1. Our Duty to God and Scouting

3. Growing your Faith
J.T.Dabbs, III Scout Executive of the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America

4. Recent Challenges
Chartered organizations VOS score dramatically declined in 2013
Units that were loss due to the membership standard change were in many cases units chartered to churches that we did not have a deep relationship with.
Deep resentment, lack of trust, and concern that we will leave our fundamental value of Duty to God and a Scout is Reverent behind
Severe membership and unit loss and a need to regrow it in the right way

5. Our Strategy Chartered Organizations Religious Emblems
Faith Based Unit Growth
Marketing: Internal & External

6. Chartered Organizations
Video Series featuring select chartered organizations in Council
Scout Sunday Promotion
HOI Visits – More Dynamic, tracked
Frequent communication to Chartered Organizations

7. Religious Emblems Marketing Plan to promote with youth and parents
Part of video series
Religious Emblem Coordinator recruitment, engagement and training
Identify Past Religious Award Recipients as part of Alumni plan.
Recognition of award recipients on a regular basis
Religious Award Retreat for youth wanting to start working on their award.

8. Faith Based Unit Growth
Reengage with those units we lost because of the membership standard
Forge new relationships with faith based groups we are not engaged with currently
Utilize the new movie, Troop 491: the Adventures of the Muddy Lions for engagement with the African American religious community
Together plans,Methodist Bishop’s Dinner throughout council

9. Marketing Developed theme, Growing in Our Faith, through Scouting
Chartered Partner Highlight and testimony
Personal Faith and the Outdoors
Religious Emblem Coordinator Promotion
Highlight local scoutmaster who leads a Bible Study Group for fellow scout leaders
Religious Retreat Promotion
Unit Chaplain promotion
Scout Sunday and Sabbath

10. Why Faith Based Chartered Organizations?
Unit Retention better by 10%
Rank Advancement 10 to 30% Better
73+% of BSA Units are Chartered to Faith-Based Organizations
70% of Chartered Partners only have 1 Unit or one Member of the Scouting Family

11. Faith Based Chartered Organizations
BSA offers Solutions to Congregations and Their Needs.
Membership Growth
Membership Retention
Program
Money
Trained Volunteers

12. Growing Your Faith Through Scouting Video’s
Video 1 (Faith at Camp Video) Video 2 (Church of Christ Video) Video 3 (holiday greeting from Dec 2013)

13. Scouting teaches boys to do their duty to God through
Program Delivery
Special Observances
Faith-based Relationships
BSA Religious Support

14. Scout Sunday & Scout Sabbath
Noticed a decline in Scout Sunday and Sabbath services.
Important part of maintaining the Chartered Partner relationship.
Provide Tools for unit leader and church leaders on conducting Scout Sunday and Scout Sabbath.

15. Resources Membership Resources on scouting.org Other Resources
Handbook for Chaplains and Chaplian Aides
Scout Sunday Resources
Religious Emblems Coordinator info
Bringing Youth to Christ Through a Scouting Minnistry Resources
Letters of Endorsements from national Organizations
2014 update to the Chartered Organization Resource Guide, sent to local council in August
Together Plan Resources
Other Resources
Praypub.org
Webistes of Scout Associations, i.e. Catholic Committee on Scouting etc

16. been asked to
Baden-Powell
“I have been asked to describe more fully what was in my mind as regards religion when I instituted Scouting and Guiding. I was asked: ‘Where does religion come in?’ Well, my reply is: ‘It does not come in at all. It is already there. It is the fundamental factor underlying Scouting and Guiding.’”