Over the past several years, the Mayflower Council has struggled to achieve measurable gains in many of the initiatives stated in our Long-Range Strategic Plan, which mirrors the four functions of Scouting: Membership; Program; Fundraising; and Unit Service. While some of the obstacles we faced were beyond our control, there were challenges that kept coming up that deserved more analysis.
After much consideration and input from staff members, our district and council leadership, best practices from other councils, and an honest assessment of where the Mayflower Council is today, I am pleased to share some changes to our staff structure that I am convinced will yield greater success in all areas of our council operations, the most significant of which is serving more young people with a high quality Scouting program.
As you all know, membership and units have been falling for many years. We have also struggled to raise the funds necessary to sustain our program and keep our camp properties in top condition. We have continued doing the same thing and expecting a different result. We all know that this isn’t a winning strategy and we are not alone in these struggles. Most councils across the country have had similar experiences, although there are some who have taken a new approach and are seeing some positive movement as a result.
I have compared best practices to the needs of the Mayflower Council and will incorporate some of these methods into a plan specifically designed to take advantage of our resources and strengthen our focus on the areas where we must improve.
While some councils have shifted completely to what they call a “Specialized” model, with staff focused on one function like: Membership development, New Unit development, Unit Service, Program, or Fundraising, I believe a hybrid model seems better suited to our needs where we have some staff focused on one specific function, while others oversee two functions.
We have established four teams and subject matter primary contacts to address specific Council needs: Membership and Unit Service will be one team; Development will be a team; another team will focus on Program; and the final team will handle the Administration process.
Our Membership and Unit Service team will be led by Rick Riopelle and there will be three District Executives assigned to work with our district committees and commissioner corps to focus specifically on membership and unit growth and serving our existing units. Marcella will serve as the support staff for this team, processing all membership and unit service requests. Jack Colamaria, Rob Hillman, and Ian Furst will provide the service in the field to our teams of volunteers.
Our Development team will be led by Jim Corcoran and we will have one Fundraising Executive assigned to this function. In addition, Carlene Covino will be supporting the Development team as they work on Friends of Scouting, Popcorn Sales, Special events, Foundations and Trusts, and seeking new opportunities to increase our direct support funding for Operating, Capital, and Endowment.
The Program team will be led by Hunter McCormick who joined our team on April 1st. He brings a wealth of experience, and a sales mentality to our council and district programs. Hunter will serve as our professional staff member with both Camp Rangers and Nora Scott providing support functions. Their focus will be increasing participation in our camp programs as well as our council and district activities.
I will lead the Administration team and will have Mary, Tyler Ericson, and Lisa supporting fiscal management and the systems and processes of council operations.
While each team will be focused on their specific assignments, they will not operate without interaction and cooperation with each of the other teams. To help volunteers and district leadership know who to contact when they need help, we have created a staff responsibility list with primary contacts available here.
I am looking forward to improved efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability with our new roles and am excited about this new opportunity and the teams we have in place to accomplish growth in each of these areas in the coming months and years.
Yours in Scouting,
Bryan Feather
Scout Executive / CEO
