GGAC Home

STEP 1: Prepare

To successfully recruit new families, a well-planned and robust pack program is crucial. Use the links here to complete your Pack’s annual “Ideal Year of Scouting” plan. Once your program is planned you can create a recruitment plan. Use the Idea Books below to work through your Fall recruitment plans.

Pinewood Derby
Membership Plans
A great result starts with a well-thought out plan. Use this guide (with your unit leadership) to set the course for welcoming new families and preparing the future of your unit.
Fall Recruitment Guide
Online Registration How-To
Make it easy for families to find and apply to your unit online.
A video tutorial on how to use the Invitation Manager and Application Manager utilities effectively.
Using URLs & QR codes
BeAScout  Leads & Applications
Unit Guidebook for Online Registration
Scouting.org Online Registration Resource page
Fee Breakdown
Update your Unit information with new BSA registration fees. Register new families with these fees and collect remaining unit fees between now and the end of the calendar year.
NOTE: The annual national registration fee is nonrefundable.
2024-2025 Everything to do with Registration Fees
Pack Operating Budget Template
BeAScout Pin Updates
Make your unit visible online with a Be A Scout pin on the map. Any search for “joining Scouting” will lead to this. Check out the video tutorial and update your pin today. Check out this video from BSA
Setting Up Your BeAScout Unit Pin
New Member Coordinators
Identify a few current families to serve as a the new member welcome team during your recruiting drive. Learn about the . . .
New Member Coordinator Role
Webinars & Training
Scouters locally and around the country have great ideas to share with you!
2024 Sign Up Night Training
National Recruiting Webinar Library
Fun stuff we do
We do a lot of camping; seriously, a lot of camping! Check out what's still on the schedule.
Cub Scout Camping
And, there's more during the year with events like Pinewood Derby and Raingutter Regattas.

STEP 2: Invite

Successful recruitment happens when families have been invited to join Scouting. The most common response to “Why haven’t you joined Scouting” is “We’ve never been invited”. Many families see our posters, yard signs, and fliers but it does not equate to an invitation. Yes, they are important, but a personal invite is the most successful recruitment tool.

Cub Scout fishing
Flyers, Posters, & Signs
Distribute flyers, posters and signs at schools, churches, community events, and public places. Contact your District Executive. These templates fit our GGAC 2024 Cub Scout Flyers that are already in stock. By providing the information highlighted in yellow to your District Executive, they will print Flyers for you to distribute to your Elementary Schools.
GGAC Cub Scout Flyer
GGAC Cub Scout Flyer template

Find hi-res collateral and current imagery at the BSA Brand Center for download:
National Cub Scout Recruitment Brand Center
National Scouts BSA Recruitment Brand Center


Peer to Peer
We know that current Scouts are the most effective recruiters! Friends can hand out cards at school and other after-school functions.
Cub Scout Cards
Scouts BSA Cards
Parents . . . send emails to friends. Share your unit fun and join opportunities on social media.
Text to Join
GGAC has enrolled in a text to join service making it even easier for a family to join Cub Scouts! Try it for yourself so that you can help new families use this great service.
Text to Join Instructions
Program Guide
Our Program Guide highlights all of our Scouting Programs, our Council Camps, and the importance of our Youth Protection Trainings. This guide would be useful to provide to those who need more information about Scouting in order to make the decision to join.

STEP 3: Promote

It is important to promote your recruitment events early and often. This requires that your recruitment events are scheduled with enough time to get the word out. Promotion of any recruitment should start 30 days before the event. 

cub scout science experiment
School
Tips for using Peachjar 
Peachjar is a program used by many schools for sharing local community events and activities.
Online & Social Media
Social Media Images:
Geofencing Tips
Social Media Playbook
In Person
Hand out Flyers
Have a booth at Community, Church or School events.

STEP 4: Enroll

It is important to promote your recruitment events early and often. This requires that your recruitment events are scheduled with enough time to get the word out. Promotion of any recruitment should start 30 days before the event. Use the Promotional Back Dater in Step 1 to get the word out.

Cub Scout archers
Sign Up Sheet / Roster
Welcome interested families and get their info right away with a sign up sheet.
Download
Contact your District Executive for a sign up roster, and registration packets.
Application Forms Downloads
BSA Youth Application
BSA Adult Application

STEP 5: Engage

It is important to engage new families quickly and consistently from the time they sign up. New families want to hear from you, and are excited to start their Scouting adventure. Make sure they get connected with their den and receive personal invites to meetings and activities. Use these resources to consistently engage with new families.

Scouts fishing from a dock

Resources for New Families

Cub Onboarding Flyer -Editable & Fillable

Scoutbook – Parent Set Up tutorial

Family Talent Survey – Cub Scouts

STEP 6 Deliver

Now it’s time to Deliver the Promise. It is important that all the fun and adventure that new families were promised happens. Follow your annual program plan and calendar and ensure families are having fun. If you do this Scouts will continue in the program year after year and parents will lean in and volunteer. Membership recruitment is not an extra thing that should be done it is an essential to ensure growth and depth in your Scout unit.

Scouts white water rafting
Resources
Check out our resource pages for activities, training, and guides to help you deliver an outstanding program.
Video Library

Additional GGAC Resources

Documents

Forms, Flyers, PowerPoint, Signs, etc.

Video Library

Video tutorials and recorded Webinars

Alameda Trading Post

1714 Everett Street
Alameda, CA 94501
(925) 674-6130
M-F: 9:00am-5:00pm 

Fairfield Trading Post

1955 West Texas St. Suite 1
Fairfield, CA 94533 | (925) 674-6166
Tu & We 1:00pm-6:00pm | First Sat of mth: 9:00-1:00 
Closed for Thanksgiving Nov 20 -25

Pleasant Hill Scout Shop

500 Contra Costa Blvd, Suite K2
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(925) 674-8500
M-F: 10:00-1:30 & 2:30–5:00 | Sa: 10:30-3:00

Pleasanton Trading Post

6601 Owens Drive, Suite 100
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 674-6100
M/W/F: 9:00 – 5:00 | Tu/Th: 9:00 – 6:00

GGAC Service Center

6601 Owens Drive, Suite 100
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 674-6100
M-F: 9:00am – 5:00pm 

Outdoor Program Office

1714 Everett Street
Alameda, CA 94501
(925) 674-6130
M-F: 9:00am-5:00pm

© 2024 All rights reserved, Golden Gate Area Council, BSA

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General Information

GGAC Refund Policy

The Golden Gate Area Council has instituted a refund policy to ensure our Scouts receive high quality programs & activities.  A great deal of advanced planning and purchasing takes place for programs and events of the Golden Gate Area Council during the months and weeks prior to an event.

 

The Council will refund up to 100% of the costs for any event it cancels. In order to maintain the most cost effective and positive program impact activity, camping, and event refunds of 100% cannot be given.  Refunds are not given for No-Shows, schedule conflicts, weather conditions, or behavior issues occurring before or during the event. Refunds are considered based upon the following criteria and timeline and are returned to the person or entity and in the manner in which they were received. 

 

Time Until Start of Event

Percentage Refund

Up to 14 days prior

80% refund

Up to 7 days prior

60% refund

7 days or less

No refund*

*Participants who cancel from an event within 7 days will be considered for up to a 60% refund if the refund request is accompanied by a Doctor’s note.  Requests under these circumstances will not be considered if not received at the Council Service Center less than 14 days after the start of the event.

The Golden Gate Area Council believes each Scout should be given every opportunity to attend Camp. At times it can be hard for a family to raise the money, and Camperships can help cover part of the cost of a week of Camp for Golden Gate Area Council members attending one of the Golden Gate Area Council Camps. Campership applications are due by March 27th for continuing Scouts and May 29th for newly bridged Arrow of Light Scouts.

Due to the need for Staff time off, Saturday arrivals are NOT allowed.

ALL of our Camps are CLOSED and the Staff is off duty from 11:00 AM on Saturday to 11:00AM on Sunday each weekend. 

No Troop……..No Problem! You don’t have to miss out on all the fun just because your troop isn’t going to summer camp or because other summer plans mean you won’t be able to go to camp with your Troop. You may even want to do an additional week of camp just because you had such a great time.

 

New Friends…….New Experiences!  Provisional Camping is just like camping with your home troop, except you’ll have the opportunity to camp with new friends as you join Scouts from all over the council and beyond. You’ll meet new people and have the opportunity to develop friendships that can last a lifetime. Provisional Scouts will partner with a selected Golden Gate Area Council Troop with an experienced leader. You’ll have a full time Scoutmaster for the week that, just like your Scoutmaster back home, will make sure you have a safe and fun camp experience. Provisional scouts can participate in all of the camp’s exciting programs including advancement, competitions, and patrol events. It’s a great way to finish additional Merit Badges, or to try a new part of the program that you weren’t able to try before.

NOTE:

  1. First-year summer campers cannot attend as Provisional. Youth must have attended at least one Summer Camp at the camp prior to this year.
  2. We will contact you after receipt of your reservation to coordinate registration into specific camp programs, get health forms, emergency contact info, permission slips, etc…
  3. Adults attending with provisional Scouts must pay a leader fee.

SO, sign up now if you’d like to attend camp as part of the provisional camping program!

Provisional Camping is the creation of a temporary Troop or an opportunity to work with another unit. Provisional camping allows youth to attend camp without their home unit. Provisional camping is not new; it is used during many different Scouting events including National Jamborees and High Adventure trips.

The Scout’s family is responsible for transportation to and from Camp. Please contact the Golden Gate Area Council Camping and Outdoor Programs Department ([email protected]) for questions or more information.

How to verify an out of Council Merit Badge Counselor.

First, try to connect the Scout and counselor in Scoutbook. If that is successful, the counselor is registered and qualified. If unsuccessful, go to the counselor’s home council and search for their Advancement Administrators. Most will have an email address for either the Council Advancement Committee or Professional Advisor. Send an email asking if the counselor has been registered and qualified for the merit badge(s) in question and the status of their Youth Protection Training. Ask California councils if the counselor has completed AB506 training and LiveScan. The unit leader’s “blue card” signature verifies their counselor credentials verification.

Camping Champion

Training Campion

Events Champion

Resources Champion

Calendar Champion

Cub Scouts

Scouts BSA

Venturing

Sea Scouts

Exploring

International

Highlander

Shooting Sport

STEM

Scouting for Food

Order of the Arrow