Welcome.

1
Welcome.
Fall Recruitment a Packs Keys to Success!
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Overview of Tonights Training

• Planning your Packs Recruitment
• Advertising (flyers, banners, council ads, etc)
• School Visits
• Back to School Night
• Conducting an effective new member sign up
  meeting
• Fees
• Follow up
• Getting everyone involved

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Why Recruitment is Key

• To give every boy the opportunity to experience
  the benefits of Cub Scouts
• New families keeps the Pack program strong for
  years to come
• New Boys New families New LEADERS More FUN!

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Preparing for Recruitment

• Discuss Recruitment at Pack Committee / Parent
  Meeting (invite all parents)
• Select or confirm a Recruitment Coordinator
• Include in Pack schedule 1-2 nights for a Join
  Night
• Tuesday, Weds. or Thurs. evenings are best
• Within the first week or two after school starts,
  coordinate and establish a school visit to
  promote
• Use Open House/Back to school night as a way to
  promote or follow up

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Advertising 4 proven methods

• Flyers
• School Visits (speaking with groups in the
  classrooms of boys to get them excited) are the
  best
• Be sure to utilize stickers
• Posters Banners
• Peer-to-Peer (word of mouth)

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Advertising SpecificsORDERING MATERIALS

• ORDERING PROCESS
• As SOON as you SCHEDULE a recruitment date,
  complete a Recruitment Material Order Form
• Allow at LEAST 3 weeks prior to distribution or
  recruitment date (this allows the Council time to
  process your order and get it approved by the
  school district)
• Materials can be ordered by contacting your DE or
  Membership Chair
• Order enough for 1/2 the number of students in
  1st-5th grade times the number of distributions
  (ie first week of school and before recruitment
  night)

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Advertising SpecificsHow to.

• Distribution
• Flyers
• Send home Flyers the 1st week of school and one
  week prior to join night
• If it is not possible to send flyers out
  twice-Send home approximately 1 week prior to
  Join Night (this will give school time to get
  them to the boys)
• Stickers
• Conduct Classroom visits the day before or the
  day of your recruitment night to get the boys
  excited
• Give a sticker to all interested boys
• Banners
• Hang Banners at the school (with permission)
• Banners can be customized-use whit paint and then
  pain tin your packs web site address
• Hang banners around town

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Advertising specifics

• School Visits
• When scheduling the join night, ask the principal
  for some time to talk to the boys a day before to
  remind them of the meeting
• 3 ways to address the boys
• Classroom Visits - the best method
• 2-3 minutes per room - visit in Uniform bring
  props (Derby Car, birdhouse, ect.)
• Short energetic plug for Cub Scouts highlighting
  Archery, Camping, Pinewood Derby.
• Give every boy a sticker to wear home with
  meeting information
• Have them repeat back the meeting information
• Assembly
• Similar to classroom - but can be a little longer
• Lunch Table or recess
• Quick talk at each table, handing stickers as you
  go
• Bring props to show get their attention

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Advertising SpecificsPeer to Peer Recruiting

• Encourage boys to invite their friends
• Recruiter patches are available for boys who
  recruit friends
• Have incentives / contest for participation
• Use postcards for boys to hand to their friends
• Encourage parents to contact parents of boys that
  are not currently in Cub Scouts (call, email,
  face to face at church, sports, etc.)

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Advertising Specifics Other Methods

• Table at Back to School Night
• Have display with pictures, slideshow, photo
  albums of Pack Activities
• Get the OA or some Boy Scouts to set up a make-
  shift camp during back to school night, have
  lots of pictures at your recruitment night event,
  have fun activities for scouts to do if you have
  a table (ring toss, make something, etc)
• Sign in sheet for interested families hand out
  a Pack information sheet
• Hand out book marks and post card with Join Night
  information
• Posters Banners (order from BSA or encourage
  boys to make their own) - display at school for
  at least a week prior to the Join Night

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Advertising Specifics Other Methods

• Media
• Article in School and/or local newspaper
• Contact the local paper and ask them to list your
  event in the local community events section
• Article in PTA Newsletter
• Utilize your own pack website
• Patriots Day - September 11th
• Ask school if the Pack can do the Flag Ceremony
  this day in remembrance of September 11th 2001

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Time Lines

• Mid August
• Attend your Council Recruitment kick off
• Attend August Round table
• Meet with your District Executive to discuss
  recruiting plans
• Discuss Recruitment plans at Pack Committee
  meeting
• End of August establish your New Member
  Orientation / Registration Meeting
• Schedule a night with the school to hold this
  meeting if this in not feasible, hold the
  meeting 1 hour before your September Pack meeting
• Order your pack recruitment materials promoting
  this New Member Registration meeting
• September
• Talk to principal to schedule the New Member
  Registration meeting at the school and ask to
  conduct a school visit to promote this to the
  boys the day before the meeting
• Designate pack volunteers for the school visits
  (preferably in uniform)
• Pick up recruitment materials
• Hang banners
• Distribute Flyers (at least 1 week prior to the
  New Member Registration meeting
• Conduct School visit the day before the new
  member registration meeting
•   Idea/suggestion Have boys wear their uniforms
  to school on the day of your pack join scouting
  night
• Attend your Schools open house night (host a
  table, have a cub scout activity demonstration)
• o      Have scouts there to personally invite his
  friends or other boys to scouting meeting
• o      Try to have a scouting demonstration.
  Older Scouts are a great role model for this and
  troops may want to assist also (See you packs
  commissioner or DE)

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The Join NightOverview

• Be Prepared (Supplies)
• Cover Scouting Structure and fun
• Keep it simple, make it fun!
• Collect Applications Fees
• Follow Up
• Turn in Applications promptly

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The Join Night Getting ready

• 1 day prior
• (if join night is at the school) Confirm room
  with school - talk to custodian if necessary
• Confirm help of other leaders/parents
• Roles should include Greeter, Helpers with Den
  organization, Activity coordinator for the boys
• 1/2 hour prior
• Set up the room - tables should be arranged by
  grade (den)
• Den roster on each table with pens
• Set up display table with pictures at entrance

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The Join NightStart the show!

• Welcome families as they arrive, distribute
  information packet and reference the materials
  inside (applications, parent guide, Bobcat book)
• Opening - formal flag ceremony introductions
• Have something fun for the boys to do. If your
  join night is the same night as your pack
  meeting-have parents break out to a different
  area.
• Review purpose of meeting
• Cub Scouts overview structure, activities,
  family role time commitment
• To register boys and parents and collect fees
• To organize dens and select helpers leaders

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The Join NightThe show is on the road

• (After the opening, introductions purpose of
  the meeting)
• Briefly explain the structure a few activities
  so the boys see how they fit in
• Send boys out for an organized activity
• Explain to parents the following (keep it brief)
• Time commitment activities (highlight the fun
  character development)
• Role of the parent leadership opportunities
• Cost of registering (aim to collect only the BSA
  fees with the application tonight ask for Pack
  dues at the next meeting)
• Uniform - requirements where to purchase

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The Join Night The final act

• Answer general questions
• Give 5-10 minutes for Dens to talk amongst each
  other - recruit den leaders as needed or have
  existing den leaders give specifics on their den
• Re-group to introduce any new leaders
• Announce next meeting
  (ideally a new parent Fast Start
  orientation in a week)
• COLLECT APPLICATIONS FEES
• STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THESE ARE TURNED IN TONIGHT
  (less follow up for you)

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Follow Up

• Turn all applications in to BSA immediately
• Contact your District Executive to arrange pick
  up
• Send a welcoming email or phone call to all
  families in attendance with-in 2 days - remind of
  next meeting
• Follow up with families who attended but did not
  sign up
• Encourage new leaders parents to attend training