1. be close to the boys, be someone they admire due to your standards, your friendliness, your generosity, and your genuine caring.
2. emphasize testimony where appropriate.
3. work on getting an effective scouting program.
4. advocate with your Bishop for talented, effective people to help you in the YM program.
5. expect this will be a huge time-suck, and you will have to sacrifice many things, including hobbies and time with your family.
6. be reliable. you set the tone for everyone else. if you are flaking, everyone else will flake worse.
7. expect no thanks, esp. from boys and parents.
8. work to get the parents involved and take some of the responsibility.
9. along those lines, see that an effective scout committee is going on with parental involvement.
10. insist on your scout leaders being trained by your local district.
11. read through the safety rules for YM program. Follow them.
12. read through safety rules for scouting. Insist your scout leaders follow them w/o exception.
13. Foster leadership among the boys, meaning take the time to train them as leaders instead of doing it on your own. It will always be easier to do it on your own.
14. Allow them to fail from time to time. It's part of learning.
15. Make sure you have a budget--that is, that the Bishop has given you money. Make it very clear to the people under you what the budget policies are going to be. Never put pressure on the YM leaders to not submit receipts, assuming they are appropriate.
16. Get the Scout committee and others involved in fund-raising, sooner than later. You will need Bishopric backing for this. If the Bishop won't back you up, then merely say "this is what we can do with finances, this is what we cannot."
17. work to make sure no boy is excluded because of lack of funds.
I could go on and on, but I have to get to YM.
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