Boy Scouts of America Reviews

Pros

In this profession, you have the opportunity to build relationships with volunteers in so many different capacities; such as events, teams, committees, partnerships, and networking.

Cons

This job requires lots of time and dedication to be successful, however the end result positively impacting the lives of youth through volunteer leadership.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to delegate communication responsibilities between co-workers and volunteers within the organization.

Pros

Knowing that the work you do ultimately will provide a young man or women opportunities that they otherwise most likely would never have a chance to experience is very satisfying. Being able to work with adult volunteers and other community leaders who are passionate about the service they provide to help the programs of Scouting provide a great sense of pride in the work you do.

Cons

Frequent evening and weekend work assignments coupled with the normal need to relocate when promotional opportunity occurs, every 3-4 years can lead to a high level of stress for self and family.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to improve the employee performance measuring system and provide employee with annual continuing education opportunities. Implement a formal comp time program to help offset the long hours normally incurred.

Pros

One of the best reasons to work at Boy Scouts is because of the boys themselves. If you love kids and enjoy interacting with them you'll love boy scouts.

Cons

Some of the downsides of working at Boy Scouts of America is the pay. Besides the pay there's too many favoritism that goes on. They also tend to forget besides boy scouts you have a personal life as well.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your employee's the way you would want to be treated and most importantly do your job!

Pros

The work is outside. It is a very rewarding experience for the employees, getting to know that they made a difference in a future leader's life. Fellowship with employees is another great thing!

Cons

The pay working for the Boy Scouts of America is lackluster. It's definitely not a job you do for the money! Also, the work itself is, in fact, work. Don't try to get a job expecting it to be easy street. Put the time and work in to do it right the first time.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't over-utilize your volunteer helpers. There have got to be other pools from which to draw help so the same six people don't get stuck running the entire program.

Pros

A good place if you want to help make a difference in youth's lives and help a great organization succeed.

Cons

Long hours, weekends and nights and occasionally you might be called for summer camp duty which lasts from 4-7 weeks. The pay doesn't equate very well to the amount of time the job consumes and there is little time for free time.

Advice to Senior Management

Work on holding senior management accountable for their mistakes and shortcomings.

Pros

Developing strong community ties
working with some of the top people in your city/area, but it's up to you as a professional
good benefits
sometimes, car is provided
national growth possibilities

Cons

Poor management, old school and closed to new ideas. Hopefully new CEO will work on that, great guy.
keeping up with technology is a challenge - some of my coworkers could hardly use a computer...
Most of my coworkers had very narrow views and considered the BSA as an organization exclusively for white people - thank goodness they were a small minority. They should not work there them good ol' boys...
working with and through volunteers can be a blessing or a curse.
the age-old issues of rejecting gays, atheists and agnostics, and on a smaller scale, lack of knowledge of the American market - research is opinion based, not fact based.

Advice to Senior Management

make sure management picks talented people, and make sure they help them stick around - too many great people full with ideas get discouraged by a 50's style management team just waiting to get out of their positions in order to move to new ones. Allow free flow of ideas from professionals, not just volunteers.

Pros

Working outside, room/board provided, strong friendships, working with kids, opportunities to advance (if you stay for a few years), attentive supervisors, ability to meet people from around the country or world

Cons

15+ hour days for those in management/supervisory positions, excessive paperwork, no flexibility in time off, often stressful environment, close-quarters with young staff may cause friction

Advice to Senior Management

Provide some flexibility to staff on time away, especially those in management/supervisory positions, up the pay for the younger staff

Pros

Community involvement is top notch. The volunteers are amazing. You get to do things and gain experience in areas you would never normally get to with a more mainstream company.

Cons

The time commitment is out of this world. The goals are unrealistic, and you are not given the option to fail. Steer clear of certain members of management....they can be very conniving and great manipulators. You will love them at first, but true colors always shine through.

Advice to Senior Management

I would take a long hard look at some of the cancers you have allowed to grow on the cabinet for the past ten years. These individual(s) can (and have been) very destructive to the organization. I think its fairly obvious who I'm referring to.

Pros

Great job to meet people and make a difference in the community! This job is very versatile allowing you to do something different each day.

Cons

Very demanding and sometimes intrusive of personal and family time; hard too find a balance.

Pros

The rewarding feeling you get when helping children

Cons

i wanted to work more hands on with the children. I spent more time in the office.