A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services, or concepts so it can easily be communicated and usually marketed. An organization's brand and the public's awareness of it are often used as a critical factor in one's perception and evaluation of that organization. In our case, the brand is the Boy Scouts of America.
Membership/relationships committees are deeply intertwined with the BSA brand. The committees are planning and supervisory bodies whose job is to see that every eligible young person of Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, or Venturing age within council territory has an opportunity to become a member.
Why is this important? Because you are the primary architect of the membership/relationships committee, which works with the Key 3 to identify, recruit, train, motivate, and recognize volunteers to assist in the delivery of a quality program. These volunteers must be knowledgeable about the district's territory and have the ability to inspire and motivate. Most important, they must have a deep passion and understanding of how to effectively position the organization (brand) in the minds of those they seek to attract to the movement.
The committee as a whole, and particularly the chairman, is charged with a variety of responsibilities, including interacting with the Scouting family as well as with those who have influence and assets in the communities outside of our Scouting family.
As such, for the public at large, the membership/relationships committees are often the first tangible interaction with the BSA and the programs we offer. At its most basic emotional level, this initial interaction is similar to the first time you drank Coca-Cola or visited Disneyland. That first experience with the product or organization shaped and defined your perception of that particular company (brand). If the experience was positive, chances are you would choose to interact with that product more in the future. However, if that interaction was negative, chances are you would choose an alternative to that company.
As a result, you carry those first perceptions with you—consciously or subconsciously—and they have a continuous effect on the decisions you make regarding that company. The same holds true for our potential members or donors who first interact with the BSA via committees and their representatives. Thus it is imperative the district executive and the Key 3 invest great attention, research, and insight into the committee selection process. Once the committee has been selected, an equal amount of time and effort should be dedicated to the continued education and training of the members. Particular attention should be paid to reminding them of the core mission of Scouting to ensure their continued alignment with our philosophy and objectives.
Why? The obvious answer is because these committees are a tremendous asset in helping us reach our measured goals. But the less articulated answer is because these committees are an extension of the BSA brand. They represent an outward expression of the core values, the mission, and the heart and soul of what our brand is and can be for those we invite into our organization. This occurs on the most effective and enduring level of engagement—direct personal relationships.
The Boy Scouts of America has nearly 100 years of brand equity. Our job as extensions of the brand is to continuously understand that we as individuals have the power to influence perceptions that last a lifetime whether directly or through the committees we organize.
The membership/relationships committee has several responsibilities; however, the common thread linking them is their responsibility to represent the brand and protect the 100-year equity that defines what Scouting means to millions of people.
This understanding and effort will allow us to continue to cultivate and maintain our platform in the marketplace of solutions as the premier youth-serving organization in the country, and that is a benefit to us all.
The Merits of Marketing (marketing.scouting.org) is a resource for local
councils, developed by the Marketing &
Communications Division of the National Council, Boy Scouts of
America.