2.1.Link the Strategy and the Centenary - As the plans for the Centenary were being put in place, the Strategy for Scouting was being developed and work was undertaken to make sure that the Centenary supported the Strategy for Scouting. A special document was developed to show how activities for the Centenary could support the Strategy and strategic planning in Associations. For example, using the Gifts for Peace project to support youth involvement in decision-making within the Scout Unit and within the Community: all young people could be involved with the process of identifying the particular needs in the local community and then together deciding on the best way to respond to these needs. Or, using Scouting's Sunrise to recruit volunteers and support for Scouting through contact with former leaders, parents and members of the local community.

This helped National Scout Organizations to identify how they could build on existing initiatives and use the Centenary to meet their particular development needs.

2.2. Build on your strengths and the opportunities that are presented to you - It is always very hard to start something from scratch. It is much easier to identify where there is already energy and enthusiasm and build on this to achieve results. Youth Involvement in decision-making is one of the strategic priorities which was adopted in The Strategy for Scouting in 2002. The Young Spokespeople concept built on the work that was happening in youth involvement and provided another avenue for young people to gain skills and experience in representing the Movement to external audiences and the press which also helped to change the public perception of Scouting.

2.3. Scan the external environment – Taking a strategic approach requires that we look at what is happening outside Scouting, identify how this impacts upon our plans and decide if and how we can work in partnership with others to help us meet our objectives. Many organisations have a remit to raise awareness of global issues and many recognise the need to engage young people in education and action. At the 21st World Scout Jamboree, the Global Development Village (GDV) was an opportunity to work with many external organisations. There were a number of meetings to explain the GDV to partners, help the organisations to recognise how participating in the Jamboree, an event for 40,000 Scouts, could raise their profile and help them to meet their objectives. Over 50 organisations took part in the global development activities at the Jamboree.

2.4 An opportunity for Adult Resources - The organisation of an unique event such as the celebrations for the Centenary of Scouting, required significant human resources. However, this did not necessarily mean that human resources were a pre-requisite to celebrating! Experience has shown that the Centenary helped us to recruit large numbers of adult volunteers, in fact the celebrations provided excellent promotion for Scouting! They were also a way of recruiting new people with specific skills to Scouting, noting that it is sometimes easier today to propose volunteering for specific tasks, with clear timescales, where people can share their knowledge and know-how. For example, volunteers with experience of global development and a graphic designer were recruited to develop the ScoutPAX resource.