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Michelle HolcombAssistant Scoutmaster Troop 874

Carrollton, Texas

Cub Scout Recruiting Events

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Why

• Join Scout Night creates a time and place where families can come to learn more about scouting

• Opportunity to meet new scout families, but more importantly for them to meet YOU

• Place to get everybody together at one time!

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Don’t Reinvent

• Your council office and district executive should serve as your first resource– Make use of the materials they have

available– Circle 10 had very nice packets this year and

they plan to continue this

• There are many other resources– Videos– Powerpoints– Handouts– Scripts– Booklets

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Plan Ahead

• Try to hold join scouting within the first month of school in the fall– Unless your pack meeting falls early in the

month, avoid pushing the first pack meeting for the year into October• JTE Numbers• Families already committed to other things

• Who needs to know about your event and how are you going to get the word out?

• Start planning your JSE in JULY!

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Plan Ahead

• Meet with your membership committee or pack leaders to plan event in July

• Contact Principal or designated contact before school starts and set a date for event

• Find out from DE or council when packet materials will be ready

• Make sure you have enough adult and youth applications on hand

• Start spreading the word

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Plan Ahead

• Attend your district’s Join Scouting Training

• Arrange pick up of materials such as signs, banners, posters and packets from your DE or designated scouter.

• Recruit unit members to show up and help!

• Let your DE or district membership chair know when your event is and how they can help

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Get the Word Out

• School newsletter, or email blast, website

• Church bulletin and newsletter, website• Local business newsletters and

websites• Press release to community newspapers

– Carrollton Leader for example

• TALK to people! We are flattered most by a personal invitation!

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Show Them Scouting

• Have a couple of pack “Wear your uniform to school” days in the weeks leading up to the event

• Have the kids wear their uniforms to school on the day of the event

• When you come for the rally or boy talks, bring some fun stuff! A favorite fishing pole, a backpack with some gear.

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Invite Families

• Get them excited! • Get the kids so excited that they will

beg their parents to bring them!• Their enthusiasm will only be as big as

yours so make yours big!

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Make it Fun

• Games – award a belt loop on the spot, kickball for instance

• A special treat such as hot dogs, home made root beer floats, cookies, or pizza

• A quick and easy craft – something very simple without glue or glitter or mess

• Display pack items such as pinewood derby cars, uniforms, awards, photos from events and camping gear

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Keep it Simple

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERWHELM!• The amount of info available is already

overwhelming enough. • Power point keep it to less than 10 slides!• Stick to the topic of this is what scouting is

and what it offers, and how it accomplishes that

• There is no need to do a full parent orientation for your unit – save it for a separate new parent orientation meeting

• Handouts are great and people will generally read them

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Circle 10

• Provides packets assembled at the district level – Applications– New Parent handbook– Council and district event flyers– Sample BOYSLIFE magazine– Envelope with pictures and graphics

• Unit can add own materials– Unit specific parent information– Den and family info sheets– Leader contact information– Unit event flyers

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Circle 10

• Make it easy!– 25.00 buys (Pro-rated) buys

membership, book and boys life• Nice round number so accounting is

easy• Increases unit Boys Life numbers

without effort

– If paid on spot, child gets to take the book home with them that night

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The Boy Talk or Rally

• What does a boy talk look like? • How long should it last?

• Lets try one!

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Lets Do a Walk Through

• Sample Agenda• 6:30 Leaders arrive and begin setting

up• 6:50 Families begin to arrive

– Display viewing– Hand out packets– Seat families at den tables

• 7:00 Introduction of pack leaders• 7:05 Kids out for games or crafts,

bobcat• 7:10 Parents view video or presentation

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• 7:15 Talk a little bit about what scouting

means to you personally

• 7:20 Den leaders to den tables to answer

questions and help with applications.

Cubmaster and Chair to Tiger table to

recruit tiger den leaders, help with

applications and answer questions

• Tiger leaders should be selected and registered prior to leaving for the evening

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• 7:45 Bring kids back in to recite theBobcat requirements or

sing a songServe refreshments

• 8:00 Dismiss with a big welcome and a Thank You to your new

leaders• 8:15 Finish cleanup and report to your

DE or district membership

chair by phone

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Perfect Example!

• A 5 to 6 minute video can explain it all

• Consider using something like this instead of doing all the talking

BSA Recruiting Video

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Followup

• Be sure to have someone follow up with families who were not sure about joining

• Follow up with families who did join and make sure they know when they are to meet with dens, pack and upcoming activities

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When?

• Although a unit may hold only one or two join scouting events recruiting is ALL YEAR ROUND!!!

• ongoing activity and should be continuous.

• It is ok for kids to join mid-year!

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Year Round

• www.BeAScout.Org• Be sure your unit information is up to

date! If you are a new cub master, committee chair or charter org rep you have the ability to change the contact information

• This information should be updated annually at the time of recharter or if changes to your unit leadership are made.

• Any registered leader can be designated as a unit contact

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Year Round

• Remind your scouts to invite their friends to attend a pack meeting with a parent if they think they might be interested

• Don’t forget to award recruiter strips!