Hi everyone,

First off, I want to thank all of you for your incredible support so far. This petition has gained significant traction and has caught the attention of Scouts Canada’s National Key 3, which is a huge step forward! They’ve acknowledged that changes to the current membership system are needed, which is a positive sign. However, there is much work to be done.

I’m asking all Scouters to please share this petition with your fellow volunteers and encourage families in your sections to sign it. It is also very important that folks leave a comment outlining why they are signing the petition and the issues they currently experience with a misaligned membership and program year. The more voices we have behind this, the stronger our message will be.

While I’m glad the petition has reached leadership, it's frustrating that there appears to be no immediate plan to address the issues we've raised. Leadership has indicated that changes may be implemented when a replacement for MyScouts is ready/as we begin the process of replacing MyScouts. However, no significant movement has been made toward replacing MyScouts, and we won’t see MyScouts replaced by September 2025.

Further to this, it is concerning that Scouts Canada is about to embark on a research project to help navigate how families should join Scouting. I’m not opposed to the research in of itself, but for the past four years, Scouters and member families have consistently voiced their concerns that the misalignment of the program and membership year is causing significant challenges. It raises the question of how much more research is necessary when the existing issues have already been clearly identified by those directly affected? Even further to this point, was there ever research completed by Scouts Canada that indicated a misaligned program and membership year would be a good thing that people wanted?

Now, more than ever, we need to stay vocal and persistent. I urge you to leave a comment on the petition explaining why this change matters to you, what’s not working, and what you want to see done. Your input will help ensure that the decision-makers truly understand the impact of their choices.

Thank you for your continued support! Let’s keep pushing forward.

Best regards,
Jeff Hillyard