There’s a First Time for Everything

There’s a first time for everything, as the saying goes. We have a seemingly endless list of firsts throughout our lifetimes: First steps, first words, first day of school and the first day at a new job.  Today, I add a new entry to my personal list of firsts by sharing my first-ever Chief’s Corner blog post. In it, I want to do something else for the first — but most certainly not the last — time, and that is to say thank you to the Scouting community.

Thank you — volunteers, staff and Scouts alike — for everything you do to make Scouting the impactful, life-changing movement that it is. Every day that you don the uniforms of Scouting or work with our members to help them achieve their goals, you demonstrate to the world that there is great responsibility that comes with being associated with our organization: As Scouts, we have a duty to God and to country, and serving others. We proudly embrace that responsibility. And I proudly embrace the responsibility of being your 13^th Chief Scout Executive.

Last week I had my first chance as Chief Scout Executive to share my thoughts about our movement — and the opportunities ahead for us — with Scouting professionals at Top Hands in Dallas. As someone who’s been around Scouting my whole life, I’m certainly no stranger to this organization or its values, but the reception I received from those in attendance far exceeded my expectations, and I want to thank those of you who were there for making me feel welcome in my new role.

In my remarks at Top Hands, I explained that we need to show America that Scouting is alive and well, and we are not only here to stay, but growing. During the last several weeks, I have been working with staff and volunteers around the country on a plan to drive membership growth.  Ultimately, a strategic and innovative plan will help us deliver a high-energy Scouting experience that reflects the interests of today’s youth in a way that represents our key Scouting values and methods. By evolving and advancing the quality of our programs, we have the opportunity to attract more Scouts, grow our organization and build the future we want for Scouting.

In the days and weeks ahead, I will share more on this plan and my vision for our path forward together here on Chief’s Corner. I hope you will stay tuned and share with me your thoughts on the future of the Scouting movement.

Before I end this inaugural blog post, though, I want to extend a sincere thank you to Wayne Brock. Wayne, all of Scouting owes you a debt of gratitude for your leadership as our 12^th Chief Scout Executive. While at the helm of the BSA, you guided us to numerous historically significant milestones in a way that honored the BSA’s rich heritage and positioned us for a successful future. I am fortunate to follow someone who loves this organization as much as I do and who demonstrated that every day on the job. On behalf of our entire Scouting community, we thank you and wish you the best on the road ahead.

Now, to close, let me say thanks one more time:

Thank you for reading.

Mike