Leveraging DiversityThrough Inclusiveness
H. C. Davis
• What is Diversity?– How diverse are we?
• Importance of Inclusion to Achieve Diversity– How to we get diversity?
• Strengths of a Diverse Group– What benefit is it to scouting?
• Simple Behaviors to make Diversity Work
2
Objectives
“The Usual Suspects”
Any dimension that can be used to differentiate people
So – What is Diversity?
Diversity TypesHuman Cultural Organizational
• Gender• Race• Age• Physical Appearance• Health• Generation• Disability
• Language• Lifestyle• Heritage• Belief Systems• Religious Beliefs• Economic
• Teamwork• Roles• Relationships• Leadership• Empowerment• Education• Affiliations
Me
Joe
“Out of Many, One”
How can we make BSA a better organization?
“Don’t worry that your children never listen to you – worry that they are always watching you”
Barriers to Leveraging Diversity
• We resist change
• Comfort in sameness
• Peer pressure
• Lack of Understanding
Years White African American
Asian Hispanic
1990 80% 20%
2000 72% 19% 3% 5%
2010 70% 19% 6% 7%
2020 65% 19% 7% 9%
2030 62% 18% 8% 11%
2040 58% 17% 10% 15%
Population of Virginia
Where do we get these diverse folks?
Parents and Youth Suggest:Be relevant to their age, gender and cultural
backgroundPromote fun activities matching their culture and the
markets where they liveParents Suggest:Focus on SuccessEmphasize Safety
Provide information about long-term benefits of Scouting
Youth Suggest:Marketing include a variety of ethnicities
Keys to Reaching Ethnic Markets
African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Asians:Have an overall positive image of the BSA
Describe scouts as honest, responsible, disciplined, trustworthy, and good citizens
Parents have a general awareness of Cub Scouts, but are not familiar with what they do
Have a general awareness of the Boy Scouts program but are not familiar with what it does
Venturing-age youth do not know that Venturing existsYouth from all three segments look for activities that
Are funInclude their friends
Overall Awareness and Perceptions of Scouting Programs
Diversity – Working as a Team
• What does success look like for your Wood Badge Patrol?– Ticket? Important Diversity Item
• Do you sense how other team members are doing?
• Are you teaching each other skills so all can participate?
• Do you support each other?– Even in conflict?– Values?
• Do you listen to each other?• Does the team work to ensure Everyone is
performing?
Optimizing Inclusiveness. . .
Leverage the Power of Diversity through Inclusiveness!
Makes us better leadersPrepares future leaders
Scouting is stronger due to a variety of different ideas
Helps us stay relevantSociety is changing
Bring our message to a wider audienceAllows us to help scouts be successful in
a diverse society
Review – Why is Inclusiveness so Important?
Recruitment, Recruitment, Recruitment!Seek it out in groups
Ask for help from diverse membersTake advantage of diverse abilities
Admit our mistakesLearn from them
Summary – How do we get and use Diversity?
Four Points:
1. What is diversity?• Anything that differentiates
groups of people
2. Most important way to leverage diversity?• Inclusiveness
3. Helps BSA stay relevant
4. Scouts learn how to be successful in a diverse society