BSA National Relationships Division
        Strategic Planning for the Twenty-first Century
                                
Introduction

     The Boy Scouts of America more than at any time in its 83-year
history, stands in 1994 at a crucial crossroad in American
culture. Approaching the turn of a new century, The Boy Scouts of
America faces the challenge of meeting the needs of American youth who
differ in their background, culture, socio-economic status, family
orientation, and perspective. At the same time, the Scouting movement,
especially in the United States of America, is committed to and remains
firmly rooted in its moral, spiritual and social values.

     While Scouting as an institution still enjoys broad and deep
support across cultural, economic, and social strata throughout the
country, Scouting as an organization is challenged on at least as many
fronts by changing and emerging value systems. Differing perceptions
regarding lifestyles, beliefs, rights, and entitlement continue to erode
the strong, traditional walls surrounding the Scouting Movement. Top
Scouting leadership, over the last twenty years of increased testing by
legal, societal, and financial means, has maintained a loyalty to the
Baden-Powell injunction, "Don't let the technical outweigh the moral:
field efficiency, backwoodsmanship, camping, hiking, good turns,
Jamboree comradeship are all means, not the end.  The end is
character-character with purpose." In the years since Lord Baden-Powell
made those observations, the world has become a much smaller place:
technology of every kind has shrunk time, distance, patience and
persistence. The values and ideals of the world in which those words
were uttered are so extremely different from today's society that they
appear almost quaint and idealistic.

     And still, regardless of our race, our religion, our family income
or our level of education, there is a feeling in this country that the
values and traditions expressed and implied in the Scout oath and law
are the values and traditions we wish our children to possess. Parents
want their children to have opportunities for growth, the support of
healthy adult role models, the structure of a wholesome learning
environment, and the chance to become successful and participating
citizens. Scouting still espouses these virtues and desires to help
families instill them in young people. It fosters this desire in the
minds and hearts of thousands of willing adult volunteers and a cadre of
well-trained and dedicated professionals.

     Scouting has endeavored to reach out to the youth with only one
parent in the home, to the child who must spend several hours alone each
day, to the boys and girls who are searching desperately for an identity
and a career, and to thousands of "mainstream" young people who come
from circumstances which are very traditional and "middle American."

     The Relationships Division of the Boy Scouts of America has played,
and continues to play, a vital role in creating an environment in which
the Boy Scouts of America and its many sponsor/partners can continue to
serve those youth already enjoying the value of Scouting, while at the
same time reaching out to many, many more youth who need and could
benefit from the influence of Scouting.

Strategic Planning - Committee Organization

     Realizing a need for a balanced and strategic approach to meeting
these challenges as we move into the Twenty-First Century, the
Relationships Committee formed a task force group to study the
challenges facing Scouting and to draft a proposed strategic plan to
guide the work of the Relationships Committee for the next decade and
beyond.

     The task force group was selected from among the membership of the
Relationships Committee, and is comprised of religious community,
fraternal and labor partners' representatives. The task force group
recognized as its first priority the establishment of a statement of the
"mission" or "purpose" of Relationships in Scouting, and has developed
such a guiding statement.

The Purpose of Relationships

     The task force group, working over a year-long period, met four
times in person in 1993, and has worked by fax and through the
mail. Through that process, the following statement has been established
as a basis for the work of Relationships efforts:

     The purpose of the National, Regional, Council and District
Relationships Committees is to serve as a liaison to chartered partners
and to make known the benefits of scouting to those organizations having
aims, goals and values similar to those of The Boy Scouts of America,
encouraging them to adopt and promote the Scouting program as a means of
meeting their needs and objectives as they relate to youth;

     Further, to create and enhance resources for The Boy Scouts of
America 's regions and councils enabling them to relate effectively and
efficiently with community-based organizations.  With this premise in
place, a number of additional guidelines were formed with the intent to
support and sustain the work of the Relationships Committee in promoting
and strengthening the outreach capabilities of The Boy Scouts of
America.

National Relationships Committee Membership

     Upon approval of the Chief Scout Executive, Relationships Committee
membership will be comprised of the following individuals:

A representative from each of the ten largest chartered partners as
standing members;

At least ten other at-large members to be designated by the chairman;

Chairmen of the sub-committees of the National Relationships Committee:
1) religious, 2) Labor, 3) Community. Sub-committees of these shall
exist on an "as-needed" basis or at the calling of the Relationships
chairman;

Regional representatives (with the approval of the regional presidents);

Other members or representatives as appointed by the National Executive
Board.

Terms of Service. The terms of service for the committee members (other
than standing members) shall be established as one-year appointments,
renewable annually by the President of The Boy Scouts of America or the
Chairman of the Relationships Committee, unless otherwise specifically
stated in the letter of appointment. Chartered partners of The Boy
Scouts of America not specifically appointed to membership on the
Religious, Community or Fraternal Relationships Committees, to which
they are entitled by virtue of their charter.

Orientation. New members on the committee will be extended formal and
informal orientation by the Chairman of the Relationships Committee and
through the office of the National Director of Relationships. A
compilation of applicable literature will be assembled by that office
and provided to each new member in a binder so that he or she may, over
a short period of time, become fully conversant with policies,
guidelines and programs relevant to the assignment.  Every effort will
be extended to bring the new committee member quickly to a level of
comfort that will facilitate full and active participation in the
committee's work and progress.

Committee members should expect to receive significant and meaningful
assignments which utilize their special talents or skills in furthering
the work of Relationships as part of the overall effort to strengthen
and serve Scouting's chartered organizations.

National Office Staff Size

     The task force group recognizes and extols the work of the existing
Relationships Division staff, but observes that in order to promote a
pro-active policy of recruiting new partner membership, staff size
should be constantly monitored. The task force group therefore
recommends annual assessments of staff manpower needs by the Division
Director. We further feel that all those on the Division Staff should
have a background of having served as a Council Scout Executive or by
training or experience have similar attributes.

     A continuing focus of the Division Staff will be seeking new
partnership relationships through promoting the benefits of Scouting to
organizations having aims, goals and values like those of The Boy Scouts
of America and reinforcing our current chartered organization
relationships .

Database Development

     Coupled with the increased recruitment activity of the
Relationships Division must be the development and maintenance of a
database of potential Scouting partners. The task force group, under the
direction of the Relationships Committee Chairman, is currently
developing a working list of potential partners and making arrangements
for it to be entered into a useable data format.  The task force group
urges the support of this aspect of recruitment by all others through
forwarding to the Chairman of the Relationships committee
recommendations for inclusion in the database.

National Partners' Conference

     The task force group discussed the team-building benefits of the
National Partners' Conference and evaluated its effectiveness as a
productive and useful tool in creating an environment for growth and
promoting better communication between The Boy Scouts of America and its
chartered partners. The quadrennial (every four years schedule, however,
is seen as too infrequent and it is the strong recommendation of the
committee that the conference be held every two years instead. Further,
inasmuch as the conference is held only at Ft. A.P. Hill, in connection
with the National Jamboree, the East-coast location may be prohibitive
to some Midwest and Western-based partners. The task force group
recommends that The Boy Scouts of America continue to hold the
Conference at the National Jamboree. We further recommend that the site
for the additional meeting be rotated among high adventure bases,
National meetings, and other appropriate sites throughout the United
States.

     Because of the relative success of the National Partners'
Conference and the potential such meetings have for identifying and
solving relationships problems, it is also the strong recommendation of
the committee that similar conferences be held at the council level,
thereby availing local units of the benefits of a proven problem-solving
forum. It is strongly felt that any relationships problems could be
solved at that level.

Marketing/Relations Forum

     It is the feeling of the task force group and the Relationships
Committee generally, that a stronger and closer working relationships
between the Relationships Division and the Marketing Division would
enhance the service extended to existing chartered partners as well as
the recruitment of new ones. The task force group proposes that at least
annually, the two divisions join for open and mutual discussion and the
sharing of ideas and information.  The interfacing would further the
mission of both divisions.

Urban Emphasis

     The Relationships Committee and its sub-committees are resolved to
support the Chief Scout Executive's area of emphasis and concerns
specifically his emphasis concerning urban youth needs. The commitment
can be accomplished by educating our Committee of the resources
available from Boy Scouts of America covering urban Scouting and then by
interfacing with our chartered partners to collectively deal "head-on"
with the concern of our urban youth.

Conclusion

     The task force group respectfully submits that contained within
this proposal are recommendations and strategies which, if implemented,
could by themselves significantly strengthen the relationships between
The Boy Scouts of America and all chartered partners. To help administer
these recommendations and ensure their appropriate implementation, five
final "capstones" are included in the plan. They are:

Annual Review. The foregoing plan should be studied by the Relationships
Committee, and annually, as a matter of committee business, the plan
should be reviewed for relevancy, depth of implementation, outcomes of
the recommendations, and any necessary modifications in how we are
supporting the BSA strategic plan.

Local Chartered Partnership Conferences. To create a climate for growth,
it is the recommendation of the task force group that a chartered
partners' conference, at the Council level, should be held annually.

Quality Partner Certificate. Upon the review and approval of the Council
Services Division, we recommend the creation of a certificate
recognizing "Quality Organizations" be undertaken and the chartered
organization's efforts applauded. The criteria for such an award would
include earning the Quality Unit Award by all of the chartering
organization's Scouting units and the assurance that the chartered
organization representative has attended C.O.R.  training and is
functioning.

Videocassette Training. Following as a model the recent videocassette
training developed by The Boy Scouts of America for The United Methodist
Church, the Relationships Division should promote the creation of
organization training videocassette for all chartered organizations who
wish to participate. This will promote Scouting from within the
chartered organization, not just from the outside. Further, the
development of a "character counts" video covering the basics of
Scouting, in an easy and usable format should be created. This video
would be used to promote the values of a Quality Scouting program to
potential chartering organizations as well as various current chartering
organizations in the creation of a full family of Scouting. It could
also be shown at service clubs or possibly in the council finance
campaign.

Specific Planning. The Relationships Committee will work to implement
their strategic Planning immediately upon approval of the
Relationships/Marketing Group.

     Finally, we resolutely endorse The Boy Scouts of America policy on
the selection of membership and leadership, and declare our commitment
that The Boy Scouts of America hold firmly to the principle of Duty to
God. We feel that if The Boy Scouts of America is unable to remain
dedicated to the basic principles of its founding, it will lack the
fortitude and endurance to help lead America's youth into the
Twenty-first Century. We also endorse the recent efforts of the
Relationships Committee to form a task force charged with making
recommendations regarding criteria for becoming a chartered partner with
The Boy Scouts of America.

     As Scouters and as those entrusted to share responsibility for the
future of today's youth and tomorrow's leaders, we deliver this proposal
1) with the confidence that it contains recommendations that can make a
difference; 2) with the hope that it will be read and studied by those
who have the power and the authority to implement its components; and 3)
with the commitment to become personally and actively involved in
helping bring these principles to reality. We share a gratitude for the
opportunity to be involved in this great work and a common ambition to
serve and bless the Lives of this generation of youth.

May God strengthen us individually and collectively to that end.

5/20/94