We’re going to make a better first impression for new or returning volunteers. It’ll be clear where to sign up, what to expect, and what stage they are at. They will also be in control of moving this forward as much as possible.

Becoming a digital first organisation allows us to transform scouting. It helps us produce tools and services for everyone which are easy to use, enjoyable, engaging and efficient. Being digital first isn’t about being digital only, and it’s not about being digital for the sake of it.

A key element of transformation will be the introduction of a new adult membership system. This will be accessible to all adult volunteers through a single sign on from within the scouts.org.uk web site. The new system will incorporate three areas covering:

• New adult members joining
• Adult membership records
• Adult learning and development

For some members there will be a requirement to change the e-mail address that they use for scouting. This is because the underlying database that the membership system runs on expects a unique email address for each user. We will provide more guidance in the coming months to remind and help with this change.

Examples of the new membership system

Now our new digital tools are built, they are currently being tested. Below you’ll find a link to short videos, showing the functionality as of the beginning of September.  

During testing, the team are collecting feedback which may lead to changes and improvements. If new versions of the digital system and its features are developed, videos will be updated. Therefore, please bear in mind that how features work, what they are called, and how the system looks may change before it goes live.

[Click here to see what the new membership system will be like when it launches]

What are we asking Districts to do?

As a Northern Ireland cohort, we want to be ready for the new membership system and to do that, we want to make sure that our data is right on Compass to minimise any potential hiccups or unnecessary hurdles.

So, as a District Lead, you should be:

• So that our new digital membership system is useful locally we need your help to clean the current data in Compass. Here’s what you can do:
  • Review all the appointments listed on Compass for your District. Add roles that are current but not recorded on Compass, cancel non-functioning roles and ensure that all roles are correctly updated. We need to make sure that Compass accurately shows all (and only) live, active roles. 
  • Encourage all your team to check their personal data in Compass, particularly email addresses, telephone numbers and addresses. Remember, the data in Compass will appear in the new digital system. 
  • Make sure email addresses are only associated to one member for access reasons and not role specific.
• Consider at District level who will support your District as a Digital Champion.

Additional Resources

• Scouts UK – Updating Compass Guidance (May 2024)
• Guidance for Groups on updating Compass Records
• Guidance for Districts on updating Compass Records
• Guidance for all members on updating Compass Records
• Contact our NI Transformation Lead Scott Robinson at scottrobinson@scoutsni.org