ScoutingNOW Action Plan 5.5 - Investigation of New Group Model by Anthony Lam

SCOUTINGNOW Action Plan for Canadian Scouting Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report Report Date: March 27, 2011

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Contents Executive Summary

Introduction

1.1 1.2

Background Structure of the Report

2 3

Objectives and Approach

2.1 2.2 2.3

Objectives Approach Scope of Review

4 4 5

State of the Nation

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

Status of Canadian Scouting Current Group Delivery Model Existing Group Start-up Process Summary of Key Observations

6 9 10 11

Recommendations and Findings

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8

Support Young Adult-led Groups Build Partnerships for Strategic Growth Nurture Ideas and Initiatives from our Grassroots Leaders Restructure Rover Crews and Venturer Companies Pursue Vocational Groups as a Staff and Council Initiative Create Scouter-In-Training and Venturer Synergies Extend Programming to the Gen Y Volunteer Defer Certain Models

12 13 17 19 21 23 26 27

Limitations and Restrictions

5.1 5.2

Limitations Restrictions

30 30

Appendix A – Action Item #5.5

Appendix B – Approved Project Charter

Appendix C – List of Groups / Group Models Researched

Appendix D – Rover-led Groups

Appendix E – Winnipeg City-Wide Venturer Company

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix F – 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew (aka PCC Rover Crew)

Appendix G – Explorer Scouts and Scout Network (UK – The Scout Association)

Appendix H – GTC EMS MedVents and MedRovers

Appendix I – PCC EMS MedVents

Appendix J – 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew

Appendix K – Toronto Fire Venturers

Appendix L – High School Venturer Companies

Appendix M – University of British Columbia Rover Crew and 1st Rivorton New Brunswick Rover Crew 38 Appendix N – PCC EVA Venturers Without Borders

Appendix O – Acknowledgments

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Executive Summary This report was commissioned to investigate alternative group models, or aspects of group models, that will support Scouts Canada’s vision for growth. Our approach included analyzing the current state of Scouts Canada, identifying and researching existing alternative delivery models currently being used across Canada and WOSM organizations, and analyzing the research findings to identify key recommendations. Details of all alternative delivery models formally researched can be found in the appendices. The report finds that there are many alternative group models that can be considered for implementation, some of which will require minimal financial and human resources to implement. Recommendations discussed include: 

Pursuing, encouraging, and actively supporting young adult-led groups as an integral group model (section 4.1);



Forming mutually beneficial, and strategic partnerships with other organizations, such as governmental organizations, private corporations, or other cultural- and demographic-specific organizations, to foster new group models (section 4.2);



Encouraging innovation and supporting ideas and initiatives of Scouts Canada volunteers, especially in the areas of membership growth (section 4.3);



Structurally changing the structure of the senior youth sections such that Rover Crews are operated as a provision and responsibility of the Council and that Venturer Companies are operated as a provision and responsibility of the Area (section 4.4);



Pursuing vocational groups (i.e. EMS, Police, etc) for senior youth sections and to have this implemented as a Scouts Canada staff and Council initiative (section 4.5);



Formalizing a Scouter-in-Training program as part of the core Venturer programming (section 4.6);



Meeting the needs of the modern volunteer by extending the program to volunteers aged 27 to 35 (section 4.7); and



Not currently investing resources into High School Venturer, University Rover Crew, and Lone Scouts / Internet Scouts as alternative group models in the near future, but to revisit these models, especially the University Rover Crew model, in a few years (section 4.8).

This report was prepared based on information provided by the key contacts outlined in the appendices. We have not verified the accuracy of this information or attempted to discuss all additional implications of our findings that are outside of the scope of this report. We have also not piloted the recommendations provided to test their practical feasibility.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Introduction The overarching objective of this report is to present an investigation on alternative group models, or aspects of group models, that will support Scouts Canada’s vision for growth. In achieving this objective, specific steps were identified and undertaken, as described in Section 2 of this report.

1.1

Background

1.1.1

Scouts Canada and the Action Plan for Canadian Scouting

In July 2009, the Chief Commissioner’s Task Force on Growth released An Action Plan for Canadian Scouting (“Action Plan”), which presented a call for action to revitalize Scouting in Canada, and to address the issue of declining membership in Scouts Canada, which currently averages approximately 40% turnover each year in each section1. The Action Plan was built on five key action items (individually “Key Action Item”): 1

Making it Easier for New and Current Volunteers;

Enhancing Our Image, Profile and Expertise;

Enhancing Organization Capacity;

Achieving Meaningful Youth Involvement; and

Recruiting New Members and Finding New Volunteers.

Each Key Action Item has supporting action items (“Action Item”), which were assigned to staff and volunteers to execute. This report focuses on Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model, within the context of Key Action Item #5 above.

1.1.2

Key Action Item #5: Recruiting Members and Finding New Volunteers

Key Action Item #5 is directly related to Scouts Canada’s goal to double its current membership by 2014. It focuses on increasing our membership numbers through outreaching to new potential young adult volunteers, increasing our market share, and expanding into new markets. To address this, the following Action Items were identified under the scope of Key Action Item #5: 5.1

Creation of an Outreach Team

5.2

Partnership Development and Renewal

5.3

Extension Scouts

5.4

Alumni Development

Target Marketing & Communications Inc., Target Marketing Presentation FINAL, (2010).

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

5.5

Investigation of New Group Model

As noted previously, this report focuses on Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model. See Appendix A for a copy of Action Item #5.5 excerpted from the Action Plan. In response to Action Plan Action Item #5.5, a project charter (“Charter”) was submitted for approval to the Chief Commissioner. The Charter was approved by the Chief Commissioner on July 20th, 2010. See Appendix B for a copy of the approved Charter. It is with this understanding that Scouts Canada has requested this report.

1.2

Structure of the Report

The balance of this report is structured as follows: 

Section 2 outlines the report’s objectives and approach;



Section 3 summarizes the needs of Scouts Canada in context of the current state of the organization and group delivery model;



Section 4 provides key findings and recommendations as a result of our research and analysis on alternative group models;



Section 5 summarizes the limitations and restrictions related to this report; and



The Appendices provide supporting documentation, including Action Item #5.5 (Appendix A), the approved Charter (Appendix B), and a summary of each of the group models researched in preparing this report (Appendices C-N).

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Objectives and Approach 2.1

Objectives

The objectives of Scouts Canada in requesting this report, as outlined in the Charter, are to: 1

Investigate alternative delivery models, that are currently being used across Canada and other World Organization of the Scout Movement (“WOSM”) organizations, for delivering “core” Scout programming to Canadian youth;

Recommend models for consideration to be implemented nationally across Canada, with an emphasis on models appropriate for urban markets; and

Consider improvements to the support infrastructure, such as the role of the Council / Area service teams and paid staff, to better support the recommended delivery models.

The project will not consider new delivery models for non-core programs, including those programs that are run primarily by staff such as Schools and Scouting. Pilot test groups are also out of the scope of this project. In developing our research and investigation approach and process, it became apparent that, while the issue of declining membership in Scouts Canada penetrates every section from Beavers to Rovers, the loss of members in the senior sections of Scouts Canada, (i.e. Venturers and Rovers) was greater than the other sections. The loss of these members holds more implications for Scouts Canada than just declining membership from program participants. It also represents a shrinking pipeline of potential program volunteers who have Scouting knowledge, as Venturer- and Rover-aged youth are just becoming old enough to volunteer, but are choosing to leave the organization. As Scouts Canada programs are delivered by volunteers, this presents serious consequences to the ability of Scouts Canada to deliver quality programs that will attract the youth of tomorrow, and consequently, the livelihood of Scouts Canada. As a result, we tailored our research and investigation towards alternative group models focused on successful senior section retention and growth, in order to identify models that offer the greatest impact on Scouts Canada’s declining membership numbers in senior sections.

2.2

Approach

As contemplated in the Charter, the following interrelated work steps were performed in order to produce this report: 

Analyze the current status of Scouts Canada with respect of youth membership figures, the organizational structure and current traditional group delivery method, and competitive environment;

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011



Identify and research existing alternative delivery models currently being used across Canada and WOSM organizations, with an emphasis on those models with success in senior section retention and growth;



Analyze research findings to identify key recommendations; and



Report on findings.

Table 2.1 lists the volunteers on the project team that contributed to this report. See Appendix O for a list of resources that contributed to this report.

Table 2.1: Project Team

2.3

Team Member

Role

John Chow

Project sponsor

Brandon Ma

Project manager

Pinky Au

Team member

Sam Chan

Team member

Paul Leung

Team member

Abigail Syyong

Team member

Scope of Review

In preparing this report, the following resources were relied upon: 

The Action Plan for Canadian Scouting (in particular, Action Item #5.5);



Target Marketing Presentation prepared by Target Brand & Communications Inc., for Scouts Canada;



Information obtained from interviews with local resource persons (see Appendix R for details); and



Scouts Canada BP&P.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

State of the Nation 3.1

Status of Canadian Scouting

This section presents our evaluation of the following areas of Scouting in Canada and factors to consider when analyzing research findings and developing recommendations: 

Youth membership numbers;



Scouts Canada organizational structure;



Competitive pressures; and



Characteristics of the Canadian landscape.

3.1.1

The Numbers

Canadian Scouting membership figures have steadily declined almost each year for the past 40 years until the 2009-2010 Scouting year. Since 2005, youth membership numbers in core programming sections have been as follows:

Table 3.1: Youth Membership Figures by Year2 Year

Registered Members (Core Programming)

2005-2006

73,778

2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009

# Change

% Change

70,456

- 3,332

- 4.5%

68,916

- 1,540

- 2.2%

68,479

- 437

- 0.6%

The registration numbers in the past few years reveal that there has been a steady decline in youth membership. Between the Scouting years of 2008-2009 to 2009-2010, 40% of our registered youth dropped out. Somewhere along the way, we have been unable to engage today’s youth in a meaningful way. In addition, our penetration levels are around 1% to 2% of youth between the ages of 5 to 15. While we are only taking a small sample of data in Scouting’s rich history (and it should be noted that we have not considered numbers prior to 2005-2006), the recent trends are very troubling. The following table presents registration numbers for 2008-2009.

Target Marketing & Communications Inc., Target Marketing Presentation FINAL, (2010).

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Table 3.2: Youth Membership Figures by Section3 Section

Number of members

% of Total

Beavers

22,886

33.4%

Cubs

24,878

36.3%

Scouts

14,896

21.8%

5,042

7.4%

777

1.1%

68,479

100.0%

Venturers Rovers Total

A closer look at our membership numbers by section reveals that we have significantly fewer members in our senior sections. There are roughly 20,000 more youth in our Cub program than our Venturer program, and the age difference between the oldest Cub and the youngest Venturer is only 4 years. We must understand that Scouting faces serious competition for a youth’s time and commitment. As youth get older, they more likely they are to participate in other organized activities, such as sports teams, churches, school clubs, other youth leadership programs, etc. 86% of youth in Canada are involved in at least one organized activity a year4, with the highest involvement rates between the ages of 10 to 13. It is no exaggeration to say that if we do not come up with great programs that challenge and engage our youth, then they will leave.

3.1.2

The Organizational Structure

In section 2001.8 of the Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, the current organizational structure of Canadian Scouting is as follows: i. Corporate Services (National); ii. Council; iii. Service Area (or “Area”); iv. Group; and v. Section. In this hierarchical structure, the National office oversees its various Councils across Canada. Each Council is responsible for overseeing its local Area and in turn, the Area provides support for the Groups located in their geographic region. Each Group runs programs for each individual Section. This top-down structure should provide the necessary support that the ultimate delivery mechanism – which is the Group and Section - requires. It allows for Scouters to concentrate on running programs for youth, while the layers above the section level can handle the larger projects and administrative work. 3 4

Target Marketing & Communications Inc., Target Marketing Presentation FINAL, (2010). Target Marketing & Communications Inc., Target Marketing Presentation FINAL, (2010).

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

However, what goes on at the Area or Council level is often a complete mystery from the perspective of a grassroots volunteer. These same individuals at the Area and Council level may not even understand what Scouts Canada National does to support them. This long chain of command can create a sense of divide; between the volunteers’ actively teaching youth and the people handling the day to day operations of this organization. Moreover, any initiatives or messages that come from upper levels can easily be forgotten. Consider the example of our declining membership. It would be naïve to say that every registered adult volunteer in Scouts Canada understands this problem and is open to implementing solutions. We will need to consider this communication gap in analyzing our research findings.

3.1.3

The Competition

The variety and type of competition that is vying for the time and attention of today’s youth is only growing. Here are several of the key competitors: 

School – There is an increasing pressure to perform better and better in school as grades are becoming more important.



Sports – Not only are the traditional team sports (e.g. hockey or soccer) looking to grow their memberships, there are a multitude of newer sports that are growing in popularity.



Technology – Facebook. Playstation or Xbox. Nintendo DS. iPhone. YouTube. Even television. Like sports, this list is continuously growing and has even more of an impact on today’s generation of youth.



Arts – Parents are looking to create well-rounded individuals so they are often enrolling them in at least one arts-related endeavour, such as music lessons, language classes, or arts workshops.



Social – Peer pressure is at an all-time high as cliques are becoming quickly the norm in schools, even in elementary school. These are not just the traditional cliques propounded in movies (i.e. jocks and nerds), but now cliques are in born around common interests, race, religion, social standing, and other areas.



Leadership programs – These are appearing everywhere. It is the new trend.



Cadets / Girl Guides / St. John’s Ambulance – Traditional youth programs that are in many ways Scouts Canada most direct competitors in terms of “value-add” proposition to parents.

While it is important to understand the competitive environment that Scouts Canada is operating in, to the 5.5 project team, there were only two messages that were clear and obvious:

(1) Everything Is Our Competition! (2) The Competition Is Looking to Grow Too!

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Scouts Canada cannot rest on its laurels and expect to grow. Our market share is constantly being eroded by the competition’s efforts. We need to fight not just to grow, but to even just keep our position in the market.

3.1.4

The Canadian Landscape

Certain unique aspects of the Canadian landscape were taken into consideration as part of the research and analysis: 

Relatively scattered population with several large urban centers – We must look to grow in our large urban centers from Victoria to St. John’s, but there are also numerous smaller towns where there is an opportunity to grow.



Diversity – Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. In order to win, Scouts Canada must learn how to more effectively grow through diversity.



Culture – Although Canada is heavily influenced by the American culture, there are several distinguishable characteristics of Canadians. We must understand and learn how to adapt to the culture of today’s youth for Scouts Canada to be successful.

3.2

Current Group Delivery Model

The current group delivery model consists of the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers. These five core sections allow us to provide programs for youth from the ages of 5 to 26. If we examine an idealistic situation for a member who is new to Scouting, we may have the following: 

Youth joins the Beaver section and ages all the way up through Cubs, Scouts and into the Venturer program. This youth will now have roughly 9 years of Scouting experience.



The Group decides to offer this youth a Scouter In Training position



By the time this youth enters his / her first year of the Rover program, (s)he establishes himself / herself enough to warrant a senior program leader position within the group. The Rover may eventually take on the role of a Section Scouter.

While this scenario may not happen as much as it should, there are several key points that should be noted. 1) The youth is always challenged and engaged. At the core of the program, specifically in the Cub Scouts, Scouts and Venturers sections, there are badges, achievements and awards that they can earn. For a committed youth member, there is always a carrot dangling in front of them within these 3 sections. When they start moving on

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

onto the Rover section, they now have the added responsibility of leading their own section within the group. 2) The youth is the most idealistic leader for the next generation of Scouts. By the time the youth becomes a Section Head, (s)he would have had over ten years of Scouting experience. There is no training that could be provided to a brand new adult volunteer that can replace this kind of experience. 3) The youth was given the opportunity to serve their own group. Noting the above points and that this youth could be a very valuable asset to the group’s leadership team, he/she was given every opportunity to train and develop into a leader within the group. So what is preventing us from achieving this scenario? The Scouts Canada membership numbers seem to indicate that as youth get older, they begin to stray away from Scouting. We have invested 9-10 years of Scouting into this individual; we must investigate what we can do to not only improve retention through all sections, but more importantly, our senior sections.

3.3

Existing Group Start-up Process

The process of starting a new group requires a lot of coordination between the various parties that will be involved in supporting this group, such as the Council, the Area and the sponsor. Individuals who would like to inquire about starting a new group traditionally would contact their local Council. Groups would then form their own leadership team, which consist of leaders to deliver the program for each individual section, and also a group committee to handle various other administrative duties. Groups can also be sponsored by an association or organization to assist in providing resources to the group. This traditionally comes in the form of a meeting space. It is recommended under section 2003.2 of BP & P that an Area “would normally not exceed 20 Groups and travel time to any one Group would not exceed 90 minutes in any direction”. The Canadian geography is unique in that the general population is very sparse. There are a few metropolitan cities with many smaller rural cities in each province. Under the current procedures, there needs to be an Area servicing this rural city before we can start a new group, and oftentimes in Canada, this may not be possible due to the characteristics of Canadian geography. There also appears to be barriers and restrictions on where groups can be located. There is no denying the truth that it is imperative that our Scout groups are well supported by their leadership team in their Area. However, is it possible for a well led and well trained group of Scouters to start a new group without the direct assistance of an Area team? Can this group, through the support of their sponsors, be able to sustain themselves while only reaching out to their closet geographical Council for help on larger scale Scouting initiatives? These are only two questions of many that may help us define the true criteria for starting a new group. We noted that there are already a couple instances of Groups operating in remote regions of the country that are

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

not as actively supported by an Area. We should be open to consider how Groups, Areas and Councils are organized as one size does not fit all.

3.4

Summary of Key Observations

Examples of alternative group models currently exist within Scouts Canada’s. We recognize that there will not be a “one size fits all” model that will serve every Council and every Area. The decline in members due to low retention rates across the nation will inevitably cripple this organization if we do not act. Here is what we know: 

The majority of youth in this nation participate in some sort of extra-curricular activity.



We are having problems maintaining our membership count.



Participation in senior sections (Venturers and Rovers) is much lower than younger sections (i.e. Cubs and Beavers).



Long chain of command means that messages from upper levels may inevitably get lost.



Our youth of today are the best leaders of tomorrow.

With this in mind, not only must we investigate ways of improving our membership woes by improving program delivery and brand perception, but we must also look within our organization to see if we can optimize the way we work. Our problems are not going to be solved in a few months. We must not restrict ourselves within the rigidity of our existing structure. We should look at other group models that have proven to be successful all over the nation and investigate common threads between them.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Recommendations and Findings This section presents our recommendations relating to alternative group delivery models that will support Scouts Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for growth. The recommendations are based on an analysis of deficits currently present in Scouts Canada, key research findings, and high growth opportunities.

4.1

Support Young Adult-led Groups

4.1.1

Recommendation

We recommend that young adult-led Groups be formally encouraged and supported by Scouts Canada as an integral group model, emphasizing the development of new young adult leaders under the age of 35. We define young adults to be individuals aged 18 to 35; this includes Rovers.

4.1.2

Issue

As discussed in Section 3 of this report, retention and growth of the Rover section will be vital to the ongoing success of Scouts Canada, and has been one of the root causes of the decline in Scout Canada's overall membership. Rovers that have grown up through Scouting are great candidates to be our future volunteers. They have gained skills and experiences through the program which are valuable assets to a Scouter. However, the Rover section is the most underdeveloped youth section in Scouts Canada with its limited prescribed program; and as a result, Rovers may lack the appropriate training and proper responsibility and leadership opportunities to be truly successful.

4.1.3

Implication

Without experienced leaders who have grown up in Scouting, the program quality in subsequent years will diminish as traditions, skills, stories, and program ideas are lost. Furthermore, there is a large gap between the existing baby boomer aged leaders and youth leaders. This gap creates succession issues for the leadership team of various groups and also severely limits the current growth of new leaders for the next generation of Scouts. Unless we sufficiently and adequately support young adult-led group models and encourage senior youth to take on more leadership positions, there will be a significant shortage of qualified leaders in the future, whether it be at the Group, Area or Council level.

4.1.4

Solution

A young adult-led group model is a promising delivery model. The model design directly facilitates training of the next generation of leaders who will eventually replace older Scouters, and provides Rovers with new challenges. We have found that personal development and responsibility (see Appendix D and F for details on groups researched where Rovers play a critical role in the Group) are critical success factors for this group model. We believe that by exposing young adults and Rovers to

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

the rigors and autonomy of running a Group along with meaningful personal development through Scouting, they will have more motivation to continue Scouting as a volunteer opportunity. To appropriately support young adult-led groups so that they are successful, we recommend that the following initiatives be considered and executed by staff: 1) Reduce Administration Work: Administrative work includes but is not limited to, performing record checks and background checks, preparing applications for government grants and other fundraising organization, and processing registration. If administrative work could be handled for these Groups, then a significant burden of running a Group would be removed. Staff could determine ways for reducing the administrative work required for operating a Group. This is relevant for all groups run across the country, and is particularly relevant for young adult-led groups. The solution would likely be the result of a thorough review and proper redesign of our processes as well as the appropriate use of technology to streamline or automate various functions. 2) Group Advisor: A young adult-led groups should have a formal advisor to guide and mentor them, but who does not supervise the operations of the Group. He or she would serve as a resource and mentor to the leadership teams. Staff could support a training program for these advisors. 3) Standardized programs: More elaborate session plans with insight focused on youth development. The current Jumpstart session plans are often not sufficiently detailed to be executed by newer leaders. 4) Practical training: These groups often recruit new leaders from their social network; these are individuals who may or may not have Scouting experience. While we already have training programs such as Wood Badge I for new leaders, the training may need to be updated to be more attendee-centric, thus making the training more effective for this age group. For example, there may need to be increased flexibility in the time allocation of the curriculum to tailor it to the needs of the trainee. Perhaps we could send out a questionnaire in advance of the training to assess the needs of the trainee.

4.2

Build Partnerships for Strategic Growth

4.2.1

Recommendation

We recommend that Scouts Canada should consider forming mutually beneficial, strategic partnerships with other organizations to foster new group models. These organizations include 

governmental organizations such as Parks Canada,



private corporations such as Mountain Equipment Co-op (“MEC”), and

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011



other cultural- and demographic-specific organizations, such as S.U.C.C.E.S.S., an organization supporting new Canadian immigrants.

These partnerships must necessarily be mutually beneficial to Scouts Canada and the partnering organization. The potential benefits to Scouts Canada include corporate and community support to Scouts Canada and new group models that can be brought to market. The potential gains for the partnering organizations will depend on the specific organization. Certain organizations like Parks Canada and S.U.C.C.E.S.S could directly benefit by using the Scouts Canada program as a vehicle for achieving their own goals, assuming these goals are aligned with those of Scouts Canada. Commercial corporations could be seen as being socially responsible through their involvement with Scouts Canada.

4.2.2

Issue

Scouts Canada is a relatively reclusive organization in a society thriving on connections, networks, and relationships. As mentioned in various parts of the Action Plan – Action Item #2.4 Working with Government and Other Funders and Action Item #5.2 Partnership Development and Renewal – there is a need for Scouts Canada to develop meaningful and sustainable relationships with other organizations. A casual observer will notice that there are an increasing number of youth leadership programs in the marketplace. It is a trend to be in the youth development business; a diverse range of organizations have programs in place. Some examples include: 

Service organizations – e.g. Kiwanis has the Key Club and Circle K and the YMCA has the Youth Leader Corps.



Cities – e.g. City of Vancouver has the Vancouver Youth Leadership Development Network



Community centers – e.g. many have Youth Councils to serve their neighbourhood

In some ways, these provide a more direct competition to Scouting than other programs like sporting leagues. Where was Scouts Canada when these programs were conceived?

4.2.3

Implication

The objective of Action Item #2.4 is to increase funding to Scouts Canada from governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the objective of Action Item #5.2 is to develop partnerships with kindred organizations and sports leagues to enhance the programming offered. These are important actions to take, but the implication of only focussing on these partnerships limits the growth opportunities available to Scouting. Completely new models and new markets could be opened up if we target the right organizations. For example, Parks Canada has an initiative to engage a new generation of Canadians in the use of natural parks and historic sites5. Parks Canada is similarly dealing with declining participation levels and is targeting new immigrants and children of urban families with the goal to

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/all-inclusive-packages-geared-toward-the-neophyte-camper/article1658356/

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

eventually transform them into park users. Is this an opportunity for Scouts Canada to pursue a potential mutually beneficial partnership and develop a new group model? Also, it is astounding how similar some of the other youth development programs are to Scouting. As part of the research phase, during an informal discussion with a youth member of the Youth Leadership Millennium (“YLM”), a youth program run by S.U.C.C.E.S.S., we realized that their program was in many ways the same as a Scouting program. There was a focus on community service, individual personal development, and leadership. If these programs could come under the Scouting umbrella, the opportunities would be boundless.

4.2.4

Solution

In order to properly realize an eventual network of partnerships (and not just one), we recommend two major steps to get this project initiative started. Partnership identification and proposal structure A team of dedicated staff and volunteers would be needed to initially brainstorm potential partnership opportunities and set up a proposal structure to be used when approaching these partners. Scouts Canada, despite the declining membership, has a vast network of members who have connections with individuals, organizations, and communities all across Canada. This network provides a great resource of potential partnership opportunities. This group would also be responsible for developing an appropriate structure to support the development of the partnerships. This structure should be a framework that is flexible enough to adapt to changes in each unique partnership opportunity. Proposal and negotiations The next step would be to ensure that staff is committed to acting on the recommendations from the partnership identification stage to negotiate and maintain potential partnerships. The performance measurement and compensation of staff will need to fundamentally be altered to align with the growth of Scouting, and one of the staff responsibilities would be related to these new partnerships. These staff would be responsible for the partnership communications and ensuring that the relationship is still in everyone’s best interest. It is important that paid staff are responsible for this initiative in order to ensure commitment and follow-up. The responsible individuals on the other side of the table will likely be experienced professionals employed by the organization, and will expect to be interacting with their similar counterparts from Scouts Canada. This solution, being to increase membership and awareness among the community, is difficult to achieve without some significant changes in the organization - including branding, strategic growth planning, and administration. All three of these aspects are crucial to new partnership initiatives, and the appropriate responses addressing these elements may be major contributors to the projects’ successes. We will consider a potential partnership with MEC as an example, but the same discussion points are applicable to potential partnerships with other organizations where similar synergies can be found.

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Branding One of Scouts Canada’s major hurdles is its branding and image among today’s youth, and even today’s parents. This is clearly indicated in the Target Marketing presentation, and stands to be the biggest obstacle to increasing membership figures. On the other hand, companies and organizations such as MEC have a solid branding and reputation which can boost Scouts Canada’s image. The partnership opportunity presents itself in this particular scenario where the community traditionally associates Scouts Canada with outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, and MEC is known to be a store geared towards equipment required for these types of outdoor activities. In this respect, a partnership with MEC would allow Scouts Canada to benefit from MEC’s corporate recognisability while contributing exposure of MEC’s business to Canada’s young people. Strategic growth planning Organizations across the globe find strategic growth in combining their expertise with others who are working under a common objective. As large as an organization can grow, it cannot be wholly successful in isolation. Partnerships between organizations working with similar goals and realizable benefits work for the mutual success of both organizations. A recent example of this is the partnership announced between Facebook and various retail organizations, where these retail organizations will offer deals to Facebook members who post their location online. This partnership is an excellent example of mutual benefit - the retail organizations receive more publicity and free advertising (since Facebook members who take advantage of these deals will then pass on the word by “posting” their experience), and Facebook receives more membership growth opportunities by people who would join due to the opportunity to receive these deals. Making these connections between organizations provides an opportunity to create a network of strategic growth, where mutual benefits and opportunities can be shared, and where references to unique opportunities can be passed on, if available. The future upside potential to be gained from forming these partnerships is worth the costs of making the connections. Administration Setting up and maintaining a partnership needs work and focus to ensure all parties are realizing benefits along the way. The type of partnerships that may benefit Scouts Canada the most are with well-known and solid organizations that typically have experience in forming community partnerships. Due to this, they will expect a strong support system from both sides and clear communication between the parties. This system is also important if Scouts Canada intends to be taken seriously as a player in the market.

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4.3

Nurture Ideas and Initiatives from our Grassroots Leaders

4.3.1

Recommendation

We recommend that paid Scouts Canada staff are appropriately supporting innovation from existing volunteers. This means objectively assessing ideas and initiatives brought forward from grassroots leaders to determine whether the idea is viable, and actively driving any potential high growth ideas that may exist outside of what the Areas and Councils would normally provide. Our organization needs to innovate in order to survive, and we must foster and encourage innovation, not hinder it. We further recommend that the decision-making process between Areas, Council, National, staff at the office level, staff at the National level, the National Leadership Team, and the Board of Governors be clearly laid out so that all stakeholders understand the process and flowchart of decisions. This will help to facilitate a more efficient, effective, fair, and transparent decision-making process.

4.3.2

Issue

The current Scouts Canada organization structure has specific roles and responsibilities for each staff level. However, there is no mandate for staff to innovate or to find ways to support good ideas from current Scout Leaders. This provides a barrier for our volunteers as there is no culture to innovate. Many Scouters have been brought up through Scouting and have creative ideas on ways to improve Scouting. Their voices are often only heard if it fits within the confines of what Scouts Canada staff are supposed to be involved with.

4.3.3

Implication

It is imperative that this organization starts to foster an environment where their volunteersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voices are heard and acted on. We need to do a better job at supporting them and not only by providing the necessary training and resources so that their sections and groups can become successful. We need to allow them more freedom in terms of developing their own vision or their own group models. Not every leader will have this vision. Some are happy with the current boundaries set forth by the BP&P. However, we must allow these same volunteers to change things for the better. If there are opportunities that they see that will allow their groups to function better, it should be up to our Areas and Councils to support these opportunities. Only then will our volunteers truly feel like they have the power to shape this organization and help set the standards for our next generation. Obviously risk management is important. However, when common sense does not prevail, there is a fundamental issue. We will present some scenarios based on real-life events as examples. 1) A Council is struggling with its population of Rovers. One Rover advisor approaches their Council to see if it would be possible to form a Council Rover Crew due to the fact that these Rovers are from all over the Council. The Crew would be chartered under the Council.

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According to the BP&P, this scenario cannot happen. A Section can be formed within a Group, which then needs to be chartered by the Area. This group of Rovers will all have to leave their home groups to join one other group in order to have a proper Rover Crew, or they can abandon this idea and keep serving as volunteers. This was the message that was initially provided to the Rover advisor and it was not until after a long and arduous process did cooler heads prevail. 2) Several Rovers with a group have decided to take on post secondary education across the nation. The Rover adviser would very much like to ensure that these youth stay connected with the Crew and the Group, and in turn, stay in Scouting. The Rover adviser approaches the Council to pitch the idea of developing a program that the youth can do and asks for support in terms of a lowered registration fee for this “lite” version of the Rover program. It is inevitable that youth at the Rover-age begin the next phase of their lives and start tackling other challenges outside of Scouting. This is especially true for those that choose to attend post secondary institutions outside of their local area. Our Rover Adviser in this situation was purely trying to ensure that they don’t lose contact with the youth and that they can actively participate within the group by completing the reduced program. The goal was to keep the Rover engaged in Scouting while trying to help them financially, with the end objective being that once the Rover finishes their post secondary education, they will return to their home group and continue as a volunteer leader. However, there does not exist any process that even allows this dialogue to occur because staff were firm in not allowing for a reduced fee. This idea failed before it could even take shape because our organization is too rigid in terms of accepting alternative structure.

4.3.4

Solution

While it is challenging to discuss exactly what needs to be changed, we can draw certain points from the examples described above. 

We need to understand the underlying objective of an idea and work with the volunteers to that purpose. Instead of quickly dismissing an idea, staff could take a closer look at what the underlying objective of the idea is first. For example, in the first scenario relating to the Council Rover Crew, the underlying objective was to establish a Crew at the Council level so that Rovers from all across the Council could join. There were no risk management issues to consider. If it is our intention to make sure all our youth can enjoy the entire program that this organization has to offer, then they should not be denied that chance just because our BP&P does not have a specific clause for this situation. Instead, we should have worked with these Rovers and their Rover advisor to come up with a solution that works for them. The Council and the staff need to support these individuals.



We need to be strategic about risk management. We cannot be an organization that is risk adverse to the point that we are bound to BP&P and inflexible with all of our policies. With the

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new changes to the alcohol policy in February 2011, the organization is moving forward. However we need to ensure that staff at the branch office level has the same mindset. The example idea of engaging our post secondary aged Rovers is a great idea. The objectives serve the growth initiative for Scouts Canada. There should have been discussion around what the true risks involved with the new fee structure were and whether these risks could be mitigated or addressed. We need to work with our volunteers to figure out a practical solution, and not just say no. 

We need a clear and transparent process to handle all situations. While we understand that certain matters cannot be decided on at the Area level or Council level, the management volunteers, staff, and grassroots volunteers need to know the process so that decisions can be made effectively and efficiently. Consider a simple flowchart asking various questions, and then depending on the answer (i.e. “yes” or “no”), then the decision would be directed to the appropriate forum for resolution.

4.4

Restructure Rover Crews and Venturer Companies

4.4.1

Recommendation

We recommend a structural change to have Venturer Companies operated as a provision and responsibility of the Area and to have Rover Crews operated as a provision and responsibility of the Council. As a clarification point, we do not recommend to preclude Groups from continuing to operate their own Venturer Company or Rover Crew. We are not recommending on having only one Venturer Company per Area or one Rover Crew per Council. Due to the unique geographic characteristics of each Council in Canada, the practical implementation of this recommendation will differ from Council to Council. However, the objective and purpose that this recommendation is meant to achieve should be consistent across Councils – to have Companies and Crews with enough “critical mass” of participants for programming, and for senior youth to look forward to.

4.4.2

Issue

Scouts Canada senior youth sections, i.e. Ventures and Rovers, are currently operated at the Group level. These sections are usually the smallest sections of the Group or in many cases do not exist at all. There are various reasons for this reality, one of which is the cumulative compounding effect of sections with low membership over time. Small Venturer sections necessarily cannot perform larger projects that require a larger number of people; as a result, the program suffers and the section becomes smaller. Smaller Venturer sections are less attractive to senior Scout Troop members and therefore, fewer senior Scout Troop members are retained into Venturers. The statistics support this. And the cycle goes on.

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4.4.3

Implication

The Venturer and Rover sections are extremely important and vital to the growth of Scouts Canada. Most youth in Venturers or Rovers have gone through the younger sections (i.e. Beavers, Cubs and/or Scouts) and have gained skills and knowledge that would make them prime candidates to become future volunteers with Scouts Canada. If there are no senior youth replenishing the existing volunteers, then Scouts Canada will be locked in a situation where it constantly needs to find new volunteers and most of these new volunteers will not have Scouting experience. Senior youth sections often require more experienced leaders to become the advisors. Keeping senior youth sections at the Group level creates an additional burden to find and train these advisors. As a result, some groups do not have sufficiently qualified or experienced volunteers to run these two sections. Furthermore, having small or non-existent senior section creates a very negative image to Cubs and Scouts about the opportunities available to them in the Scouting program beyond Scouts. Often times, a Scout would not consider continuing on to Venturers because of this.

4.4.4

Solution

In 2003, the Scout Association in the UK reorganized their Venture program to Explorer Scouts for 14 to 18 year olds and Network Scouts for 18 to 25 year olds (see Appendix G). These sections were designed to operate as a provision of the District level, which is similar to an Area, for Explorer Scouts and Council level for Network Scouts. Based on discussions with the program advisors with the Scout Association, this structure contributed to the success of the sections as each unit would have more than the critical mass of youth to operate. We noticed this solution was also informally being implemented in groups across Canada. As part of our research, we investigated the formation of a Winnipeg city-wide Venturer Company whose membership was attracted from existing small Venturer Companies. The city-wide Company was not meant to replace the existing Companies; the purpose of the new Company was to provide a forum for Venturers to interact with other Venturers in the city, to provide Venturers with an opportunity to organize and run larger-scale projects (such as Duke of Edinburgh trips), and to create more excitement and fun for the youth. We also investigated Venturers Without Borders (“VWB”) in the East Vancouver Area, Pacific Coast Council. Similar to the Winnipeg city-wide Venturer Company, the idea of VWB was to assist small Venturer Companies where youth retention was at risk. VWB helped the youth in these Companies with larger camps and activities to complete their Queen’s Venturer Award and Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Drawing from these examples, a solution to the issue and implications above would be to have Venturer Companies at the Area level and to have Rover Crews at the Council level. Individual Groups would be responsible for operating Beaver, Cub and Scout sections. If there are very few Venturers in their Group and not enough to have a functioning section, then upon aging out of Scouts, the youth would then have the option to join one of the Venturer Companies that are operated at the Area level and which comprise

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Venturers from multiple Groups. Subsequently, upon aging out of Venturers, the youth would then join one of the Rover Crews that at the Council level. A fewer number of larger Companies and Crews helps to address many program and operational issues: 

Advisors: There is less dilution of quality advisors as there are less Companies and Crews to run. Quality advisors would have an impact over more youth as the size of each Company and Crew is larger. New advisors would have the opportunity to gain better experience at well established Companies and Crews as opposed to trying to “patch together” a very small Company or Crew.



Program opportunity: There is the opportunity for the youth to organize and participate in larger scale events. It is difficult to organize a camp for one or two youth, which is a common size of a newer Venturer Company or Rover Crew. As well, there are certain activities that are not as fun to participate in if there are a limited number of youth, such as laser-tag, ropes courses, social events, go-karting, bowling, expeditions, and larger pioneering projects.



Executives: In a small Venturer Company or Rover Crew, the concept of an executive may be hard to establish as there may be not enough youth for the executive team, or the executive team encompasses the entire group and there are no other youth to lead. Having a larger Company or Crew deals with this issue.



Excitement: There is an excitement or “buzz” that is created when something is larger and bigger as opposed to being smaller. A few large Area-level Venturer Companies provide a something that Scouts can look forward to after they age out of the Scout section.



Social network: Social connections and relations are especially important at the senior youth age. A larger Company and Crew help to expand the youth’s network of friends which is often a key reason why senior youth continue to stay in the program.

This model is not meant to preclude or prevent individual Groups from operating their own Venturer Company or Rover Crew. There are obviously successful Venturer Companies and Rover Crews and these Groups should be encouraged to continue to grow their program for the senior youth sections.

4.5

Pursue Vocational Groups as a Staff and Council Initiative

4.5.1

Recommendation

We recommend that vocational groups (specifically for senior youth sections) can prove to be an effective model to gather youth together by interest, and not by geographical location, but only with support of Scouts Canada staff and Council to undertake this as a staff and Council initiative.

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4.5.2

Issue

In researching alternative group models that would stimulate interest and subsequently, membership growth in Scouts Canada, we investigated proven examples of vocational Scouts groups that have proven successful for particular groups. Specifically, we conducted interviews and gathered information from key contacts with each of the following vocational Scouting groups: 

GTC EMS MedVents and MedRovers (Appendix H )



PCC EMS MedVents (Appendix I)



22nd Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew (Appendix J)



Toronto Fire Venturers (Appendix K)

Through these interviews and subsequent analysis, we determined that vocational groups can prove to be an effective model, but only with all the support of the staff and Council in exploring and identifying a strategic sponsorship for the group. The Scouts Canada program can be adapted to include developing other skills that the vocational group may require. However, care should be taken to consider the liabilities associated with practicing these skills. For instance, the MedVents and MedRovers should be able to perform first aid outside of the confines of their regular meetings. This is something that would require the assistance of staff from both Scouts Canada and also the partner organization to ensure that appropriate insurance is in place and risk management practices are developed and employed. The program within these vocational groups should include appropriate training so that they are certified to serve their communities. In summary, the issue is two-fold: to ensure that the Council is committed to creating a strategic partnership with the appropriate sponsor to support the vocational interest of the youth, and also, that there is appropriate support at the staff level for these initiatives.

4.5.3

Implication

The main implication of our presented issue is not that a vocational group cannot be constructed - it is that the vocational group will fail, and it is the failure of the group that poses greater implications for Scouts Canada than its construction. The failure of the group embeds discouragement in the Council, the youth, and any future sponsor who is looking to create a strategic partnership with Scouts Canada. This would pose a barrier to any additional attempt to create a vocational group. The partnership created between Scouts Canada and the sponsor is also a great opportunity to strengthen the image of Scouts Canada not only among youth participants, but among the community at large.

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4.5.4

Solution

Vocational Scouting groups are specific in the type of activities that they participate in, and generally require access to special training and / or equipment that is not required for Scouting groups under the traditional program delivery method. For example, MedVents and MedRovers, as first aid responders, require first aid training, and access to medical equipment for training purposes. Their partnership with the Toronto EMS gives them access to this medical equipment, and also gives them access to a group of medical professionals who can volunteer their training expertise. Without this partnership, it would prove exceedingly difficult for the MedVents and MedRovers to raise the funds required to obtain the medical equipment and training used in their program. Similarly, the Police Service Rover Crew’s partnership with the 22nd division Toronto Police Services presents a certain level of prestige for the youth involved that will continue to foster membership in the program. In all conversations with the key contacts from these groups, it was clear that the strength of the partnership was highly valued, and without the partnership, the groups could not be as successful. The process of finding a strategic sponsor for a vocational group can be time-consuming, but is so important to the vocational group model that the time is well worth the wait, and requires the commitment of both staff and Council. For all potential vocational groups, there should be accountability within the staff and Council to ensure that the appropriate discussions are held with an identified sponsor who will view the partnership with Scouts Canada as mutually beneficial. We recognized that there are risk management matters that need to be handled with respect of performing first-aid services to the community as a Scout member. We suggest that this issue be revisited to determine whether there may be a viable solution to enable the future for EMS related groups.

4.6

Create Scouter-In-Training and Venturer Synergies

4.6.1

Recommendation

We recommend that a Scouter-in-Training (“SIT”) program be written into the core Venturer programming to provide a structured and meaningful addition to Venturer youth development. The detailed implementation was not researched or investigated, but we recommend that several elements be included: 

Recognition – Venturers completing the program should be recognized for their efforts. For example a badge recognition scheme could be created, or a certification upon completion.



Challenge and Development – The requirements of the program need to include challenging aspects for the Venturer to complete and should be relevant to the Venturer’s development. This could manifest itself into various modules to be completed, with each module relating to a specific skill such as planning and running a camp, a game, or a badge program.

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

Integration – The SIT program should not just be a supplementary addition to the existing Venturer program. There are already various requirements currently as part of the Queen’s Venturer Award that could be incorporated into the SIT program. Perhaps completing certain modules of the SIT program would be considered necessary in order to obtain the Queen’s Venturer Award. Could this be integrated with the existing Wood Badge I training such that completion of the SIT modules in the Venturer program would mean completing Wood Badge I for that section?

Furthermore, although not a part of the main recommendation, the same learning points discussed here apply to Scouter training at the Rover-aged level.

4.6.2

Issue

Through our research into new group models, it could not be ignored that the models were in many ways only as good as the programs that they promulgated. The quality of the program is a key factor to high retention rates. And therefore, logically speaking, low retention rates are an indicator of poor programming. For fiscal 2010, Scouts Canada nationally had a retention rate for youth of 56.02%6, and the retention rates for senior sections – Venturers and Rovers – were even lower. Over the last twenty years, this has been the trend of retention rates and has resulted in a void of young leaders aged 20 to 30. As of August 31, 2008, only 9.7% (2,177 of 22,433) volunteers were aged 30 or less.

4.6.3

Implication

Growth for Scouts Canada will be more difficult if we are not able to have high retention rates. For example, if an organization wants to grow 15% year-over-year but loses 35% of their members each year, the actual growth rate that needs to be achieved is 71%7. Contrast this to an organization that only loses 10% of their members each year; their actual growth rate that needs to be achieved would only be 28%. Said another way, without reasonable retention rates the growth targets for Scouts Canada cannot be attained.

4.6.4

Solution

There are many things that need to be done to address our low retention rates. A certain number of these are already addressed in the Action Plan and will not be repeated in this report. We also do not endeavour with our research and report to completely address the issue of retention as this out of scope of our project charter and fundamentally should garner a research project of its own. Our recommendation stems from research into The Scout Association (UK) and their Explorer Scout

January 3, 2011 Scouts Canada Registration Report Example – 100 members with 65% retention rate and therefore at the beginning of the year there are 65 members. To achieve a growth of 15% on 100 members, the number of members at the end year should be 115, or an additional 50 members over the beginning number of 70 members. 50 / 70 = 71%.

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program (see Appendix G for additional details) and we believe that it is important enough to include in this report. In The Scout Association, the Explorer Scout program was started in 2003 as part of a restructuring of their senior youth sections. There are six program zones – community service, physical recreation, skills, global, and outdoor and adventure – which are very similar to the existing Venturer program. In addition, Explorer Scouts have an option to participate in a Young Leaders Scheme. The option exists for Explorer Scouts who choose to devote a large proportion of their time in Scouting to service in another section. Young Leader units are in place to support these Explorer Scouts. A training scheme, including modules and missions, is in place which needs to be completed to earn the Young Leaders Award, one of eight awards in the Explorer Scout award system. Currently in Scouts Canada, there is no formal program available for Venturers who wish to serve in sections. The existing term “Scouter-in-Training” or SIT is technically a registration term as individuals younger than the age of 18 cannot be registered as a “volunteer” because they cannot be counted towards the volunteer to youth ratios unless certain criteria are met8. The Future of Canada United in Scouting (“FOCUS”) training, which is created and run by the National Youth Network, and Wood Badge I would be the existing programs in Scouts Canada that would be most similar to the Young Leaders Scheme from The Scout Association. However, there are significant gaps between the FOCUS training / Wood Badge I and the Young Leaders Scheme: 

Length – The FOCUS training can be run in separate modules but is generally run in a single session over one day or a weekend. Similarly, Wood Badge I training is run over one weekend. The Young Leaders Scheme is a program run over several months which allows for more time to educate and develop the Venturers in the program. It also provides for more time for practical application and feedback (discussed below).



Practical application – The FOCUS training materials are designed around various leadership and teamwork theories and uses games and activities to communicate the materials to the participants of the training. The Young Leaders Scheme is structured around both ongoing learning modules and missions for practical application. For example, mission one involves planning and running three indoor programs for a Section and conducting a feedback session with their Unit Leader (Advisor) on how the program went. Perhaps we would want to give a Wood Badge I woggle and accreditation to candidates who have completed the Young Leaders Scheme or an enhanced version of the Young Leaders Scheme program.



Age applicable – The Wood Badge I training is geared towards adult volunteers and does not provide the same benefits to youth volunteers. This is due to various reasons including communication methods, content, and approach. The Young Leaders Scheme, in contrast, is structured and designed for youth volunteers.

As per section 4008.5 of BP&&P revised November 2010, the three criteria are (1) successfully completed Wood Badge Part I for the Section, (2) completed three Personal Reference Checks, and (3) has read and understands the Duty of Care document.

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

Relevance – Most Venturers were Scouts before moving up to Venturers, and therefore have a strong grasp of basic Scouting knowledge and outdoor skills. Because the design of Wood Badge I is to train new adult leaders joining the organization, it is not tailored to individuals who already know and understand, and can practically apply, some of the content in the Wood Badge I curriculum. Training would need to be “participant-centric” as opposed to “curriculum-centric.” As mentioned already, the Young Leaders Scheme has greater relevance to a Venturer-aged youth.

The resources required to develop this program would not be significant. The experienced Scouters in our organization already know what could be in this program. We also can draw on the experience from the Explorer Scouts Young Leaders Scheme from The Scout Association in the UK. In many ways, the benefits outweigh the costs. In reality, many groups across the country already use their Venturers (and Rovers) as Scouters-in-Training. Our recommendation is merely providing for a formal structure and recognition system to further encourage more groups to participate. The objective that this recommendation is meant to address is to improve retention rates, particularly in senior sections. While not a “group model recommendation”, the recommendation will have a direct impact on Scouts Canada’s ability to grow.

4.7

Extend Programming to the Gen Y Volunteer

4.7.1

Recommendation

We recommend that resources be put into ensuring that the needs of the modern volunteer are met, specifically by extending the program to Generation Y volunteers who are no longer considered youth (i.e. individuals aged 27 to 35). We suggest that the new section be designed to include these particulars: 

Not parasitic – The new section should not leech from the core responsibility of individuals at this age range. The individuals’ primary job responsibility will, and should, continue to be a volunteer serving the youth. The program for this section therefore should not be onerous or parasitic.



Young professionals – We provide an arena for these individuals to connect with other individuals who are active in Scouting, similar to a young professionals organization. The networking will be beneficial to both their Scouting and non-Scouting life.



Development – A basic need of a volunteer is to have adequate training. While we already have a training team, this section could assist to provide mentorship, leadership, and other management training to individuals who are targeting Commissioner-level roles in the future.

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4.7.2

Issue

Scouts Canada is a youth organization with the most senior youth section, Rovers, ending at the age of 26. Most individuals at this age are just in the midst of beginning their career and contemplating (or already) starting families. Without directed and strategic efforts targeted at these volunteers, there is a high risk that they will leave the organization due to the other pressures in their life. As discussed in section 4.6 above, there is a void of young leaders aged 20 to 30. This void actually extends to volunteers aged 31 to 40, although less dramatically. Nationally, as of August 31, 2008, 31.42% of volunteers were aged younger than 40. However, there are drastic regional differences amongst Councils; for example the Manitoba Council had only 16.7% of volunteers aged younger than 40.

4.7.3

Implication

It has been mentioned multiple times already that there is a shortage of qualified young leaders, and this is obviously a key implication.

4.7.4

Solution

There were no existing group models that we were able to identify or subsequently research on this topic. However through our research, informal discussions, and observations, we identified a gap that could potentially be addressed through a new model / structure. Whether Scouts Canada decides to address this gap using our specific recommendation or not, a crucial point is that, as with any of our recommendations, great planning and execution will be the key to success. The idea will be what we make of it. Nothing more and nothing less.

4.8

Defer Certain Models

4.8.1

Recommendation

We recommend that the group models for High School Venturers, University Rover Crew, and Lone Scouts / Internet Scouts are not ready to be invested in within the next year or two as a National Initiative or as a Canada-wide alternative group model. There are other â&#x20AC;&#x153;lower-hanging fruitâ&#x20AC;? that should be executed on before further exploring these models as areas for growth. However, we want to highlight that these are models that should be revisited in the future, especially University Rover Crews based on the evidence in our research.

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4.8.2

Issue

The theory and concept behind these models are useful to Scouts Canada in that it would expand Scouting’s reach, to local high schools and universities, rural areas, and connect Scouts from across geographical locations. We have researched each of these models in detail except for Lone Scouts / Internet Scouts, and more information can be found in the following appendices: 

High School Venturer Companies (Appendix L)



University Rover Crews (Appendix M).

While we conducted discussions with various Scouters about the Lone Scouts / Internet Scouts model, we did not identify any Groups that were currently operating in this format. We contacted a “CyberScouts” group that was operating in the U.K.; however we did not receive any responses after multiple inquiries and therefore did not pursue further. In discussing these models with our key contacts, these appeared to be areas that Scouts Canada could consider in the future. However, in each case there are fundamental issues that result in barriers to entry which result in these models not being appropriate for Scouts Canada at this time. Unlike in other areas of the world where Scouting is prevalent in the schooling system, especially in Asian countries, Scouting in Canada does not have the “pull” at this current time to support a significant National investment into growing the high school and university models In the case of the High School Venturer program, the acceptance of groups in local high schools, the differences in administration from school to school, and district to district, and the acceptance of Scouting as a faith-based group into public institutions were seen as key restriction factors. In the case of the University Rover Crews, while this is a potential lucrative idea in an otherwise untapped market, the barriers to entry are high due to membership fees for students who are already paying for tuition and competition amongst other school clubs that offer similar programs (i.e. outdoor adventure or leadership programs). It should be noted that for certain universities that may have funding available for student recreation, there would be an avenue available With respect of Lone Scouts / Internet Scouts, there are certain infrastructure investments that need to be in place before this model can be supported. Based on our assessment of other group model and program priorities, we believe there are other projects that will generate a greater return on investment (i.e. greater membership growth). In summary, there are a number of fundamental concerns surrounding each group model that would pose problems in bringing these models to development at the current time.

4.8.3

Implication

Without significant progress having been already made in the fundamental areas of concern identified above, these group models would likely be unsuccessful. Funds and effort required to develop these

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models would be better spent after these concerns have been addressed, and a plan of action has been implemented.

4.8.4

Solution

The theories and concepts behind each of the High School Venturers, Lone Scouts, Internet Scouts, and University Rover Crew group models are sound and are poised to contribute a significant improvement to the accessibility and expansion of Scouting in Canada, with contributions to membership growth and the image of Scouting. However, it appears that each model has a number of key concerns which should be investigated and discussed prior to pursuing the implementation of these group models. We suggest the next step of action is to revisit the concepts behind these group models in the future and to thoroughly consider all the implications of undertaking the development and deployment of these models as an alternative group model. We would like to note that we did not perform in-depth research into this topic due to time and resource constraints and due to our assessment of the relative value of these models compared to other models being researched. Further research will be necessary before potentially pursuing these projects.

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Limitations and Restrictions 5.1

Limitations

In preparing this report, we have relied upon information provided by the key contacts as listed in the appendices. We have not verified the accuracy of this information or attempted to discuss all additional implications of our findings that are outside the scope of this report. Specifically, all information in Appendices D through N has been provided by the key contacts listed therein. Further we have not piloted the recommendations provided to test their practical feasibility.

5.2

Restrictions

This report (and related Appendices) has been prepared for the sole use of Scouts Canada for the purpose described herein and should not be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any other purpose. Accordingly, we accept no responsibility for any costs, damages, losses, liabilities or expenses incurred by anyone else as a result of circulation, publication, reproduction, use of or reliance upon our report. We have had access to certain information in order to arrive at our conclusions, but should additional documentation or other information become available which impacts upon the conclusions reached in our report, we will reserve the right, if we consider it necessary, to amend our findings and report, accordingly. This report and the comments and conclusions expressed herein are valid only in the context of the whole report. Selected comments or conclusions should not be examined outside of the context of the report in its entirety.

Page 30

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix A – Action Item #5.5 Please see attached excerpt for Action Item #5.5 – Investigation of New Group Model from An Action Plan for Canadian Scouting.

Appendix Page 1

SCOUTINGNOW NOW

An Action Plan for Canadian Scouting

VERSION 2 - July 27, 2009

Action Item #5.5 Investigation of New Group Model The “tried and true” model for delivering Scouting's programs consists of individual groups, existing as self-contained entities, supported by Area/Council/National teams and “sponsored” by another organization that may or may not have much of a role. The expansion of the SCOUTSabout program demonstrates that there are other ways of delivering Scouting's programs. Perhaps some groups or sections could be “sponsored” directly by the Area or the Council? Perhaps the Area could organize teams of volunteers to run sections across the Area and thereby take the SCOUTSabout concept and apply it to a core program? In the UK, Explorer Units (i.e., the equivalent of Venturer Companies in Canada) are organized at the Area level. We also need to adapt our traditional program delivery methods to meet the needs of rural communities. For instance, there are communities in which Saturday morning programs and monthly programs have been successful. We must be willing to try new approaches. We also have many groups that are parent-sponsored. We should consider what support we could provide to parent-sponsored groups in order to better serve them. We recommend an investigation that would: a) Research the steps necessary to create a new group, the role of group sponsors, and whether operating a section requires the creation of a group b) Propose new models, based on the UK Explorer/Network/SCOUTSabout experience c) Investigate alternative delivery models that would help meet the needs of rural communities d) Launch funded pilot projects as needed e) Identify how we can strengthen parent-sponsored groups Action Deadline Report and model proposals due by May 2010 Pilot project implementation by September 2010 Person Responsible Executive Commissioner and CEO Council Commissioners Financial/Staff Implications Minimal, with some staff support

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix B – Approved Project Charter Please see attached approved project charter for Action Item #5.5 – Investigation of New Group Model.

Appendix Page 2

ScoutingNow Action Plan Item #5.5 Investigation of New Group Model Project Charter Objective: The project objective is to support the Scouts Canada vision for growth by recommending alternative delivery model solutions for providing “core” Scout program to Canadian youth.

Background: Scouts Canada has traditionally utilized the same one delivery model for providing core programming. Core programming is defined as the traditional five program sections – Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, and Rovers. The traditional delivery model involves individual self-contained groups that have a sponsoring organization and are run by adult leaders and / or parents. The groups are supported by the Area / Council / National service teams. This model has become increasingly less relevant for the following reasons:  physical meeting locations have become increasingly scarce or expensive  sponsors have provided less support than in the past  parent leaders are no longer the norm  individual groups may not have enough youth members, particularly in senior sections, to provide a good program

Scope Statement: The research project will investigate existing alternative delivery models for delivering “core” programming that are being currently used across Canada and other World Organization of the Scout Movement (“WOSM”) organizations and will recommend models for consideration to be implemented nationally across Canada, with an emphasis on models appropriate for urban markets. The research project will also consider improvements to the support infrastructure, such as the role of the Council / Area service teams and paid staff, to better support the recommended delivery models. A report will be presented to the National Leadership Team (“NLT)” in winter 2010. The project will not consider new delivery models for non-core programs, including those programs that are run primarily by staff such as Schools and Scouting. Pilot test groups are also out of the scope of this project.

ScoutingNOW Action Plan Item #5.5 Key Deliverables: Report and Presentation to NLT on Alternative Delivery Models The report will:  research and analyze the various delivery models currently implemented in Canada and across other WOSM organizations  recommend alternative delivery models for delivery “core” program in Scouts Canada urban centers  assess and provide recommendations to improve the support infrastructure for proposed delivery models The presentation will summarize the pertinent findings and recommendations from the report.

Milestones/Schedule (updated and approved): Report on Models Charter approved Project planning completed (internal timeline established, project team assembled, roles and responsibilities defined and assigned) Draft report completed and sent for invitation to comment Final report completed and submitted to NLT

July 31, 2010 August 31, 2010

February 28, 2011 March 31, 2011

Human Resources:

Volunteer Hours

Report on Models

300

Staff #

Hours

Communication Plan: A similar communication plan as detailed below will be used for all three deliverables. What Status report and project discussions Status report and project discussion Status report

Frequency Weekly

Format Conference call

Monthly

Face-to-face meeting Team members to project manager Conference call or Project manager to face-to-face meeting project sponsor

Monthly

Who Team members to project manager

ScoutingNOW Action Plan Item #5.5

Budget: Item Report on Delivery Models - Meetings - Travel (2 people to present), if necessary

Amount $ 400 3,000

Honorariums for volunteer team

1,200

Total

4,600

Assumptions and Constraints: Assumptions  Cooperation of successful grassroots leaders during the research phase  Willingness to try new delivery models across Canada Constraints  Shortage of “strong” leaders willing to champion pilot projects upon recommendations

Risk Management: Risk Level

Time Scope Cost - Financial Cost - People

Medium Medium Low High

Chance (High, Med., Low) Medium High Low High

Impact (High, Med., Low) High High Low High

Mitigation

Management: Project sponsor – John Chow, Deputy National Commissioner (Growth) Project manager – Brandon Ma, PCC Rover Crew Vice-President Proposed Project team members – To be determined and drawn from PCC Rover Crew members and other key volunteers in the PCC

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix C – List of Groups / Group Models Researched Appendix D.

Rover-led Groups

Appendix E.

Winnipeg City-Wide Venturer Company

Appendix F.

180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew (aka PCC Rover Crew)

Appendix G.

Explorer Scouts and Scout Network (UK – The Scout Association)

Appendix H.

GTC EMS MedVents and MedRovers

Appendix I.

PCC EMS MedVents

Appendix J.

22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew

Appendix K.

Toronto Fire Venturers

Appendix L.

High School Venturer Companies

Appendix M. University of British Columbia Rover Crew and 1st Rivorton New Brunswick Rover Crew Appendix N.

PCC EVA Venturers Without Borders

Appendix Page 3

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix D – Rover-led Groups

Overall recommendation

Formally encourage and support Rover-led group models. Pursue allocating resources to better support our groups, specifically tailoring certain support to Rover-led groups.

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Rover-aged youth led groups

Groups researched

Target age group

Rover-aged youth

23rd Elsie Roy (Pacific Coast Council) 28th Terra Nova (Pacific Coast Council) 32nd Richmond (Pacific Coast Council) 99th St. Francis Xavier (Pacific Coast Council)

Leadership teams of these Groups primarily consist of Rover-aged individuals (i.e. aged 18-26). While these groups often have parents as part of the Group Committee and have leaders who are older than 26, a large majority of the leadership team for all sections are Rover-aged.

116th SUCCESS (Pacific Coast Council) 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew (Pacific Coast Council) Contact information

Various

Key success factors Strong and experienced Group Commissioner and mentors

The success of these Groups is largely dependent on the fact that each Group has a strong and experienced Group Commissioner. The Group Commissioner exhibits at least a few of the following skills or competencies – strong Scouting knowledge, strong managerial and organizational skills, strong human relations and interpersonal skills, commitment to the growth of the Group, and commitment to the personal development of each volunteer. In conjunction with this, if the Group Commissioner was not already the direct mentor of the volunteers, there were often other experienced individuals who acted as mentors for the Rover-aged volunteers.

Innovative programming

While the volunteers in certain instances did not have as much traditional Scouting experience or knowledge, this was offset and succeeded by the fact that the volunteers often strived to create new and innovative programming for the youth. Since there was no concept of using programs that have worked in previous years – there was no material to draw from, the leaders were constantly innovating. This generally resulted in increased youth engagement and retention.

Cohesive leadership teams

The leadership teams of these Groups are all very cohesive. The leaders do not just spend time with each other to plan and execute programming for the youth, but often are friends and spend time together outside of a Scouting sense. Based on our discussions, we have inferred that this has improved the relationships between them and allow them to work better with each other.

Appendix Page 4

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to pursue. The opportunities available with this alternative group model however hinged on the key success factors described above, which could also create an Achilles Heel for the groups. For example, in trying to understand the differences in programming delivered by these Groups in comparison to Groups with experienced Scouters, we noticed that there was a need for the volunteers to increase their Scouting knowledge. Although we do not infer that there was a limit to the potential innovation that could occur, there were constraints as to which programming areas the innovation occurred in. As an example, there were sometimes fewer outdoors activities but better team-building activities.

The support system for a Rover-aged leader was largely rooted in a mentoring relationship. Age was not a factor in the success of an individual Scout leader when there was a strong mentor Background and history Origin



Need



The needs filled by these groups are consistent with traditional Scouting groups.

Market



The markets filled by these groups are consistent with traditional Scouting groups.

Champions



Each of the Groups has a strong champion in their respective Group Commissioner.

The origins of each of the researched Groups vary. A few of the Groups have relatively long histories, with one particular group having been started in 1983. In contrast, a couple of the Groups were started with a group of friends to fill a Scouting need in a particular community.

SWOT analysis Strengths

Weaknesses

Flexible schedules: As a large percentage of the volunteers were still students, the individuals had more flexible schedules than the average working adult leader.

Easier for youth to approach: Due to the reduced age difference between the youth and the leader, we perceived through our observations that youth were more comfortable approaching their leaders.

Driven by personal development: The individuals are extremely smart in terms of utilizing their volunteer time to develop personally as well as add experiences which could be discussed on their resume or an interview. This generally provided the volunteers with an additional drive to perform and deliver quality programming for the youth.

Busy schedules: Although the individual leaders had flexible schedules, they were often very busy with schooling and extracurricular activities. This is particularly onerous during December and April which is “final exam season” in universities.

Less sense of commitment and ownership: As some of the volunteers do not have a long association with Scouting, there was both a perceived and, in some cases, a reduced level of commitment and ownership. For certain individuals it was merely a “once-a-week” volunteer gig.

Limited experience with youth and project management: Due to being younger, some individuals were less experienced with dealing with youth and managing projects.

Appendix Page 5

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Opportunities -

Threats

Large market of future youth leaders: The university market is a rich and large source of volunteers for Scouting.

Other leadership or volunteer opportunities: The single largest threat is other volunteer or leadership opportunities available to the Roveraged individual. This can be mitigated through an excellent experience with Scouting and the development that it provides.

Criteria Alignment

The groups align with traditional Scouting groups in terms of programming and purpose.

Adaptability

With proper commitment and support, it can be easily adaptable in any situation

Accessibility

Accessibility for the Groups was not a concern as all Pacific Coast Council volunteers did not need to pay a leader registration fee. It should be noted that the social dynamics for each group pose a potential risk factor for accessibility by any individual.

Competition

This group model has direct competition with many college and university groups that either promotes outdoor activities or volunteering.

This model has the potential to be the premier leadership development opportunity for young adults.

Reach

No specific issues noted.

Sustainability

There are potential sustainability leaders if the individual volunteer is not converted from one who has the mentality of volunteering once a week to one who is committed to the Scouting movement.

Effort to market

Groups are already in market and growing. A less complex and more structured process is required for leaders have little to no scouting experience.

Other considerations â&#x20AC;˘

More success has been found with leaders with similar values and culture.

â&#x20AC;˘

Champions are absolutely necessary to maintain sustainability

â&#x20AC;˘

Competition from many sources (education, social, professional, other volunteer opportunities, travel etc.) at this particular age group for targeted volunteers.

Appendix Page 6

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix E – Winnipeg City-Wide Venturer Company Overall recommendation

Pursue program structure of Venturer-aged programming being managed at the Area level

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Adult volunteer-run

Location

Manitoba Council

Target age group

Venturer-aged youth

Contact information

Dale Pankiw Group Commissioner

The Venturer Company is a City-Wide Venturing supplemental program. The Venturers who are a part of this Company would continue to be a member in their original Companies, while participating in larger projects with this Company at their own leisure and choice. Key success factors Critical mass

While there is no direct causation between the number of Venturers in a Venturer Company and the success of the Venturer Company (i.e. more members does not directly cause a Venturer Company to be successful on a sustainable basis), having a very small number of youth in the program generally contributes to a less successful program. “You cannot have a company of one.” By drawing from small Venturer Companies around the city, Dale created a new environment that the Venturers could grow and develop in. The new Company model created additional diversity in the group and opportunities to execute larger projects than would be possible for a small company. The Venturers themselves pointed out at the initial summit that the larger Company size increased the excitement and “fun” level of the Venturing experience.

Access to a richer Advisor group

Besides just drawing from the youth members of the various Venturer Companies, the City-wide Venturer Company model also requested the assistance of the Venturer Advisors from the various Companies. This created an Advisor group that offered a richer breadth and depth of experience to the Venturers. The larger Advisor group results in similar benefits to a larger Venturer Company including increased diversity in terms of leadership styles and increased expertise in skills. This was evident at the Leadership Summit where an impromptu Survivorman Challenge occurred one evening when a subset of the youth were keen on performing the challenge as there was an adviser who was strong in outdoors knowledge to be able to monitor them.

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to pursue a model similar to the Winnipeg City-Wide Venturer Company. The benefits of the model far outweigh the costs. However there are certain risk factors that need to be highlighted: -

Protective Scout leaders may feel threatened if their youth are in a different program that is not a part of their own Group. These leaders need to be educated that the model is not meant to draw youth away from their Groups, but rather is to enrich the experience of the youth so that they are retained in Scouting and could potentially volunteer as a leader with their Group when they are older.

Sharing will be paramount to the success of the group model. This is not only in terms of sharing the youth and advisers, but also in terms of resources such as meeting space and equipment.

Appendix Page 7

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Background and history



Origin

 Need



Market



Champions



This group model was conceived by Dale Pankiw and implemented at the start of the 2010-2011 Scouting year with a Leadership Summit. Open invitations were sent to all smaller Venturer Companies in the Winnipeg for both Venturers and Advisers to attend. Dale also invited Rovers from the 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew to teach FOCUS at the Leadership Summit. The Leadership Summit was a success. The Venturer Company has since participated in larger projects during the 2010-2011 year. A second Summit was planned for spring break 2011. There was a need to deal with the rapidly declining membership numbers in the Venturer section. The groups most at risk of losing their Venturers were those that had sufficiently small Companies that it was difficult to carry out quality or exciting programming. The target market is Venturer-aged youth.

Dale Pankiw has championed this model to help improve Venturer membership numbers in Winnipeg.

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Critical mass: With more youth, the programming options not only increase in number but also in quality and excitement.

Diverse adviser base: A concentration of advisers allows for a more diverse base of experience to draw from.

Appeal to Scouts: A large successful Venturer Company can provide appeal to Scouts who are thinking about whether they want to stay with Scouting. By seeing the opportunities available to them at Venturer Company with exciting programming, they would generally be more inclined to stay.

Opportunities -

Unknown relationships: Venturer-aged youth have a relative affinity towards forming cliques. This could work to the advantage of a Venturer Company formed from a group of individuals who may not have met each other before, but could also be a potential weakness. Note that this can be mitigated through various means such as conducting appropriate team-building activities during the first few meetings.

Threats

The group model opportunities are the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

The group model threats are the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Criteria Alignment

The alignment would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Adaptability

The model is adaptable to all Councils across Canada. There is no requirement for it to be a Citywide initiative. Rather the core principle is drawing on Venturers from smaller Companies so that there is a critical mass for better programming.

Accessibility

The accessibility would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Appendix Page 8

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Competition

The competition would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

The model is essentially a different delivery method for Venturers. While there is the potential for Venturers to be the premier program for youth aged 14 to 18, other changes will need to be implemented. Use of this model in and of itself will not make Venturers a successful program.

Reach

The reach would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Sustainability

The model can be sustained if, and only if, there is a strong champion or champions in the form of key advisers who support the model.

Effort to market

The effort to market externally would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program. There could be considerable additional costs to selling the idea internally to Scouters if they are not receptive to having their youth join another Scout group.

Other considerations No other considerations in addition to matters discussed above.

Appendix Page 9

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix F – 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew (aka PCC Rover Crew)

Overall recommendation

Consider this type of leadership and management style Council Rover Crew within the context of Rover Crews operated as a provision of the Council (see Appendix G).

Summary of Group Model Category

Youth-run group (with adult advisor support)

Target age group

Rover-aged youth (18 to 26 years old)

The 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew is a Council level Rover Crew. Their mission is to contribute to “the success of Scouts Canada by realizing individual potential through leadership and management development.” Activities of this Crew include leadership conferences, workshops for the public, service projects for local scouting community and International service projects. Members of this Rover Crew come from all areas and are also registered Scouters in their own groups.

Information snapshot Location

Pacific Coast Council, Scouts Canada

Contact information

Kevin Li Co-Founder and Past President 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew

Key success factors Council Support

Since it is a Council level crew model, the Council will need to fully support the crew’s funding and activities. This type of group allows a mutual relationship whereby the Council provides the type of sponsorship support that a normal group would get, and members of this Crew provide service for Council initiatives directly.

Advisors

As this Rover Crew is geared towards management and leadership training, a proper advisor that is well knowledgeable in this domain must be carefully chosen.

Concentration on selfdevelopment

This Crew offers many different opportunities for all of its members to learn and grow. Unlike traditional Rover Crews, many of these skills are directly applicable for the youth to apply. These skills include public speaking, resume writing, project management and mail etiquette. This type of objective allows this group to reach youth that may not be initially attracted to Scouting. This can be shown by the growth of this group in the past few years.

Strong recruitment process

A recruitment procedure is in place for all new potential members. Unlike a traditional group where anyone can become a member, this group enforces an application and review process to ensure that the incoming member adheres to the standards and principles that the Crew is built on. The member becomes fully invested as a member of the group when it is decided that the youth is a good fit for the Crew.

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to pursue. The following points are the most indicative of a potentially successful alternative group model.



Strong recruitment process: Recruitment of individuals with similar interests that work well together is a priority in this group. In an age where this organization is suffering from a decline in membership, this Crew still holds steady in the idea that not all members are a good fit. Instead of being content with adding members, they ensure that the new members and existing members work well together.

Appendix Page 10

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011



Strong ties with the Council: Due to the nature of the type of relationship that this Crew has with its Council, they are able to perform tasks much like a Council Service Team. The Council provides the funding and support that is necessary for this group to be sustainable. The Rover Crew provides service such as running workshops or Councilwide camps. This allows Council wide initiatives to be quickly acted on. This Crew also has connections to around 15-20 groups under the Council. Due to the fact that this Rover Crew does not belong to any one group, it allows them to run projects that impact not just one Service Area. This allows Council projects to have impact on groups much easier than if it was passed down onto Service Areas for them to act on.

Background and history Origin



Need



Market



Champions



In 2007, there was a proposition to form a crew for the Pacific Coast Council that would service the entire Council, not just an individual group or area. This team of high potential youth, aged 18-26, would help the council’s many initiatives and be highly trained in all aspects of leadership and management. They are not restricted by their Scouting background, but the requirement was a willingness to work, learn and contribute to the development of youth. The reason for starting this group was to plan ahead for the Pacific Coast Council. The Council Commissioner at the time wanted to prepare a group of high calibers young adults who will be able to fulfill future management roles within the area and council. This Crew is designed for the Rover aged members. There is a strong emphasis on self development in the domains of leadership and project management. Kevin Li, one of the founding Rover members, and John Chow, Council Commissioner at the time, started the crew. The Crew started with 2 youth members during the 2006/2007 Scouting year and over 4 years, it has grown to over 40 members and has completed two International Service projects.

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Service: Assist the Council / Areas with their initiatives (ex: recruiting new leaders)

Personal Development for the Rovers: Through the Rover Program of the Council Crew, these members will gain leadership and management experience in Scouting.

Youth Empowerment: The activities of the Crew allow the Rovers to think about what Scouts Canada should look like and to do activities that help shape the organization.

Opportunities -

Management program: There was a need in the Pacific Coast Council for younger leaders to assume management level positions with the Council and the Areas. This presented an opportunity to develop the Rover Crew program within the context of leadership and management skills. As a result, there is a new and different selling point for Scouting to Rover-aged youth.

Council support and advisor support is beneficial to the success of the Group.

Threats -

The group model threats are the same as that of the existing Rover program.

Appendix Page 11

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Criteria Alignment

This Rover Crew aligns with the Scouting mission, values and program. The Rover program is the last phase of the scouting program, and it is our opportunity to train these rovers to become our leaders and Scouts Canada management team for the future.

Adaptability

This Crew model can be adapted to fit markets across the country given that there are sufficient resources.

Accessibility

There are no additional fees other that Scouts Canada registration fees. Group operation fees are fundraised as part of the program.

Competition

This group offers management and leadership experience, similar programs can be found at community centers for the high school ages but not for the post secondary people.

Management and leadership skills which requires practice and is dependent on the person. Scouts Canada can have a unique program for the senior members which can be known nationally.

Reach

This Rover Crew openly recruits Rover-aged youth in the Council. They also run recruitment events at various major University and colleges in the area.

Sustainability

This group can be sustainable if there are people participating in the program. Graduates from the program can be advisors to support the program.

Effort to market

There should be a high interest from Councils to aid in forming this type of Rover Crew. They would essentially be recruiting a Council Service Team to aid them in running program and act on initiatives. The difficult part would be drawing youth for this Rover Crew. The Council should be mindful when approaching existing Rovers in other groups. It may be fairly difficult to find a group of youth to start this group; One suggestion would be to draw existing Rover Crews and promote them to work right beneath the Council.

Other considerations Acceptance of the Crew within the Council: This Crew was started by the Council Commissioner at the time. A lot of work was needed to gain support, both from Council management teams and other Scout members from such group. This year, this Crew is chartered directly under the Council after four years of existence. One point to consider is to be careful when recruiting members in areas with existing Rover Crews. It is suggested to find existing Rover Crews with a strong interest in helping the Council first. It would be easier to see if said Crew would be willing to lead Council initiatives as opposed to drawing them away from their group.

Appendix Page 12

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix G – Explorer Scouts and Scout Network (UK – The Scout Association)

Overall recommendation

Pursue program structure of Venturer-aged programming being managed at the Area level and Rover-aged programming being managed at the Council level. Consider adding a badge program similar to the Young Leaders’ Scheme to the formal Venturer programming.

Summary of Group Model Category

Adult volunteer-run

Target age group

14 to 25 year olds

Explorer Scouts are young people, usually aged 14 to 18 years old. They are the fourth youth Scouting section, after Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts in the UK under The Scout Association. Explorer Scouts is operated as a provision of the Scout District with the District Executive and District Commissioner taking responsibility for the section. The Explorer Scout follows a Balanced Programme built around six Programme Zones with an option to also pursue the Young Leaders’ Scheme. There are currently over 32,000 Explorer Scout members in the UK. Scout Network are young people, usually aged 18 to 25 years old. They are the fifth and final youth Scouting Section in the Scout Association. Scout Network is operated as a provision of the Scout County with the County Executive and County Commissioner taking responsibility for the section. Scout Network is build around six Programme Zones grouped into three Self Development Areas. There are currently over 4,600 Scout Network members in the UK.

Information snapshot Location

United Kingdom - The Scout Association

Contact information

Charlotte Tow Programme and Development Adviser – Explorer Scouts The Scout Association (UK)

Emma Saunders Programme and Development Adviser – Scout Network The Scout Association (UK)

Key success factors Critical Mass

While there is no direct causation between the number of Explorer Scouts / Scout Network members in a group and the success of the group (i.e. more members does not directly cause a group to be successful on a sustainable basis), having a very small number of youth in the program generally contributes to a less successful program. “You cannot have a company of one.”The Explorer Scouts / Scout Network model is structured to avoid this and to ensure that there is a critical mass of participants in each group. Therefore this is considered a key success factor due to the nature of the model.

Reducing the age gap

The age range of 14 to 18 years of age is considered a key success factor to the Explorer Scout model as previously the age range for Venture Scouts was 15 ½ to 21 years of age. This age range is in line with the age range of Venturers in Scouts Canada. Similarly, the Scout Network age range in line with the age range of Rovers in Scouts Canada.

District Provision

Explorer Scouts are operated as a provision of the Scout District, which is similar to the Area under the current Scouts Canada organizational structure. The District provision formally assigns responsibility for the growth of the section to the District level where there are two individuals, the District Executive and District Commissioner, who are held accountable for membership numbers and program delivery.

Appendix Page 13

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011 Similarly, Scout Network is operated as a provision of the Scout County, which is similar to the Council under the current Scouts Canada organizational structure. The County provision formally assigns responsibility for the growth of the section to the County level where there are two individuals, the County Executive and the County Commissioner, who are held accountable for membership numbers and program delivery. The formal accountability lines are considered a key success factor for this model. Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to pursue. The following points are the most indicative of a potentially successful alternative group model.



 

Critical mass in membership numbers: Due to the dwindling numbers of senior youth at the Group level, it is increasingly difficult to create or sustain any level of excitement in the program. There must be a critical mass or minimum number of youth in a particular section for it to be successful. By having the two sections, Explorer Scouts and Scout Network, operated as a provision above the Group level, this allows one to bring together a sufficient number of individuals to Capacity and ability to execute larger-scale projects: Necessarily as a result of having more members in the section, there is the capacity and ability to execute on larger-scale projects. Accountability at the County and District levels: The formal lines of accountability help contribute to the growth of these sections as that becomes an area of focus. This is contrasted to the Group level where the health of a Group often related to their younger sections and the focus on the senior sections is often diminished.

Background and history Origin



  

 Need



Market



Champions



In 1967, Venture Scouts replaced the Rover Scouts and Senior Scouts sections in UK Scouting. The age range for Venture Scouts was from 15 ½ to 21 years old. The badge program consisted of two main awards – the Venture Scout Award and the queen Scout Award. Venture Scouts wore the same uniform as leaders and either wore a brown tie or the Group/Unit scarf. Venture Scouts was opened up as the first part of the British Scout movement to accept female members in 1976. Venturer Scouts was at its strongest during the 1980s but experienced a rapid decline during the 1990s. The decreasing numbers in youth membership prompted the Scout Association to undertake a review to find the root cause of the decline. The review was undertaken by completing focus groups all across the UK with adult members and young people. It was found that the large age group was putting people off since the needs of a 15 ½ year old were significantly different from those of a 21 year old. As a result, the Venture Scout section was replaced by two new sections in 2003 – Explorer Scouts for youth aged 14 to 18 years old and Scout Network for youth aged 18 to 25 years old. As discussed above, there was a need to improve the membership numbers for senior youth. Low membership numbers at this age range would be a significant threat to the ongoing viability and success of Scouting in the UK. The markets targeted would be the same as that of the existing Venturer Scout program, although the program would be marketed under different branding. Various individuals from The Scout Association championed the need to improve the program for senior youth. Having strong champions helped to drive the initiative forward and make it successful.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Critical mass: By having no enough youth in a specific Crew or Company, this provides them with greater chances of creating enough positive momentum to sustain a successful program.

Change: There needs to be a major change to the structure of the organization for Area-level and Council-level senior sections. This change provides an obstacle that needs to be overcome.

Threats

Opportunities -

There are no new market opportunities that the Explorer Scout / Scout Network programs are targeting as compared to Venturers / Rovers.

There are no new market threats that the Explorer Scout / Scout Network programs are open to as compared to Venturers / Rovers.

Criteria Alignment

Overall, the program is aligned with Scouts Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principles and mission. While we did not specifically look at whether there are aspects of the Explorer Scouts / Scout Network programming that we could learn from and build off of, the program is similar to the existing Venturer Scout / Rover Scout program in Scouts Canada. One noteworthy aspect of the Explorer Scout program is the Young Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Scheme, where youth complete various modules to earn badges as a program leader. This is contrasted to Scouts Canada where there is no formal dedicated program for Scouters-InTraining.

Adaptability

This program and model can be adapted to fit markets across the country. Districts and Counties in the UK organizational structure are the same as Areas and Councils in the Scouts Canada organizational structure, respectively.

Accessibility

There are no additional costs required for this program or model above and beyond the regular membership and program costs for an existing Venturer or Rover member.

Competition

There is no direct competition unique to this program or model above and beyond existing competition for Venturer-aged or Rover-aged youth. These are outlined in Section 2 of the report.

As noted in Section 1 and 2 of the report, currently Scouts Canada is not considered a premier leader in Canada for delivery of youth programs to youth aged over 14 years old. This is reflected in our membership figures for senior youth sections, i.e. Venturers and Rovers. However this is an area where Scouts Canada can reposition itself to be a leader.

Reach

There is no additional reach resulting from the Explorer Scout / Scout Network models as the age group targeted is the same as the existing Venturer / Rover program. There may be synergies that could be realized if the Young Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Scheme is incorporated into the Venturer program as this could be marketed as an opportunity for high school students to fulfill the volunteer hours required for high school graduation in certain provinces.

Sustainability

There are no issues noted with respect of the sustainability of the model except for the supply of Scouts into the Explorer Scout units and from the Explore Scout units into the Scout Network units. The supply of Scouts is considered a retention issue and outside the scope of the research objective for this report.

Effort to market

There are no issues noted with respect of the effort to market of the model. Certain administration matters will need to be completed but there is no fundamental difference in the program being delivered.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Other considerations Young Leaders’ Scheme As mentioned above, the Young Leaders’ Scheme is a significant difference between the current Venturer program and the Explorer Scout program in the UK. While our analysis was focused on the structure of the group and model, based on our discussions it was identified that this programming option was a key contributor to the success of Explorer Scouts in the UK. The Young Leaders’ Scheme adds an additional dimension to the Explorer Scout program that adds to the development of young people. Furthermore, there are growth opportunities that are realized by targeting senior youth who are interested in volunteering with younger youth as well as marketing the Young Leaders’ Scheme as an option for earning volunteer hours.

Option for Group-level Venturer Companies and Rover Crews While the Explorer Scout program is a District provision and the Network Scout program is a County provision, under the proposed recommendation to Scouts Canada, we are not ruling out Group-level Venturer Companies and Rover Crews.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix H – GTC EMS MedVents and MedRovers Overall recommendation

Pursue this alternative group model within the context of other vocational groups.

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Volunteer / Sponsor-run

Location

Toronto, Ontario

Target age group

Venturer and Rover aged youth

Contact

Jerry Crawford

EMS MedVents and MedRovers are vocational Scout groups, sponsored by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) groups that focus on emergency first aid training. Completion of the program requires members to obtain three levels of certification within the MedVent and MedRover programs. Each level of certification has a combined focus on emergency first aid training and community service. Presently, there are approximately 15 groups within Ontario that are operating as MedVents and MedRovers. Each Company generally has 25 MedVents while each Crew has 12 MedRovers.

Rover Skipper for EMS Scarborough and former 1st Downsview Group Commissioner

Key success factors Sponsor and volunteer support

The level of sponsor and volunteer support that the group has is essential to the function and success of the group. The group is sponsored by regional EMS groups, and is supported by uniform and equipment donations for medical training purposes. Medical professionals volunteer their time to train the youth in various medical trainings that will enable them to obtain first aid certification. These two sources of support represent the core aspect of the group - that is, to provide certified medical training to youth.

Vocational focus

The vocational focus of the group is considered a key success factor as it attracts a certain group of individuals who are interested in a career in paramedicine, and who would also be those more likely to stay within the group to finish the program.

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 

Membership growth: The Venturer and Rover sections of Scouts Canada have traditionally been the most difficult sections to service due to the lack of registered members, both from within and from outside of Scouting. However, the EMS MedVents and MedRover sections have seen membership growth since its inception year, which indicates that there is something about this model that attracts the older youth. Alignment with Scouts Canada: The MedVent and MedRover program appear to have successfully incorporated traditional Scouting principles and branched off on a vocational theme without compromising the mission and objective of Scouts Canada. #1 in Canada: The programs marry a combination of first aid skills, outdoor activities, and community service, all of which are important reflections of the mission and objectives of Scouts Canada. The program has been able to be more successful than St. John’s, Red Cross, and Lifesaver in the GTA, primarily due to the additional opportunities and benefits that the programs offer. In other areas of Canada, other first aid training providers still have a significant advantage over Scouts Canada, which the GTA region has proven to be able to overcome.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Background and history Origin

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Need

 

 Market



Champions



After the youth-related murder of a young boy in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in November of 1999, Jerry Crawford became concerned regarding the number of opportunities available for youth that would provide more community-focused growth. Jerry had previous Scouting experience, and was an employee with the Toronto EMS. In the course of his research into community-focused opportunities for youth, he came across a Scout group in B.C. that had partnered with the B.C. EMS to create a vocational Scouting group with a focus on emergency first aid training. With Jerry’s background knowledge with Scouting and with a career in the EMS, he felt that this vocational group would be a perfect match between generating interest in Scouting and pairing youth’s interests in a community-focused initiative. Jerry approached the EMS Chief at the time, Ron Kelusky, with his idea, which was received with full support. The idea of a vocational youth group was not new at the time, as the fire and police department had at one point been in partnership with Cadets. As a result, the Toronto EMS was open to sponsoring a group, as this would provide the EMS with an opportunity to reach out to youth and introduce them to a career in paramedicine. The idea was then presented to the Greater Toronto Council (GTC), and Francis Chan, Field Executive of the GTC, met with Jerry to bring the ideas to fruition. Further meetings took place to present the ideas and gain approval from the City of Toronto (as the sponsor for Toronto EMS), and the charter was presented to the 1st Downsview Group on April 3, 2000, only five months after the event that motivated Jerry to search for this alternative. Membership in Scouting had been declining in the GTA at that point, and the youth-related murder of a young boy in 1999 prompted a sense of urgency in identifying community-focused initiatives for youth involvement. At that point, the Toronto EMS was also looking for an avenue to partner with a youth program with the aim of promoting interest in a career in paramedicine. This youth program was originally identified to be the Cadets, as the Cadets have had a history of partnering with the fire and police departments. The two needs met in the form of a vocational Scout group sponsored by the Toronto EMS, and was based on a similar group in B.C., sponsored by the B.C. EMS. The first registration for the group in September 2000 resulted in 35 members registering to join the MedVents. All of these initial members were previously involved in Scouting, and were from other groups. However, the current group today is composed of a variety of youth including those who have never been exposed to Scouting. The target age range for members is 14 to 25, when the youth would be considered a Venturer or Rover. Most of the current members joined at a Venturer age, and continue on to be Rovers. However, a lot of youth in the GTA leave the group when they become college age, since most youth move away for post-secondary education. Jerry noted that the group has received interested calls from youth who are in the 20 to 25 range, who are interested in getting experience in paramedicine. However, these older youth generally lose interest when they learn that the group has an equal focus on Scouting principles. Jerry Crawford was the individual who initially approached the Toronto EMS with the idea of forming a vocational Scout group. After initial interest was expressed from the Toronto EMS, a start-up committee was formed. This committee included Francis Chan (Field Executive of the GTC), Ron Kelusky (the EMS Chief at the time), David Ralph and Howard Wheatley (both EMS employees and former Scouts), and Jerry Crawford.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Membership growth: The group started with 35 members in its first year of registration. Since then, the Crew and Company have earned awards for membership growth every year.

Community presence: Due to the EMS MedVents and MedRovers’ requirement of community service hours, the MedVents and MedRovers are typically present at almost every community event which requires medical services. This increases their community presence, and also acts as a marketing tool for further recruitment.

Scouts Canada presence: In connection with having a large community presence, the popularity and visibility of MedVents and MedRovers also contributes to improve Scouts Canada’s presence in the GTA community.

Lack of college aged members: Due to the nature of the education system in the GTA, most youth will move away from home for their college education. Therefore, youth leave the Crew at approximately aged 18. This could be considered a weakness for the program, since it does not have a strong base of college aged participants.

Heavy reliance on medical professionals: The program provides medical training and certification. As a result, it requires the aid of medical professionals to train the youth. Without the volunteer help of medical professionals, training and certification would be extremely costly, and would present a serious barrier to success.

Heavy reliance on sponsor support: The program’s uniforms, first aid kits, and medical equipment to practice on are donated by the EMS sponsor. The EMS supports ambulance ride-alongs for youth in the program who are 18 and older. The EMS also provides a dedicated phone line for public requests regarding the program. In Jerry Crawford’s view, the program would not be viable without sponsor support.

Threats

Opportunities -

Scouts Canada presence: Currently, more youth appear to join the program because of the medical training aspect as opposed to the Scouts aspect. It is only when they are involved in the program that they learn that the Scouting aspect is also enjoyable. There may be an opportunity to promote Scouts Canada to those youth who are not interested in medical training.

Expansion into other age groups: The program was designed for older youth who have the maturity to cope with the medical training provided. In addition, ambulance ride-alongs are a requirement of the program, and are not offered to youth under 18 years old. However, Jerry Crawford believes that the program can be modified to suit younger age groups if desired.

St. John’s / Red Cross / Lifesaver: The GTA has three other large medical training providers, being St. John’s, Red Cross, and Lifesaver. The largest competition of these three is considered to be St. John’s. However, it appears that MedVents have a significant advantage over St. John’s, primarily due to the MedVents’ high popularity among community event organizers for volunteer medical services. This popularity can be attributed first to the fact that MedVents provide their services free of charge, whereas St. John’s charges a fee. However, after that point, the MedVents’ skills speak for themselves. Therefore, as joining the MedVents may mean greater volunteer opportunities for youth, this drives the MedVents’ popularity.

Criteria Alignment

Overall, the program is aligned with Scout Canada’s principles and mission. This is demonstrated primarily by the following: Traditional scouting principles: Each group in the program is taught the traditional Scouting principles and mottos, and each participant has the opportunity to earn traditional Scouting badges.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Alternating meetings: The Company and Crew meet four times a month, and the meetings alternate between medical training sessions and regular Scout meetings with program activities. Each meeting begins with a traditional opening and closing ceremony. Camp involvement: The youth are actively involved in camps and jamborees, though they are typically involved as medical service providers. Regardless, they have the opportunity to be involved in outdoor camping activities. Adaptability

The program can be adapted to fit markets across the country as long as there is an appropriate sponsor who can support the program. It has already been rolled out throughout Ontario in various regions such as Durham, York region, Kitchener-Waterloo, and others. In addition, the concept of the program can also be adapted to fit different markets. Some prime examples are the creation of the Fire Venturer Company (Appendix K) and the Police Rover Crew (Appendix J), which were inspired by the EMS MedVents program.

Accessibility

Membership costs associated with the program are: -

Normal Scouts Canada membership costs ($120)

Semi-refundable deposit for uniforms and a first-aid kit ($170): This deposit is pro-rated if the youth leaves the group prior to finishing all three years. If the youth finishes the program, the uniform is theirs to keep and the deposit is not returned. The deposit is meant to cover the costs of uniforms, stocking first aid kits and other training equipment.

Competition

Direct competition with the group would be from other first aid training providers such as St. John’s, Red Cross, and Lifesavers. However, the popularity of the MedVents program exceeds that of the other programs. Refer to the discussion on Threats under the SWOT analysis as discussed above.

While Scouts Canada is not currently considered a leader in Canada in delivery first-aid education to Canadian youth, the possibility of Scouts Canada being considered a premier provider of t medical first aid training for youth in the Venturer and Rover age group is a distinct one. Given the importance of the Scout motto “being prepared” and enjoying the outdoors, first aid training has been and still is a related concept of being safe while enjoying Scouting. The MedVents program incorporates these into the program as it teaches today’s youth to be prepared for any incident, medical-related or not, and to be able to practice these skills in the outdoors.

Reach

Due to the reliance that the program places on having an effective and supportive sponsor, the program only reaches Venturer and Rover aged youth in an area where there are enough resources to sustain a group. These resources would generally be in the form of a larger staff of professionally trained medical services staff, and an established EMS group.

Sustainability

This model requires heavy support from alumni, the community, and the sponsor. The alumni carry the knowledge of the program and are the ones who would be able to train further volunteers. The trust of the community in involving the MedVents as medical service providers is also essential to providing the program with good practical experience. The sponsors provide a majority of the volunteer resources and equipment required to run an effective program. Without the support of these groups, the model would not be able to sustain itself.

Effort to market

The model was first proposed in December 1999. The first registration intake was in September 2000, though the group charter was approved in April 2000. It would appear that the model can easily be copied across to other models, as long as there is the appropriate support behind the idea and bringing the idea to market. An opportunity for efficiency could result from a National presentation to EMS workers and volunteers for sponsorship, since EMS groups across regions will often compare themselves to determine performance. The 1st Downsview Group has created a template administrative guide to help new groups start.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Other considerations Motivation Key motivating factors for participants in the group include the ease of earning community service hours, which are is a high school graduation requirement for youth in Ontario, and reduced first aid training costs. While the high school graduation requirement may be the initial motivator for youth to join MedVents, the experience and added benefit of reduced first aid training costs are the factors that would retain youth in the program, considering that there are numbers of other volunteer opportunities available. First Responders The MedVent program had attempted a pilot extension of the program into local high schools. The objective of the program is to have a group of MedVents with certified first aid training act as the high schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;First Respondersâ&#x20AC;? to any medical emergency and to provide medical aid until professionals arrive at the scene. However, based on our discussions with Jerry, Scouts Canada National determined that a program that supports the provision of first aid services within a designated institution is not considered a Scouting program. Therefore, this program did not succeed as an official Scouting program. Despite this, the program is still strong within the high schools, and the EMS is now pursuing a partnership with the Toronto school district. Given this discussion, it would appear that the appetite for a program similar to the MedVent program is popular in the Toronto community and may have been an excellent opportunity for Scouts Canada to expand into local high schools and use the partnership with the Toronto EMS to create an additional partnership with the Toronto school district. As the discussion with Jerry did not yield any clarity on how the decision not to support the pilot extension was made, a revisitation of the decision and understanding of the initial concerns surrounding the pilot extension may be useful.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PCC EMS MedVents

Overall recommendation

Pursue, and specifically, revisit the reasons behind prohibiting the MedVent program to provide first aid services at community events due to apparent insurance liability issues. Also revisit the consistency in implementing Scouting policies across Canada, as it appears that the GTC MedVents are able to provide first aid services at community events, whereas the PCC MedVents have been prohibited from this.

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Adult volunteer-run (adjunct program)

Location

Vancouver, BC

Target age group

Venturers

Contact information

Jeff Watts

The MedVent program started as an adjunct program to the existing Venturer companies, and eventually transitioned into a partnership with the First Responder program. However, approximately five years ago, the MedVent program ceased to exist as a result of liability concerns from Scouts Canada National. The First Responder program began operating on a stand-alone basis without the involvement of Scouts Canada, and has continued to be successful. Key success factors Youth-driven and opportunity to put skills to practice

Jeff attributes the main success factor of the MedVent program to the fact that the program was inspired by the youth, and continues to be well represented by youth. The program was created from interest shown by youth in learning first aid skills and being able to have the opportunity to practice these skills. On a personal standpoint, one of the MedVents once told Jeff, that all youth want is to learn something, and be respected for what they have learned. The MedVent program allowed the youth to not only learn the first aid skills, but also give them the opportunity and responsibility to put those skills in practice at various community events, Scouting events, and local high schools.

Sponsor opportunity

While not a realized key success factor, the opportunity for sponsorship by EMS departments across Canada and recognition of a partnership with the EMS Chiefs of Canada offers a potential to be a key success factor with the MedVent program. While the program can sustain itself without professionally trained medical personnel, the involvement and connection with formal EMS departments would add a level of credibility, prestige, and respect to the program that would have the most benefit for the youth and the program.

Vocational focus

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to pursue, and to determine what the reasons were behind prohibiting the program from operating in the past. The following points are the most indicative of a potentially successful alternative group model.

ď&#x201A;ˇ

Membership growth: The proposed MedVent program, with application of the program across all communities of Canada, appear to have a huge potential for membership growth, especially considering that it is also in the best interests of the EMS departments to train and encourage youth to enter professions with the paramedicine industry. If implemented successfully, this could be a very simple model to roll out nationally across Canada, which would

Appendix Page 22

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011 attract membership in each community which provides first aid training.



#1 in Canada: The programs marry a combination of first aid skills, outdoor activities, and community service, all of which are important reflections of the mission and objectives of Scouts Canada. There is also the possibility for the MedVent program to overtake the popularity of the St. John’s Ambulance Services program in BC as it would appear they are currently experiencing difficulties in providing enough volunteers for community events. Internal first aid providers: Scouting events have traditionally had difficulty finding qualified and trained first aiders to volunteer at various camps, jamborees, and other Scouting events. However, with a MedVent program, there would be a supply of qualified and trained first aiders able to volunteer at these events.

Background and history Origin



 



 



The original concept of a MedVent group can be attributed to a group of Venturers with the 89th Dunbar Point Grey Venturer Company, who all had some interest in first aid training. In pursuing this concept, their Venturer advisor, then an employee with the company which provided ambulance services to the City of Vancouver, approached the CEO of the company about sponsoring a group that was interested in learning first aid skills. The idea was welcomed by the CEO, and the Venturers all obtained their first aid training, and began providing first aid services at various camporees and Scouting events. This Venturer Company continued for approximately 15 years with strong membership, but eventually disbanded when there was no longer enough advisor support, for various reasons focused on personal life decisions (e.g. moving out of the city). The concept of a MedVent program was tested twice at two separate Jamborees. At the 1987 Jamboree, the first aid volunteers were suddenly required to rely on the skills of unassigned Venturers with first aid training, due to an unanticipated lack of medically trained volunteers. At the 1991 Jamboree, a group of Venturers was specifically recruited to help out with first aid services as there was still a lack of available first aid volunteers. In both instances, the involvement of Venturers in the first aid volunteer team proved to be a huge success. The group of Venturers specifically recruited to help at the 1991 Jamboree became the first group of MedVents. The MedVent program was designed to be an adjunct program, running concurrently with the regular Venturer program, such that MedVents were not registered in a separate group. Any member of a regular Venturer company would be able to join the MedVents simply by attending additional meetings. The program was also designed such that it could be operated under the Lone Scout program model. However, the implementation of the MedVent program also coincided with a downturn in membership, and the MedVent program could not sustain itself as an adjunct program as a result. In order to take the MedVent concept on a stand-alone basis, a corporate partnership with Scouts Canada, Canadian Red Cross, Rogers, and local school boards was created to bring Scouting into local high schools as part of the First Responder program. The First Responder program was an advanced first aid training course that was originally delivered in the US, and brought over to Canada with the help of the Canadian Red Cross. The First Responder program was very successful up until approximately 5 years ago, when the coordinators of the program were notified that they were no longer allowed to perform first aid services at community events, including high schools, due to insurance liabilities. Without an outlet to practice and showcase the youth’s first aid skills, the coordinators decided to run the First Responder program without Scouts Canada’s involvement. As a result, the MedVent program ended.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011



Need

 



Market



Champions



The concept of MedVents arose out of a need for skilled first aid volunteers at Scouting events. With this need, enough Venturers were recruited who had an interest in first aid, and they were able to prove their ability in the 1987 and 1991 Jamborees. There is also a need for youth to gain the basic first aid knowledge that can be used to protect themselves and their friends in day-to-day activities, including outdoor Scouting activities and dealing with potential emergencies. It was mentioned previously that there had always appeared to be a shortage of medically trained volunteers to provide first aid services at various camps and other Scouting activities. The MedVent program would be able to attract youth who are inherently interested in learning first aid, supply them with the appropriate training, and then allow them to put their skills to practice at these Scouting events, which would benefit both the youth and the organization.

The concept of MedVents appealed to Venturers who had an interest in first aid as the program allows them to obtain the skills they need to be appropriately trained, and then the outlet to showcase their skills to help out the Scouting community, and the community at large. The popularity and demand of the MedVent program can be implied by the continued success and interest in the First Responder program, which currently still operates in local high schools in BC.

Jeff Watts and the group of Venturers who used to be with the 89th Dunbar Point Grey Venturer Company were among those who put in a lot of time to discuss and devise a program that would meet the youth’s interests in first aid, and ensure that the program was deliverable and achievable.

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Youth-inspired concept: The MedVents started primarily due to the interest of youth, and continues on because the youth are able to identify with the skills they learn, and the ability they have to showcase those skills. In addition, the term “MedVents” was youthinspired, and continues to be popular among today’s youth.

Self-sustaining: Though the MedVent program requires that the youth are trained in first aid services, it does not require Venturer advisors who are also paramedics or professionally trained medical staff. The training can be provided through local first aid training courses that are easily accessible.

Insurance liabilities: There appear to be issues surrounding insuring Scouts Canada’s potential liability with regards to providing first aid services in communities. However, from discussion with Jeff, there does also appear to be methods to mitigate potential risk exposure to liability.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Opportunities -

Threats

Membership growth: According to Jeff, a BC Ambulance Service paramedic, the current paramedicine industry will be facing a shortage in employment within the next 5-10 years, and would likely be open to partnering with Scouts Canada in the MedVent program to provide first aid training and sponsorship to the MedVents.

St. John’s / Canadian Red Cross: St. John’s Ambulance Services and Canadian Red Cross have a very significant presence in the GVA first aid training community, and also run a program similar to the MedVents. However, according to Jeff, St. John’s is running out of resources to supply the community with the first aid services that it has promised for events, and also charges a fee for their services. From a personal standpoint, Jeff receives calls every weekend from community organizers requesting services from the First Responders because St. John’s volunteers who had committed to attend and provide first aid services at their event had not shown up.

Criteria Alignment

The original adjunct program concept of the MedVents was aligned with Scouts Canada’s mission and principles, since it kept the original Venturer Company concept intact, and offered the MedVent as a supplemental activity for Venturers who were interested. The concept of the First Responder program, due to the removal of Scouts Canada influence on the program, is no longer aligned with the traditional concept of Venturing. However, First Responders still serve the community and obtain essential skills that would serve well in the Venturer program. There is opportunity and space to adapt the First Responder program to a more traditional Venturer company with a vocational focus.

Adaptability

Across Canada, there are two national organizations dedicated to Emergency Medical Services. These are the Paramedic Association of Canada and the EMS Chiefs of Canada. According to Jeff, who has connections with the EMS Chiefs of Canada, the EMS Chiefs of Canada is mandated to determine a solution to the looming employment shortage in paramedicine. There is an opportunity roll out a consistent program across Canada and to obtain the cooperation and sponsorship of EMS departments in various regions. In addition, the Canadian Red Cross offers consistent first aid training courses all across Canada. Therefore, the program is designed to be adaptable to all communities across Canada, as long as first aid training is provided in those communities.

Accessibility

Due to corporate sponsorship, the MedVents operating under the First Responder program were required to pay a $95 for a Scouts Canada fee, but this also provided them with the applicable first aid training courses.

Competition

Direct competition with the group would be from other first aid training providers such as St. John’s, Red Cross, and Lifesavers. However, there appears to be an opportunity for MedVents to grow larger than St. John’s, which is currently the predominant service provider in BC. Refer to the discussion on Threats under the SWOT analysis as discussed above.

With the support of a national organization such as EMS Chiefs of Canada, and the related sponsorship with various EMS departments in regions across Canada, there is a very real possibility of Scouts Canada being #1 at the MedVent program. The concept of first aid training also fits in Scouts Canada’s outdoor activities, and prepares an individual to be well-rounded.

Reach

The program has the potential to reach all youth in communities across Canada, as long as that community provides first aid training courses under the Canadian Red Cross.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Sustainability

This model requires first aid training courses to be available and, ideally, the support of an EMS sponsor in the community. Without the availability of first aid training courses, the group model could not be supported. However, without the support of an EMS sponsor, the group model could still be supported, as long as there were opportunities for the youth to demonstrate their skills and to have an outlet to practice the skills they have learned.

Effort to market

As the model has previously been developed, Jeff estimates that further discussion to update the program guidelines may only take approximately six months, and the result would be an operation guideline that could be implemented for MedVent groups across Canada. Therefore, the effort to market does not appear to be a significant up-front commitment.

Other considerations Consistency in the implementation of Scouting policies across Canada Whereas it would appear that Scouts Canada National had limited the MedVentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abilities to provide first aid services at community events due to liability issues, the GTC EMS MedVents and MedRovers (refer to appendix H) have been providing first aid services to community events with no apparent issue. There would appear to be an issue with the consistency in the implementation of Scouting policies across Canada, as the GTC EMS MedVents and MedRovers are able to provide first aid services at community events, which the PCC MedVents have been prohibited from doing. However, a consistent point between the GTC and the PCC MedVent programs is that both groups have been told that they are not able to run the MedVent programs within local high schools. Both the local high schools within Ontario and BC now run the First Responder program, which is very successful within those communities. Information sources and additional analysis The information that we have obtained from discussion has been limited to interviews with the key contacts as identified through our research. There may be additional information that has not been obtained, and therefore, not considered in the evaluation of the situation. In order to appropriately consider the information as presented in this appendix and, in parallel, in this report, the Scouts Canada National may need to perform further analysis.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix J – 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew

Overall recommendation

Pursue the concept of the vocational Scouting group model, but give additional consideration to the importance of partnering with an appropriate and committed sponsor.

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Volunteer / Sponsor-run

Location

Toronto, Ontario

Target age group

Rover aged youth

Contact information

Kevin Ward

The 22 Division Toronto Police Service (TPS) Rover Crew is a vocational Scout group that is jointly sponsored by the Toronto Police Service and Humber College (a local college which has a police program). The program is intertwined with the Toronto Police Service and presents significant opportunities for youth interested in pursuing a career in the police service. Presently, there is only one group in Toronto, and due to the nature of the group, only Rover sections can be contemplated under this model. The group is considered highly successful based on TPS recruitment figures (over 30 members) and registration numbers (78 in the current Scouting year).

Rover Crew Advisor, Toronto Police Service offer

Key success factors Sponsor and volunteer support

The level of sponsor and volunteer support that the group has is essential to the function and success of the group. The group is sponsored by Humber College and the Toronto Police Service, and is supported both financially and operationally (for activities). Without the unique partnership that the Crew currently has, it would not be able to distinguish itself as a connected resource for individuals interested in a career with the police service.

Vocational focus

The vocational focus of the group is considered a key success factor as it attracts a certain group of individuals who are interested in a career in the police service, and allows them to create connections with the police service prior to making an application for a full-time job.

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to consider within the context of vocational group models. Though the model is highly successful for this particular group, there are limitations and restrictions inherent in the model that may prevent it from being applicable to Scouts Canada’s current needs (an easily adaptable group model that can be deployed across Canada). The major limitations and restrictions are:



Sponsorship with the local police service and corresponding administrative requirements: The group requires high levels of sponsor support and faces a number of restrictions as a result of its connection with the police service. For example, the Crew is required to find an alternative financing stream, as it is prohibited from fundraising. In addition, detailed administrative records detailing criminal background checks, disciplinary actions, and personal information are required to be kept for individuals involved with the police service in any capacity. These restrictions present barriers for groups to start, since they require strong relations with and consistent support from the regional police service. Framework which is not easily adaptable: The reliance on partnerships with the police service and potentially with local community colleges requires negotiations with these parties that are specific to each region and individual involved. This results in a framework which is not easily adaptable to other regions, and requires significant levels of time to set up.

Appendix Page 27

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011 However as with any vocational group, what the leaders do with the program (see appendix K on Fire Scouting), will be able to potentially mitigate these limitations and restrictions. Background and history



Origin



Need



Market



Champions



The group started in September 2003 when Kevin was a first year student at Humber College, pursuing the Police Foundations certificate. As an experienced Scouter, he felt that the Rover motto of “Service” fit well with the college’s graduation requirement of 40 hours of community service, and the overall theme of pursuing a career in the police service. The concept was presented to Scouts Canada, Humber College, and the Toronto Police Service, and received support from all ends. Presentations in the college classes were marketed as a great recruiting tool for those interested in a career with the TPS, and an opportunity to gain life experience and policing experience prior to working full-time. The concept of a community service partnership with the TPS and in conjunction with the Police Foundations course at any community college was new, though previously contemplated by administrators at the college. The creation of the Rover Crew, partnered with the TPS and Humber College, gave each party a number of significant advantages in supporting the partnership. For the TPS, the partnership allowed them to have access to a monitored pool of potential applicants and volunteers, and strengthened the TPS’ community presence. For Humber College, this presented a recruiting tool to attract students to their college, which gives them an advantage over other community colleges. The Rover Crew members would have the opportunity to explore a career in the police service and to make connections prior to applying for a full-time job. Humber College has a dedicated two-year course to individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the police service. Most students who enrol in this course are within the Rover age range. There was no other group that was similar to what is now the 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew. However, there was confirmation that a vocational Scouting group would be successful from the precedence set by the EMS MedVents and MedRovers (refer to Appendix H). Kevin Ward was one of the initial advisors for the Rover Crew since inception of the program, and was also the driving force behind starting the Crew. Scott Walker was also an initial advisor for the Rover Crew.

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Membership growth and retention: The Crew has grown in membership since inception, with growth from 50 members in the previous Scouting year to 78 members for the current year. The trend also shows a growth in retention, with last year being the highest retention that the Crew has seen (42%).

Community presence: The Crew provides community service with the TPS and with Scouts Canada at various events throughout the year. This increases the group’s community presence and acts as a tool for future recruitment.

Scouts Canada presence: In connection with having a large community presence, the

Restrictive limitations: Due to the nature of the partnership, the current Crew cannot expand past the partnership with the TPS and Humber College. Other members interested in joining a similar program would have to be enrolled in the Police Foundations course at Humber College. Rover Crews have not yet been started at other colleges, though Kevin has been approached by people interested in starting these Crews. However, nothing has ever materialized.

Financial restrictions: The partnership with the TPS prohibits the Crew from fundraising, since fundraising does not reflect well on the TPS (i.e. the community may feel pressured to donate if a police officer is requesting for the donation). Appendix Page 28

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011 popularity and visibility of the Police Rover Crew also contributes to improve Scouts Canada’s presence in the GTA community.

Financial support for the Crew is currently provided by Humber College and a higher registration fee for members. -

Heavy reliance on sponsor support: Due to the financial restrictions of the Crew, and also to the public perception of the Crew’s involvement with the TPS, there is a heavy reliance on sponsor support for finances and general items such as uniforms, transportation (e.g. police bus), activity support (e.g. tours of the police academy).

Administrative requirements: Due to the partnership with the TPS and the sensitive nature of individuals who are representing themselves as volunteers with the TPS, the Crew advisors and the TPS must keep strict records on each member, including disciplinary records. The TPS will also approach the Crew advisors for references, so this information is vital to providing an appropriate reference.

Threats

Opportunities -

Expansion into other areas: Humber College is only one of many community colleges that also offer a certificate geared towards individuals interested in a career with the police service. There is an opportunity to set up Crews that partner with each of these colleges and with the regional police in the area.

Adaptation to other age groups: The nature of the current Rover Crew is such that the program framework cannot be directly transferred to be applicable for Venturer companies. However, a Venturer company could organize itself around a police focus.

Cadets: Historically, partnerships with the police service have been with Cadets, due to the military background of Cadets. There has not been a police service partnership with Cadets in the Toronto area for quite some time, but the opportunity could present itself.

Criteria Alignment

The Rover Crew motto is “Service”. As the Police Rover Crew supports community service as well as provides security support for various Scouts Canada activities, it fulfills the Rover Crew motto. In addition, members are required to follow Scouts Canada principles.

Adaptability

The program can be adapted to fit markets across the country as long as there is an appropriate sponsor who can support the program. Currently, the 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew is the crew of its kind. In addition, the concept of the program can also be adapted to fit different markets. Some prime examples are the EMS MedVents and MedRovers program (refer to Appendix H), which preceded the Police Rover Crew and the Fire Venturer program (refer to Appendix K).

Accessibility

The group charges $200 for registration, with $120 of this representing normal Scouts Canada membership costs. The remaining $80 is used towards supporting activity costs, first aid training, and purchasing materials for the uniform. The Crew offers flexible payment options for students who cannot afford the membership fee, though it has not had significant issues with complaints regarding the membership fee.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Competition

There is currently no direct competition with the group.

To Kevinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge, this is the only group in Canada that concentrates on a vocational program with the police service. Based on the success of the Crew and the partnership, there is potential for the group to be the best in Canada.

Reach

Due to the reliance that the program places on having an effective and supportive sponsor, the program only reaches Rover aged youth in an area where there are enough resources to sustain a group. These resources would generally be in the form of larger staff at the local police services. In addition, the program currently only reaches students who are enrolled in the Police Foundations course at Humber College. Without the creation of Rover Crews in other community colleges with similar programs, other interested students would not be able to participate.

Sustainability

This model requires heavy support from the sponsors, both for financial support and activity opportunities. Without the support and connection of the sponsor, the model would not be able to distinguish itself as unique to the community, and could be copied by any other group that focuses on police services. This may prove difficult for the sustainability of the program in that it would not be able to offer an attractive opportunity for members, and would have similar problems that other Crews face.

Effort to market

There is significant time required to implement a successful partnership with a police service. While a partnership with a college is not required, this may provide additional funding resources, as the group cannot participate in fundraising. Due to the specific characteristics of each partnership negotiation and market, the model cannot be simply copied over to other regions, although lessons learned from successful Crews would be strongly beneficial to emerging groups.

Other considerations No other considerations noted.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix K – Toronto Fire Venturers

Overall recommendation

Pursue the concept of the vocational Scouting group model, but give additional consideration to the importance of partnering with an appropriate and committed sponsor.

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Adult-run

Location

Toronto, Ontario

Target age group

Venturer-aged youth

Contact information

Mark Hayes

The Fire Venturers are a vocational Scout group that is sponsored in part by the Toronto Fire Service. Though not an official sponsor, the group also receives support from the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association. The program aims to encourage youth to consider a career in Fire Services. However, this particular group itself runs more similarly to a traditional Venturer company than other vocational Scout groups considered in this report (i.e., EMS MedVents and MedRovers and the 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew). The Company participates in activities using fire equipment, but also organizes its own community service activities and participates in traditional Scouting activities (such as working towards awards and badges).

Rover Crew Advisor Firefighter with Toronto Fire Services

Key success factors Vocational focus

The vocational focus of the group is considered a key success factor as it attracts a certain group of individuals who are interested in a career in the fire services. The support of members who are interested in the group for the vocational aspect is reflected in the commitment of youth members who are willing to travel more than an hour to attend weekly meetings.

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to pursue the vocational group model, but to ensure that the appropriate sponsor support is provided in order to ensure the group is running at its most effective level. The example of the Fire Venturers exemplifies the importance of having an appropriate and committed group sponsor:



Structure of the program: The current structure of the program does not receive heavy sponsor support. While heavy sponsor support can be viewed as a weakness of the model, not enough sponsor support is also a weakness, since the program does not reflect an appropriate level of expertise to be beneficial to the members.

Background and history Origin



Mark Hayes and Al Harris, experienced Scouters and employees with Toronto Fire Services, had been discussing Venturer opportunities for their children. Based on the success of the EMS MedVents program (refer to Appendix H) and the Police Rover Crew (refer to Appendix J), the two decided to set up a similar program with the Toronto Fire Services. Due to precedence set by the MedVents program and the Police Rover Crew, the fire chief was open to the idea and supported a partnership with the Toronto Fire Services.

Appendix Page 31

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

 

Need

 

Market



Champions



The program has been operating for approximately six years, though not all of these years were successful (refer to the discussion under Other Considerations). The program was intended to encourage young people to consider a career in fire services, and was based on the success of the EMS MedVents program and the Police Rover Crew. Though there was no specific need for the program, it was viewed as an opportunity to recruit youth and prepare them for life experiences. The program is geared to youth who are interested in a career with the fire services. Mark notes that the members of the Company live in different regions, and many travel more than an hour to arrive at the meeting location every week. Currently, the program is comprised of only males. There have been a few female members in the group, but likely due to the dominance of male members, these few female members typically leave the group very quickly. Mark Hayes and Al Harris were instrumental in starting the group at inception, and were the driving force behind setting up the group.

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Commitment of youth to the vocational part of the program: A number of youth involved with the Company travel more than an hour to participate in the weekly meetings. This represents a strong commitment of the youth to the program. However, refer to the discussion under “Threats”. This commitment appears to potentially be easily influenced by the image and branding of Scouts Canada. Alignment with traditional Scouting: This could be viewed as a strength or weakness, depending on the viewpoint. Refer to Other considerations for further discussion.

Lack of sufficient sponsor support: The Toronto Fire Services provides activity shirts with the Fire Services crest and also provides access to training equipment for activity purposes. However, there is no set program for the Venturers, which, as a vocational Scouting group, may not prove as beneficial for the youth.

Alignment with traditional Scouting: This could be viewed as a strength or weakness, depending on the viewpoint. Refer to Other considerations for further discussion.

Gender composition of the group: The group is currently comprised only of males. This discourages females from joining the group and creates poor perception of the group. In a sense, this may also support the perception that Scouts Canada is a boys-only group.

Threats

Opportunities -

There were no particular opportunities, other than potential membership growth, noted through our discussion.

There were no particular threats noted through our discussion.

Criteria Alignment

The group aligns more with the traditional notions of a Venturer company than other Scouting groups with a vocational focus. Refer to Other considerations for further discussion.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Adaptability

The program can be adapted to fit markets across the country as long as there is an appropriate sponsor who can support the program. In addition, the concept of the program can also be adapted to fit different markets. Some prime examples are the EMS MedVents program (refer to Appendix H) and the 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew (refer to Appendix J), both of which inspired the creation of the Fire Venturers program.

Accessibility

The group charges $150 for registration, with $120 of this representing normal Scouts Canada membership costs. The remaining $30 is used towards supporting activity costs. The group has not historically had any issues with members not being able to afford the group fee. Other activities would need to be paid for by the group or individual, similar to other groups.

Competition

There is currently no direct competition with the group.

To Mark’s knowledge, this is the only group in Canada that concentrates on a vocational program with the fire services. There was previously another group in Calgary with the same concept. However, based on the current operations and history of the group, it is difficult to determine whether this specific group model can be the best in Canada.

Reach

Due to the nature of the program and its connection to the fire services, the program only reaches Venturer and Rover aged youth in an area where there are enough resources to sustain a group. These resources would generally be in the form of a larger staff at the fire services, and enough equipment to lend the group for their activities.

Sustainability

Based on discussions with Mark, it appears that this model is sustaining based only on the youth’s interest in continuing a group with a vocational focus on fire services. The youth have little interest in the Scouting aspect of the group, and without the focus on fire services, the group would likely not sustain due to lack of interest.

Effort to market

It appears that the largest effort to market is time to develop a good program that will encourage youth to consider a career in fire services. However, from discussions with Mark, it would also appear vital that there is effort to integrate Scouting into the program such that it becomes a welcome aspect of the program, and not something that is required in order to participate in the fire services aspect.

Other considerations Alignment with traditional Scouting This particular model, though a vocational Scouts group, operates more similarly to a traditional Venturer company than other vocational groups considered in this report. The youth have more control over the activities that they participate in, with guidance from the Venturer advisor. Whether this can be viewed as a strength or weakness depends on the success and structure of the group. As a vocational Scouting group, it can be argued that there should be more structure surrounding the activities of the Company, since the purpose is to train youth and offer insight into a career with the fire services. Without this structure, the youth are not benefiting from the vocational focus of the group. On the other hand, the opportunity for youth in the group to plan their own activities supports leadership and maturity, consistent with the objective of Venturer companies. However, this particular group appears to be “lost” without the more rigid vocational structure that other vocational Scouting groups have, and as a result, may not be considered as successful as the other groups.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix L – High School Venturer Companies Overall recommendation

To put aside for future consideration given the current challenges of a national initiative to have high school Venturer companies.

Summary of Group Model

Information snapshot

Category

Youth-run

Location

Atlantic Canada

Target age group

Venturer-aged youth

Contact information

Megan Drodge

High School Venturers is a program that was conceptually designed and presented to the Atlantic Canada councils (i.e. Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). Discussions were held in August 2009, and the councils have accepted and support the concept. Since that time, no progress has been made on promoting the program in order to capitalize on potential efficiencies with adopting the program on a national basis.

Assistant National Youth Commissioner

The program focuses on creating high school-sponsored Venturer companies which would be similar to a school sponsored organization or club (e.g., student council, environmental club, etc.). In all other respects, the High School Venturers program would operate like all other Scouts Canada Venturer companies. One of the objectives of the program is to promote Scouting for high school youth who have never had exposure to Scouting. Key success factors Branding, image, and retention

Many high school-aged youth have preconceived notions of Scouting, driven by stereotypes that have either been reinforced or presented throughout their childhood. The perception that Scouting is “uncool” or “lame” could present a very strong hurdle to clear in order for these programs to be successful. Peer pressure is also a significant issue which cannot be underestimated. If the branding and image of Scouting can change and attract these high school-aged youth, it could also promote retention in the senior sections. Most youth join Scouting as a child based on their parents’ decisions, but the decision to join a high school Venturer program with no previous exposure to Scouting would be the youth’s own. This would be a significant hurdle to overcome and is paramount to the success of the model.

Defined framework

High schools in all areas follow the same framework and objectives. With a defined framework that has been proven successful, the High School Venturer program could easily be rolled out and applied to all high schools across Canada, with only minor revisions required based on local preferences. This provides for a significant opportunity for exponential membership growth in the senior sections of Scouting.

Knowledge of Scouting principles

Due to the autonomous nature of Venturer companies, having a sponsor who has knowledge of Scouting principles and is able to guide the youth in this direction is essential. There is a risk that these local high school Venturer companies may create a version of Scouting that is not supportive or reflective of Scouts Canada’s mission and values. Following this example, it would be difficult to identify what groups are not following Scouts Canada’s mission and values, and this may in turn create negative impressions of Scouting in the community that could be irreversible.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Analysis Based on the information received and the analysis performed, the recommendation is to put aside for future consideration. The following points are most indicative of a potentially successful alternative group model.



Wide reach and captive market: Local high schools present a captive market for Venturer-aged youth, as high school youth are typically encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and to earn community service hours. Though there are many options available to youth, the Venturer program could present a refreshingly independent option to other, more controlled, programs, and could eventually rival traditional high school extracurricular activities such as student councils. Economies of scale: If designed and piloted effectively, the program could be easily adapted across Canada since high schools in all areas, regardless of size, type (public vs. private), and location, operate in similar manners. This presents an opportunity for exponential growth in senior section membership.

However there are significant barriers to entry for a truly successful national campaign, the biggest of which are:

 

Perception of Scouting in the minds of high school aged youth: To recruit Venturer aged youth who have no previous exposure to Scouting into the program is an immense hurdle. Until this is easy to do vis-à-vis a perception that Scouting is a “cool” organization to be a part of, then widespread success will be very difficult. Cooperation of the various school districts across the country: Each municipality operates their own school district and partnerships will need to be made with each one to facilitate this program. There is no simple avenue to partner with a group of school districts provincially or nationally.

Background and history Origin



 Need



Market

 

Champions



The concept was initiated due to a focus on the retention issues being experienced in the senior sections of Scouting (i.e., Venturers and Rovers). This issue was attributed to lack of information available to high school-aged youth who have never been exposed to Scouting as a child. The High School Venturer program would allow these youth to experience Scouting, with the objective of growing membership in the senior sections. The Target marketing study completed for Scouts Canada emphasizes the seriousness of the retention issue facing Scouts Canada, and in particular, the steep decline noted in membership numbers for senior sections (i.e., Venturers and Rovers). As a result, this program was designed to address this need. Local high schools sponsor a number of organizations within the schools, including student councils, sports teams, and hobby groups which span a wide range of interests (e.g. chess clubs, environmental clubs, etc.). The High School Venturer program is aimed to provide an alternative to other extracurricular activities that will allow youth to gain leadership experience and community service hours, in a Scouting environment. Megan was instrumental to bringing the concept to the Atlantic Canada councils. A presentation was made in August 2009 that received interest from the councils, and further discussions were held regarding support from the council and how best to promote the concept to the local high schools.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Captive market: High schools provide a captive market of Venturer-aged youth, as youth during this stage of their lives are typically encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and accumulate community service hours. The High School Venturer program will provide an alternative to other extracurricular activities that may be refreshingly independent in comparison.

Decentralized structure: Due to the nature of Venturer companies, youth have a high degree of autonomy over their activities. Without a sponsor who is knowledgeable about Scouting principles, some Companies may waver from the original objective of Venturer companies, and there is a chance that some companies may participate in activities not supported by Scouting (e.g. alcohol at Scouting events).

Backed by Scouting: There is a higher likelihood of gaining support from the schools since Scouting is a concept that is familiar to the older generation who will be teachers and administrators in high schools and school boards.

Sponsor dependent: High school sponsored extracurricular activities are very dependent on teachers who are willing to volunteer their time to support them. In instances where there teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unions strike, or there are no available teacher sponsors, then the Companies cannot meet, or even form.

Partnerships with school districts: Each municipality has their own school district and a partnership will need to be individually be made with each district. There is no easy avenue to establish these partnerships on a consolidated basis, although as momentum builds, then it should be easier to do so.

Opportunities -

Wide reach: Though each district school board may operate differently, the basic concept of high schools is the same in every district, region, and province. This presents the opportunity for this program to have a wide reach to all high schools across Canada, and the opportunity, if successful, to grow membership in the Venturer sections at an exponential rate.

Introduction to Scouting: The High School Venturer program will allow more senior youth to be exposed to Scouting, and to determine for themselves whether they are interested in joining. In most cases, younger children join Scouting because of their parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiences and decisions. This may, in some part, contribute to the retention issues faced in the senior sections. However, if a Venturer-aged youth makes a decision to participate in Scouting, then there is a higher chance that this youth will stay in Scouting.

Threats -

Many options: There is no shortage of options available to high school-aged youth, whether it is within the high school or in the community. Examples are high school and community sports teams, music lessons, art lessons, student councils, etc. Introducing High School Venturers as another extracurricular activity in high schools may not differentiate it from the other options already available to youth. It can be noted that the program may be more popular in rural areas, since the range of extracurricular options is more limited in these areas.

Image of Scouting: The current image and branding of Scouting is old-fashioned and faces resistance due to stereotypes that have been, incorrectly or correctly, reinforced over the years. High school-aged youth have an image of Scouting in their minds, and it may prove difficult to change this image. Peer pressure also has a significant part to play in high schools, and students may be influenced not to join Scouting due to the persistence of the Scouting image among their peers.

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Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Criteria Alignment

The High School Venturer program would follow all traditional principles of Scouting and keep all original objectives of a Venturer company. The students would have the ability to plan their own program that is within the scope of the Venturer promise and law, though uniforms would be optional for members.

Adaptability

This program has the potential to be adaptable to all markets across Canada, as high schools in all areas typically follow the same frameworks. Refer to the discussion on Opportunities under the SWOT analysis as discussed above, with specific attention to the point on â&#x20AC;&#x153;wide reachâ&#x20AC;?.

Accessibility

Membership costs associated with the program are confined to the normal Scouts Canada membership costs ($120). Organizing a fundraiser to pay the costs of membership could be an option for the Companies, or these costs can come out of pocket. As each Company would organize their own activities, the financial accessibility of the group would depend on the activities that each Company chooses to undertake.

Competition

Direct competition with the group comes in the form of all other extracurricular activities aimed to high school-aged youth, which will always be available and promoted. In order to succeed, the High School Venturer program must not only attain the support of school administrators, but it must also be attractive to youth.

Being #1 in Canada is difficult, and in a sense, almost impossible due to the wide range of opportunities available to high school-aged youth. If run effectively within each Company, the High School Venturer program could rival traditional high school extracurricular activities such as student councils. Using this example, every high school will have a student council, regardless of the size of the student body, the type of school (public vs. private), and the district area. In addition, in areas where there are greater numbers of interested youth within a council, then the success of the High School Venturer program may be cannibalized by existing Venturer companies within the area. However, the High School Venturer program has an advantage over traditional Venturer companies in the sense that members of the High School Venturer program will be familiar with members in the group and many may already be friends prior to joining the company.

Reach

This program has the potential to span all types of schools, including public and private schools, and could span any area in Canada that has a local high school. Home-schooled Venturer-aged youth could also join a company at a high school in their area.

Sustainability

This program requires support from the school administrators and volunteer commitment from a teacher sponsor in that local high school. The sponsor would also need to be versed in Scouting principles, such that he / she could offer appropriate guidance to the Venturers regarding activities. Without a knowledgeable sponsor, the company may not be able to sustain itself, while still following Scouting principles and Venturer company objectives.

Effort to market

The initial concept has been presented and accepted by Atlantic Canada councils. Next steps would include approaching school districts and obtaining their support to communicate the information to the local high schools in the respective districts. The most significant resource required to start these groups would be the time commitment to see the groups start running, and to field any issues arising from the commencement of the program.

Other considerations Existing high school Venturer companies There was mention of an existing high school Venturer company in New Brunswick that was previously a community based one that converted into a high school program. Megan does not have much information available on this existing Company. Appendix Page 37

Scouts Canada Action Item #5.5: Investigation of New Group Model Final Report March 27, 2011

Appendix M â&#x20AC;&#x201C; University of British Columbia Rover Crew and 1st Rivorton New Brunswick Rover Crew As part of our research, we held discussions with individuals from both the University of British Columbia Rover Crew (Pacific Coast Council) and 1st Rivorton New Brunswick Rover Crew (New Brunswick Council). The research findings were at opposite ends of the spectrum. As such we are presenting a comparison table to summarize key differences:

Success

University of British Columbia Rover Crew This group was successful at its inception, however due to poor succession planning. This is in contrast to the 1st Rivorton Crew.

1st Rivorton New Brunswick Rover Crew The Crew has been and continues to be a successful Crew. This is attributed to the strong Crew Advisers and keen Rovers in the Crew. There is sufficient succession planning.

Registration fee

Members were required to pay the requisite youth membership fee. This was a deterrent for membership growth as the fee is substantial in comparison to other university clubs, especially those outdoor clubs where membership fee was less than $10.

Registration is free for Rovers in the New Brunswick Council. This provides no financial barriers to future members.

Competition

There are numerous outdoors clubs, amongst hundreds of other extracurricular alternatives, at the University of British Columbia that compete for the interests of university students.

While the extracurricular alternatives are the same as for the University of British Columbia, there are no comparable clubs that are similar to the Rover Crew in terms of outdoor and leadership opportunity.

Other than these key differences, the differing successes of the two Crews were rooted in general matters that contribute to the success of any Scouting group. These include strong and committed Advisers, quality of program, and the ability to recruit and retain, amongst other items. As the general criteria for a successful group is out of scope of the Action Item, we did not pursue further. As a result of our research findings, we recommend that the University Crew be a potential Council initiative.

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Appendix N – PCC EVA Venturers Without Borders Overall recommendation

Purse as an encouraged model

Summary of Group Model Category

Leader Running Program

Target age group

Ventures

The Venturer section is one of the sections where we lose a lot of youth members because of school, sports, friends, etc. With the only few ventures left in each group, retention of the remaining ventures is hard. Ventures Without Borders (“VWB”) goal is to bring these small groups of Ventures together and form a bigger company. The VWB is not an independently registered group. All youth members are registered with their home group. The focus of the group is to complete camps for the Venturer Awards and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Information snapshot Location

Pacific Coast Council / East Vancouver Area

Contact information

Laurie Lum Founder of Venturers Without Borders

Key success factors Advisor Support

In VWB, the advisors from the home groups also join VWB when their youth are participating in the program. Therefore there it will not be a burden on the one leader that is trying to run the program.

Common Goal and ProjectBased

Venturers who join this group all have one goal. If they not committed to the goal, they will not be in the project group. By having a common goal, it reduces a lot of decision making time for the youth.

Analysis This project-based group has many benefits. As it is not a separate organization but rather a vehicle for various Companies to join together for large projects, the model has significant flexibility. The group can be started and disbanded with ease as it is, in some ways, a temporary group for facilitating projects.

Background and history Origin

There was a decrease in youth membership in the Venturer Sections across East Vancouver Area. Laurie Lum and Dr. Kan Chen, both Venturer Advisers, first met in August 2007 and began the discussions of bringing all the small groups of Venturers together. The first VWB meeting happened in February 2008 with the two groups of Venturers (138th East Vancouver and 18th Coquitlam Scout Group, Fraser Valley Council). Eventually the VWB also partnered with 188th East Vancouver, 116th East Vancouver and 33rd Richmond.

Need

There was a portion of the Scouts that would like to stay within the Scouting program after the Scout section. But when there were so few Venturers in a Company, the Company lacked motivation and was difficult to organize programs. Coupled with the leader shortages within each Group, some leaders were taking on multiple positions. There was not enough full-time support for the Venturer section. In order to compensate for the gaps within the section, the 138th East Vancouver and the 18th Coquitlam Venturers started the joint program, VWB. They did not do all programming together, but they jointly organized expedition camps to qualify for certain awards.

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Market

The target section is the Venturer Section. When it first started, there were only members from two Companies. Currently, it has members from five different Companies. This program is not a complete Venturer program. It only serves as a network for the Ventures to meet others and organize the programs they want.

Champions

Laurie Lum is the individual who started the program. She has sought opinions from Scouters such as Dr. Kan Chen and Eric Yim from the East Vancouver Area.

SWOT analysis Weaknesses

Strengths -

Larger projects: Venturers have the critical mass to organize joint activities, such as an expedition, to fulfill badge/award requirements.

Commitment of Venturer Advisers: Some Venture advisers have just leave the youth with VWB and did not contribute to the VWB leadership team.

Networking: Bigger network of Venturers allows the youth to meet people from outside their home group and make new friends. There

Reduced burden on leaders: Sharing workload between the leaders to reduce stress and time required by leaders to run the Venturer program in their respective groups.

Differing opinions: Although this can be a strong point of the model, it poses a risk factor in that different Venturer advisers with different leadership styles and philosophies about Scouting join together. The discussions amongst the advisers could easily disintegrate and cause conflict within the group.

Threats

Opportunities -

No boundaries: There is the potential to partner with Venturers from other areas, cities, provinces or countries.

The group model threats are the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Criteria Alignment

The alignment would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Adaptability

This group model can be easily adapted to other parts of Canada. The only requirements are to gather youth and advisors to run the program. There are no sponsors needed and it does not need an official group charter to operate.

Accessibility

The accessibility would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Competition

The competition would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Reach

The reach would be the same as that of the existing Venturer program.

Sustainability

The model can be sustained if, and only if, there is a strong champion or champions in the form of key advisers who support the model. Note that this model is meant to start and stop as necessary for the various projects that are collaborated on.

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Effort to market

Other considerations No additional considerations noted.

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Appendix O – Acknowledgments Project Team Project Commissioner Steve Kent (Chief Commissioner, Scouts Canada)

Project Sponsor: John Chow (Deputy National Commissioner – Growth, Scouts Canada)

Project Manager: Brandon Ma (Vice-President, 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council)

Project Team Members: Pinky Au (180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council) Sam Chan (180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council) Paul Leung (Vice-President, 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council) Abigail Syyong (28th Terra Nova Richmond S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Scout Group, Pacific Coast Council)

Resources and Contributions Vivian Chan (Action Item 5.3 Project Manager, 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council) Jerry Crawford (Rover Crew Adviser, EMS MedVents and MedRovers, Greater Toronto Council) Megan Drodge (Assistant National Youth Commissioner, Scouts Canada) Clarice Fu (President, 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council) Mark Hayes (Rover Crew Advisor, Fire Scouts, Greater Toronto Council) Martin Kwok (Deputy Council Commissioner – Membership, Pacific Coast Council) Kevin Li (Deputy Council Commissioner – Growth, Pacific Coast Council) Lester Lo (Group Commissioner, 28th Terra Nova Richmond S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Scout Group; 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew, Pacific Coast Council) Laurie Lum (Venturer Company Adviser, Venturers Without Borders – East Vancouver Area, Pacific Coast Council) Tim McNaughton (Council Commissioner, Greater Toronto Council) Ian Mitchell (Director – Scouts, Venturers, and Rovers, Scouts Canada) Appendix Page 42

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Daniel Nelson (Deputy Council Commissioner – Member Development, Greater Toronto Council) Peter Ng (Council Commissioner, Pacific Coast Council) Dale Pankiw (Group Commissioner, 1st Nisbet Group, Manitoba Council) John Petitti (Executive Director – Marketing and Communications, Scouts Canada) Andrew Price (Deputy National Commissioner – Volunteer Services, Scouts Canada) Doug Reid (Deputy National Commissioner – Program Services, Scouts Canada) Dylan Reinhart (National Youth Commissioner, Scouts Canada) Emma Saunders (Programme and Development Adviser – Scout Network, The Scout Association (UK)) Mike Stewart (2nd Mate, 1st Rivorton Rovers, New Brunswick Council) Rob Stewart (Executive Director – Program and Membership Services, Scouts Canada) Charlotte Tow (Programme and Development Adviser – Explorer Scouts, The Scout Association (UK)) Kevin Ward (Rover Crew Advisor, 22 Division Toronto Police Service Rover Crew, Greater Toronto Council) Jeff Watts (Pacific Coast Council) Eric Yim (Deputy Council Commissioner – Communications, Pacific Coast Council)

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