Make Your Youth Recruitment a Success!

A successful fall recruitment program for any unit consists of three critical and separate campaigns. Each campaign targets a specific market in your community and when combined, it becomes a recipe for adding new families to your pack.

1. BE VISIBLE - TO THE COMMUNITY  Help the whole community realize Scouting is going strong! The best way to get on parents’ radar is to be visible.
2. BE INVITING - TO YOUTH   Being visible is a great start, but the next step is to be inviting. Most youth and adults are hesitant to just join without being asked. They need to feel welcomed and learn that Scouting is a safe place where they will have fun and make friends. Many families may be unaware or confused on how or where to join.
3. BE INVITING - TO ADULTS Every Pack could use more adult leaders. Here are some ideas for achieving this.

What steps do you need to take?

• PEER TO PEER RECRUITING • Existing Cub Scouts create invitations at a den meeting prior to the event and hand deliver them to their friends and classmates the week before the recruiting event.

• PARENT TO PARENT RECRUITING • Parents help promote Scouting to their child’s social circle through talking to their friend’s parents and handing out fliers in their neighborhood, religious education class, sport teams, etc. Materials will be widely provided by the council in support of social media and networks (videos, etc.).

• SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES AND MEET THE TEACHER • All packs should have a table at these events not just to showcase what Cub Scouting has to offer, but also to allow families to register right then and there.

• “BRING A FRIEND” ACTIVITIES • Which of your activities could your Cub Scouts invite their friends to? All of them! What a great way for other youth members to get a firsthand look at Cub Scouting! This could be a day hike, a hay ride or a simple cookout with games. • Set up a few sample activities from the different Cub Scout handbooks and let all youth try. Registered Cub Scouts will get credit in their handbook. Remember to mention to guests if they were a Cub Scout, they would also be earning badges
  during these activities!

• PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR CHARTER PARTNER • Support community service, Duty to God and doing a Good Turn Daily. Have a booth or a table set up and allow people to meet the Cubs and their leaders. Invite them to join your Pack.

• ADOPT A SCHOOL • Support your local school with community service projects or have a booth at the school carnival. Make sure a part of your booth is to actively invite people to join!

• SEPTEMBER RECRUITMENT EVENT • Each Pack should host a simple fall activity that new families can come to. Packs can leverage their new fishing poles for an easy fishing afternoon at a local pond or meet up for a bike ride. Share your event plans and details with your district membership team by the end of June.

You have the Scouts - so what do you do with the parents?

The parent orientation is a vital step in the recruiting process and should take place after your back-to-school night, your unit's recruitment event, and School Night for Scouting.  Parent orientations serve as the opportunity to provide an introduction into Scouting and your unit’s program to new families.  Critically, this is your chance to recruit your pack’s future leaders - invest in the opportunity!

• Provide a background to Scouting, including the aims and methods, pack meetings vs. den meetings, and the structure of a Cub Scout Pack.
• Create position descriptions and distribute copies to new families. Some unit leaders build 'new parent packets' that also include event fliers and the unit’s annual calendar.
• Try to register at least one adult in every family as a member of your unit committee, or as a unit volunteer. This will encourage parents to become involved in your pack - you can never have too much help! Remember, not all parents will be Cubmasters, Committee Chairs or Den leaders  .  .   .  despite this, these parents can significantly impact your unit by helping to coordinate events, by serving as a resource to the unit committee, and by helping to chaperon den and pack events.

      What else do I need to know?

• Online youth applications are available via computer, tablet, or cell  - Online Youth Application
• A Sample Parent Orientation Guide is available for Packs to customize - Sample Cub Parent Introduction
• No families will be turned away based on need - the council is able to assist.  Always secure an application.
• We’re here to help - if you need assistance with your  back-to-school night campaign,  your unit's recruitment night, or if you are unable to be at your local school for School Night for Scouting - let us know!