The document outlines how Scouting and Guiding in Finland grew its membership from 45,000 to over 10,000 in three years through a strategic growth plan. It describes the obstacles to growth they initially faced, including lack of awareness about how to join and not enough local groups. Their growth plan involved launching new marketing initiatives, founding more local groups, and providing support to existing groups to also implement growth activities. The plan was successful due to having a clear goal, communicating the vision, involving everyone, and working hard to implement initiatives while being willing to try new approaches. Local groups were also engaged by helping them identify how they could contribute to growth in their own areas.

1. A Real
Turnaround to
Growth
(Just do it!)
GROWING SCOUTING & GUIDING @ THE ACADEMY 2014
ANNA MUNSTERHJELM & PAUL WILKINSON
@annamun #thesgacademy #KeyLearnings

2. After this session you
will (hopefully)
1. Find the obstacles to growth and tackle them.
!
2. Get started with your own growth plan.
!
3. Learn how to involve everyone to growth actions.
!
4. Get inspired and empowered: “Now I want to lead my
organization to growth and I know how to make it.”

3. PAUL TELLS:
How they did it
in the UK?

4. ANNA TELLS:
How they did it
in Finland?

5. Three years ago
Scouting and Guiding in Finland
was like this.

6. Three years ago
• Number of members had decreased for 20 years in Finland.
70 000 -> 45 000. In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area 11 000
-> 8800.
!
• We planned more than we worked. We did Scouting and
Guiding as we had always done.
!
• In fall 2011 we decided to change the direction and made the
Growth Plan ”Scouting is for everyone”. 10 000 members
was our goal.

7. Our Growth Plan 1/2
Our biggest obstacles to growth:
!
• People in our area didn’t know where to do Scouting/Guiding
& how to join.
!
• There wasn’t enough scout/guide groups in all
neighbourhoods.
!
• We didn't have enough active volunteers. It was quite
demanding to become a group leader.
!

8. Our Growth Plan 2/2
We (as a district) committed to 6 Growth Acts in 2012:
• Launching new web page focused on marketing
• Direct marketing sent to first-graders and their parents
• Customizable marketing materials for local groups
• Founding three new local groups
• Campaign for pre-schoolers
• Launching a website offering concrete tips of using the Youth
Programme for group leaders
!
Local groups committed to 3 Growth Acts:
• Taking more members (at least one extra group)
• Marketing
• Doing Scouting better

9. Growth Plan of a local group

10. In the First Year of Growth
we learned something
• Strategy cannot be outsourced.
!
• Change cannot be a project.
!
• There is a huge need for Scouting in Finland. But we cannot
cover it with our present organization and way of doing.

11. If you want big changes,
you need to make big changes.
We made 3 big changes:
!
• Organizational change
• External relations, marketing, adult support
• More and wider support for local groups
!
• Change in the ways we work
• Or -> and
• Planning -> doing & developing
!
• Change in attitude
• Welcoming new adults
• Not-yet-scouts are invited to all our events

12. Now we are like this!

13. Next: Your turn.
Take one barrier
and win it!

14. The Most Simple Growth
Plan Template in the World
Why we don’t grow?
People do not know about Scouting and how to join.
!
What should happen that this obstacle would be won?
There should be a lot of information about Scouting available on
the internet and in the places potential scouts are.
!
What specific actions do we take?
• We produce marketing material for locals groups
• We build and launch a new wabpage with proper contact details
• We arrange a school campaign
• We invite media to our all our events

15. A LITTLE REMINDER
Growth
never happens
if you fix
just one thing.

16. How to involve
everyone?

17. Reasons to resist
the growth
1. ”When the numbers go up, the quality goes down.”
!
2. ”Scouting will no more be Scouting, if a lot of new people
come in. They don't know our history or our traditions.
!
3. ”I don’t think these are the right ways to grow Scouting. I don’t
know what would be better, but I don’t like these. They are
suspicious.”
!
4. ”I don’t want to grow Scouting. We are okay as we are.”

18. How to involve everyone?
• Involve everyone in the plans.
!
• Let them decide, how to get involved and what to do.
!
• Find them a reason to grow Scouting/Guiding.
!
• Sell them a vision of something better.

19. What can you do
as a leader
to make
the growth happen?

20. Why the change was
successful in Finland?
1. We had one clear goal.
2. We communicated continuosly and in all channels.
3. We did it together.
4. We worked our asses off.
5. We dared to try out uncertain things.
6. We dared to change and let go.
7. We dared to lead.
8. We thought (and did) bigger.
9. We found everyone a good reason to grow.
10. We believed that we can make it.

21. Let’s take some
time for our own
Growth Plans.

22. The Most Simple Growth
Plan Template in the World
1. Why we don’t grow?
!
2. What should happen that these obstacles would be won?
!
3. What specific actions do we take?

23. PLAN IS JUST A PLAN.
What are you
going to do next?

24. Have we reached
our goals in this session?
1. Find the obstacles to growth and tackle them.
!
2. Get started with your own growth plan.
!
3. Learn how to involve everyone to growth actions.
!
4. Get inspired and empowered: “Now I want to lead my
organization to growth and I know how to make it.”

25. In three years time
That was it.
Thank you!
GROWING SCOUTING AND GUIDING @ THE ACADEMY 2014
ANNA MUNSTERHJELM & PAUL WILKINSON
@annamun #thesgacademy