Transcript FAITH BASED INITIATIVE MEMBERSHIP PLAN

FAITH BASED INITIATIVE
MEMBERSHIP PLAN
Mark P.
Hazlewood
C E O O F P. R . A .Y.
INTERESTED IN
CREATING NEW UNITS
(OR REFRESHING CURRENT ONES)
WITH THE POTENTIAL TO:
BE SELF SUSTAINING?
BE OPEN TO ADDING
THE NEXT MEMBER OF
THE SCOUTING FAMILY?
CREATE COR’S WILLING
TO DO PEER-TO-PEER
RECRUITING FOR YOUR
COUNCIL & DISTRICTS?
GOOD!
LET’S LOOK AT RATIONALE AND
STRATEGIES FOR DOING SO
REVIEW THE CHARTERED ORGANIZATION
CONCEPT
My concern is that the Chartered Organization
Agreement seems to have been reduced from
a partnership to a meeting place and a
signature on the Chartered Organization
Agreement
Chartered Organization vs. Sponsor
Homeowner vs. Landlord
Goal: move congregations from sponsors to
Chartered Organizations
REVIEW THE CHARTERED ORGANIZATION
CONCEPT
 QUESTION: What is the role of Scouting as it
relates to the Chartered Organization?
 ANSWER: The council’s responsibility is to further
the aims and goals of the Chartered Organization
 In order to achieve your own goals (of self sustaining units, adding the next member of the
Scouting family, COR’s doing peer-to-peer
recruiting), you must sell Scouting’s ability to
meet the needs of the Chartered
Organization
WHOSE NEEDS ARE THESE?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Membership growth
Retention
Program
Trained Volunteers
Money
WHOSE NEEDS ARE THESE?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Membership growth
Retention
Program
Trained Volunteers
Money
BOTH BSA COUNCILS AND RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS SHARE THE SAME 5 NEEDS
LEARN TO EXPLAIN TO THE RELIGIOUS
COMMUNITY HOW THE SCOUTING PROGRAM
CAN BENEFIT THE CONGREGATION!
1. MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
 Congregations need:
young families
adult males
 Scouting can provide both!
 Scouting has high brand recognition and attracts
young families looking for values.
 You need to teach the congregation how to create
opportunities for Scouting families to get
connected with the congregation itself
 One obvious connection is through religious
emblems
1 . M E M BERSH IP G ROW T H
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS
Religious emblems programs
Are developed by the national religious
organizations, not BSA
(BSA approves the programs and allows the
award to be worn on the official uniform)
Are taught by the faith community (most
programs require the clergy’s signature)
Provide religious instruction for members of that
specific faith group
Provide opportunities for family involvement,
community service, reinforce Scouting values
1 . M E M BERSH IP G ROW T H
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS
How do the religious emblems programs
translate into membership for a
congregation?
Roughly half of a typical Scouting group will
not be active in a congregation
If the size of the average Cub Scout Pack is
10, there are perhaps 5 to 7 families
without a congregational home who are
meeting in the Chartered Organization’s
building
1 . M E M BERSH IP G ROW T H
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS
The congregation must offer a religious
emblems class
Use the classes as an opportunity for the
members of the congregation to interact with
the Scouting families
Use congregation members as teachers;
include Scouts in service projects; plan the
award ceremony during a regular worship
service and invite the families
1 . M E M BERSH IP G ROW T H
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS COORDINATORS
 Take advantage of the new Religious Emblems
Coordinator positions that exist at the Unit,
District and Council levels
 R.E.C. positions show that BSA is strengthening
the core value of Duty to God
 Religious emblems will be promoted like all other
rank advancement
 Each Unit/District/Council should set goals for
the number of religious emblems to be earned
 Encourage each Chartered Organization to recruit
a Unit Religious Emblems Coordinator
1 . M E M BERSH IP G ROW T H
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS COORDINATORS
 The Unit REC makes a presentation on all
religious emblems using the R.E.C. / Duty to
God resources
 Don’t forget: Scouts are encouraged to earn
the religious emblem of their own faith
 The chartering congregation offers their
religious emblems program for their youth
members and extends an invitation to the
Scouting unit, especially the 50% without a
current congregational home.
 Congregations need to invite the parents to
the first class and start building relationships.
1 . M E M BERSH IP G ROW T H
RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS
 Religious emblems can be a tool
for faith formation and also to
grow 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 scout district
The congregation expands its
membership potential in close
geographic area
2. RETENTION
Congregations should involve Scouting
families in short episodic volunteer roles
Get Scouting families working with the core
leadership of the congregation
Build/strengthen relationships
3. PROGRAM
Scouting can enrich the programs of the
religious organization
Scouting has high brand recognition
Membership opportunities
Proven youth program: citizenship training,
character development, fitness
Outdoor resources (local and national
facilities)
Venturing Program
4. TRAINED VOLUNTEERS
Encourage the congregation to provide much
of the leadership
Congregation members may volunteer to be
leaders because they see it as service to their
congregation
Congregations select the leadership that
reflects their values
4. TRAINED VOLUNTEERS
Congregations need their best kid person
to be the leader. The leader can be the
first connection to the congregation
Leaders must be trained.
Congregation members need training? Why
not open your training to the
congregation?
Reinforce that the Chartered Organization
“owns” the unit. It’s like a franchise.
5. MONEY
Additional members means more revenue
BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW SCOUTING
CAN BENEFIT CONGREGATIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Membership growth
Retention
Program
Trained Volunteers
Money
MAKE SURE CONGREGATIONS
UNDERSTAND THE BSA RESOLUTION
Understand what the Resolution is
Scout Oath and Scout Law
Duty to God
Behavior that exemplifies the highest level
of good conduct
Sexual conduct, whether homosexual or
heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is
contrary to our values.
MAKE SURE CONGREGATIONS
UNDERSTAND THE BSA RESOLUTION
Also understand what the Resolution is NOT
Does not endorse homosexuality as an
acceptable lifestyle
Does NOT prohibit our faith based charter
partners from requiring that the members of its
unit abide by the moral values of the chartered
organization.
A BSA Code of Conduct is being created.
A committee has been formed to strengthen the
Duty to God component in the Scouting program
SWOT ANALYSIS
Let’s use a SWOT analysis to understand
how a religious organization might look at
the BSA
LOCAL COUNCIL
STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES/OPPORTUNITIES/THREATS
SWOT ANALYSIS:
STRENGTHS
LOCAL COUNCIL
1. BSA’s ability to attract young families
2. BSA research
Unit retention, rank advancement, leader tenure is
greater in faith based units
3. Share common goals with faith community
4. Chartered Organization concept
5. Good brand recognition
WEAKNESSES
1. Councils have little to no knowledge of needs of
chartered organizations
2. Councils provide little explanation about what’s in
it for the chartered organization
3. No good sales tool for Chartered Organization
4. Councils have lack of understanding and
utilization of religious emblems and REC
5. Council’s lack of communication with chartered
organizations during the year
OPPORTUNITIES
1. 70% of current organizations are religious
2. 70% have only one unit or member of the family
3. Congregations need young families (average age of
a UMC member is 59)
4. Renewed emphasis on Duty to God at BSA National
5. 411 committee report
6. Congregations have 5 common needs with BSA
7. Re-energize Religious Relationships committee by
tasking them with membership
8. Religious hikes, retreats and camporees
9. Chaplains to help at summer camp and camporees
(ask clergy for help!)
THREATS
1. Sharp membership decline especially in school- based
chartered organizations
2.Equating a place to meet and a signature on the
application as Chartered Organization agreement versus
agreeing to be a give and take partnership
3. Faith communities have a general lack of knowledge of
the real outcome of the membership vote
4. Concern that the next target will be the BSA leadership
standards and then Duty to God
5. Other faith-based boy programs
STEPS TO TAKE
Research the Religious Emblems Programs
You need to do your homework
Before calling on a congregation, become
familiar with their religious emblems program
The eligibility guidelines and requirements will
differ from religion to religion
The P.R.A.Y. website provides links to all the
different religious emblems
“Cheat sheet”
STEPS TO TAKE
Research the congregation
You need to do your homework on the
congregation and denomination. What do
you call the place of worship? How do you
address clergy? How is it structured? Top
down or bottom up? etc.
“Congregation Questionnaire”
STEPS TO TAKE
Find Cultural Informants – To open doors,
teach/speak the language, eliminate cold
calls
Council Staff, Council Board, Religious
Relationships Committee, your Key 3,
Chartered Partners
http://www.praypub.org/fbi
STEPS TO TAKE
Become familiar with the R.E.C.
Resources available
http://www.praypub.org/REC
Summary handout, video, webinar
recordings, etc.
Encourage REC’s to sign up and receive the
“REC kit”
STEPS TO TAKE
 Keep informed
 Sign up for P.R.A.Y.’s Email Bulletins
http://www.praypub.org/pubs_main.htm
 Join Mark on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/in/markhazlewood
 Sign up for P.R.A.Y. webinars
Joint presentation with UMC – Nov 21 st
Recruiting Baptist Congregations – TBA
http://www.praypub.org/LearningCenter/webinars.
htm
 Contact Mark with questions [email protected]
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 must be trained by the local
council
Religious emblems must be promoted by
the unit REC
Congregations must offer a religious
emblems class
FINAL THOUGHTS / SUMMARY
Visit your congregations now
Duty to God is a core value of Scouting.
Scouting needs the faith community.
Do your homework. Are you familiar with RE,
REC, CO? Can you articulate the reasons why
Scouting and the faith community need each
other? Can you articulate the benefits of
working together?
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your commitment to working
with the faith community!
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