Want to Succeed in 2017? Every Council Will Need This Tool to Do It.

The BSA’s 2017 Growth Plan is here, and it’s updated to reflect the growing needs of our councils. Serving as the organization’s roadmap for successful recruitment, the 2017 Growth Plan is designed to help you reach even more young people with the life-changing programs of Scouting. Now, we’ve made it easier than ever to help your councils plan for the year ahead with the introduction of our new electronic Growth Plan Workbook!

Why the 2017 Growth Plan Is Essential

Located in the Marketing and Membership Hub, the 2017 Growth Plan contains the four key elements you’ve been hearing about this year that align with the BSA’s Game Plan – Build an Adventure, Exploring Explosion, Unit Growth, and Pilots.

On the 2017 Growth Plan page, you’ll learn how to strategically put the 2017 Growth Plan into action, access the Build an Adventure recruitment playbooks and review some helpful tactics you can implement to boost growth in your councils. The 2017 Growth Plan page also features a plethora of resource links that will help your 2017 planning goals.

To download the 2017 Growth Workbook, click on the Marketing and Membership tab on Scouting Wire and scroll to the 2017 Growth Plan. At the very top of that page, you can download the full 2017 Growth Workbook by clicking the PDF button.

Bonus Tools: Data to Help Your Council for 2017

Additionally, the Research & Strategy Department is providing demographic data specific to each council’s geographic area that will further assist local councils in the strategic planning process for 2017. The Demographic and Income Profile provides information about the population in the council area, including estimates for 2016 and projections for 2021, race and ethnicity data, educational attainment, annual income ranges and Target Age Youth. 

Nathan Young, director of field services of the Crossroads of America Council, says the data is particularly important for councils to use as they strategize for 2017 and can attest to its usefulness. He says council planning data is very helpful for developing their Council Market Analysis Report and utilizing the tools in the New Unit Development Hub.

Councils can download a PDF of the Demographic and Income Profile and an Excel file of the youth population by zip code, age, and ethnicity, from MyBSA > Resources tab > Council Planning Data > then select by region, area, and headquarter city.

Do you have any successful recruitment tips or tools that have benefitting your council? Share your ideas in the comments below!