M&Ms Are Great Treats!
Fall recruiting results to date have exceeded targets, coming out of a disastrous prior fall. You should feel proud of those results you helped to achieve. They could not have been possible without the help of each and every one of you. Thank you! That momentum is sorely needed.
Over the two years preceding Covid-19 and the bankruptcy, we saw a large drop in both youth and adult members. We struggled to fill our camps, and struggled financially, losing money each year since 2017. Unless we turn that around, we will have to make some difficult decisions.
The mantra I’ve used with the Board this past year has been “M&M’s”- Membership and Money. To be able to maintain our current properties and continue to deliver excellent programming, we need Scouts. While monetary donations are always welcomed and appreciated, membership will drive our success. More Scouts translates into more popcorn sales, more FOS proceeds, better camp utilization, and more opportunity to attract even more youth and adult leaders. And, ultimately, stronger citizens. Our recent successes are critical, but many more Scouts are still needed to return us to the stability we enjoyed pre-2018. Our traditional methods of recruiting are not enough. We must reach further in inviting more families to join.
Are there kids in your neighborhood who are not Scouts? Have your kids talk to them — invite them to a meeting. Talk to their parents about how important Scouting is to your family. If they have daughters and your unit is not set up for girls, we can help direct them to one close by, or better yet, start a unit in their area. Competition with sports or other activities? We have lots of examples of Scouts being able to be involved in multiple other activities. Those simple gestures of invitation and welcoming will pay tremendous dividends in growing our future.
So drop a bag of M&M’s in those trick or treaters’ bags, and an invitation to join Scouts!
Rod Goldhahn
Council President
