Countdown to Blast Off
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.
A great result starts with a well-thought out plan. Use this guide to with your unit leadership to set the course for welcoming new families and preparing the future of your unit. Download:
Use this planning tool to enter your unit’s recruiting event and get an easy checklist of items to prepare and promote for a great turn-out. Download
Make it easy for families to find and apply to your unit online.
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:
Setting Up Your BeAScout Unit Pin from Boy Scouts of America on Vimeo.
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.
Everything to do with Registration Fees
Then there’s the annual Popcorn program – a great way to fund the Pack’s activities.
Identify a few current families to serve as a the new member welcome team during your recruiting drive. Learn about the
Scouters locally and around the country have great ideas to share with you!
National Recruiting Webinar Library
School Access & Peer to Peer: Video | Slide deck
We do a lot of camping; seriously, a lot of camping! Check out what’s still on the schedule.
. . . and there’s more during the Scouting year with events like Pinewood Derby and Raingutter Regattas.
STEP 2: Invite
Successful recruitment happens when families have been invited to come. 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.
Distribute flyers, posters and signs at schools, churches, community events, and public places.
Contact your District Executive or fill out this form for assistance with a custom order:
Find hi-res and current imagery at the BSA Brand Center for download:
Cub Scout Recruitment Brand Center
Scouts BSA Recruitment Brand Center
Friends can hand out cards:
Parents send email to friends. Share your unit fun and join opportunities on social media (details in next section)
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. Use the Promotional Back Dater in Step 1 to get the word out.
Order your materials here with coordinated help from your district executive.
Social Media Images:
Cub Scout Social Media Images & Playbook
Custom Promo Videos
NextDoor – Coming Soon!
Facebook Event Template – Coming Soon!
Hand out Flyers
Have a booth at Community, church or school events
Principal Survey – ask your principal what they need and how your unit can help.
Peachjar is a program used by many schools for sharing non-school events & activities)
STEP 4: Enroll
Everything done up to now has been so that new families are aware of how, when and where to join Scouting. It is important that every recruitment event is set up so that new families can and want to sign up. Most families come to recruitment events with the intention of signing up. Use these resources to ensure they do.
Welcome interested families and get their info right away with a sign up sheet
Contact your District Executive for a sign up roster, and registration packets.
Conducting a recruitment event using the station model – COMING SOON
Powerpoint example
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.
Welcome Email template – COMING SOON
Scoutbook Parent Set Up tutorial (video link)
Cub Scout New Family Pamphlets:
Welcome New Cub Scout Family_English
Welcome New Cub Scout Family_Spanish
Parent Orientation Agenda – COMING SOON
Family Talent Survey (Cub Scouts)
Parent Talent Survey (Scouts BSA)
100 Pt Commitment Worksheet for Packs – COMING SOON
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.
Check out our resource pages for activities, training, and guides to help you deliver an outstanding program.
Additional GGAC Resources
Events
Five easy steps to join a Cub Scout Joining Event
Sign Up
Ideas & best practices for setting up a Sign-Up event.
Documents
Forms, Flyers, PowerPoint, Signs, etc.
Video Library
Video tutorials and recorded Webinars
Additional BSA Resources
Cub Scout Recruitment Idea Book
Scouts BSA Recruitment Idea Book
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