Hungarian Scout Troops 43 & 77 of San Francisco
Grant Application to the Hungary Initiatives Foundation, 2013 (Excerpt)

Hungarian Scout Troops 43 & 77 Website Upgrade Project
Hungarian Scout Troops 43 & 77 of San Francisco use the website sfcserkesz.org to keep our community connected and to make new connections. We would like to upgrade this website to improve communication within our community and to expand our community by increasing and modernizing our digital presence.

Executive Summary (Excerpt)

The Hungarian Scouting movement has existed in the United States since the 1950’s. Hungarian Scout Troops 43 and 77 of San Francisco were both established in 1969. Today they operate jointly, continuing the tradition of connecting young Hungarian Americans to their heritage through Scouting.

As Hungarian Scouts, we spend much time remembering the past. We learn the language of our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. We study ancient kings and long-ago wars. We participate in traditions handed down through many generations. Yet we do all this in the context of the 21st century in which we live.

We communicate via email. We gather information and shop on the internet. We connect using social media. Our organizations, even those with a traditional focus, benefit from a digital presence. As Hungarian Scouts, we have been using email and Facebook to connect with our members. We have had a website to provide information about our organization for at least the last 12 years. Even so, we know that there is technology we are not yet using that could connect us in more ways and with more people.

The Hungarian Scout Troops 43 & 77 Website Upgrade Project will upgrade our existing website, sfcserkesz.org. It will allow us to better serve the Hungarian-American families who already partipate in our community by providing them with more information in a more timely manner and by using the internet in ways that they already do in other aspects of their lives. Expanding our website to be bilingual will allow us to better support our non-Hungarian parents or spouses, to connect with Hungarian Americans who may not speak or read the language, to reconnect with alumni Scouts who may no longer be fluent in the language, and to connect with non-Hungarian people and organizations in the world around us. Using contemporary design principles will make our website look more professional and reflect the quality of our organization.

The objectives of the sfcserkesz.org redesign are:
• To improve communication with our Hungarian Scouts and their families
• To connect with other Bay Area Hungarian-Americans
• To introduce ourselves to potential donors and sponsors, in the Hungarian-American community and within the community in which we live
• To automate and modernize administrative tasks

We expect that the new design will include the positive aspects of the current website, including a description of Hungarian Scouting and the Hungarian School, important documents such as registration forms, a calendar, maps, photos, contact information, and a donation facility. In addition, we have identified the following expectations:
• To reflect our identity as Hungarian Scouts with a fresh new design
• To present content in both English and Hungarian
• To be displayed appropriately on mobile devices
• To include a content management system (CMS) so that updates can be made quickly and easily
• To include a volunteer management system
• To add facilities for paying membership dues and camp fees and for buying event tickets and sponsorships online
• To accept application form submissions online
• To allow parents to subscribe to mailing lists
• To add a site-wide search facility

The planning phase of this project has already begun. Members of our executive board have identified the requirements for an upgraded website. We have obtained quotes for the redesign and development of the website and for the services that will work with the website.

Members of the Executive Board of Hungarian Scout Troops 43 & 77 make up a well-qualified team to oversee and execute this website upgrade project. Some members work for Silicon Valley technology companies, others own their own businesses or work in project management, and some work for financial companies. All are volunteers, and give their time to the Hungarian Scouts because they believe strongly in our organization. Most have either been Hungarian Scouts themselves, or are parents of current or former Scouts. They take their responsibilities seriously and work together for the good of the local Hungarian-American community, accepting tasks based on personal strengths and interests.