On Beating Pumpkins, Pies in Faces, and Missionary Zeal
What a fantastic website. A friend asked why she should sign up for yet another social networking site, and my blink reaction was the multiple Facebook posts about great Scout happenings that are pointed at a too-broad audience. Some of my friends and family appreciate and love it, and some just don't quite get the Scouting references, significance of certain words or events, and especially humor *yet*; but I keep giving them chances. (Maybe I should read them jokes from Boys' Life!)
When you can, please check out the slide show pictures. Anyone who's been to a Cub or Boy Scout Summer Camp Campfire can appreciate the silliness of run-ons, skits, and pies in faces. These particular pictures, however, deserve a little more explanation.
Our Council is growing. Fourteen consecutive months of traditional and Exploring growth! Our staff and volunteers decided to capitalize on this momentum and challenge ourselves to the equivalent of the Scouting Membership 4 minute mile: grow quality units and quality membership to exceed the previous year end (12/31) by Halloween, (10/31), thereby "beating the pumpkin" and significantly reaching more deserving youth in our communities.
The San Francisco 49ers and NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Steve Young joined our challenge and helped us create the "49ers Kickoff for Scouting" membership campaign. We kicked off August 4th, a whole month earlier than usual, with the help of 49ers staff and cheerleaders, and Council, District, and Unit volunteers.
We ended August +3% and September +3.1% in traditional membership. Polaris District roared ahead with a blazing +6.2% September, firmly taking the lead and vaulting the whole team to number 1 in like-sized California Councils, possibly tops in our National peer-group.
When we told our District Executives they would be immortalized on a Pumpkin Plaque AND they could jam a pie in the face of management of their choosing, competition took off. Michael Wilson and Pioneer leaped ahead and stole the lead, and a combination of luck and hard work brought Dylan Hendrickson and Tom Merwin of Quicksilver close behind. Sally Dia by sheer determination formed one more Exploring Post, bringing Exploring Division into growth over year end.
Pioneer District officially is the first to Beat the Pumpkin, followed by Exploring Division then Quicksilver District. Polaris was within tenths of a percent, followed by Coyote Creek which, while behind, had a very respectable 4 consecutive +2% months.
Michael Wilson, Sally Dia, Dylan Hendrickson, Tom Merwin, and their District/Division Teams will be immortalized as Founders on the Pumpkin Plaque, compliments of Vice President of Membership Doug Erickson, who strategized our 49ers partnership.
Halloween is over and the race, games, and silliness surrounding pumpkins are done for 2009. The momentum gained will help us reach or exceed our goal of 2% year end growth as a Council and deliver the promise to more youth.
Our teams had tremendous fun with pies and pumpkins, but their convictions are so much deeper than numbers and charts. They live and breath the missionary zeal to bring the providential goodness of Scouting to every boy or girl, and will strive, seek, find, and never yield until they do.
When you can, please check out the slide show pictures. Anyone who's been to a Cub or Boy Scout Summer Camp Campfire can appreciate the silliness of run-ons, skits, and pies in faces. These particular pictures, however, deserve a little more explanation.
Our Council is growing. Fourteen consecutive months of traditional and Exploring growth! Our staff and volunteers decided to capitalize on this momentum and challenge ourselves to the equivalent of the Scouting Membership 4 minute mile: grow quality units and quality membership to exceed the previous year end (12/31) by Halloween, (10/31), thereby "beating the pumpkin" and significantly reaching more deserving youth in our communities.
The San Francisco 49ers and NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Steve Young joined our challenge and helped us create the "49ers Kickoff for Scouting" membership campaign. We kicked off August 4th, a whole month earlier than usual, with the help of 49ers staff and cheerleaders, and Council, District, and Unit volunteers.
We ended August +3% and September +3.1% in traditional membership. Polaris District roared ahead with a blazing +6.2% September, firmly taking the lead and vaulting the whole team to number 1 in like-sized California Councils, possibly tops in our National peer-group.
When we told our District Executives they would be immortalized on a Pumpkin Plaque AND they could jam a pie in the face of management of their choosing, competition took off. Michael Wilson and Pioneer leaped ahead and stole the lead, and a combination of luck and hard work brought Dylan Hendrickson and Tom Merwin of Quicksilver close behind. Sally Dia by sheer determination formed one more Exploring Post, bringing Exploring Division into growth over year end.
Pioneer District officially is the first to Beat the Pumpkin, followed by Exploring Division then Quicksilver District. Polaris was within tenths of a percent, followed by Coyote Creek which, while behind, had a very respectable 4 consecutive +2% months.
Michael Wilson, Sally Dia, Dylan Hendrickson, Tom Merwin, and their District/Division Teams will be immortalized as Founders on the Pumpkin Plaque, compliments of Vice President of Membership Doug Erickson, who strategized our 49ers partnership.
Halloween is over and the race, games, and silliness surrounding pumpkins are done for 2009. The momentum gained will help us reach or exceed our goal of 2% year end growth as a Council and deliver the promise to more youth.
Our teams had tremendous fun with pies and pumpkins, but their convictions are so much deeper than numbers and charts. They live and breath the missionary zeal to bring the providential goodness of Scouting to every boy or girl, and will strive, seek, find, and never yield until they do.
Views: 0
Comment
-
Comment by Bryan Kramer on November 11, 2009 at 10:22pm
-
Wow Eric...fantastic blog. Keep it up!!!!
Badge
Communities
Troop 294
Created by Scout Now Network Creator Oct 14, 2009 at 9:54am. Last updated by Scout Now Network Creator Oct 14, 2009.
CubCast
© 2012 Created by Scout Now Network Creator.
Powered by
You need to be a member of The Scout Now Network to add comments!
Join The Scout Now Network