Scouting hasn’t been easy recently. Over the last few years we’ve experienced reputation damage, declining membership, program delivery disruptions, and organizational change. Life in general hasn’t been easy, either. While Scouting faced unique challenges resulting from litigation and restructuring, like the rest of our world it also faced added challenges resulting from COVID. While none of those challenges have been eliminated, the landscape is changing; new opportunities are developing. The time has come to rebuild.

While times were different in 1980, there were challenges then, too, some of which resulted from the state of international relations. And in the midst of it all, there was the Winter Olympics.

Herb Brooks was the coach of our Olympic hockey team. He faced a real challenge: turning a group of young men who played the game for colleges throughout the US into a team that could compete in a sport dominated by older, more experienced USSR athletes. It was considered an impossible task. The result would be dependent on Coach Brooks’ ability to help the US team members understand for whom they were playing. His challenge was helping them see past their individual allegiances.

Rebuilding Scouting will require that all of us – volunteers, professionals, unit leaders, district leaders, council leaders, national (including service territory) leaders, commissioners – align in that effort. Understanding who we play for will help.

Those 1980 college athletes came to understand that they played for the United States of America. We play for and must focus on the youth Scouting serves and could serve. The stakes are higher than Olympic Gold. We know that Scouting builds character and leadership. It’s impact on youth extends to our communities, our nation, and our world. Everything we do as we rebuild Scouting must be focused on those youth and their families.

Coach Brooks ultimately was successful in helping his team understand who they played for. The impossible happened: they won the Olympic Gold.

Our time has come. As long as we understand who we play for – the youth Scouting does, or could, serve, we can work together to rebuild it and renew its impact on our communities, nation, and world.

As commissioners, playing for those youth – and their families – means being the heart, building relationships, and changing lives. People are counting on us; let’s go to work…

On the uptrail…