There is no single solution to make sure that Scouting is improving in quality and is attracting more young people. Staff representing all the offices of the World Scout Bureau met recently to share the initiatives that are being undertaken in NSOs in their Regions and to see what support is being provided at Regional and world levels to make sure that Scouting is able to attract and retain both young people and adults.

Here are some of the outcomes of that meeting.

From the discussions the following general points emerged:

Growth happens at local level – this is the key point to develop Scouting.

Youth Programme

1. Know your Membership – accurate numbers of Youth Members are needed at local and national levels.
2. Emphasise the Scout Method as the key shared element in the world-wide family of Scouting. This is our unique selling point in relation to the Youth Programme.

Adult Resources

1. Know your numbers – again accurate number of adults supporting Scouting in the different roles is required at local, national and world levels to support the growth of the Movement
2. Differentiate between the different adult roles
   • supporting young people
   • supporting Scouting structurally to enable appropriate training and support to be delivered
   • important to define mandate
   • important to include appointment process (behaviour and attitudes
3. Identify the “net gain” for adults which needs to be recognised and promoted.
   • What is the unique selling point for adults? Part of a world-wide family of Scouting?
   • IYV +10 in 2011 is an opportunity to promote volunteering.

Scouting's Profile

1. Create a better image of Scouting at local level – so that people
   • feel as a Scout (emotional), look like Scouts, act as Scouts and there are
   • relationships with key leaders of the communities so Scouting can
   • show collective action / ownership and live up to
   • the fame and the reputation
2. Strengthen the Brand
   • corporate image
   • signage
   • focus on the Scout brand
3. Marketing
   • adapt our marketing to the segments /expectations and needs of young people and the communities
   • renew the corporate image on that basis /appearance

Growth will be a key session at the Communication Fora that are currently being run in each of the Regions. More information: http://scout.org/fora