SCOUTS CANADA GROUP MANAGEMENT

At Scouts Canada, our Mission is clear: to help develop well-rounded youth, better prepared for success in the world. We do this by enabling thousands of young Canadians to engage in safe, youth-led, adventurous programs in hundreds of communities across Canada. Scouting is the world’s leading youth movement with a membership of more than 40 million in over 200 countries and territories. For more than 100 years, Scouts Canada has brought a world of adventure, outdoor experience, friendship, and fun to 17 million Canadian youth.

Brand Promise:              Kids in Scouts have fun adventures discovering new things and experiences they wouldn’t have elsewhere.

Along the way, kids develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world. Scouts is the start of something great.

Scout Group:                A Scout Group, often simply referred to as a “Group”, is the implementation of our Mission at the community level. The vast majority of Scouting programs, Volunteer activities and community engagements happen through local Groups. The experiences that parents and youth have with their local Group, positive or negative, will often determine their overall opinion of Scouts Canada. Scout Groups exist as a team of Volunteers who work together to deliver on our brand promise by offering high-quality Scouting programs in the community that they serve.

Five Priorities:              In order for Scouting in Canada to be as impactful as possible, we have identified Five Key Priorities for Success to ensure that Groups are focusing their efforts on the right activities.

• Mission Impact (Membership Growth)
• Safety Leadership
• Program Quality
• Volunteer Support
• Group Capacity

Group Health:               Long-term, sustainable membership growth depends on having healthy Groups. A Group Commissioner should assess the health of their Group as it relates to Scouts Canada’s expectations. This type of key information can help Group Commissioners and their teams predict whether their Groups or Sections are headed in the right direction. Group Health is measured by a Group Health Navigator.

Group Playbook:           The Group Management Playbook is the Key Resource for a Group Commissioner to understand the expectations of the role, the annual calendar of activities and access to key resources and support.

ROLE OF THE GROUP COMMISSIONER (& GROUP COMMITTEE)

Accountable to the assigned Group Support Scouter or Relationship Manager, the Group Commissioner provides leadership to ensure safe, high-quality programs through Group health to deliver the Canadian Path program and Scouts Canada’s Five Priorities at both Group and Section level. The Group Commissioner is ultimately accountable for the success of the Five Priorities within their Group. As our front-line Volunteer managers, Group Commissioners have a critical role in building a healthy and vibrant Scouting movement in Canada – while being the visible ambassador of Scouts Canada within their community.

Accountable To:            Either the Group Support Scouter (GSS) or Relationship Manager (RM) as delegated and assigned by the Council Key 3 (“CK3”).

Term:                           Appointed and re-appointed annually by the GSS / RM, in consultation with the membership within the Group to be served. The Group Commissioner shall not hold office more than three (3) consecutive years

Time Required:              Minimum 10 to 15 hours per month. Additional 2 to 3 weekends per year.

In Summary, the Group Commissioner:

• Leads the group to positively impacting our Scouting Vision and Mission through membership growth
• Role models and leads a positive culture that encourages safety first, risk management, sustainable growth, program quality and group health
• Is committed to Scouts Canada’s program—the Canadian Path—that integrates the Four Key Elements: Adventure, Plan-Do- Review, SPICES and Youth-led
• Ensures Scouts Canada’s Volunteer Support Strategy is implemented to all Scouters within the Group and that members (volunteers and youth participants) feel supported, recognized and rewarded for their contributions.
• Works directly with Groups Support Scouters (GSSs) and/or Relationship Managers (RMs) who acts as their single point of contact for support – making it easier for Groups to get help where and when they need it to be successful.

Mission Impact - Membership growth

Groups should be committed to ensuring that every child has an opportunity to participate in Scouting, and we will work together to meet or exceed an annual 10% growth in full-time youth membership. To achieve this goal, Sections and Groups must engage regularly in recruitment activities and keep a close eye on youth attendance and year-over-year retention. In practical terms, we can exceed our growth goal by adding one youth to each of our Sections across the country every year.

• Utilize the Group Health Navigator to conduct Group health reviews and develop plans to close
• Ensure adherence to the minimum requirements as laid out in the policies, procedures and standards of Scouts Canada;
• That Scouting values, member code of conduct and behaviours are consistent with Scouts Canada’s requirements and
• The role of the Group Committee in business planning is to ensure that long-term (3–5 years), annual and short-term (monthly–quarterly) plans are in place at the Section and Group
• Promote the successes of the Group and Sections via active recognition and encourage opportunities for Sections to interact with groups from parts of the Council
• Be a positive ambassador of Scouts Canada’s communications strategy/program to ensure effective change management
• Ensure familiarity and utilization of with key Scouts Canada resources: ca, organizational policies, and procedures, to enable the effective flow of accurate and timely information

Safety Leadership

Safety leadership is more than ensuring compliance. It is about setting the tone of what is both acceptable and desirable to ensure we maintain a safe environment and behaviours that role-model for our youth a leading safety culture. While safety leadership may sound complicated, it is often simply choosing to do what is right as opposed to what is expedient. The role of the GC is to ensure health and safety must be integrated into everything we do.

• Ensure the policies, procedures and standards of Scouts Canada are adhered to at all times;
• Ensure all volunteers (section and group committee members) receive the support necessary to perform their roles
• Ensure appropriate risk management is conducted at all levels of the
• Ensure the safety of regular meeting places; and, the safety of all outdoor activities;
• Ensure that all Section Contact Scouters and "Scouters in Charge" execute their requirements and the minimum expectations for Emergency Response.
• Ensure the safe maintenance of group equipment;
• Ensure only safe adults are appointed as Scouters and that volunteer screening procedures are implemented;
• Ensure that all incidents are reported in a timely manner and

Program Quality

Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. Commissioners and Section Scouters shall ensure the following minimum requirements of the (Canadian Path) program are included in annual Section plans and implemented in regular Section meetings:

• The Four Elements (Youth-Led, Plan-Do-Review, Adventure & SPICES)
• The Scout Method
• A balanced program that explores all six Program Areas

There are many things that Group Committees can do to support Sections, but in general, they should try to remove any barriers that Sections face in facilitating a great program. Section Scouters should focus on program and each youth’s personal progression, while the Group Committee should try to support Sections by ensuring that administrative and Volunteer-support tasks are completed in a timely manner: finances, fundraising, meeting location bookings, Volunteer recruitment and screening, Group events, etc. Group Committees should not, however, lose sight of why these activities are undertaken: to provide the youth of their community with a great, safe Scouting experience.

• Routinely meet with Section Scouters to understand their needs for in-person support – work with the assigned GSS or RM to help identify local, within group, or external support
• Review the Canadian Path Navigator self-assessments with Sections and Youth Leadership Teams
• Ensure medium (quarterly) and long-term (annual / multi-year) plans are discussed at the Group Committee
• Ensure sections are pursuing Top Section Awards and possibly Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Volunteer Support

Scouting is made possible by the thousands of engaged Volunteers that contribute their time to creating a better world. We know that Volunteer engagement is largely driven by the support provided by the Volunteer’s supervising Commissioner through the Volunteer Support Strategy. The three main drivers of Volunteer engagement are onboarding, local support and constructive feedback.

• Be an advocate for youth input and involvement at the Group level and ensure appropriate opportunities are made available – including youth membership at both the section level and group committee e.g. Troop Patrol Leaders, Company Leader, Beaver and Cub youth leader
  • Note: The Group Youth Commissioner role was disbanded and incorporated into the Section Leadership Teams – these Youth Leaders are equal members of the Group Committee.
• Ensure all volunteers (section and group committee members) receive the support necessary to perform their roles
• Develop positive working relationships with the youth, Scouters, parents, and community partners
• Promote succession planning for Group Commissioners and other key Group Volunteer Roles – ensuring youth are considered, and prioritized, in the selection process

Group Capacity

Every Group needs to ensure that it has enough dedicated Volunteers to provide Scouting programs to the youth in its community. The Group Committee can play an important part in the Volunteer recruitment process. Section Scouters often struggle to have meaningful conversations with parents about volunteering because they’re so busy with youth and their meeting. Having a Group Committee member present to engage with parents during drop-off and pick-up, allows the Group to develop its parent prospect pool. Having the Group Committee involved in the recruitment process also helps ensure the integration of the Volunteer screening and onboarding processes, ensuring a great experience for new applicants.

• Actively recruit Group Committee Scouters to assist the Group Commissioner with supporting the needs of the Group
• Promote and actively support the recruitment, appointment and ongoing training of new Scouters and Parent Helpers
• Provide feedback to Section Scouters and Group Committee members quarterly identifying opportunities for professional growth and development

Group Finances and Fundraising

As with all small business, households, or volunteer organizations – every Group needs to ensure they have resources available to deliver on their commitments and enable safe, fun, adventures for youth. In Scouts Canada, the Group Commissioner is ultimately responsible for the financial health and fundraising within the Group. Adventures are fueled by Popcorn – the National fundraiser for Scouts Canada that ensures thousands of youth are able to go on adventures for the first time. In addition, the Scouts Canada’s No One Left Behind (NOLB) program ensures that deserving families can always participate not limited by personal resources.

• Establish a fundraising team or individual to define and achieve fundraising targets tied to youth defined adventures
• Integrate the National Fundraiser – Scouts Popcorn – into the Group’s annual plans
• Ensure financial plans, reporting and accounting meet Scouts Canada requirements

Continuous Improvement / Group Health & Management

Long-term, sustainable membership growth depends on having healthy Groups. The Group Health Navigator helps Group Commissioners develop an action plan that will contribute to long-term sustainable growth by measuring behaviours against the Five Priorities for Success. Groups will progress through different stages of maturity. The state of the Group relates to its degree of planning and engagement. The goal for Groups should be to reach at least stage 3 of maturity in each measure of Group Health.

1. Passive Management: The Group offers fun & safe activities for youth; however, management is limited and largely
2. Thoughtful Management: The Group engages in basic planning with some thought given to key
3. Proactive Management: The Group engages in rigorous planning and consults stakeholders to anticipate future
4. Management Excellence: The Group operates with a high degree of professionalism; plans are fully integrated and ensure long-term success in the community.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

Role Specific Competencies

• A passion for, and alignment to, Scouts Canada’s Mission and Vision is essential
• Demonstrate leadership, management, problem solving, delegation and decision-making skills
• Possess a strong leadership experience – ideally with volunteer background
  • Scouting experience is highly desirable albeit section experience is not
• Well-developed and effective interpersonal, team-player and communication skills
• Ability to build and hold relationships with community leaders and partnerships in Scouting
• Proven ability to inspire confidence, teamwork, and leadership in others, encouraging a climate favorable for group health and growth
• Goal-oriented with an ability to help others in a team perform well to hitting key performance indicators
• Excellent planning, organizational and problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of Scouts Canada’s Policies, Procedures, Standards, program and structure
• Model positive behaviours appropriate to Scouting
• Be a registered and active member of Scouting and must maintain the most current level of training
• Competent Microsoft Office 365 user with experience in mobile and web-based technology platforms
  • Use of digital and mobile technologies is a growing essential
• 14 years old or above

RESOURCES & TRAINING

Significant resources are available to the new Group Commissioner – including a dedicated website portal, playbook, resource tools and a dedicated GC training for onboarding and orientation. Note: GCs will be expected to complete their GC WB1 online before participating in the in-person training course.

• Group Support Centre – Portal
• Group Management Playbook
• Group Health Navigator
• Canadian Path Navigator
• Group Management Calendar
• BP&P: Group Committee guide to safety, planning, emergency response,