It’s time to celebrate! The Bay Lakes Council has satisfied the requirements of our Conditional Charter! At Wednesday’s Executive Board meeting, we were presented with our regular Charter by our Area 1 Key Three. This was the result of a tremendous amount of focused attention by our Council Staff, Board, and Volunteers.
The Area Key 3 acknowledged progress, structure, and clear plans across all aspects of Council operations: Membership. Finance, Program, Unit Service, and Governance. As we celebrate, we must also acknowledge this Charter represents a starting point, not a destination. It says we now have the foundations in place to return to prominence in our Area and Region.
Previously, the BLC consistently scored Gold or Silver in our Journey to Excellence results. That is an indication of dedicated volunteers, across all Districts, delivering the promise of Scouting at the Unit and District levels, supported by a strong Council organization. You made that happen!
**Continued**
Even before the pandemic hit, there were clear signs that society was changing, families were changing, and needs were changing. Time tested methods of the past were no longer producing the results we desired. Now, throw in a global pandemic, national bankruptcy, and abuse lawsuit! If we are to continue to be the prominent youth serving organization in the nation by delivering the Mission of Scouting, we need to challenge ourselves. Challenge ourselves to supplement our current methods to attract and retain youth with new ideas, new methods, and new approaches. Many of you have already started by using creative methods to connect with your members to keep them engaged. It is a struggle, but so vitally important.
As a Board, we have also started that process, with a focus on anchoring to the Mission. We don’t know what Scouting will look like a few years down the road. We do know that strong values, moral and ethical character, and leadership skills will always hold their place. We must continue to put ourselves in the best position to deliver them, to as many young people as possible. Thank you for being a part of this journey!
