Looking to see if there is a award that can be leveraged for those outstanding volunteers that have been able to grow a unit during this time of Covid. Something that I can award that is uniform wearing other than a local award (acorn bead) that might be applicable to both Cub leaders and Scout leaders that excelled regardless of the added complications. Fully aware I could make something up but having something they can wear is nice. Thoughts?
Special Unit Growth Award?
Version 2021-08-06-A
I have not found a special national award, but there are old ones like the unit Journey to Excellence. Here is a source of awards from the Cub Scouting section of BSA website:
Awards of Merit
- The Unit Leader Award of Merit appears to focused on program and advancement, not on membership retention or growth.
- District Award of Merit 33720.pdf (scouting.org) - The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level
New Member Coordinators (position code NM)
@LarryPotter I believe unit leaders are positions like the cubmaster and scoutmaster, My understanding is that the membership chair was a unit committee functional role. It appears to have been replaced by New Member Coordinators.
- “Everything you need to know about the New Member Coordinator position”, September 25, 2019, by Bryan Wendell, Scouting magazine.
- New Member Coordinator - Scouting Wire, BSA Marketing and membership hub web page.
In most BSA programs the youth and young adult participants are also involved in recruiting (their friends).
Marketing Awards for Councils
- BSA National Marketing Awards | Boy Scouts of America (scouting.org) - Honoring BSA Benchmarks and Best Practices
The Boy Scouts of America National Marketing Awards Program is designed to recognize outstanding efforts by councils in marketing, communicating, implementing and promoting the Scouting program.
District Level
At the district level there is a membership chair (and committee) on the district committee that is involved in coordinating recruiting events. There is also now a District New Member Coordinator position,
These days starting new units appears to be a major district executive goal. Which is to say, recruiting does not appear to be a unit service function. Though a short presentation about New Member Coordinators could be a Roundtable training item.
New Units
For brand new units there is the Founders Bar. I did not see anything special in The Unit Roadmap which replaced the Unit Performance Guide in 2020.
Journey to Excellence
There is still the unit Journey to Excellence (JTE) award which usually includes membership growth as one of its the performance measures.
Recruitment and Social Media
Proposals for new awards
- Award Submission Summary (scouting.org), 512-506, 2021 Revision, form, 2 pages.
Hi, Larry - There is an award that can be used for that, but it is a tough row to hoe: The District Award of Merit. Most people think that it can only be award for service to the district, but that can include saving a unit that would put a hole in the district. I nominated a Cubmaster for single-handedly keeping a critical unit from failing an a woefully underserved committee. He almost got it, but a bunch of the award committee members fell back on “he didn’t give district service”. This particular city has 68,000 residents with three Cub Packs and one Troop serving it. Having this Pack fail would be a serious problem for the future.
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I have not found anything specific to membership growth during the pandemic. Though I have not had time to check the requirements for every BSA nationally approved award. The Journey to Excellence awards appear to the most appropriate unit award for all members of the unit.
Maybe someone else can find something.
You can also propose a new award, See my primary post above for form.
