To Serve All Youth with Relevant Programs to Prepare them for Life

With more than 11,000 adult volunteers giving leadership to programs that serve over 25,000 registered youth members across 63 counties and the City of St. Louis, the impact of Scouting is profound.  To maintain and expand this impact, the Board Strategic Planning Committee gathered feedback from volunteers, staff, community partners, and families we serve.  Feedback came through surveys, listening sessions, camp leaders’ meetings, Help Center and customer support requests, social media commentary, and many other sources.  Through that process, they learned there is a collective desire and need to achieve four goals:

GREATER RELEVANCE TO TODAY’S YOUTH   |   ELEVATED IDENTITY IN THE REGION   |   STRENGTHENED LONG-TERM VIABILITY   |   KEY PARTNER IN THE ECOSYSTEM OF YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS

Strategic Priority #1:  Optimized “Core” (Quality Program for All Scouts)

• Value Statement:  Ensure that every Scout has a quality experience.
• Success Measure:  Ensure that more than 80% of units achieve a rating of A or B as determined by metric-based standards for an optimal unit.
• 2025 Key Initiatives
  • Utilize data-driven insights to evaluate, support, and enhance the health and performance of units and their ability to serve and retain youth members.
  • Create a new district model to bring Scouting to youth, families, and communities, with a focus on strengths while recognizing the challenges of operating in 2025.
  • Develop an Arrow of Light to Scouts BSA transition plan to include a council-level crossover event and recruitment emphasis in Spring 2025.
  • Increase adoption of Scoutbook among Cub Scout packs and Scouts BSA troops to streamline tools, enable new communication and feedback channels, enhance unit support, and provide insights into key experiences that shape the Ideal Scout Journey and boost youth retention.

Strategic Priority #2:  Reimagined Programming for New Audiences

• Value Statement:  Serve the community by utilizing our program resources.
• Success Measure: Increase property usage with 2,000 non-Scout members participating in weekday programs at council camps.
• 2025 Key Initiatives
  • Expand Discovery Base at Beaumont to serve more schools and students.
  • Utilize the STEM trailer to serve outside groups at camps or off-site on 30 additional weekdays at $150 per day.
  • Develop a home school groups program to launch in 2026.
  • Secure funding for an Underground Railroad interactive learning trail at Camp Warren Levis in Godfrey, IL.

Strategic Priority #3:  Elevated Local Branding, Awareness, and Community Impact

• Value Statement:  Champion the positive impact of Scouting locally.
• Success Measure: Increase 2025 overall social media impressions (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X) to 1,500,000 total impressions.
• 2025 Key Initiatives
  • Facilitate an environment for a natural grass-roots campaign to promote Scouting.
  • Revitalize our communication channels
  • Highlight our impact.
  • Enhance the online Help Center experience.

Strategic Priority #4:  Next Level Engagement of Our People (Volunteers, Board, and Staff)

• Value Statement:  Achieve optimum engagement of our people to ensure continuity.
• Success Measure:  Through training and development, engage all key district volunteers, council volunteers, and staff to ensure succession planning and defined roles.
• 2025 Key Initiatives
  • Refine the alignment of individual staff development goals with both performance expectations and potential career paths.
  • Fill key district volunteer positions and ensure succession planning.
  • An improved and easily accessible council website will be fully optimized by December 31, 2025.

Strategic Priority #5:  Capacity Building to Support Long-Term Sustainability

• Value Statement:  Increase revenue to serve all youth with relevant and innovative programs for future generations.
• Success Measure:  Increase revenue by $500,000 by Dec. 31, 2025.
• 2025 Key Initiatives
  • Launch a comprehensive major gifts/endowment campaign.
  • Assess current programs, activities, and facilities to determine the most impactful operating model that also provides financial viability.
  • Develop new revenue models with significant impact on the organization’s financials.

2023 Successes

• 85% of Scouting units achieved a health rating of A or B, exceeding the goal of 80%
• Female membership increased by 24%
• Discovery Base at Beaumont was launched and served 266 students from area schools
• Mobile STEM trailer was booked for 13 weekday programs and funding was secured for a new STEM vehicle to serve the central Illinois region
• Garnered 22,000 unique (new) visitors to stlbsa.org, exceeding the goal of 12,000
• Marketing strategy highlighting the benefits of volunteering was launched in November
• Individual staff development plans were presented in December
• Test launch of a new progressive web app (PWA) was approved
• District nominating committee process was revised

2024 Successes

• 87% of Scouting units achieved a health rating of A or B, achieving the goal.
• GatewayTraders.org had $73,041 in total sales in 2024, which was a 29% increase over 2023. There were 1,469 sales made online, which was a 35%
  increase over 2023.
• Discovery Base at Beaumont went into its 2nd year of operation and served 1,162 students from area schools.
• Mobile STEM trailer was booked for 24 weekday programs.
• A new mobile STEM vehicle became operational to serve central Illinois.
• Recruited campaign cabinet and officially launched comprehensive campaign.
• Assessed specific special events and made changes resulting in exceeding net goal.
• Evaluated camp properties for financial sustainability and developed plans to modify operations.