Retention
Building Stronger Troops Through Programming and Planning that is exciting and fulfilling for older youth in Scouts BSA.
Updated June 28, 2023
This is the page for the GTC Commissioners Retention Project. Please direct your questions, comments and permission requests to commissioners@gtcbsa.org. Our link for this project is https://sites.google.com/site/gtccommissioners and is linked from our council site at https://www.gtcbsa.org/retention. You can meet the commissioner staff at commissioners.gtcbsa.org.
Browse through here and take what is good and leave the rest. Join us in a goal to improve the retention of your older scouts so they benefit from scouting more and help you, the Scoutmaster, accomplish your mission:
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Why retention?
It is easier to retain a scout than to recruit a new one. Let us strive to help every scout flourish more in scouting than outside. It's a tall order, but you are up to it. This page is full of help to do just that.
Detailed Table of Contents
View the membership data
The data is the reason for the project! Among almost all Scouts BSA Female Troops and over 60 percent of Scouts BSA Male Troops, there is a crisis of size. That is, they have two patrols or fewer, which makes it quite difficult to run a strong troop program that respects the age and stages of the youth development experience. Subsequently, a scout may find that their small troop does not allow them to flourish in scouting more than out of scouting.
Only recruiting and retention can turn around the decline seen in the Scouts BSA - male troops. There is lots of help to do that on this site.
The data 2016 to 2023.pptxWe lose 50 percent of all Scouts BSA between the ages of 13 and 15.
When we have an active older scout program, we increase the amount of time a youth is in our movement by almost two years on average.
Summary Document - Building Stronger Troops
Summary of Building Stronger Troops.pdfSummer Camp Scoutmaster Discussion Sessions (2023)
Course convener: Steve Myers, Assistant Council Commissioner, Great Trail Council and Scoutmaster, 1992-2017.
Here are the presentation slides from the two courses and the handouts used during the sessions. Our goal is you can make positive steps to improving your troop and retaining your older scouts.
Remember to use your district commissioners if you do not have a unit commissioner serving your unit. We are here to serve. You can find your district commissioner (in Great Trail Council) here.
I am available for follow up discussions, just drop me an email.
Part I: Keeping your Older Scouts
Are you are Manatoc this summer? Come on down and talk with us about best practices for building a strong troop. Tuesday will focus on how to keep older scouts in the Scouts BSA engaged and in Scouting. Bring your coffee and join in the discussion.
Course Description: Learn about building and enhancing an older scout program in your troop to meet the needs of your older scouts. Retaining a scout is easier than recruiting a new one, but it takes being intentional. By the end of this class, you will know what the Great Trail Commissioners Retention Project is, whether you are Delivering the Promise, and what has happened in membership trends in both Scouts BSA boy and girl troops. You will learn when and why scouts leave, what is a quality program, and how to set goals to improve your troop. You will learn strategies to build an explicit Older Scout Program, and how to treat scouts differently due to their age and stage of development. You will leave encouraged to create a program that will allow your scouts to flourish, will upsize your troop, and increase the quality of your program.
Keeping Your Older Scouts - Tuesday Presentation part 1 of 2
Tuesday.pptxKeeping your Older Scouts tips, Tuesday Handout
Tuesday Handout- Keeping Your Older Scouts handout v3.pdfTuesday Survey of participants.
Quality and size matter. This represents the first of four assessments, the Journey to Excellence.
2023-JTE-Troop-ScorecardFinal_building stronger troops handout.pdfRecommend a friend as a unit commissioner
Send the information requested to commissioners@gtcbsa.org.
These people will make great unit commissioners.docxPart II: Building a Stronger Troop
Course Description: In part II, we will discuss what the commissioner team can do for your troop, the importance of Collaborative Assessments among your key 3 and a commissioner to improve your program. We will focus on the mission and delegate the rest. We will focus on thinking strategically and setting goals with your scouts. You will hear of the critical importance of the patrol method and the Patrol Leaders Council in both small and larger troops. We will emphasize the importance of regular elections with follow-on training and the role of advanced training for youth and adults. We will discuss how to structure your patrols to organically create the basis of an older youth program and how to interconnect with other units for programming not otherwise possible. We will cover both recruiting and continue the retention talk of Part I. You will learn an assessment technique you can do with your scouts to get their feedback on your program.
Building a Stronger Troop - Thursday Presentation part 2 of 2
Thursday.pptxAssessment 2 of 4: A Troop Self-Assessment from the SPL Handbook - Thursday handout.
SPL HB Troop Self-Assessment 2022.pdfAssessment 3 of 4: A Troop Assessment Form to complete before a collaborative assessment is done on your unit - Thursday handout
Commissioners_Troop-Unit-Assessment-Form.pdfAssessment 4 of 4: Do a SWOT analysis on you and your troop - Thursday handout
SWOT Analysis of Your Troop.pdfOther presentations 2022-2023
Presentation to Commissioners ( College of Commissioner Science: Nov 2022)
The Commissioner's Role in Retention
Continuing Education College of Commissioner Science Course
Commissioners are on the front lines and should recognize issues with membership and whether they are from issues with recruiting or retaining scouts, or both. Similar to the Roundtable presentation, this course is designed to focus attention on problems retaining older scouts.
(click to read more)
Commissioners' Objectives
Supporting unit growth and retention
Contacting units
Linking unit needs to resources
Supporting timely charter renewals
Supporting unit leaders
Recommended reading:
Jim Libbin, "A Commissioner Vision for Growing and Sustaining Scouting" The Commissioner Winter 2022
https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/a-commissioner-vision-for-growing-and-sustaining-scouting/
"... commissioners can and should have a major role in retention. By helping unit leaders to deliver the best possible program to (every eligible) youth, through each of the eight methods of Scouting—we will impact retention. While commissioners may have a different job description than unit leaders, we share the same goal and the same vision."
Luis Feliciano, Scouts BSA Liason, Youth-led Planning Changes Lives, The Commissioner, Spring 2022
https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/youth-led-planning-changes-lives/
"As commissioners, we can help make this happen by encouraging Scouters to have the youth leadership of the troop engaged in their annual planning process.You can incentivize them by reminding them that they will get a higher Journey to Excellence (JTE) score when having youth involved."
The Commissioner's Role in Retention.pptxUniversity of Scouting Courses on Retention, presented March 4, 2023
Scoutmaster Stories to help Retain Scouts
Focus on retention: The role of a Scoutmaster is to be a physical presence in the life of each scout both collectively and individually. The scoutmaster must be hyper focused on on the mission of the BSA. Learn to tell stories throughout your scoutmaster conferences, scoutmaster minutes and casual interactions that help your scouts progress and flourish into young adults prepared for life. Learn how a simple three legged stool can help you teach these critical life lessons and in a way the youth will never forget.
Scoutmaster Stories to help retain scouts.pptxWhose policy is it? Giving ownership of the troop to the Youth
Focus on retention: Baden Powell said you do not have a scout troop if you do not run the patrol method, but what does that really mean? Discover a simple technique applied consistently that will strengthen your PLC for decades and across changing adults. Learn to trust your youth in both small and large decisions as they plan for the future. Hold them to high expectations and they will reach for it.
Whos Policy is it anyway.pptxWhy Scouts need challenges outside of your troop
Focus on Retention: We lose 50% of all Scouts BSA youth between the ages of 13 and 15. Not all youth are interested in the same things, Not all can afford the high adventures and not all want to be an Eagle Scout. Do you even notice when these scouts are gone? Learn how to serve their needs and to keep them in Scouting.
Why-scouts-need-challenges-outside-of-their-troop.pptxHelping Your Older Scouts Flourish
Focus on Retention: We lose 50% of all Scouts BSA youth between the ages of 13 and 15. Not all youth are interested in the same things, Not all can afford the high adventures and not all want to be an Eagle Scout. Do you even notice when these scouts are gone? Learn how to serve their needs and to keep them in Scouting.
Helping your older scouts Flourish.pptxUnderstanding the Ages and Stages of Your scouts
This presentation is in development. If you use it please send feedback.
Understanding the Age and Stages of scouts.pptxAre you suffering from burnout, are you a one-person show?
Learn coping techniques and how to reorganize your scoutmaster life to make life better for you and much better for the youth under your charge.
2023 The Delegating Scoutmaster.pptxPresentations to District Roundtables, Nov 2022 to Feb 2023
The retention project kicks off with presentations to unit leaders in all four districts. The latest version is linked below for all those who missed this presentation or wich to review it again or share it with others.
Roundtable Training, November-February:
“How to Keep Your Older Scouts” (Stambaugh 10/9, Soaring Eagle 10/10, Crooked River 1/12, and Canal 2/9)
Presentation below be advised data presented is dated
Presentation handout be advised data presented is dated.
Retention Resources
There is no one right answer to retaining your older scouts. You have to develop multiple strategies and consistently apply them.
How to Hold on to Your Older Scouts. Aaron on Scouting by Aaron Durr, Feb 1, 2023
Video cast: Retention Simulator - see the impact of retention levels on a troop.
Its simple math! add a few scouts every year and lose 50 percent between ages 13 and 15 and see what happens. The Excel simulator can be made available on request.
Are You delivering the Promise? (Best document ever)
Best document ever produced. Strongly based on actual practice this document makes the point that the size of your troop ss related to the quality of your program and age-appropriate quality program retains scouts.
Are You Delivering the Promise? BSA Brochure 18-251, 1993 printing.
Are You Delivering the Promise.pdfSeven Reasons Troops Are Successful (Central Region, 2015)
The Troop has an exciting program for Scouts.
The Troop is Scout-run.
Trained Adult Leaders are active and committed.
Communications is extensive and varied.
Advancement and recognition are emphasized.
Funding provides resources to the Troop and the Scouts.
Recruiting provides the Troop with new Scouts each year.
Central Region Survey, 2015. need a more accurate attribution
Seven reasons troops are successful (OCR).docxMaking the Patrol Leaders' Council Work: Ten Keys to Success
need attribution
Making the PLC Work.pdfA Troop Self Assessment, from SPL Handbook, 2022
Taken from the SPL Handbook. This tool can be used by the SPL in his PLC to benchmark the quality of their program and to provide a bases on which to grow. Best if used every 6 month or every year and compared to earlier years.
A great tool for youth to assess their own program quality.
A Troop Self Assessment-SPL Handbook-2022.pdfYouth Leadership Growth Opportunities (Scouting.org)
Giving youth the chance to take advanced training deepens that youth's commitment to scouting and can aid in retaining the older scou.
downloaded from scouting.org/youth on January 6, 2023
Youth-Leadership-Growth-Opportunities.pdfWisdom of our Founder, Baden-Powell
“The object of the patrol method is not so much saving the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the boy.” Indeed allowing the patrol method to run may be in the beginning much harder for the Scoutmaster than the youth, but the object is the youth's growth, not the Scoutmasters!
Elsewhere he said if you don't run the patrol method you do not have a scout troop!
Baden Powell_Quotes.pdfPaying Attention to Retention: A Guide for Keeping Boys and Leaders In Scouting,
Kindle Edition
Kindle Edition
by David Weyrick (Author) Format: Kindle Edition https://amzn.to/3Xrjsqw.
