I've also thought that there needs to be a more effective fundraising process. The kids are already doing fundraising for their councils (popcorn), doing food drives for their local communities (Scouting for Food), and in many cases, additional fundraising for their troop's equipment needs (ours sell hoagies or hoagie coupons to a local convenience chain). If they are asked to do much more, it will turn off many kids who just want to go camping and who develop into leaders along the way. We don't want to hurt retention.
I'd like to see a concerted effort by national and councils to tap into local business or private donors who would be willing to support the scouts as "angels". I have to believe there are people of means in this country who respect what the Scouts are doing but don't know how dire the situation is for them. This also means, however, that they need to make clear to donors what is going on with the "gay dispute" and with their child protection program. Unfortunately, the BSA has had bad press because of a few bad eggs who molested boys and because of "anti-gay discrimination". A lot of people just have a negative impression without knowing much about it. They have no idea of the depth of commitment to child protection that exists within the organization. Youth organizations all deal with these issues, unfortunately. Because BSA is a conservative organization, they have borne the brunt of criticism by our media.
Another issue is the condition of some of the camps. It's a vicious cycle. The camps are run down because of lack of money. Troops and campers don't want to attend run-down camps, so they fail to generate revenue. Lack of revenue makes it impossible to upgrade and maintain the camps . . . BSA does not permit Eagle Scout service projects to benefit its own organization. I've often thought they should consider a moratorium on that in order to permit Scouts to make improvements to the camps as part of their service work. It's not ideal from a PR standpoint, but some of the councils and camps are at a crisis situation where they will not otherwise survive. Another option would be to publicize the plight and call for volunteers to come help out - for example Eagle alumni. I don't think BSA has done enough to enlist the help of its Eagle Scout network. They are a human resource with connections, funds, and leadership capability. They benefited from the Scouting program, and many would give back if asked.