Here is what we heard – and what we did about it.

In April 2026, we sent our first-ever quarterly Customer Service Survey to our Scouting families, unit leaders, and volunteers. We received 106 responses and want to thank everyone who took the time to share their experience with us. Your feedback shapes how we operate, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Below is an honest account of what you told us, what we were able to act on right away, what is still in progress, and in a few cases – important context that we hope helps clarify how our Council works.

1. Website & Digital Experience

Staff Directory

You asked for a clear list of staff roles and contact information so you know who to reach out to. We heard you.

✅ Our staff directory is now updated and live at alamoareascouting.org/contact-us – showing roles, names, and contact information so you always know who to call or text.

Calendar Navigation

Several of you mentioned frustration with having to click through the calendar month by month to find future events.

✅ We created a step-by-step navigation guide showing how to jump forward quickly using the month and year selectors in MyCouncil. You can find this guide here.

Program-Specific Event Feeds

You asked for a way to filter events by program type so you only see what’s relevant to you.

✅ While we have not added a filter directly to the main calendar, we have created dedicated event feeds on our Cub Scout Programs page and our Scouts BSA Programs page so you can see events relevant to your program in one place.
✅ Additionally, our Outdoor Adventure Newsletter (sent around the 20th of each month) includes a full annual calendar of events and activities through the end of 2027, organized by program and audience – youth vs. adult. This is included at the bottom of every edition.

New Member Registration & Enrollment Process

Families told us the registration process felt inconsistent year to year, causing frustration – and in at least one case, a family leaving the program.

✅ We are enrolled in the pilot rollout of the new ScoutConnect system and have been attending training on the new BeAScout platform, Online Scouting America Membership Registration, and the Renewal process. Our goal is to have a more streamlined, stable, and family-friendly experience live in our Council by August 3rd. We are hopeful this addresses many of the pain points you described. We know that the membership renewal is set to align with the unit renewal by February 2028 and that the next year and a half will be working with prorating to get everyone in line. We also know that the online individual renewal system is going to stay because so many families have taken advantage of that system.

2. New Member & Leader Onboarding

New Unit Leader Training Guide

New leaders told us they felt lost – unsure of what trainings were required, who their contacts were, or where to start.

✅ We have created two fliers outlining the required trainings for newly registered unit leaders. These are available at our flier kiosk at the Scout Service Center and are being added to our Membership Resources page on the website.

New Family FAQ

Families new to Scouting asked for a simple resource answering the most common questions – what is a district, how do I register, who is my contact, what does Scouting cost?

🔄 This is in progress. We recognize the need and it is on our list to develop. Watch for this resource to be added to our website.

Unit Commissioner Contact

Several respondents mentioned they did not know who their unit commissioner was or had not heard from one.

✅ Our Council Commissioner and his team of District Commissioners are working diligently to ensure every unit has a commissioner assigned and is receiving regular visits.

We want to be transparent here: our commissioners are volunteers who genuinely care about your unit’s success, and many are actively reaching out to schedule visits. If you have not heard from your commissioner, we encourage you to meet them halfway – reach out to us at info@alamoareascouting.org and we will connect you with your unit commissioner’s contact information so you can initiate that relationship.

3. Communications

Monthly Newsletter / Email Digest

Many of you asked for a single, consolidated communication covering what’s coming up each month – trainings, events, deadlines.

✅ We actually launched this at the beginning of 2026 and have been sending three newsletters monthly:
On or around the 1st – our Council Newsletter covering what’s happening across the Council, donor news, and noteworthy stories.
On or around the 10th – our Training & Committees Newsletter with all upcoming trainings, a short list of committee meetings for volunteers who want to get involved, and an annual training calendar through the end of 2027.
On or around the 20th – our Outdoor Adventure Newsletter with all upcoming events and activities at the Council level, plus an annual event and activity calendar through the end of 2027.

Important note: All members of our Council are added to these mailing lists when they register. If you are not receiving these newsletters, it is most likely because you previously unsubscribed. To get back on the list, simply email adventure@alamoareascouting.org and we will research your email address in the mailchimp system and help get you reconnected. Please note we use the same list for all of our communications, so if you unsubscribe from one you are unsubscribing from everything.

Roundtable Access & Records

You asked whether roundtable content could be recorded or summarized for those who cannot attend Thursday evening meetings.

✅ This has actually been available for over a year. You can find recordings, notes, and the link for the next upcoming roundtable at alamoareascouting.org/roundtable.

Supplemental Direct Communications

Beyond newsletters, you asked whether important short-term reminders and notices were being sent directly.

✅ Yes – in addition to our three newsletters, we send direct emails to our membership database for time-sensitive reminders and important information. District-level communications go out regularly to the Key 3 of each unit from the Scout Service Executive for that district.

One important note: all of our emails go through Mailchimp. If you have unsubscribed from any previous email, you will not receive any of our communications – newsletters or direct messages. Please use the process above to get reconnected.

Pre-Event Communications for Training Courses

Some respondents felt they did not receive enough information in advance of events like NYLT, Akela Camp, and other training courses.

✅ For our signature programs like NYLT and Akela Camp, a full Leader’s Guide is published and in-person orientations are offered to answer specific questions ahead of the event.
✅ For all other training courses, information is posted on the registration page, and the Resources tab for each course lists a primary contact you can reach out to directly with questions.

We want to share something transparent here, because it helps explain how our Council works: Alamo Area Council is a volunteer-led, professionally advised organization. For every event, training, and activity, there is a lead volunteer who drives the planning and communications – our professional staff serve as advisors, connectors, and supporters. We can encourage communication and provide the tools to make it happen, but the delivery often rests with our volunteer leads.

We encourage you to pay attention to the registration closing date for each event – most participant communications go out after registration closes so that everyone on the list receives the same information at the same time. And if you ever feel you need more information sooner, the contact listed in the Resources tab is always there to help.

4. Merit Badge & Advancement

Merit Badge Fair Patch Distribution

One family reported difficulty obtaining earned patches from Merit Badge Universities attended outside their home council.

✅ We want to clarify how our program works: at Council Merit Badge events, we do not distribute patches at the event. Instead, participants receive documentation of what they completed, which they bring back to their unit advancement chair for recognition at the unit level. If your scout attended an event and did not receive their completion documentation, please reach out to us and we will help resolve it.

Merit Badge University Frequency

Several respondents asked whether MBU could be offered more frequently, noting that classes sell out.

✅ We already offer MBU three times outside of summer camp season: the first Saturday of May, the first Saturday of November, and a two-day Merit Badge Extravaganza held between Christmas and New Year’s. These are large events held at college campuses.

The best way to create more space in MBU classes is not to add more events (see future communications below for why this is not advised) – it is to have more adults volunteer as merit badge instructors. More instructors means more sessions offered, more variety, and more seats. If you are interested in becoming a merit badge counselor, please reach out to us. This is a meaningful way to directly expand opportunities for scouts in our Council.

Scoutbook Support

Respondents asked for a designated Council resource to help with Scoutbook technical issues.

✅ We have you covered. Spencer Ward and Justin Buckner are both experienced volunteers who have led Scoutbook trainings for our Council. At the Scout Service Center, both Pamela Polcyn and Heather Klekar are highly knowledgeable with Scoutbook and happy to assist. Reach out to us at info@alamoareascouting.org and we will connect you with the right person.

Eagle Scout Advancement Workshops

You asked for periodic workshops to help families and leaders navigate the Eagle Scout process.

✅ We love this idea and are actively working on it. We are building out our Ready to Lead offerings to include Eagle advancement guidance along with other short, practical courses for unit leadership. Patty Davis is our lead volunteer organizing this resource. Stay tuned for announcements.

5. Staff Consistency & Service Standards

Consistent Information from Staff

A number of respondents reported receiving conflicting information from different staff members about policies and procedures.

✅ This is genuinely valuable feedback and we have added internal consistency training to our staff conferences and team meetings.

We also want to ask for your help: if you receive conflicting information from two different staff members, please let us know right away at info@alamoareascouting.org. When we can address it in real time, we can correct it quickly and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Your feedback in the moment is the fastest path to improvement.

Eagle Scout Fundraising Process

A respondent noted a knowledge gap in the staff position handling Eagle Scout fundraising approvals.

✅ We have restructured this. Eagle Scout fundraising application approvals have been moved to our Advancement Committee Staff Advisor, who works more closely with the Eagle process and has deeper knowledge of this area.

Response to Constructive Feedback

At least one respondent reported being told – in effect – to volunteer and fix it themselves when raising a concern, and felt that was an unwelcoming response.

We hear that – and the tone of any such response should always be respectful and appreciative. Feedback is a gift, and we never want anyone to feel dismissed for offering it.

At the same time, we want to share something about how our Council is built: we are a volunteer-led, professionally advised organization. Our professional staff are not the event organizers, the activity directors, or the program runners – we are the advisors, the connectors, and the support system behind the volunteers who make everything happen. When a concern is raised about a program or event, the most powerful people to help improve it are often the volunteers themselves.

We have always believed that the best feedback comes with a suggested solution attached – not because we are dismissing the concern, but because the person closest to the experience often has the best insight into how to fix it. If you bring us a concern and an idea, we will do everything we can to help make that idea a reality if we can. That is a promise.

6. Programming & Properties

Bear Creek Scout Camp

Many respondents expressed a strong desire to see expanded summer camp programming at Bear Creek, while acknowledging that enrollment is the limiting factor.

✅ We had a tremendous summer at Bear Creek in 2026 – 331 Scouts BSA members attended our one-week camp. That is meaningful progress, and we are grateful to every family who made that happen.
✅ For 2027, we are opening two weeks of Scouts BSA summer camp at Bear Creek. To make both weeks viable, we need at least 300 scouts per week. Whether we can sustain two weeks – and grow to more – depends entirely on you.

We are also exploring smaller, high-adventure focused camps running through the end of July for scouts who want to keep the summer going. Think like the All Ages Day Camps being offered at McGimsey Scout Park only Adventure themed and held at Bear Creek in smaller sessions – active, outdoor, and accessible. More details to come as those plans develop.

Council Staff Unit Visits

Respondents asked for professional staff to visit units and show genuine interest in program delivery beyond fundraising.

✅ Many of our staff members are Scouting parents themselves and deeply understand the value of what happens at the unit level. We love this idea.

Here is how to make it happen: invite us. Reach out to your Scout Service Executive, tell them when and where your meeting or event is, and ask them to come. That specific invitation is the key – it tells us when to be there and what we will get to see. We will do our best to say yes. Reach out to others outside of your Scout Service Executive – those in the Development and Adventure Departments can receive invitations, too!

Venturing & Sea Scout Support

Respondents from Venturing Crews and Sea Scout Ships noted a gap in Council-level training and resources tailored to their program type.

✅ We are sharing this feedback directly with our Venturing Officers Association and our Council Fleet so that those volunteer-led bodies can identify and build what is needed. This is the right channel for making program-specific support happen, and we want their voices driving it.

Event Scheduling & Calendar Conflicts

Several respondents noted frustration with scheduling conflicts on the Council calendar, while others asked for more events or earlier calendar publication.

We want to be honest with you about this one, because the tension here is real – and you are on both sides of it.

Some of you have asked us to stop scheduling so many activities at the same time. We agree – we would rather run larger, well-attended events less frequently than fragment our volunteers across too many competing dates.
Some of you have asked for more events and more variety. When we look at our calendar, there is genuinely very little open space remaining.
Some of you have asked us to lock in and publish the calendar early so your units can plan around it. We try hard to do this – and then we receive requests for new events or trainings on dates that are already spoken for, and we have to make difficult decisions to move things around.

Remember: we are volunteer-led and professionally advised. Our staff can suggest dates and flag conflicts, but volunteers set their event dates based on their own availability. We work to coordinate and advise, but we cannot always control the outcome.

What you can do to help: if you are a lead volunteer planning an event or training, please check the Council calendar and work with your staff advisor before setting your date and contact us early because we try to set our calendars over 18 months out.

Thank You

We are genuinely grateful to everyone who completed the Q1 survey. This kind of honest, specific feedback is exactly what helps us grow – and we hope this response demonstrates that we are listening and taking action.

We are now launching our Q2 2026 Customer Service Survey. We invite you to share your experience again so we can continue tracking our progress and identifying where to focus our energy next.

Thank you for everything you do for Scouting.

Yours in Scouting,

Linda Dieguez

Director of Support Services

Alamo Area Council