Planning, Planning, Planning

It is the beginning of May and time for the annual Unit Program Planning Conferences. This year there are a total of five conferences. Details are in the latest edition of The Scouter. It can be found at:
http://www.bsa-gsmc.org/scouter/issue.htm?file=The%20Scouter%2020090428.pdf
The convenience of having five conferences should allow more adult leaders to attend. Every unit should try to send at least two leaders to the conference.

Planning is very important to the health of a unit. To paraphrase a popular saying, a unit that fails to plan should plan to fail. Now is the time to plan, not in the fall. Packs need to spend the fall recruiting and forming new dens. Troops and Crews need to be able to hit the ground running after summer camp and other activities. Spending time now and planning a year out allows time to improve and modify as needed.

Planning should result from input from parents, leaders and most of all the Scouts. Financial planning should also be a part of the planning process. Not only should a budget be developed but also projects for raising money. How much popcorn with the unit sell? Is a bake sale a good option? There must be agreement from all parties in order to be successful. If the leaders plan it and the parents don't buy in, the project may be doomed.

A good year plan can be a great recruitment tool. Parents a very impressed if the unit has a well thought out plan. A calendar can be used for outings and projects. Meeting days and times are overlooked but are very important to new scouting families. Planning can mean the difference between a good unit and a great unit. The choice is yours.