Use experts

If you can afford it use a professional to do the critical tasks in your organization.  You may have a great volunteer that has put himself forward to do the county website but for the small extra cost of a professional you can have 100X's better results. The Scout association provides a lot of great generic support for example branding and consistency support for messaging.  In GLMW we could benefit from a redesigned ITC infrastructure.  Further, a coordinated rollout to the districts for a communications overhaul  that centralises all contact data and volunteer opportunities for example would be a much more effective system than the disparate system that exists in most areas.

Matthew Black - ZQ6ZAZQDJ97S

Scouting and Mosaic piece together plan for more Muslim Scout volunteers

Before I get into the head office piece I have in by county an excellent representation of Muslims in our membership, that said unfortunately the actual members are very separate and don’t integrate well with the rest of the district or county.  I have not yet had time but tis on my to-do list to see if this is just another solo group (we have a number) or its religious or cultural reasons they aren’t integrating.  Still Kudos for scouting and mosaic to get some action together. 

For my part I already have a meeting scheduled with a mosaic member and he is looking to become one of our senior county leadership.  Hopefully this is the first of a lot of cultural integration and breaking up the still persistent but sometimes true perception that scouting is the domain of the white middleclass. 

For GLMW we are definitely not “the domain of the white middleclass” we have great diversity even if at times we struggle with enthusiasm and brotherhood.

10/05/2010

The Scout Association today launched a campaign with Mosaic, a charity founded by HRH The Prince of Wales, to encourage more members of Muslim communities to become Scouts volunteers.

The campaign aims to open more opportunities for young community leaders to experience the adventure of Scouting and help address the urgent need for adult volunteers to meet Scouting’s 33,500 joining list. More than 200 leading members of the Muslim community will attend the London launch event this evening.

Mosaic believes that the best way to promote higher levels of civic engagement is by encouraging people to become Scout volunteers. Like Scouting, it aims to provide opportunities and positive role models for young people. 

Community charity

This is the first time that the Association has partnered with a community charity championed by Muslims in the London region in such a way. Having the ability to access Mosaic’s network which covers London, South East England, North West England, Yorkshire and the Midlands is particularly exciting. The Movement receives regular requests from faith-based groups for new Scout Groups - highlighting the need for leaders and the difference that this support could make to communities. There are currently 29 UK Scout Groups which have predominantly Muslim membership.

The initiative is the first annual volunteering campaign run by Mosaic and marks a departure from its usual focus on mentoring. Mosaic is the first Muslim-led organisation to promote Muslim communities’ involvement in Scouting.

To launch the campaign, Mosaic is holding a networking event for 200 of its mentors and volunteers this evening at the Royal Commonwealth Society, where it will publicly promote the Scouts' volunteering campaign for the first time. The charity’s network includes many of the UK’s most successful young Muslim professionals whose skills it hopes to harness for the benefit of young people through Scouting.

Muslim volunteers

Moadh Kheriji, Chairman of The Scout Association's Muslim Scouts Fellowship, said: 'In launching this campaign and promoting volunteering in Scouting, Mosaic has responded to a very urgent need for new volunteers in the UK.'

Jonathan Freeman, National Operations Director UK, Mosaic, added: 'Scouting is a well-loved British institution that teaches young people valuable lessons and develops key skills that will help them through life. Mosaic’s purpose is to provide inspiration and role models to young people. It seems only natural that we urge more people to take up a leadership role and inspire the thousands of children that are currently without a leader and therefore unable to take part.'

Bear Grylls is also supportive of the campaign: 'As UK Chief Scout, my aim is to encourage masses of adults in the UK to volunteer with the Scouts. Mosaic’s work to engage Muslim communities in Scouts volunteering is a fantastic idea. I would encourage Mosaic’s supporters to put themselves forward for an adventure that can make such a positive difference.'

Tonight guests will hear from John May, a member of the World Scout Committee and Chief Executive of Young Enterprise UK Scout Association. Ten young Scout ambassadors from across the UK will also attend to discuss their experience of Scouting first-hand. 

More information

Find out more about Mosaic and how you can join the adventure of Scouting.

New Muslim Scout Leaders sought by Mosaic charity (BBC)  

Yours in Scouting,

Matthew Black,

Rant alert on Growing the Scouting movement and lack luster volunteers

If I can’t have a rant in my own Blog I don’t know where I can….so.

 

After yet another lack lustre comment from my Leadership over new initiatives to grow scouting.  I am incensed and taking it out on my (currently one lol) loyal readership.

 

I am firm believer (and have proven that it works) that every child comes with a leader in waiting, it's simply our job to create a role that that parent wants to step into.

 

The Scouting movement must grow.  Historically scouting in the UK used to be much higher in density, other countries have ridiculously higher penetration/population.  On the world stage I think the UK is #15 or so.

 

I think that there is tons of scope for growth, new groups, new sections and more diverse ways of delivering scouting like community units, home based units business based units.  All of which I have started in the US and none of which I am aware exist in this county. 

 

Honestly I am a bit sick of leadership complaining about the lack of volunteers. All this negativity while, at exactly the same time, the parents of all the children in the program, children on waiting lists etc. are constantly being fed into a system that has a "childcare mentality" of what scouting is.  I see almost all the parents of our scouting participants “dropping off” their children.  To me Scouting (for the parents) is simply one step away from putting the kids in front of the TV or Xbox.

 

For me the scouting program is about, at is core, involvement.   

 

I have seen and hear tons of hard evidence and millions of stories all about the fantastic difference in the lives of youth the scouting program has made.  The fantastic impact that their scout leader has had in their life.  The fantastic experience it has been for long time scouters to deliver the program.  But at the same time as we KNOW how great it is I have to fight with entrenched leadership to open new units. Fight with existing leaders about giving parents one of the greatest gifts they could get in their adult life - a chance to know their child in a whole new way, to be their child hero and role model.  In my opinion the problem, well the biggest problem, to having loads of volunteers is the existing culture and insular attitude of our current volunteers.

 

I have created a set of resources, funded vehicles for growing the movement and challenging the attitudes and entrenched resignation to volunteer recruitment.  BUT ultimately my opinion, informed and supported as it may be, counts for almost nothing.  As a volunteer lead organisation I cannot make one tiny iota of difference if there isn't some leadership and engagement to any initiatives I suggest.

 

Still, I have meet all my District Commissioners and I try to encourage and support them in trying something new.  It must be something new because everyone knows that " business as usual" is simply going to give us exactly the same result i.e. Last year we had negative growth.

 

Thanks for reading my first and hopefully last rant in my blog.. lol I feel better already J

Young adults want more from a Scouting program

A brief inquiry into Scouting and its value to young adults

Scouting loses massive amounts of kids from the movement (our future leaders) once they move to secondary school and college.  As a “product” we as the scouting movement “sell” scouting as Fun & Adventure. That is fine for a younger audience but I would contest that it is enough for the young adult in today’s world.  So, what are young adults looking for that scouting isn’t providing?

I think there is a case to have our experts at the Scouting HQ to invest some time and money into having a much stronger “value propositions” for young adults and their parents on the topic of Career value from scouting.  In Hong Kong the scouting program is almost ESSENTIAL to getting a top job of university placement.  The proven values and skills young adults get out of their quality program is a valued commodity within this ultra-competitive job market.  The US has a similar regard for their eagle scouts, other organisations around the world also have similar cultural attitude to scouting as a value to careers.

 

Adecco the world’s largest human resources company has invested millions in cold hard CASH into the World Scouting Organisation to forward the movement.  When quizzed on their support the VP said that he recognised that scouting delivered the soft skills like leadership or confidence that was missing from conventional education curriculums.  Their customers (most of the largest corporations in the world) were seriously looking for these skills in their future employees.  The clear message for me is that we clearly have something to offer young adults and their education/career focused parents apart from “come along to scouts for a good time”.  But is the UK scouting movement even capable of turning out the kind of program countries like Thailand, Japan, Denmark, Hong Kong, and the US deliver to their participants that makes them so in demand from top employers? – any comments?

 

I am working on a document/project that is a study into the application of the Dept. of Children, schools and Families and their 14-18 reform initiative. Basically they are looking to Industry to provide a step up to workplace training program they loosely refer to as "the diploma" and they are seeking organisation to use existing resource for on the job training and experience.  This is a GREAT way for us to "sell" our Explorer and especially young leaders program to youth and parents. 

 

The premise is as follows: We already provide leadership, confidence etc. (the attributes of the scouting program to youth) but with only a tiny bit of extra effort we could incorporate a "training program" that basically consists of the existing young leaders program, 1 1/2 hrs. per week unit volunteer work and another 1-2 days training on a more specific subject that interests the participant e.g. charity administration, event organisation, camp management etc.  This would then open the doors to thousands of kids who are actively seeking practical work experience to put in their resume, from a world recognised organisation, with definite practical benefits to those looking for any job in volunteer management, charity or personnel management careers.  For the Scouting association it’s a little paperwork, a tiny bit of management for an LDO and Voila' we have multiple mini leaders assisting leadership all over the county.   Potential members, PLUS they will open the doors for us to their schools, colleges, and social networks for further recruitment opportunities.

 

Anyway this mini project of mine is just a bit of exploration into a concept from scout, explorer, and network participant feedback that they are looking for not just a good time anymore, kids and their parents are looking for VALUE from all their activities.  Scout explorer programs can offer it, if we want to put that extra little bit of effort in for them to achieve it.

 

Oh , almost forgot there is also a whole thing about accreditation for training that we provide (and the “on the job” experience this could offer explorers would also qualify) being put into the new education credit scheme.  This basically means that if you do accredited training then you can take that and apply it to a registered course e.g. Scouting for 1 year might get you 50% of a diploma in child welfare work.

 

Please feel free to contact me if this is something you are also interested in and I will see if we can collaborate on this potential discussion paper.

 

Yours in Scouting,

Matthew Black

Development Officer GLMW

ldo@glmwscouts.org.uk