It is an old trick, played by unscrupulous marketers and PR people. The less you are doing it, the more you must talk about it.

We all know the drill. ‘Vegan’ leather (not leather), ‘Chocolate flavoured’ (not chocolate), ‘Classic’ (cheap, old tech dressed up as nostalgia), ‘Home’ made (factory produced), Buses ‘up to’ every ten minutes (every 20 or 30 minutes).

British biscuit manufacturers (and by extension Irish biscuit suppliers, given we have outsourced all that stuff to Blighty these days), have been getting some heat recently because the ‘chocolate’ biscuit bars – staple of kid’s lunchboxes – now contain so little actual chocolate, they can no longer be described as being enrobed in ‘milk chocolate’.

The response of course has been to dial up words like ‘chocolatey’ (i.e.: ‘like’ chocolate), introduce stylized waves of brown to packaging and other such corporate guff. The Scouting Ireland strategy document echoes this broad theme.

‘Scouting is the answer, what is the question’ is a nice strapline, but it is not a strategy. ‘Building Tomorrow’s Scouting Today’ sounds like the line rejected by Eircom when they changed their name to the inane ‘Eir’ and came up with the mind-numbingly dull ‘for your world’ slogan, that even managed to make the old Volvo cars line ‘for life’ sound insightful and interesting.

Nor is the country ready in any event for this rather chipper approach that simply glosses over a six-year train wreck. The word ‘brand’ does not appear even once in the document. This might be because as brands go, the ‘Scouting Ireland’ brand is far from in a credible place, no matter how much we might be deluding ourselves.

The word ‘identity’ crops up, as does the word ‘heritage’, but Scouting’s recent ‘identity’ comprises mis-managing abuse and protecting perpetrators, fobbing off victims, ostracizing whistleblowers and intimidating good Samaritans, not to mention dumping national treasures (and, granted, the occasional harmless pain in the ass) out of the organization.  The rich ‘heritage’ of this 120-year-old entity / collection of entities is tainted with faded black and white or washed out colour photos containing smirking figures who presided over or participated in the mess today’s leadership is trying to grapple with.

One is not necessarily suggesting we do an ‘Irish Rail’ on it (‘We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there’ was the slogan a few years back, later changed to ‘Getting there’ and now the easily misinterpreted ‘So good you wont want to get off’ – yes, really…), but some acknowledgement of the low point and a signal of recovery might inject a little humility into what is presumably a statement of intent.

Setting aside the typos, (Venture Scouts might er, ACT like they are 9-10 years old, but they are usually a little older, at least physically) and the AI generated imagery (one page just contains two stock images – no content… always a red flag for vacuousness), the Scouting Ireland strategy feels a little thin and uninspiring.

Surely the only advantage of running the organization as a democratic wilderness is that the tiny number of decision-makers could surely afford to be bold and visionary in setting out a plan for the future, not having to content with a pesky electorate?

The word salads about ‘expanded inclusivity reach’ and ‘access to transformative outdoor experiences’ (er, going hiking) read like they are straight out of an NGO grant application or a script from W1A. There is not a lot of substance. It feels like an attempt to shoe-horn words and phrases into a document, but it fails to create a coherent or mobilising message.

Sir Humphrey Appleby, the infamous embodiment of the Whitehall public servant once remarked that it is “always better to get rid of the awkward stuff in the title”. ‘Youth participation’ and ‘inclusivity’ come up regularly in the document. Scouting Ireland (the national entity) is dismal at the former, although some strides towards greater inclusivity have been made. (Theirishscouter recalls strong resistance for instance to participation in the ‘Pride’ parade just a few years back, so things have improved in some areas)

In what is now essentially a franchise operation, where national office takes money from groups in exchange for dictating how they do things, it is in the groups themselves that programme is designed and implemented. Nationally led events are a minority sport (in an already niche pursuit), so quite what Scouting Ireland can do to influence ‘Programme and Adventure’ is not abundantly clear.

Equally, ‘sense of community’ and ‘kindnesses’ and ‘wellbeing’ come from local group leadership and group culture. ‘Safeguarding’ is a government initiative. What does Scouting Ireland CLG bring to any of these, other than curation?

‘Youth and Adults’ (sic) working together is not so much a strategic objective as a descriptor of how Scouting is supposed to operate. ‘Accessibility’ has been managed at local level for decades – the national entity has done little on this topic in recent years.

The ‘formal recognition programme’ surely already exists in the shape of the ‘awards committee’ (true, top awards mostly go to clique members but just fix the conflicts of interest – no need to reinvent the wheel!)

In truth, the ‘Strategic Pillars’ are a rehash of what has gone on for over a century, with a few additional buzzwords thrown in (Digital, inclusive, modern, etc.).

The ‘vision’ for 2030 (a thriving, inclusive movement where every volunteer feels supported, non-formal education etc.…) looks very much like it is aiming to get us back to where we were in 2004 – a quarter of a century ago! It has been a rough few years, but if that is the extent of the vision, we might be in more trouble than we initially thought…

It is positive to see a board placing a focus on strategy. Like the National Assembly, it is clunky and underwhelming, but it is a step in the right direction. What feels missing is the buy in from members. No matter how much power the board have (and they have it all), without active (and enthusiastic) member support, no strategy will work.

If the plan is to publish a fairly vacuous document and then claim it has all been a huge success, that’s one thing. If it is a genuine attempt to move the dial and future proof the Scouting brand (the promise we make to members and communities), then theirishscouter would rate this effort as ‘must try harder’!

Some suggestions

Scouting in Ireland needs to do several things in order to get to the next level and become a powerhouse and a national force once again.

1. ACTUAL DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES – The ‘national assembly’ was a good first step. Yes, it is patronizing and tame, but it is the closest we have been in years to a gathering where members get to play at being stakeholders. We need to go further – a lot further. Members need to feel that they have ‘skin in the game’ and can influence and change and dictate policy.

A corporate structure will most likely not facilitate this, so a parallel structure (alongside a services provider – Scouting Ireland CLG) needs to be constructed. Run by elected volunteers, this ‘association’ should run the game of scouting. The CLG entity can run the business. The volunteer CLG board will report to the volunteer board of the new ‘association’. Safeguarding remains under professional management, but with independent external oversights and accountability.

The simple fact of the matter is we will never be what we want to be if a tiny group of people get to call all the shots. Members at local level need to be back in full control of Scouting Ireland. No amount of AI generated brochures can compensate for this.

• MEANINGFUL YOUTH PARTICIPATION – colourful neckerchiefs, flashy t-shirts and photogenic models are all well and good, but every key decision-making body within a member-led youth-focused association should have a meaningful youth participation component to it. Smiling for publicity shots and doing what you’re told is not youth participation.

• POWERFUL EXTERNAL RELATIONS – From Political parties to corporate entities and media outlets to fellow charities, Scouting Ireland needs to build a team of dynamic, energetic, clever and charismatic people who are versed in the positive story of Scouting and what it can do (and what it does) for society in Ireland. This team need to set about a five-year process of building links and growing influence with decision makers in all facets of Irish society who can help Scouting to grow.

Get this right and the positive news headlines and corporate funding will flow in time. People like to be associated with success. Success comes from teamwork. Teamwork is rooted in equality. Equality comes from democracy. It is really not complicated.

• BALANCED MEMBER SPREAD – 60% of the youth membership is under ten years of age (if you believe the strategy document; in truth it is probably slightly higher). In any event, the plan to introduce a younger age range section (aged 4-6) will exacerbate this imbalance. It will drive profitability per member, but it will further erode the impact of the older sections.

Some step-change planning is needed to build Scout membership, expand Venture Scouts and make Rover Scouts a credible proposition. For Scouts, explore collaborations with schools in particular, but also with churches/mosques/temples/synagogues.

Run some focus groups to understand better why people in this age range do not get involved and what might encourage them. Place a strong focus on adult/facilitator training for the older sections. These are complex programmes to run and motivating adolescents and young adults requires special skills far beyond knowing how to tie a knot or light a fire.

Venture Scouts could be ten times the size if it was open to a wider audience. Many teenagers complain of being bored and not having enough to do in their community. Is there a way to create some value for bored teens by offering some sort of stand alone venture scout package that can be set up in communities?

Rover Scouts and Universities have a long history in other countries. Is it time to examine how some sort of Rover based concept might succeed in third level institutions and Vocational colleges around the country? Students are often keen to join clubs, can be lonely if away from home and many would value a support network.

We looked at this before and could not get past the ‘but what about the reporting structure?’ question. We are running a youth organisation, not a chain of supermarkets. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Many scout groups have an aversion to dealing with older teens. Scouting Ireland could tackle this with changes to fee structures, lower cost training for Venture and Rover facilitators and other creative ideas.

• LOBBY FOR LESS FRICTION IN VOLUNTEERING – Theirishscouter presently volunteers with the Scout Association (UK) in Borneo. There, the application process is smoother than in Scouting Ireland, yet each year around 20% of the volunteers in our Scout Group drop out before they have even completed the process to join, citing complexity and time intensity in the applications process!

Volunteers are getting harder to find. Good, competent, passionate volunteers are rarer still. We should be doing all we can to get hold of and retain these people! We are competing with other entities and with other pursuits for their time and focus.

Scouting Ireland should be lobbying the relevant entities to streamline compliance and admin and speed up / smoothen out membership applications. Between technology and data management it should not take as long, nor should it be any way as arduous.

If our services are provided by a business, then let Scouting Ireland CLG think like a business and drive efficiencies and drive down cost to its customers. Monopolies that deliver below par service do not remain monopolies for long – THAT is another strategic consideration worth mulling over.

• LEVERAGE OUR STRENGTHS – Scouting equips young people with skills and problem-solving capabilities. Why not put together a proposal to work with a government agency to offer an employment program for suitably qualified or eligible people, young and old?

These people could enter into a formal programme to gain skills and experience working either directly with young people (in groups or at regional hubs) or on skills programmes (providing services to our members) for a fixed period, at the end of which they receive a certificate and enhanced employment prospects.

This could be a three-pronged approach; (1) school leavers (working in groups and regionally on activities), (2) graduates (working in national office or at national campsites), (3) retirees (bringing their skills into the organization to support volunteers).

Imagine the number of people who might wish to get involved. Imagine the potential positive impact on our youth members and on the career prospects of the participants? Additional support for volunteers, provided by the services company where Scouting provides the training and the government provides the funds. Ok, a slightly ‘off-piste’ idea, but the point is, we should be thinking BIG.

• HOST A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENT – It does not have to be a Jamboree – we are not there yet (but hold that thought). What about a regional meeting of WOSM or some other gathering of influential figures that gives us a reason to ensure we shine and showcase the very best of what we can offer?

What about (later) a ‘five nations’ camp for people from across these islands? Or a gathering for EU Scouting Organizations (we could include our UK friends on the premise that they are just next door, after all…) This could be set as far as ten years out; to allow for the planning and building of capabilities to ensure it goes down in history as the crowning glory on what was the beginning of a new era for Scouting in Ireland.

HEAL WOUNDS TO MOVE FORWARD – We cannot ignore that Scouting Ireland is a fractured entity. That has not been made right.

We have wrongs to right with victims of historic abuse. We should do the right thing here and reach an equitable and amicable conclusion for all concerned. Lawyers win from drawn out negotiations – nobody else does.

In the view of theirishscouter, it will be difficult to draw a line and build upwards when so many members are still seething about the disrespectful attitude towards members as displayed by former boards (and some staff). Whilst the mood music has changed a bit of late, the abuse of power and lack of transparency still manifests itself frequently enough to remind everyone that there is in truth little to no accountability for those in key decision-making roles.

That needs to change.

All former Chief Scouts should be invited to form a ‘Council of Elders’ to oversee the Boards activities and be the conscience of the organisation. Independent and fair minded. Trusted by the members. Advisors on the Scout Law. Impeccable credentials in balance and integrity.

The board needs to offer a full reinstatement to members dumped unceremoniously out of the organization without natural justice or due process and in almost all cases, with no just cause. Specifically, Christy Mc Cann – the former Chief Scout, David Shalloo, the former Chief Commissioner (youth programme), and the former National Secretary Oliver Kehoe. A former group of board members took the unilateral decision to expel these members for no reason. It was a morally bankrupt decision. It had no basis in law, nor any justification in Scout law.

Equally, Don Reynolds, a corporate governance specialist who raised concerns about er, corporate governance that the Charities Regulator recently vindicated, should also receive an apology and be reinstated. Mr Reynolds maintains he was defamed as part of the efforts to remove him – that may yet end up before the courts, but a swift and generous (cost free) gesture now could head that off.

Apologies to current members Jacques Kinane and Therese Bermingham should be made, the former who was chastised for raising matters of concerns around governance with the board (in conjunction with Mr Reynolds) and the latter, a former member of the European Scout Committee and one of the most competent grandees of CBSI and Scouting Ireland, who along with Christy Mc Cann et al was the victim of a corrupt process blown out of all proportion.

In reality, most if not all of these people have moved on. Most if not all no longer have much interest in Scouting Ireland. Those expelled will likely decline the chance to return. This is of little consequence. The fact is wrongs were done. They should be put right and be SEEN to be put right. THEN we can all move forward together.

• SEEK OUT TALENT – Scouting Ireland is rammed with talent. Much of it is focused locally. Many luminaries lost interest when democracy went out the window and the era of ‘Staff good, volunteers bad’ came in (thankfully we seem to be moving on from this rather binary and simplistic view).

The board should start engaging with some of these luminaries and grandees. We all know who they are. They are scattered all over the country. They have vast knowledge and might be tempted to reinvolve themselves in an entity where they have a stake and some skin in the game. Some might have retired; some might have moved on. Many will be still around. There is goodwill and skill to be sought out. These people can build the competencies in a new generation of volunteers and ensure the national skillset is restored.

If we can figure out how to rebuild the sense of possibility and sheer optimism that existed when Scouting Ireland first came into existence, the possibilities are literally endless. If old foes can set aside differences and coalesce around the central idea of Scouting and its core purpose, there is a lot that can be achieved.

What happened in 2018 is the outcome of old foes NOT setting differences aside. We have seen how that works out, so maybe it is time to try something new.

It is time to think big and long term. That requires vision, but also courage.

Theirishscouter knows a little bit about strategy, given it is part of the day job. These are live documents. More than this, a strategy in writing that sits on a shelf or unopened in a laptop or phone (or printed out and stuck on a Scout Den noticeboard) is not a strategy. Like a declaration, a strategy must be the precursor to action. It must energise and excite those who are needed to drive it.

It is not too late to do a bit of redrafting.