2013 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA ANNUAL REPORT 2013 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA ANNUAL REPORT KEY 3 MESSAGE The 2013 National Jamboree was truly a historic event. There had never been a jamboree like this one—partly because there had never before been a jamboree site like the Summit Bechtel Reserve. But we’ve only seen the beginning of the Summit. — Wayne Brock 2 Boy Scouts of America KEY 3 MESSAGE During the first national Scout adventure activities: skateboarding, made friends from distant states, jamboree back in 1937, the most zip-lining, whitewater rafting, they practiced teamwork in their exciting activity was probably mountain biking, rifle shooting, troops and crews, and they even taking in a Washington Senators stand up paddleboarding, rock went offsite to spend a day in game. During the 2013 National climbing, and more. And because community service. Scout Jamboree, the most every venue at the Summit is In short, they did just what Scouts exciting activity was … well, it was ranked number 1, 2, or 3 on the have been doing for more than impossible to determine. planet, those activities were truly a century and what, with your Held at the new Summit Bechtel world class. support, they will continue to do in Family National Scout Reserve But participants did more than the century to come. in West Virginia, the jamboree let just “go big and get wild,” as the Scouts choose from a huge array of jamboree’s theme promised. They Wayne Brock Wayne Perry Tico Perez Chief Scout Executive National President National Commissioner 2013 Annual Report 3 2013 Report to THE NatION WHO WE ARE The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training to more than 2.6 million youth members. With more than 1 million adult volunteers in more than 280 local councils throughout the United States and its territories, Scouting is an ongoing adventure that teaches a powerful set of real-life skills and develops fundamental qualities that help young people become Prepared. For Life.® WHO WE SERVE 1,417,034 boys ages 6 to 10 in Cub Scouting 888,947 boys ages 11 to 17 in Boy Scouting and Varsity Scouting 192,080 young men and women ages 14 to 20 in Venturing and Sea Scouting 418,484 boys and girls in elementary through high school in Learning for Life character education programs 114,894 young men and women ages 14 to 20 in Exploring career-based programs WHat WE DO For more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun and adventure. The following report provides an overview of the impact of Scouting in 2013. 4 Boy Scouts of America SCoutING StrateGICallY: THE Annual OperatING PlanS DRIVING SCoutING There’s an oft-repeated saying outlining our successes and Voice of the Scout and the Net that goes, “What gets measured remaining challenges, as well as Promoter Score gets done.” The same is true hear about two of the tools we use The Net Promoter Score (NPS) in Scouting. Scouts track their to chart our course. is a metric that captures loyalty progress toward the next rank Journey to Excellence to Scouting by measuring the with program handbooks and likelihood that members would This useful performance tool— other resources, while the National recommend the program to their which uses the “balanced Council and local councils set goals friends and family. and measure progress to ensure scorecard” approach to measure Measuring loyalty via the Voice of they’re delivering dynamic, relevant success in five key areas—is the Scout survey program is about programming that youth want. engaging volunteers and staff in discussions focused on how, capturing insight from Scouting’s In 2013, the BSA focused on three together, we can make the most important participants— key areas at the national level: Scouting program even better. It youth, parents, volunteers, and maintaining strong membership has allowed us to focus time and chartered organizations. Regardless levels, increasing financial support resources on key performance of the score, VOS gives us an through a variety of means, and indicators that drive success at the invaluable peek into the progress concentrating on reducing costs local council level—and ultimately we’re making at the national, area, overall. Throughout this report, attract and retain more youth council, and district levels. you will see some key statistics in Scouting. GIVING BACK 77% More than three-fourths of the BSA’s local councils increased the amount of service they provided to their local communities over 2012—a concrete example of putting Scout spirit into action. 2013 Annual Report 5 A New HOME FOR ADVenture On July 15—just 33 months after rifles, pistols, shotguns, and bows son’s experience: “Did he dislike its groundbreaking—the Summit at 13 acres of ranges. some of the food? Yes. Are his Bechtel Family National Scout But not every activity was fueled by hiking boots so mud saturated they Reserve opened for business near adrenaline. The CONSOL Energy are unusable now? Yes. Did he Beckley, West Virginia. As the last Bridge offered leisurely strolls and have the best time of his short life construction vehicles pulled out, breathtaking views of the site, while and accumulate a ton of memories 36,595 youth and adult participants the 125-foot-tall Sustainability and skills that will stay with him streamed in for the 2013 National Treehouse showcased the green- forever? YES.” Scout Jamboree. building principles that guided That Scout—and thousands What they experienced over the every aspect of the Summit’s more—won’t have to wait until the next 10 days was truly astounding: development. Also, for the first 2017 National Scout Jamboree to rafting the world-class New time at a jamboree, Scouts traveled return. In 2014, the Paul R. Christen River; flying down 5 miles of zip offsite for a day of service, logging National High Adventure Base lines; pedaling along 36 miles of nearly 150,000 service hours in will open at the Summit, offering mountain bike trails; skateboarding nearby communities. weeklong adventures for Boy at one of the world’s largest A mom from New York spoke for Scouts and Venturers who want to outdoor skate parks; and shooting many when she described her go big and get wild. 6 Boy Scouts of America The experience of moving through the trees was more powerful than we imagined. — Brendan Connolly, partner at Seattle-based architecture firm Mithun, designer of the Sustainability Treehouse 2013 Annual Report 7 GOING GREENER Scouting was green when green This fall, we held our second was just a color. Generations of sustainability summit at the Scouts have learned to leave Greenbrier Resort, bringing nothing but footprints and take together representatives from an nothing but pictures. Now, they can array of industries for four days even earn a merit badge that’s all of discussion, education, and about sustainability. collaboration. Attendees visited the But learning about sustainability Summit’s Sustainability Treehouse, isn’t limited to individual Scouts. a 125-foot-tall, 4,000-square- The Summit Bechtel Family foot centerpiece of Scouting’s National Scout Reserve has given commitment to sustainability. The us an outdoor laboratory in which treetop structure was named one to experiment with sustainable of the “top 10 most sustainable forestry, green construction, and exemplars of U.S. architecture” for the creative reuse of materials. This 2013 by the American Institute of strip-mine-turned-Scout-camp has Architects (AIA) and its Committee also given us a model we can share on the Environment (COTE). far beyond Scouting. 8 Boy Scouts of America ONE OatH, ONE Law, ONE MOVement In the BSA’s earliest days, there soon will. Venturing will adopt the was just one Scouting program— Scout Oath and Scout Law in May Boy Scouting—and it used the 2014, followed by Cub Scouting at Scout Oath and Scout Law. Over the start of the 2015-2016 program the years, new programs have year. The change will emphasize come along and with them new the unity of the Scouting movement codes: the Cub Scout Promise, and make it a bit easier for Cub the Law of the Pack, the Venturing Scouting and Venturing to live Oath, and the Venturing Code. out Scouting’s mission and vision Those other programs aren’t going statements, both of which refer to away, but their codes of conduct the Scout Oath and Scout Law. 2013 Annual Report 9 New MERIT BadGES More than steppingstones to Boy Scout advancement, merit badges offer solid introductions to careers, hobbies, and vital life skills. What Scouts learn today enhances their competitive edge tomorrow—but only so long as badge content remains current. A fisherman does This year, as part of our never-ending quest to keep not bait his hook Scouting relevant, we updated one badge—Cycling, with food he likes. which got a much-requested mountain biking He uses food the fish option—and introduced three new badges, each of likes. So with boys. which supports our increasing emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning. In Game Design, Scouts analyze the board, outdoor, — Lord Baden-Powell or video games they’ve played; learn the elements of game design; and create and test their own games in whichever media they choose. In Programming, they go behind the screens to discover the computer languages that power our world today. In Sustainability, they explore topics ranging from climate change and species extinction to green chemistry and zero-waste manufacturing, all while learning to balance the priorities of people, prosperity, and the planet.