Re: Non-participation
Alan Houser (troop24@EMF.NET)
Tue, 21 May 1996 21:56:22 -0700
Vicki Shiff <vshiff@SPRYNET.COM> wrote:
>I'm currently a DL of a very small pack. We've been having real participation
>problems (even from my assistant den leader & son) and was interested in any
>help and feedback you all can provide. Today, we have a den conservation
project
>scheduled. With 10 families in the den, only 4 (including my own) have told me
>they'd be there, and I'm sure one or two will not show after telling me they'd
>be there. The parents were also advised that this was a necessary activity
>(along with the other requirements) for earning the World Conservation Award.
>I will be assuming CM duties in March 97, and with the current CM, am weighing
>options. We have discussed:
>1. assessing a "registration fee" of $5.00 which is refunded to the family when
>they show up or forfeited into Pack funds if they don't show. We would send
>home a signoff sheet at the beginning of the year to make sure this is
>understood.
I doubt this would have any real impact. Some will leave, others will just
let it slide.
>2. all of our field trips are "family" activities, so each parent/family
>accompanies their son. We don't require permission slips since the parents are
>right there. We have considered having permission slip/type forms go home with
>a tear off portion to be returned with a "reservation". We did try this for
one
>activity, with little success.
One time is not much of a test.
>3. We have tried a phone tree for reminding and confirming with each family.
>Frankly, this would not work with a larger pack than ours, and we are hoping
for
>a good recruitment in the fall. Also, the parents who volunteer to call are
>getting tired of having to do this.
When our troop was small and impoverished, we asked each family to provide
us with a set of stamped, self-addressed envelopes, enough for a monthly
mailing. It works for larger units as well if your treasury can't handle
the postage. It's a good way to remind folks of what's coming up that
needs their attention, and it has a better chance of getting home and on
the refrigerator than if hand-carried by the Scout (of any age).
>We already send out a newsletter on the den and pack level with a short newsy
>page, and an activity calendar. This takes a lot of time to produce, and I
>wonder if most families even look at it.
In our house, it has to go directly from the mailbox to the refrigerator, or
it disappears until the weekend after the event. Sometimes it disappears on
the refrigerator (wonder why my compass never works correctly in the kitchen?)
but that's another story....
The situation you describe is not untypical for a lot of units, especially
small ones where a few people make things happen. I would suggest a
different approach. Use the carrot instead of the stick.
Have a number of activities planned for the Scouts that are really exciting.
Make sure that there is something visible and tangible that will result from
attending, a patch for example. Find some local hikes that will permit your
Scouts to earn a patch or medal. If there aren't any, you can buy some
spiffy patches from the Patch Place (PO Box 2648, Chino CA 91708 - call
909-947-3023 for their catalog) for less than $1 apiece for all kinds of
activities.
Require that folks sign up in advance for them, then award the patches for
participating at the next pack meeting. When the kids from the non-
participating families start seeing other folks get all these neat patches
and other stuff, they will want to get more involved and will make sure
their parents get them there. When the parents are there seeing their
kids having fun, they will become more involved too.
The secret is (actually, it's no secret) make the program so much fun that
no one wants to miss out. Works much better that way. There are no large
packs or troops out there with boring programs.
Alan R. Houser ** Scoutmaster, Berkeley Troop 24 ** troop24@emf.net
** WWW page ** http://www.emf.net/~troop24/t24.html **
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
