This is the second in a five-part series.

MEMBERSHIP PILLAR

The Circle Ten Council membership strategy over the next strategic plan cycle will have a strong emphasis on the development of Cub Scout packs and increasing the number of units within our communities. We will be moving away from a primary focus on once a year sign-up events to a 24/7/12/365 model, where a family or person can join anytime while accessing Scouting through multiple joining events held throughout our council, year-round. We will expand the use of our council facilities for recruitment events to attract more families and Scouts.

We will grow by expanding Scouting programs to all youth and
their families within the council.

Strategic Objective: We will focus on developing and increasing the Cub Scout program, because we know it is the engine that drives other programs.

Goal: Increase number of Cub Scout packs to serve each elementary school (we currently have 396 packs serving 802 elementary schools)

2021 = 435 packs

2022 = 500 packs

2023 = 591 packs

Tactics

• We will track each pack by what elementary school they are assigned to.
• We will address packs that are assigned to multiple schools by reviewing with unit leadership the market share at those schools vs. how many youth they are serving in their pack and develop a plan to transition those units back to one school.
• We will address schools that do not have a pack assigned to find out why and to help develop a new pack in that community to serve that school.
• We will ensure that each school has a designated recruitment date in the fall and the assigned pack helps coordinate the event so families understand the joining opportunities that are in their communities.
• This process will be more of an art – not a science, so that we educate unit leaders and make annual progress, but while also keeping unit relationships positive and intact. 

Goal: Conduct monthly sign-up events (focusing on the Cub Scout program)

2021 = 8 per district (208 events)

2022 = 10 per district (260 events)

2023 = 12 per district (312 events)

Tactics

• These events will be intentional, much like fall school recruitments, where the purpose of the event is not to just join another organization that is already conducting a community event or to market our brand, but for the sole purpose of inviting new families to the event conducted by Circle Ten Council staff to recruit new Cub Scouts at each event.
• The format of each event may be flexible but will have some of the same key components of a fall recruitment night (specific invitation, basic Cub Scout 101 information, easy access to join, answer family questions and sign-up youth, place new families w/packs).
• Each district will schedule, plan, organize and coordinate a minimum of one event each month – including the summer months.  
• There will be at least an annual staff training so staff understand how to schedule, market, plan and execute these types of monthly membership events/programs and will know the expectations for each.

Strategic Objective: We will focus on the needs and desires of our families engaging all as participants.

Goal: Increase the number of total units serving our communities (Should end 2020 w/ 930 units).  NOTE – Circle Ten Council averages about 95 dropped units per year and has created about 72 new units over the past 5 years.

2021 = 945 total units

2022 = 965 total units

2023 = 990 total units

Tactics

• We will achieve this by conducting an annual new unit sales training to help the staff understand how to identify new unit prospects, identify schools/chartered organizations that need Scouting units, equip the staff with sales materials/resources that will help them sell Scouting when meeting with prospective new partners and develop monthly expectations on both the number of sales calls each staff is expected to make as well as benchmarks for new unit production each quarter.
• We will organize and conduct “Together We Organize” (TWO) events at least twice a year – once in the early spring and once in early fall – to recognize new partnerships as well as invite prospective new partners to hear how Scouting works and how it can benefit their organization with the goal of developing new units through each “TWO” event.
• We will conduct a “New Unit Blitz Day” at least once a year to help focus the staff on new unit sales calls and to give new staff an opportunity to practice by working with experienced staff.
• We will also increase unit retention by conducting unit health analysis reports quarterly so we know the status of each unit and will engage the commissioner staff to help identify which units are in need of support/help before they get to the point of dropping at recharter time.  
• We will have a special focus on getting all Cub Scout packs to complete their recharter process by December 1st.

Goal: Increase our retention of total youth in Scouting programs (in 2020 we retained 70.8%)

2021=75%

2022 = 80%

2023 = 85%

Tactics

• We will do this by tracking and increasing the key indicators for youth retention as defined by the BSA – youth attendance at activities/programs, trained leaders, youth advancement and youth attendance at day camp/summer camp.
• We will also track unit recharters by reviewing unit rosters and defining why youth are removed from the roster at each recharter period.
• The field staff will become hands-on with the unit recharter process and will get involved weekly as a customer service resource for our units so we always know the status of where each unit stands and what roadblocks are preventing them from moving forward with their recharter.
• We will send out lost youth post cards at each recharter period to ensure any youth member that was dropped, was not dropped accidentally.
• We will track Webelos-to-Scout transition to ensure that every 2nd year Webelos Scout is invited to join a local troop and we will review 2nd Year Webelos rosters to ensure every youth transitioned into a troop or find out why they chose not to do so.
• Each district will conduct a “meet the troop” event where all troops will attend and each 2nd year Webelos Scout is invited to come out and meet the troops in their area so their family can choose a troop that best fits their family’s needs.

Strategic Objective: We will add units in areas with low representation in order to offer Scouting to more youth.

Goal: Measure monthly production of membership efforts (should end 2020 with 44,000 total youth). These goals will be broken down by district/service area/council quarterly.

2021 = 44,700 total youth (1.5%)

2022 = 46,000 total youth (3%)

2023 = 48,000 total youth (4.3%)

Tactics

• We will do this by reviewing with field staff the following measurement reports each Friday and addressing successes or areas of concern weekly through field directors
• MyBSA Membership Report (district/service area/council level)
• Monthly Objectives Progress Reports (district/service area level)
• Monthly District Totals Reports (district level)
• Monthly Membership Reports (council/service area level)
• Monthly Sign-Up Event Report (district/service area/council level)
• Monthly district/service area membership projections

Goal: Expand non-traditional recruiting events at Circle Ten Council camps/properties to entice NEW families

2021 = 4 events per year

2022 = 6 events per year

2023 = 8 events per year

Tactics

• We will do this by retaining, but not growing our Learning for Life, in-school program and introducing new Explorer post options to districts.
• We will continue to explore options of membership for families (unit Scouting vs. Lone Scout program) so we make it easy for families to join based on their needs.
• Continue to explore after/in-school program options that are self-sustaining.
• We will start a Hispanic/Latinx Initiative to put a focus on starting self-sustaining Scouting programs in Hispanic/Latinx communities.
• We will develop activity programs each year where entire families are invited to come and experience Scouting that are non-members.

Did you miss the first in this series? Read Part 1 now.