Op-Ed Pieces For Newspapers?

[LeCastor 641]

I've been wondering if it might be a good idea to start writing in to the big-hitter newspapers in our respective areas to start talking about Scouting in the US. If enough of us start writing regularly to the papers and start to get published, will we make an impact?

 

For example, just this week an op-ed piece was published in a smaller WI newspaper:

 

http://www.gazettextra.com/20150310/our_views_boy_scouting_develops_leaders_deserves_support

 

It's relatively neutral on the issue of discrimination towards homosexual adults but states that Scouting is important and deserves support from our respective communities. Regardless of how we feel about the membership debate, I am of the opinion that we must fight to keep the positive aspects of Scouting in the spotlight. If we don't we'll remain "invisible" as SSScout says.

[Sentinel947 1205]

Can't read the article without signing up.

[LeCastor 641]

Sorry, all...The link didn't seem to work as posted. Here is the article from the GazetteXtra:

 

"Our Views: Boy Scouting develops leaders, deserves support

 

“On my honor, I will do my best

“To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;

“To help other people at all times;

“To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.â€Â

â€â€Boy Scout Oath

 

Boy Scouts of America has an image problem and a membership problem.

The first affects the second.

Some people think Scouting is for troubled kids or “losers.†However, Gerald Ford was an Eagle Scout. John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also were Scouts. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan served in leadership roles. If so many U.S. presidents were involved in Scouting, how can this perception be valid?

Shelly Birkelo reported Monday that membership has been falling fast nationally and locally. Alex Tyms is charged with turning around the numbers as executive of the Glacier's Edge Council, which serves all or parts of 15 counties in southcentral Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Like Ford, Tyms was an Eagle Scout. He has more than 20 years of experience in seven states. He came here a year ago, has outlined the challenges and is enacting or planning changes.

With just two staff members in charge of recruitment, he's engaging more volunteers. Customer service and service units will expand. Rather than expecting leaders to pass recruitment information to boys, the council will use direct mailings. It will more quickly engage new Scouts in camping and pinewood derbies and add activities in science, technology, engineering and math.

Already, Tyms has seen good signs. In 2012, local retention was just 62 percent. By the end of 2014, it was 74 percent.

The debate over gay tolerance hurt Scouting's image. The organization reversed a ban on gay members in 2013 but still bans openly gay leaders. The program seemingly can't win on this issue. It will alienate liberals and conservatives no matter which way it turns. Tyms called the 2013 change a nonfactor in local membership. One of the biggest blows to local numbers was disbandment, because of inadequate funding, of a Madison outreach program for troubled and low-income boys.

Despite its challenges, Boy Scouting remains one of our country's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. For 105 years, it has built character and encouraged citizenship, responsibility and fitness. It combines educational activities with fun while developing future leaders such as Kennedy, Clinton and Ford.

“Be prepared,†says the Boy Scout Motto. In this era when people perform random acts of kindness and often pay them forward, “Do a good turn daily†has long been the Boy Scout Slogan.

State Reps. Warren Petryk of Eleva and Evan Goyke of Milwaukee are also former Eagle Scouts. As they wrote in a column in Saturday's Gazette, 865 Wisconsin boys became Eagle Scouts last year and engaged 13,000 other Scouts in projects that contributed more than 100,000 hours of community service. Through the years, many such projects have improved Janesville, the “City of Parks.â€Â

Scouting deserves support. Consider volunteering or donating. Encourage a boy to join. Here's hoping Tyms, his staff and volunteers can strengthen Scouting here, boost membership and keep nurturing tomorrow's leaders."

[scoutergipper 277]

As one small part of a massive, new public relations/marketing effort by BSA, yes. Very few people are left who read newspapers.

[LeCastor 641]

As one small part of a massive' date=' new public relations/marketing effort by BSA, yes. Very few people are left who read newspapers.[/quote']

 

 

Ok, what do we do then? How do we get the word out in the media about the positive side of Scouting? Is it just grassroots/guerrilla marketing?

[Stosh 3452]

Gee LeCastor, I love to hijack your posts, but do you realize that JFK was a scout for only 2 years making him the first scout to be president, Clinton was a Cub Scout, not much leadership training there, whereas Ford was Eagle. Sorry boys but in this "illustrious" rogue's gallery, only Ford gets my vote.

 

Oh, and as long as this is under issues and politics, Ford was the only Republican...

 

We don't live that far apart, and if we ever meet up with each other I'm thinking I'm going to have hell to pay.

 

Stosh

[LeCastor 641]

Gee LeCastor, I love to hijack your posts...

 

We don't live that far apart, and if we ever meet up with each other I'm thinking I'm going to have hell to pay.

 

Stosh

 

No way, dude! I'm going to take you out for coffee one of these days.

[LeCastor 641]

Oh, and I didn't write this Op-Ed, btw. It was just an example of something I saw and it got me thinking about how to get the word out in the community.

[Stosh 3452]

One of my former troops had the historian submit a press release every time something important happened. Eagle COH, Philmont trip, Sea Base, some bit service project i.e. scouting for food., etc. If the paper published it, fine if not it was no big deal. In the small town paper it was surprising how many of those articles made print and are still in the digital archives of the newspaper so one can link them into emails, etc.

 

Of course one needs an active and responsible historian to pull it off.

 

Stosh

[Cambridgeskip 658]

One of my former troops had the historian submit a press release every time something important happened. Eagle COH, Philmont trip, Sea Base, some bit service project i.e. scouting for food., etc. If the paper published it, fine if not it was no big deal. In the small town paper it was surprising how many of those articles made print and are still in the digital archives of the newspaper so one can link them into emails, etc.

 

Of course one needs an active and responsible historian to pull it off.

 

Stosh

 

What Stosh said.

 

Remember that for small local newspapers the whole thing is run on a shoe string, If you make their life easy, if you provide them with something well written, properly proof read and most importantly with good quality high res photos then what they have is something they can copy and paste into column inches without having to pay a journalist to write it. You get publicity, Everyone except sadly the journalists trying to make a living, wins.

 

We live in a wicked world, but sometimes that can be turned to our advantage,

[scoutergipper 277]

Ok' date=' what do we do then? How do we get the word out in the media about the positive side of Scouting? Is it just grassroots/guerrilla marketing?[/quote']

 

This is, in part, what I do for a living. Building a successful PR/marketing campaign is a long-term process. It takes time and money and vision. No question that grassroots/guerrilla marketing is also part of it, in Scouting's case it's ideal because it can be pretty inexpensive.

 

Because I know neither National nor the Councils have the money or expertise to pull something like what's necessary off, I advise local Units to take things into their own hands in the way you've suggested. Opportunities for "earned media" (i.e. doing something that the local media covers without your having to buy ad space) are abundant (the Troop's ended up in two different newspaper stories in the past 3 months). Other opportunities for community visibility (without media coverage) are even more common. We've discussed this in the "invisible Scout" thread. Being visible doing something good for the community in uniform is something every Unit can do on a regular basis. I would NOT advise a concentration on trying to get media attention solely for Eagle Projects.

 

If you're a member of your local Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, etc, can you get a speaking slot at one of their meetings? Are all your local Chartering Organizations spreading the word about the Units? Does your Unit have a "display booth" or other presence at all the local events where people gather?

 

[LeCastor 641]

As a unit leader, I do write short articles and provide images of the Scouts in action. We get a few inches in local free community papers. It's free advertising. As district committee membership chair, I'd like to get the word out about Scouting in our community from a more general perspective. I encourage all units to do the local write-ups as mentioned above, but I am trying to find a way to promote Scouting in the district as a whole.

 

I am fully aware that we have no budget so it's got to be grassroots stuff. Will just keep my wheels going and come up with some marketing ideas.

 

LeCastor

[Stosh 3452]

As a unit leader, I do write short articles and provide images of the Scouts in action. We get a few inches in local free community papers. It's free advertising. As district committee membership chair, I'd like to get the word out about Scouting in our community from a more general perspective. I encourage all units to do the local write-ups as mentioned above, but I am trying to find a way to promote Scouting in the district as a whole.

 

I am fully aware that we have no budget so it's got to be grassroots stuff. Will just keep my wheels going and come up with some marketing ideas.

 

LeCastor

 

And what does your Historian do now that the SM does all his work for him.

 

Paper, pencil/pen, and a digital camera, a few pieces of 8 1/2" x 13" paper and you have a Historian, patch is extra. I'm thinking that the boy takes Photography MB and Journalism MB and he doesn't need a big budget to make it pay off for the local troop.

 

Get the boys involved, after all THEY are the ones that seem to be invisible. What do they think they should be doing to show off Scouting. If they are embarrassed or don't want to be seen, then that's where one begins, not with some polished PR media blitz.

 

Stosh

[LeCastor 641]

 

And what does your Historian do now that the SM does all his work for him.

 

Paper, pencil/pen, and a digital camera, a few pieces of 8 1/2" x 13" paper and you have a Historian, patch is extra. I'm thinking that the boy takes Photography MB and Journalism MB and he doesn't need a big budget to make it pay off for the local troop.

 

Get the boys involved, after all THEY are the ones that seem to be invisible. What do they think they should be doing to show off Scouting. If they are embarrassed or don't want to be seen, then that's where one begins, not with some polished PR media blitz.

 

Stosh

 

 

oh, snap!

[JasonG172 244]

I frequently send in pictures and write ups about my pack to our local newspaper. Just remember it is fairly small town of 26k so its pretty easy for them to make space. It doesnt hurt that there is only 2 units here either.