Scoutmaster Minutes
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LATEST POSTS
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By HashTagScouts · Posted
At the end of the day, BSA is not entirely the whole of "scouting"- scouting does and can exist without the BSA. BSA is just a corporation really. What BSA has had going for it is really the assets they have ownership over. Folks have wanted the Eagle Scout, and the Wood Badge, etc. and the iconic nostalgic "Scouts" that they saw in media of yesteryear that their parents and grandparents were a part of. If that were gone, seems safe to say IMO that numbers would precipitously drop, not rise. In the last ten years I've seen three interest groups form in my neck of the woods for Outdoor Service Guides (then BPSA). None lasted more than a couple years. I don't disagree with your premise that re-envisioning the program is going to be a necessity for BSA to stay around for another 100 years, and I personally believe that is going to mean letting go a lot of the past as well as not getting caught up in thinking that doing so is a sure-fire path to grow numbers. It would involve a fair amount of pain, and fair amount of loss of folks that have been involved for a long period of time that just don't see themselves as fitting that newer model. Where my most significant concerns are right now is that BSA is still somehow thinking they can have their cake and eat it too. -
By RememberSchiff · Posted
After using AI in a Google Ads search campaign, the GSUSA saw a 40% reduction in the cost per new member acquisition. Actual costs per new member were not provided. "In just under a week, AI made thousands of adjustments to the search campaign, constantly tweaking it to make it more efficient. That’s compared to the hundreds of adjustments made during a year’s worth of manual search optimization strategies. The Google Ads search campaign allows a marketer to place ads across the platform's network of search results." “We’ve been doing this evergreen recruitment search for a while,” Ruden said, noting the agency has been running it since it won the Girl Scouts account in 2019. “We got acquisition costs in a pretty good place. The client was happy and we were happy with that. But then we started to think, ‘OK how much better can this do?’ To see that 40% drop was incredible.” Can't say that I have seen these ads, but then I use ad-blockers, etc. Source: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/how-girl-scouts-using-ai-boost-memberships/2497816 -
By RememberSchiff · Posted
June 5, 2023: "Philmont announced today that they have initiated the first phase of an aggressive Forest Restoration project utilizing state-of-the-art mechanical thinning. This thinning process allows for a one-pass treatment of overgrown forests with a focus on the restoration, protection, and sustainability of the landscape and watersheds for future generations. ... The first phase, a 600-acre Restorative Thinning Project began in mid-April and will be completed by the end of June 2023. The treatment area will serve as an anchor point between Philmont’s backcountry camps of Crater Lake and Miners Park and connects to the 1,000-acre fuel break. ... Philmont’s restorative thinning project is supported by Kenneke, Director of Ranching and Conservation, led by Lee Hughes, Director of Conservation and led by Philmont’s Forester Marty Parsons. Collaboration with the State of New Mexico Forestry Division through Cimarron District Forester Mary Stuever has allowed Philmont to work with Miller Timber Services. Miller uses state-of-the-art thinning machinery, processes of working in steep southwestern forests. They are treating approximately ten acres per day. Most of the material generated through the project is transported to Blanca Forestry Products located in Blanca, CO., in addition to several local mills in New Mexico. Blanca is dedicated to producing high quality lumber and forest products backed by the sustainable harvest of Miller Timber Services. Revenue generated from the project is reinvested into treating additional acres. Thanks to U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy who were instrumental in securing the 1.3 million dollars needed to initiate this project. Philmont is grateful to the thousands of staff and volunteers who put time, energy, labor, and passion into this project. A special thank you to the thousands of Philmont donors across the country who gave and continue to give to Philmont’s Fire Mitigation and Restoration Fund." More at source: https://krtnradio.com/2023/06/05/philmont-announces-1-3-million-restorative-thinning-project/ https://www.roadsriversandtrails.com/how-philmont-was-affected-by-the-ute-wildfires/ -
Probably smaller organizations that start up and shut down. That purchase insurance on their own. Maybe it would be good that a troop would startup and dissolve over 10 or 20 years. BSA has long been a lightning rod for all the society ills for the last 100+ years. It bankrupted and nearly killed BSA. Maybe BSA should oversee camps that outside organizations use; if they come with their own insurance, etc. Or, have the camps as individual on-going non-profit organizations that run themselves. Or, petition government to own special state and national parks that specialize in hosting youth groups. I fear that structurally BSA may not be compatible with the current legal system. I think BSA needs to re-think how it exists structurally. -
By HashTagScouts · Posted
Aside from how they can practically get out of the mortgage liability of Philmont, retiree payouts, debt on Summit, debt on National Supply, etc. that would be necessary to change the organization to nothing more than a certifying body, there is a real problem to this: They should not be certifying safety or membership or liable for each and every camp out. Who, then, has the liability? This is exactly why COs have run for the hills.
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