The Boy Scouts of America, known for teaching young people about good citizenship and survival skills, is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary. As the venerable youth organization approaches this big birthday, however, it is preparing for its own survival test: Can it draw Hispanic children into its declining ranks? The group’s goal is to double its Hispanic membership by the time it turns 100.
“One hundred years—that’s a great [target] for us,” said Marcos Nava. Nava is director of the Boy Scouts program’s National Hispanic Initiatives Division.
The Boy Scouts of America remains the largest youth organization in the U.S. However, the club’s membership numbers have been declining steadily. Today, about 2.8 million youths belong to the group. However, that is only about half its peak membership. It reached its peak membership in 1972.
The club’s declining popularity is primarily a result of young people’s changing interests over the years. Many teenagers today are more interested in activities like watching TV and playing video games. Teens today are less interested in the activities for which the Scouts have become famous. These activities include learning to build campfires and memorizing the Scout oath.
In an effort to boost membership, the Boy Scouts organization is attempting to draw into the program more Hispanic children. These children are currently underrepresented in the organization. According to the U.S. Census, 1 in 5 children under age 18 in the U.S. is Hispanic, but only 1 in 33 Scouts is Hispanic. Drawing this growing population to the Boy Scouts could be the key to the organization’s survival.
Rick Cronk is the chairman of the World Scout Committee. Cronk was disappointed to learn that Hispanics were underrepresented in the organization. In the past, the Boy Scouts tried to reach out to Hispanic communities by translating program brochures into Spanish. This effort, Cronk realized, had proven insufficient to help the organization meet its goal of doubling its Hispanic membership by its 100th anniversary.
Cronk, a seasoned business executive, pondered the problem of Hispanic underrepresentation in the Boy Scouts program. He knew the Boy Scouts had a good product. However, much of the organization’s new target group, Hispanics, had never even heard of it. So Cronk made Hispanic outreach a main focus. He set out to “sell” Boy Scouts as if it were any other consumer product. The Boy Scouts organization hired a media and marketing company that reaches out specifically to Hispanic communities. The Boy Scouts also conducted a yearlong survey of Hispanic attitudes toward the Scouts.
“We knew very little about the Hispanic family, how they see us, what they value,” Cronk said.
Based on the results of the survey, the Boy Scouts is now adopting a new approach. Its goal is to create awareness about the organization among parents in Hispanic communities. The organization is kicking off pilot programs in six heavily Hispanic cities to test its new methods. The group is planning radio and television ads and hiring bicultural, Spanish-speaking staffers. It is also partnering with other organizations that serve Hispanics.
“We’re serious about this,” said Rob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive. “This is a reinventing of the Boy Scouts of America.”
The Boy Scouts organization is confident that its renewed effort will successfully reach the Hispanic group. Carlos Alcazar serves on the Boy Scouts National Scoutreach Committee. According to Alcazar, the organization’s traditional values dovetail well with those of Hispanic families. These values include respect, discipline, and community involvement.
“We either are going to figure out how to make Scouting the most exciting, [active] organization for Hispanic kids, or we’re going to be out of business,” said Cronk.
