Webelo Recruiting

[Chippewa29 13]

I like all the posts I've read so far. They've sparked some ideas. For a few years, when Webelos would come to visit, our Scouts would take them as part of the troop meeting (a semi-regular meeting that had some adjustments to it, but they got the basic idea) while the SM would speak with the parents and tell them stories about the different high adventure trips the troop had been on. Some of the parents liked it, but most of it went right over their heads (besides the fact that it went on for an hour). They left with polite thanks and appreciation, but it seemed like they were bored at times. Last year, we tried a different approach. We went to a more informal approach (the adults watched as the Scouts did the meeting). While watching, current parents from our troop talked one on one or one on two with the Webelo parents and basically just made friends. Since they had kids the same age and were all relatively new to Scouting, they related very well and some of them actually exchanged phone numbers because they had struck up a friendship. This resulted in us getting a den of Webelos, coming in a close second on another (the Webelos leader said had three of the kids not had older brothers in another troop, they definitely would have come with us), and a couple of first year Webelo dens were very impressed. My vote definitely goes for the informal approach.

[eisely 13]

slontwovvy,

 

Good suggestion about having some of the boys speak to the parents. This would require some preparation so the boys involved are comfortable with it.

[slontwovvy 10]

Very true, eisely. They need to know they're going to be doing it, but at the same time, too much preparation doesn't, in my opinion, give an accurate view of the troop. Practice can be good, but off-the-cuff (for those boys that feel confident doing it) is a great way to go.