefit: Membership • If the congregation offers a religious emblem class to all youth in their units • If the congregation offers a religious emblem class to the whole district • The congregation expands its membership potential in close geographic area

Religious Organizations Benefit: Membership Congregations need • Young families • Adult males • Retain members • Scout parents www. scouting. org/scoutparent

What’s in it for Councils: Program 98% = the number of clergy who are unaware that these religious emblems even exist!

Journey to Excellence • • • Membership Units Retention Advancement Camping

Why Collaborate? What’s in it for Councils?

66. 9% of Traditional Scouting Units are Faith-Based!

Important Unit Growth Note. . . 70% of these charter partners currently have only one member of the Scouting family and should be prime prospects for the others!

A Sad Truth. . . Nationally, 2/3 of all new units organized this year will be gone by the end of the third year! ◙ To retain 10 new units this year will require organizing 30 units! ◙ To retain 30 new units over the three years will require organizing 90 units AND there will be 60 bad experiences which will make it difficult to ever organize another unit in that location!

Faith-Based Units Have Greater Longevity

2 0 0 9 / 2 0 1 0 New FBU Units Dropped FBU Units

Faith-Based Units Have a Higher Percentage of Youth Achieving Rank Advancement

RANK ADVANCEMENT

Ranks Achieved in Other Venture Crews

What’s in it for Councils? • Question: What are your council’s top goals according to Journey to Excellence?

What’s in it for Councils? Answer: • Membership • Retention • Advancement • Money • Leadership • Program

What’s in it for Councils: Membership • Youth membership – Parents are looking for values – Religious organizations share common goals • Adult leaders – Improve retention of leaders – Religiously based individuals are more likely to volunteer • Target underserved populations

What’s in it for Councils: Program • Religious organizations teach the religious emblems programs • Recruit clergy for religious retreats and camporees • Chaplains

Ingredients for Success • Both sides must clearly understand the chartered organization agreement before it is signed. • BSA should use as many congregational volunteers as is feasible. • The congregation must “invest” their best kid person to be the leader

Ingredients for Success • All volunteers should be trained by the local council • Religious emblems must be promoted by the unit leader • Congregations must offer a religious emblems class

Wrap up: Why Collaborate? • Win-win situation • Collaboration results in: • Stronger youth and families • Stronger congregations • Stronger councils

Take Away • 1. Every scout promises to do his “Duty to God” • We need to help them achieve this • . 2. Boys wear their rank and merit badges • to show what they have accomplished • What to they wear to show their “Duty to God”? • 3. Religious Emblems are an effective tools for • membership, retention and new charters • Let’s use them