• Committee Chair – The top volunteer in the unit is the Committee Chair. They are responsible for ensuring enough qualified adult volunteers are in place to provide the program. They lead the unit committee meetings.
• Unit Leader – The leader of the unit meeting is the unit leader (Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Crew Advisor, Skipper) and is responsible for developing and delivering the “program.”
• Chartered Organization Representative (COR) – This person appoints the unit committee chair and approves all adult leaders. They provide resources from the chartered organization.

The Key 3 addresses unit challenges, checks on Journey to Excellence status, and adjusts program and administrative elements to ensure unit progress toward Journey to Excellence.

• This group meets frequently to discuss the unit, its challenges, coming events, and progress toward completing their action plan and Journey to Excellence goals.
• Ensures that a monthly program and unit budget plan are in place and on track. These items are critical for unit success. Encourage long-range planning for a positive experience for all.
• Support systems that will ensure a well-organized unit are: the monthly Unit Key 3 meeting, monthly committee and leader meetings, and regular parent meetings.
• Encourages a unit-wide communication system. Communication takes many forms: newsletter, phone tree, email, website, app. Whatever fits the unit.
• Encourages training of all registered adults in the unit. Encourages them to take This Is Scouting and Leader Specific Training for their position prior to their first meeting. Vigorously enforces Youth Protection Training. Makes sure the adult leaders are aware of training opportunities. Through the district commissioner, enlists the help of the training team to bring adult leader training to the unit if necessary.
• Helps unit leaders get additional training as needed. Through the unit and district commissioners, requests progressive specialty training as needed. Topics might include recruiting youth members, information on Friends of Scouting, advancement, etc. While it is the responsibility of the district committee, it may be necessary to conduct sections of this training at the unit level.
• Encourages participation in district activities. Encourages attendance at roundtable, district activities, and camping opportunities. Keeps the district and council calendars in mind when helping the Unit Key 3 schedule unit meetings and events.

You can use My.Scouting.org for a wide variety of things. Parents can use it to transfer their Scout from one unit to another (how-to PDF), such as when a Webelos moves from a pack to a troop. Adult leaders can use it to take position-specific training. The Key 3 can use it to accept online applications and must use it to complete the annual rechartering of their unit.

In addition to these functions, this portal provides all adults access to their personal account data, a place to update contact information, and…yes, the ability to complete YPT. Make sure your My.Scouting.org profile contains your BSA member ID number; that way, your training record will automatically update when you finish an online course. BSA member ID numbers do not transfer from one council to another, but you can include both in your profile if you have IDs from multiple councils.

When setting up a My.Scouting.org account, be sure to link it to your Mayflower Council BSA member ID number. Forgot your ID number, your username or your password? Not sure if you have a member ID number or a My.Scouting.org account? Contact the Membership & Unit Service Team (membership@mayflowerbsa.org) before you create a new account– we can check to see if you have a member ID number, provide your username, and reset your password.

In the “BSA Web Links” section of My.Scouting.org (under “Menu”), you’ll also find links to Internet Advancement, the National Safety Council Defensive Driving Course, and Service Hours Reporting. Unit leaders have access to their unit roster and other information designed to help in managing the unit.

One last note: depending on the leadership position for which you are registered, you may not see every tool that someone else has available on their dashboard. So, it’s important that when your unit recharters at the end of each year, they accurately record your leadership position.

If you have trouble logging in to My.Scouting.org, contact Office Manager Lisa Olson for assistance.

Scoutbook is an advancement tracking tool. From the first knot tied to final hours of service performed, the Scouting experience is a journey like none other. And Scoutbook is your go-to tool to ensures not a moment is missed – tracking advancement, milestone achievements and all the fun along the way. It also has messaging, help forums, service, hiking, camping tracking and calendaring features.

Important Reminders for Scoutbook:

• Adding or transferring a scout or adult to your unit’s Scoutbook account does not register them with your unit and doesn’t mean they have a valid membership. All Scouts and adult leaders must complete an application, either online or submit a paper (or PDF version) of the application. This is true whether a person is new to Scouting, changing from one pack, troop or crew to another, or even changing adult leader positions.
• Once an application is processed, the individual should appear in your unit’s Scoutbook in approximately 24-48 hours. Wait for this sync to occur, instead of manually adding anyone.
• Scoutbook doesn’t allow duplicate emails, so the same email address can’t be used for two accounts.
• Your Scoutbook login is the same as your My.Scouting.org login. If you aren’t sure if you have a login, you can’t remember your login, need a password reset or you’re getting an error, contact Office Manager Lisa Olson.
• Scoutbook Guide: help.scoutbook.scouting.org
• Scouting Forums: discussions.scouting.org

If you’re new to Scouts BSA, we’ve created a digital “10 Essentials Quick Start Guide” for you. These are 10 easy steps with videos, links, etc. to get you and your Scout started on your incredible journey with us! (Unit leaders: please add a link to the guide in your “Be a Scout” welcome message to new members. Feedback is always welcome too!)

Incident Reporting will be a highly monitored reporting area in the Scout post-bankrupt operating environment. We need to ensure that all Scout leaders understand what Incident Reporting is and why it is important that all incidents are accurately and timely reported. Scouting strongly encourages units to report any incident so risk management can ensure any unsafe conditions are addressed and safety measures are put in place. We may also recommend training that may need to be created or enhanced to ensure safety and for insurance purposes. The Incident Report landing page link below, will explain why reporting is so important and the links to the appropriate report.

Please share this information with other unit leaders and assistants so they are aware of the reporting requirements.

Webelos prepares Scouts for the change from Cub Scouting to Scouts BSA. While Webelos are members of a Cub Scout pack, they become more involved in planning their own activities and performance approval begins to move from parents to unit leaders.

The two-year Webelos experience is a time of transition from Cub Scouting to crossing the bridge to membership in a Scouts BSA troop. Webelos and their families should be familiar and comfortable with the youth and adult leaders of the Scouts BSA troop, their role in the troop and troop activities, and feel excited about beginning this new adventure. The passage from a pack to a troop should be smooth, with no time lost in between. The crossover ceremony should clearly signify the transition to a new level of Scouting.

The key factor to a good Webelos transition is the ongoing working relationship of the leaders of a Cub Scout pack and a Scouts BSA troop. Ideally, a community organization would have both a pack and a troop with leaders who work together to help move Webelos Scouts into a Scouts BSA troop, the same way schools move students from elementary school to middle school.

By planning and coordinating their efforts, the pack and troop can help make the Webelos-to-Scout transition seamless and give all Webelos a chance to experience the fun and excitement of joining a Scouts BSA troop.

Of the six programs the BSA offers, typically over 50% of registered youth are in the Cub Scout program. Annually, we recruit more first graders to be Tigers than any other age group across all programs. In 2020, many units were unable or chose not to recruit in their communities. As a result, youth membership in the BSA plummeted.

It is time for a reset this fall, so everyone is being asked to focus on membership recruitment. As critical as that effort will be, data tells us that in a typical year we have had a problem with keeping them in the program. Voice of the Scout surveys have told us that families leave because of a poor den experience.

Dens are where the action happens, it’s where we conduct activities in the form of the Adventure program. Den leaders are well meaning adults who volunteered to guide a bunch of kids through a series of activities to reach the goal of completing an Adventure. Our volunteer den leaders like to have a playbook from which to draw and know what to do when holding a den meeting. They want to know what they should be doing with the youth and how to get it done. Our den leaders are not child development experts, they are parents and adults who volunteer. At the beginning of each program year, our den leaders and Cub Scouts are both stepping into the great unknown.

Advancement is how we deliver our program and measure the outcome, but advancement is not the end goal: it is a method for running a den meeting. Advancement should not define the activities to be completed; activities should lead to advancement. Cub Scouts do not have the developmental understanding of why they must complete certain requirements to “advance.” They came to the meeting to have a good time and do something fun. Typically, that’s all the Cub Scout cares about.

On the way home from a den meeting, Cub Scouts should be able to tell their families that they had FUN. They should be able to describe the meeting with glee and excitement and a need to return. If a Cub Scout looks out the car window and says, “That was boring,” chances are he or she will not be back to the next
den meeting or register for another program year.

Our challenge is to be sure den leaders are aware of the many resources available to help our leaders provide the best program possible; each and every meeting. Let’s re-set and focus on member experiences that shine and provide great fun and adventures.

BSA resources available to provide the best Cub Scout experience for new membership – youth and adult.

Share the Scouting Adventure With Your Friends

Share Your Scouting Photos In Our #backtoschoolbacktoscouting Contest – Ends September 30!

Help us share the Scouting story by sharing your Scout’s great adventures with us and with others. Simply take a moment to share a photo or something exciting you did in Scouts on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram through Sept. 30th with the hashtag #backtoschoolbacktoscouting. Sharing your photos will qualify you to win special prizes such as Amazon gift cards!

Scouting instills values, gives youth a competitive edge and helps them become resilient adults, adults who lead. Scouting brings families together and gives them the platform for true, quality time together, where memories can be made that last a lifetime.

We also recognize that in your social circles, some may wonder about Scouting. They may ask questions about things they’ve heard or seen. They may be confused about who we are and what we do.

To help you answer those questions, we’ve put together a few tools for you.

We need to remind our communities why Scouting has thrived for more than 110-years. While we’ve evolved over the decades, along with our country, our values remain grounded in the same Scout Oath and Law.

Every family in our country should be invited and welcomed into Scouting.

If parents want their children to:

• Be of good character
• To experience the outdoors
• To make friends
• To have fun
• To learn things that will help them navigate life
• To be inspired to find careers and lifelong hobbies
• To work cooperatively with peers and adults
• And so much more

Then, they should try Scouting.

Please use the following tips and tools to help facilitate conversation as needed. You may have already received that question: “What’s going on with Scouting? What am I hearing about?”

If you encounter a question you can’t answer or need some help, do not hesitate to reach out to our Director of Field Service, Rick Riopelle.

Before any conversation about Scouting ends, don’t forget to invite them to join. The easiest way to do that is to invite them to join your unit and they can register online at www.BeAScout.org.

We are offering interactive hands on sessions for BeAScout.org pin information, online applications and online leads.

If you are a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, crew advisor, committee chair or key three delegate, you are invited to join us for this session.

The unit key three can also delegate the authority in My.Scouting to a key three delegate to approve online youth applications. Don’t know how? Our workshop will show you!

These workshops will be hands on so be sure you have access to a computer during the workshop. Two dates available, pick the one that works for you.

Completing the Cub Scout Yo-Yo Preview Adventure and finding fun recruitment giveaways just got a lot easier. Order customized Yo-Yos, choosing your color and adding a logo, or purchase case packs of 12 Yo-Yos, prefect for making sure a den has everything they need for the Yo-Yo Preview Adventure. Duncan also offers the Yo-Yo Teen Program for Scouts BSA to fine-tune their tricks and earn patches long the way.

Changing functional roles can only be done by the COR or COR Delegate. The second tab on the Positions Manager page is for adding and maintaining “Functional Roles” like adding a Key 3 delegate or unit Training Chair. The process to assign or edit is a “drag and drop” method by clicking on a person and then dragging them to the position you are adding them to.