Our Duty to God and Scouting

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

• 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

• Chartered
Organizations
• Religious Emblems
• Faith Based Unit
Growth
• Marketing: Internal &
External

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

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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

• BSA offers Solutions to
Congregations and Their
Needs.
o Membership Growth o Membership Retention o Program o Money o Trained Volunteers

Video 1 (Faith at Camp Video) http://youtu.be/26SkZswvDqY
Video 2 (Church of Christ Video) http://youtu.be/PeJ9WZPvV4o
Video 3 (holiday greeting from Dec 2013) http://youtu.be/fqnDNwNAqrg

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

• 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.

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

been asked to
• “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.’”