Shanna Richardson helps Boy Scouts merge, grow in Arkansas

Shanna Richardson had a unique problem. At the age of 19, she was running her own private school for kindergartners. The 400 students consumed much of her time and she decided she just wanted to be a normal college student.

She sold the business, but then she needed a job. She looked at a job board one day and noticed there was an opening with the Cub Scouts. Little did she know that would lead her to becoming CEO of Natural State Council, a Boy Scouts of America affiliate organization in Arkansas.

Richardson told Talk Business & Politics she has been with the Scouts for more than 23 years and is one of only a handful of women in an upper leadership position nationwide.

“This is what I want to be doing. It’s in my bones,” she said.

Richardson is leading the Scouts during a time of change for the organization in Arkansas. BSA announced the Natural State Council, a merger of the state’s Quapaw Area and Westark Area councils in November.

“This mutual executive board action signifies a significant milestone in our councils’ collaborative efforts to enhance the reach and impact of the Boy Scouts of America,” Richardson said. “The Quapaw Area Council and the Westark Area Council, both distinguished for their longstanding commitment to character development and leadership training, share a mutual vision of securing a robust and sustainable scouting legacy for the region. It is the belief of both council executive boards that scouting in Arkansas will be stronger, will be more vibrant, and will simply be, ‘Better Together.’”

The merger will bring 6,200 youth across 56 counties in the state under the umbrella of one organization. Many counties in Northeast Arkansas — Craighead, Randolph, Poinsett, Lawrence, Mississippi — were included in the merger. The merger allows BSA to save money by utilizing shared expertise, resources, programs and facilities that will create a more robust and resilient scouting network.

“The councils are committed to building a resilient and dynamic Scouting community that will shape generations of young leaders who are prepared to make meaningful contributions to society,” Richardson said. “We are excited about the future of scouting in the Natural State and are excited to watch it grow and be more accessible as the merger takes effect.”
Natural State Council received a $500,000 matching grant opportunity from the Walton Family Foundation when the merger was announced.

“We are so thankful for this fantastic opportunity,” Richardson said, noting the grant is earmarked for programming for the former Westark service area. “We are committed to utilizing this funding to make scouting affordable and inclusive for all youth in Arkansas.”

During the last several years, the number of participants in the Scouts has grown, Richardson said. In 2022, the numbers soared by 25%, and this last year the number of participants grew by 10%. There are about 7,000 youths and about 4,000 adults active in Scouts throughout the state, she said.

The highest achievement for anyone in BSA is to become an Eagle Scout. Since it was founded in 1912, only about 2% of all qualified Scouts have earned this rank, according to Scouting Magazine. Diana Ashley is the first female Eagle Scout in Arkansas, according to the Natural State Council. The Arkansas State University student told Talk Business & Politics she decided to become an Eagle Scout when she was in high school. She has two older brothers who were Eagle Scouts and she thought she could do it.

“I was motivated to join Scouts BSA when I first heard that girls would be allowed in the program on Feb. 1, 2019. I have been involved in the Scouting program since I was born,” she said. “The most difficult challenge for me was the timing factor. I had just turned 16 when girls were officially allowed in the program, so I got my calendar out and backtracked my rank advancements so that I could obtain the Eagle Scout rank before my 18th birthday. Regardless of this, I was able to hold several youth leadership positions and I am still active in the program. I currently serve as a member of the Natural State Council Executive Board.”

Ashley intends to attend medical school and become a doctor. She believes the skills she developed in the Scouts will play an integral role in her getting into medical school.

“The most important things that I have learned from the Scouting program have been the leadership and communication skills that I continue to use to this day. I am in the interview process for medical school, and nothing has taught me how best to talk to new people and make a friend out of everyone like Scouts,” she said.

Now that the merger is complete, the organization can turn its focus to program and facility development, Richardson said. Plans are underway to spend $5 million to build zip lines, areas for BMX and equestrian activities and others on a 3,000-acre swath near Damascus. Plans are also being developed for the Natural State Council’s second camp on the Buffalo River.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families were secluded at home, and it had an impact, Richardson said. Families seem to have gotten tighter and Scouts provide opportunities for families to do outdoor activities together. Participants learn myriad skills, but none are more important than leadership and how to socialize, she said.

“We get kids outdoors and we allow them to explore and learn,” she said. “Scouting roots in Arkansas are very deep. … We plan on inviting every single student in the state to join.”