Aiming to boost their sagging numbers, the Boy Scouts are launching a million-dollar campaign to draw more Latinos, a group that has long resisted Scouting's appeal.
But the Scouts' national officials acknowledge that it may be a tough sell. Only three of every 100 Scouts are Latino, and some immigrant families see such groups as an indulgence of the well-to-do in their home countries. Some also bristle at the uniforms.
"We go in in a uniform that looks like the Border Patrol," said Paul Moore, head of the Scouts' Los Angeles Area Council. "Then we ask [adult volunteers] to fill out complex applications that ask for their Social Security numbers. I think we've found some good ways in L.A. to deal with some of these things, but we have to do a better job of getting parents to see Scouting as something that aligns with their hopes and dreams for their kids."
For 2009, the Scouts have targeted six heavily Latino areas across the U.S., including Fresno and San Jose, for a pilot program called Hispanic Initiatives. Radio commercials, public service announcements and messages on such social networking websites as Facebook will underscore the similarity between Scouting's ideals and traditional Latino family values, officials said.
The effort -- which also focuses on New York; Chicago; Orlando, Fla.; and Harlingen, Texas -- will stress the hiring of more Latino staff, a goal the organization has set for its 304 local councils across the U.S.
"We're telling them you need your staff to mirror the community you're trying to serve," said Marcos Nava, the Scouting executive in charge of the campaign. "We have about 3,000 professionals -- full-time employees -- but only 194 are bilingual and bicultural."
Language has been a stumbling block to recruitment, especially to letting immigrant parents know more about Scouting programs. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard the same thing from local councils," Nava said. " 'If only we had someone who spoke Spanish.' "
Some ongoing programs will be stepped up. Scouts and their leaders will have access to more Spanish materials, such as the Manual del Wolf, a translation -- published a few years ago -- of the Cub Scouts' Wolf Handbook. Additional ethnically targeted efforts, such as the popular Scouting and Soccer program, will be devised. More high-profile Latinos will be wooed to serve on local boards.
