Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan

Just as a Scout uses a map and compass to find his way, the National Strategic Plan serves as a guide as we work to fulfill our mission of teaching youth to make ethical decisions over their lifetimes.

In 1999, the Boy Scouts of America experienced continued growth and success in its service to youth and their families. We owe much of this success to the strategic planning process, which involved hundreds of volunteers and professionals to help identify the critical issues facing the Scouting movement.

The 1998-2002 Strategic Plan for the Boy Scouts of America focuses on five such issues.

Leadership. Scouting has a long tradition of quality leadership. To continue this proud heritage, we must continue to select effective volunteer leaders who share our values; have influence, vision, and commitment; and focus on their role in Scouting. In addition, the Boy Scouts of America will add unit-serving executives who will increase volunteerism in units and districts. Experience has shown that adding one unit-serving executive will add 50 units, 350 volunteers, and 1,100 youth.

Total Financial Development. Adequate financing allows local councils to employ additional unit-serving executives, who, in turn, add more units, volunteers, and youth. To ensure that local councils have the financial assets they need to serve their communities, the National Council provides support that allows councils to recruit new donors, serve existing donors, and make decisions on how best to maximize their resources.

Traditional Unit and Membership Growth. The key to the future of the Boy Scouts of America is increased traditional unit and membership growth. Growth comes both from adding new members and retaining current members. Our aggressive efforts to reach out to additional youth increased the number of participants.

Marketing. An increasingly competitive marketplace requires that we communicate our message of values and leadership as effectively as possible. To do this, the BSA uses every available media, including television, radio, newspapers, and the World Wide Web, to deliver its message to its many audiences.

Endowment Emphasis and Stewardship. The success of the Nationally Coordinated Campaign for Local Council Endowment is considered one of the BSA's greatest accomplishments. In 1999, we continued to support local councils with training, materials, events, and recognition and award programs designed to focus attention on endowment giving and educate potential donors about the benefits of endowment giving.

Our success during 1999 was achieved by addressing these five critical issues. In 319 local councils across the nation, volunteers and professionals worked to integrate these issues into their council plans, working from the grass roots to ensure that Scouting will be around for another 90 years.