With every camporee and merit badge earned by Scouts at camp this summer, we know that thousands of Scouts are benefitting from the programs you help bring to life in your community. Yet we also know that we are facing a challenging time as an organization.

Your community needs clarifying, reassuring communication about the importance and future of Scouting. In addition to our regular monthly communications and your efforts in your councils, we now have an opportunity through Scouting Ambassadors to help empower many more on-the-ground Scouting influencers to help amplify timely, accurate messages to reach more volunteers and parents.

You may have heard about BSA Parents, the new non-profit established by Scouting families. Much like that organization looks to bring attention to the benefits of Scouting from the perspective of parents, the Scouting Ambassadors initiative will identify and activate vital local advocates in your community.

These Scouting Ambassadors will connect with individual units, volunteers, and parents to increase how quickly and expansively we deliver important information and celebrate successes – and also how quickly we can in turn learn about your Scouting success stories and amplify them at a national level.

In the last few weeks, your council leaders have worked to identify, engage, and begin empowering the Scouting Ambassadors in your community. It’s important to emphasize that Scouting Ambassadors can take a variety of forms and include a combination of strong communicators, such as commissioners, unit leaders, board members, alumni, NYLT and Woodbadge staff, and district committee members, as well as powerful advocates within the community beyond Scouting, such as schools, local businesses, and other important stakeholders.

Once your council has hosted orientation meetings with its Scouting Ambassadors – either in person or virtually – we will work with councils to empower your Ambassadors so that they can each develop a plan to reach to the community, establish connections, and serve as a resource for Scouting news and information.

Each Ambassador should identify approximately three units to serve and will be provided with support materials, as well as ongoing access to updates from the Boy Scouts of America about key organization priorities. The goal will be to ensure that these Ambassadors are empowered to engage their units and offer in-person parent meetings to share timely, accurate information.

If you work with somebody that you think your council should consider as a Scouting Ambassador, please make sure to share your feedback and ideas with your Scout Executive.

Sample email to Scouting Ambassadors

Dear trusted and valued Scout volunteer,

You have been identified as one of the best and brightest Scouting volunteers in our council.  As such, I’m asking you to be a Scouting Ambassador during this important time for Scouting.

During these times, it’s important to have a cadre of “Scouting Ambassadors” to help more people better understand the importance of Scouting, celebrate our successes and share information to help clarify misinformation. 

That’s where you come into play!

We want you as a Scouting Ambassador to serve as a credible, local advocate who can connect with individual units, volunteers and parents to increase how quickly and expansively we deliver information and celebrate successes.

Should further media attention occur, we want you to be empowered to quickly contact your units (approximately three per Ambassador) and offer in-person parent meetings to share timely and accurate information in a direct and transparent manner.

We know you are extremely busy, but I’m hopeful you will set the following evening aside to attend our Scouting Ambassadors meeting on (INSERT DATE) at (INSERT TIME) at (INSERT LOCATION). 

Please take a moment to mark your calendar and RSVP to —-(INSERT EMAIL) — on whether or not you will be able to attend.

Thanks for everything you currently do and will continue to do to assure BSA’s bright future,

Scout Executive

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