Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America

Strategic Plan – Executive Version

2012 – 2016

May 2012

Draft as of 5 June 2012

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Contents

An Overview of the Baltimore Area Council’s Strategic Plan for 2012 – 2016 ……… 3

Mission, Oath and Law ………………………………………….……….……………..… 4

Strategic Plan Pillars

Improving Impact and Participation ……………………………………………… 5

Making Scouting Dynamic and Relevant …………………………………….….… 6

Leveraging Innovation and Technology ………………………………………….… 7

Fostering Youth Advocacy and Strategic Relationships ………………..………… 8

Building Excellence in Leadership and Culture ………………………..…………. 9

Building the Boy Scouts of America Brand ………………………………….……. 10

Strengthening Resources and Finances…………………………………..………… 11

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 An Overview of the Baltimore Area Council’s Strategic Plan for 2012 - 2016

Building on the strength and success of the Baltimore Area Council’s Strategic Plan for 2008-2012, this plan for 2012 -2016 is organized around seven key themes, referred to as Pillars, called out in the Boy Scouts of America National Plan:

• Improving Impact and Participation • Making Scouting Dynamic and Relevant • Leveraging Innovation and Technology • Fostering Youth Advocacy and Strategic Relationships • Building Excellence in Leadership and Culture • Building the Boy Scouts of America Brand • Strengthening Resources and Finances

Our experience with the 2008 -2012 BAC Plan proved the enormous value of a guide map that is composed of vision statements and broad, strategic, objectives designed to help us chart a detailed course through challenges and opportunities that will unfold across the life of the plan. For each of the BAC Strategic Pillars identified above, this plan lays out both a Vision and implementing Objectives:

Vision serves as part inspiration and part motivation, describing the broad attributes of the Council’s core missions and outlining the benefits we will achieve for our Scouts, Scouting staff, and the families and communities that host them across the BAC. Objectives define the major building blocks and expected deliverables of our plan in tangible terms that will enable the Council to further refine its deliverables and key performance measures in a succession of detailed yearly plans. The objectives in this plan should then be viewed as enduring, multi-year, initiatives which will be translated and refined into specific actions and tactics year-by-year by the Council’s key committees and board members.

As in our previous plan, the Council will be responsible for defining the year-by-year implementation plans while the Council’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives will monitor and report our progress against the plan to (board, committee, or other) on a quarterly basis. The Baltimore Area Council is now on the doorstep of its second century, poised to extend its extraordinary legacy of service to Scouts and Scouting across the years ahead. The best is yet to come.

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Mission, Oath and Law

Boy Scouts of America – Mission The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Baltimore Area Council – Mission The Baltimore Area Council will carry out the mission of the Boy Scouts of America in Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties. Our goal is to provide greater opportunities for youths to participate in Scouting, regardless of the neighborhood in which they live, their economic situation, their religion, their race or ethnic background, their physical stature or ability, or their family situation. We will do this in part by building and cultivating partnerships with communities, community organizations, businesses, foundations and individuals. Scout Oath On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. Scout Law A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Scout Motto Be Prepared

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Improving Impact and Participation Vision

Scouting’s programs reach and make a life-changing difference with kids, adults and families of all backgrounds and communities.

Objective 1: All Markets Initiative - Ensure that all youth, adults and families within local emerging markets have an opportunity to join Scouting regardless of economics, neighborhood, race or ethnicity.

Objective 2: Increase Scouting’s Visibility - Fuel the positive membership growth that the Baltimore Area Council has achieved by implementing strategies to attract potential new families through a comprehensive seamless year round marketing plan focused on recruitment and retention

Objective 3: Community Outreach - Incorporate business relationships to sponsor locations where we deliver a subsidized program, such as Reginald F. Lewis District, Pathfinders District, and the Learning For Life Program.

Objective 4: Increase School Relationships - Continue to foster and build quality relationships with public and private schools and their leadership which will culminate in open – access to youth attending those schools. Identify and recruit key leadership and engage them via all methods available. School announcements, fliers, posters, and in school assemblies will continue.

Objective 5: Increasing our Customer Base (Membership) - Increase our member base through annual Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venturer growth.

Objective 6: Exploring Program - Expand participation and initiatives for career based Exploring programs, to include Health Services, Law Enforcement, Fire and Emergency Services, and others as may be appropriate.

Objective 7: Advancement - Sustain advancement as one of the core methods that the Boy Scouts of America utilizes to carry out its mission to build character in America’s youth.

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Making Scouting Dynamic and Relevant Vision

Scouting’s programs are exciting, culturally relevant, and appealing to today’s youth attracting them at an extraordinary rate and retaining them longer.

Objective 1: Ensure Baltimore Area Council, BSA programs match what today’s youth both want and need.

Objective 2: Establish the Baltimore Area Council, BSA as the premier outdoor program provider and educator in Central Maryland.

Objective 3: Build tomorrow’s leaders through comprehensive youth leadership development programs.

Objective 4: Ensure that adult volunteers and youth leaders in every unit and district are sufficiently trained and actively engaged to provide an outstanding Scouting program.

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Leveraging Innovation and Technology

Vision

Scouting uses innovation and technology to enhance the program experience of youth and adults. All members of the Baltimore Area Council are connected with the right information and technology tools anywhere, anytime, to any device.

Objective 1: Continue to upgrade and improve the Baltimore Area Council technology backbone to meet the ongoing needs of stakeholders.

Objective 2: Provide youth, adult volunteers, and employees with innovative technology tools and resources that streamline the dissemination of real-time information to all Scouting stakeholders.

Objective 3: Annually evaluate the relevancy of the Baltimore Area Council consolidated database and the performance of the communication systems exchanging this information.

Objective 4: Sustain nimble Innovation and intuitive Technology and Applications as hallmarks of the Baltimore Area Council information technology infrastructure.

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Fostering Youth Advocacy and Strategic Relationships 

Vision

The Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America is continually recognized as one of the foremost advocates for youth and youth issues. We are known throughout Central Maryland as a resource for leadership, encouragement, and programs that benefit the youth of our communities. The strategic relationships of the Council extend beyond our chartering organizations to keep Scouting relevant and nimble enough to adapt to societal changes and needs.

Objective 1: Council Position and Focus – Position the Council as a leading advocate for youth issues at the forefront of critical and relevant issues in our communities.

Objective 2: Youth Advocacy Programming – Establish the Council as a visible community advocate for youth health & fitness, education, leadership, community service, environmental awareness, youth safety and any other current issues facing our youth.

Objective 3: Growth of Strategic Relationships - Strengthen existing relationships with chartered organizations and build strategic relationships with new organizations through innovative alliances and program partnerships.

Objective 4: Partnering with Elected Officials and Government Agencies - Partner with state and local elected officials and government agencies to enable BAC to serve as a major source of youth advocacy in the areas of health and fitness, education, leadership, community service, and environmental awareness.

 

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Building Excellence in Leadership and Culture

Vision:

Scouting’s youth, volunteer leaders, and employees exemplify leadership excellence across all aspects of the movement.

Objective 1: Demonstrate leadership excellence across the BAC’s Executive Board and District Committees to maximize their impact on our youth through active governance, strong commitment, and visionary guidance.

Objective 2: Recruit, develop, rewards and retain talented individuals within the BAC who provide excellent professional leadership and management to Scouting.

Objective 3: Promote and nurture a corporate culture that enables the BAC to deliver on the vision for Scouting’s future youth. Adjust BAC programs to remain relevant and adaptive to the needs, preferences, and approaches of an ever-changing society, while preserving Scouting’s traditional values.

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Building the Boy Scouts of America Brand

Vision:

The Boy Scouts of America enjoy one of the highest brand recognitions in the world. We should use this opportunity to empower our youth and volunteers for continued success as Scouting starts its 2nd century. It is important to develop a specific, consistent message highlighting the benefits scouting offers our youth, families (parents/siblings), and communities. Objective 1: Develop initiatives that message BSA to our youth as: “BE PREPARED for Fun, Friends, and Fantastic Adventure” Objective 2: Develop initiatives that message BSA to our families (parents/siblings) as: “BE PREPARED for youth to Develop Leadership Skills & Character, Build Integrity and Respect, Make Good Decisions, and Grow” Objective 3: Develop initiatives that message BSA to our community as: “BE PREPARED for an organization that builds CITIZENS who: Are Responsible Future Leaders; Honor and Respect Our Country ; Are Strong Role Models with Positive Ideals; Respect Traditions and Will Shape our Future” Objective 4: Create a Council level committee to help promote the BSA BAC Brand internally (to Scouting Members) and externally (to the general public). This committee will work in direct support to District leadership and other council committees to support action plan development and achievement of their goals.

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Strengthening Resources and Finances  

Vision:

The Baltimore Area Council maintains a balanced and sustainable funding model that attracts sufficient resources to support the programs that fulfill our mission and maintain and enhance our capital assets for the future.

Objective 1: Operations - Maintain and expand the BAC funding model to produce balanced operating budgets and remain debt free while expanding programming. Objective 2: Improvement - Reinvest in BAC capital infrastructure that is critical to successfully fulfilling our mission. Objective 3: Sustainability - Focus on sustainable BAC funding sources that provide better insight for the annual budgeting process. Objective 4: Security - Grow the BAC Endowment fund as a priority to provide current operating and “rainy day” funds as we look to remain debt free and reinvest in our programs for generations to come. Objective 5: Planning – Research and implement long-term (10 - 15 years) BAC programs and financial resources required to maintain relevance and execute our mission over an extended time period.

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