SCOUTING NOW: A message from the Chief Commissioner

Hi everyone

Since taking on the role of Chief Commissioner, I have visited 12 of our 20 Councils so far. I have listened and I have learned. One thing is clear -- no matter where we come from in Canada, many of the challenges and opportunities before us are similar.

I sincerely want to see our organization grow, and I want to help Scouting re-connect with Canadians.

Earlier this month, your Board of Governors passed a motion to establish the Chief Commissioner's Task Force on Growth. The overall purpose of the task force is to develop a sustainable action plan for membership growth in the short, medium and long term, that supports Scouts Canada’s Strategic Directions. It is our intention to work with you, the OAC, the Councils, our networks, and all interested members to make this process a success.

The action plan that is attached outlines the action that we feel is needed to create an environment for growth. We want and need your input into this work. Our intention is to launch a website that will invite all members of our organization to be part of this process.

You likely won't wholeheartedly support every word in the attached document, nor would I expect you to. All I ask is that you keep an open mind, and think big. This will be a collaborative process, and active participation from all members will be encouraged. Based on my discussions with Scouters across Canada, there is a lot of enthusiasm for many of the approaches outlined in this action plan. Achieving all of this won't be easy.... it will take courage, commitment, not to mention additional resources. But by working together, I'm confident we can do what's needed to revitalize our movement.

I am asking you to have a look through the plan, and to reflect on how you can help bring the plan to life.

I sincerely look forward to working with you as we move ahead. I respectfully ask for your support and participation.

Thanks so much for your continued commitment to Scouting. Talk to you soon. And please feel free to contact me any time -- my contact information is below.


Steve

skent@scouts.ca

I have many dozens of comments that I would like to make on this document and some of the statements being presented in it. BUT it is much too long to take section and statements and comment on each. Would it not be possible to have this document in WORD format so that comments could be interspersed within the document in another colour. The way it is now, one has to be very, very determined to make his comments known as the work involved is tremendous. Please consider making a WORD DOC available, and I personally believe that you will receive much more, and very honest feedback. Thanks Steve.

First of all, kudos to the task force team that put together the report. It was a pleasure to read and I was very excited at the new direction Scout Canada is heading to encourage overall membership growth and more grassroots decision making at a youth level.

A few general thoughts hit me as I read the document:

Really thought the British method of marketing Scouting as a fight against “obesity” was brilliant. It can certainly work here in Canada.

As a High School teacher I can certainly agree that kids are forever searching the Internet especially the social networks like Twitter and Facebook. We desperately need to get a kid friendly presence on the Internet that encourages interaction and networking and makes Scouting look cool.

I loved the idea of training new leaders immediately, via the Internet. I’m a firm believer on online education and if we can introduce WBI training on the Internet with some kind of testing that would be fabulous.

This wasn’t specifically said BUT I really encourage the idea of having a complete program laid out for new leaders in each section. Do you want to know how to run each meeting for the next year? Here is a sample program for an entire year. No reason why this couldn’t be done for three years for each section.

Wasn’t it cool to know that anybody can start a brand new group? All they have to know is how to do it. Online instructions and the proper forms easily accessible would be perfect.

Absolutely think it’s necessary for youth to be involved in the process of running the Scouting Movement. Twenty percent made up of youth members participating in the different levels of councils, areas and commissions is necessary.

Again thought the British idea of training the youth members how to talk to the media and how to have them talk on behalf of Scouting was perfect. Having youth talking to youth was right on!

Thirty-five year olds as the terminal age for scout leaders in some countries seemed odd considering B-P himself was 50 when he began scouting. Didn’t Henry Ford say it was men over 50 who ran the world? Of course we now have a Chief Commissioner who is 31 - so what did Henry Ford know!

MM

Erol (and others)... it's best to try and keep posts relatively short and to a single topic in order to encourage discussion. My advice is to pick a portion or portions of the document that relate to a single concept or response and post a topic for each one of these that you want to talk about. Feel free to copy and "Quote" pieces of the document in your post.

Mark M: I like your post a lot...

Erol (and others)... it's best to try and keep posts relatively short and to a single topic in order to encourage discussion. My advice is to pick a portion or portions of the document that relate to a single concept or response and post a topic for each one of these that you want to talk about. Feel free to copy and "Quote" pieces of the document in your post.

Mark M: I like your post a lot...

That's just the problem, you can't copy text from a PDF file unless you have the complete Adobe...I have the read only cause the complete is just too expensive for my needs and uses.

That's just the problem, you can't copy text from a PDF file unless you have the complete Adobe...I have the read only cause the complete is just too expensive for my needs and uses.

Errol, you can select text from a PDF using the Adobe Reader. Follow this link to the Adobe site for complete How-To instructions.

That's just the problem, you can't copy text from a PDF file unless you have the complete Adobe...I have the read only cause the complete is just too expensive for my needs and uses.

Errol, you can select text from a PDF using the Adobe Reader. Follow this link to the Adobe site for complete How-To instructions.

JUST what I was looking for. Thanks Karl.

ScoutingNow is not Steve's only major initiative this year.

Happy to add my CONGRATULATIONS to Steve and Janet, his wife on the safe arrival of their son, Benjamin Garrett Aug 14 early am

Has there been any former Chief Commissioner who fathered a youngster while in office???? No wise cracks here, guys and gals... just a legit question

Hans