Boy Scouts of America

The

Commissioner

a publication for commissioners and professionals

Summer 2022

Linda Baker
lalbaker@aol.com
Commissioner Facilitator NSTs 9-16

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Welcoming Millennial Parents is Key to Successful Rebuilding

To rebuild Scouting, we must put extraordinary effort into welcoming millennial parents.

Most parents of current school-age children are in the 26-to-42 age range of the generation called “millennials” because they came of age starting in the millennial year 2000. Their generation is now the largest population group in U.S. history AND the most misunderstood, stereotyped generation ever. Millennials are the most diverse adult generation yet, as well as the best educated, the most mobile segment of the labor force, and the group with the strongest volunteer history. Having grown up with the advancement of the internet, many millennials use online resources for every aspect of their lives, including parenting. Their life experience has taught them to “Be Prepared” with advance information and opportunity for teamwork in all that they do. But, most lack awareness of Scouting.

Millennials are also the parental generation with the most-intense-ever focus on family, continually making life-balance decisions on what will be best for their children. They want their children to:

  • Be safe, learn how to make good choices, and build life skills (with the help and supervision of family and other adults with training and experience)
  • Respect everyone and develop relationships within a wide variety of cultures and age groups (no silos, no stereotyping)
  • Be kind and look for continuing opportunities to help others.
Scouting cannot thrive without the support of today’s millennial parents.

Millennial parents need Scouting as much as Scouting needs them.

  Elements of Rebuilding

  What Commissioners Can Do

  • “Be Prepared” focus for units
  • Emphasize safety and share the latest Guide to Safe Scouting
  • Help units recognize the importance of having trained den and unit leaders in place before families visit (do not expect new Lion or Tiger parents to lead dens)
  • Note how much it helps to have New Member Coordinators lead a continuing welcome
  • Promote planning (recruitment, meetings/gatherings, outings, community service, budget)
  • Applaud positive promotional presence on social media
  • Talk over approaches and information for a unit welcome packet
  • Intense team-based membership effort
  • Share knowledge of the values and priorities of millennial parents
  • Collaborate with council/district teams to develop and implement year-round recruitment campaigns
  • Help find ways to reach families with no Scouting legacy
  • Showcase the benefits Scouting gives to the community
  • Suggest inviting families to be part of community service, “normal friend” activities, or fun-based gatherings (not just sign-up events) throughout the year
  • Promote personal posting of BSA and local visuals and stories that help parents realize Scouting is exactly what their child needs
  • New members feeling ownership and belonging
  • Discuss relationship-based approaches to welcoming millennial parents
  • Encourage electronic information sharing and personal conversations about planning for coming events
  • Visit unit gatherings and extend warm personal welcomes
  • Explore ways to engage parents in small but meaningful team-based tasks
  • Foster team spirit by helping units celebrate collaborations among parents
  • Model and encourage active listening about families’ experiences
  • Ask permission to share great examples of relationship building between new and continuing members of the unit

We all have responsibility to help each other connect with millennial parents so their children can benefit from Scouting and so Scouting can benefit from the values and skills of millennial parents.

“Be the heart. Build relationships. Change lives.” reminds us of who we are and what we do as commissioners. Using the ideas in our culture concept to help Scouters welcome millennial parents can be a game-changer as we rebuild lasting success for the BSA.

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