How do you get the parents interested?

[msnowman 10]

I am the CM for a tiny pack. We started in September with 8 boys in the whole Pack. Well 2 weeks ago two of my Tiger parents tell me they won't be back because "Scouts isn't high on our list of priorities". The 3rd Tiger (and family) has disappeared off the face of the earth. Now for most Packs, losing 3 wouldn't be a problem, but for us that is nearly half. We did spring recruiting Magic Show and only had 2 kindergarteners show up and one of those was a brother of a Bear. We sent flyers home in the k-4th grade classrooms (our CC distributed them, so we can't blame it on the teachers not handing them out), we put it in the School newletter and local paper, as well as put posters all over town.

I'm very frustrated because I don't know what else to try. We have had recruiting nights at the school during school open houses with ZERO sign up. We had a game night at the school, the only people that showed up were the Cub Scouts we brought with us. If you can't get the parents to show up, how can you sell them on the program? It doesn't seem to be just Scouts that is dying here. The rec dept's baseball program (serving 2 towns, the school serves one) is down from 4 baseball and 2 softballs teams last year to just 2 baseball and 1 softball team this year.

So, short of driving to everybody's house and dragging them out to a recruiting event what else is there to try? At the rate we are going, our Pack will dry up and blow away in another couple of years. The boys we have enjoy Scouts, talk to people about it (including their friends), but it just seems that most of the parents aren't willing to show up to find out anything about the program.

 

Sorry this got so long, I just don't want to see the Pack die.

Michelle

[Eamonn 61]

Michelle,

Please believe me I feel your pain.

I wish that I could look in my book of Fix Its', and give you the Fix It.

I did notice that you didn't make any mention of the chartered organization in your posting?

Could they do anything to help?

You might want to meet with all the adults in the pack and explain to them that for now you are all going to put membership on the back burner and that your new goal is make Pack 123?? The Best Show In Town.

Grab the program by the scruff of the neck and go all out to ensure that the Scouts that you do have are having the greatest possible Scouting experience. While you are doing it send tons and tons of articles to your local newspapers, photos of the Scouts from pack 123 doing all sorts of neat stuff.

Whatever happens don't tell them that "The Pack is going to die." No one wants to join a sinking ship.

Most councils have some sort of a school sign up in the Fall. Spent some time getting ready for it. Make a table top display, use the photos and newspaper clippings to show how active you really are. Some years back as a fund raiser I had a friend of mine who is a professional photographer, take pictures of each of the Cub Scouts, the picture was posed with the American Flag in the background. He gave me a couple of extra sets, at School Sign up night these photographs made the back drop to the packs display. You don't need to use a professional, get a parent or leader to take the pictures.

One of the places that I found really worked for recruiting was my back yard. Every year we had the pack picnic in my back yard. I live out in the sticks, the yard is large. The first year the program was just a few games, building blue bird boxes (donated by the game commission) something to eat and a camp fire. It really grew. We ended up with giant tepees, the local firemen bring fire trucks for the scouts to climb on, medi-vac helicopters, with permission from the council and trained staff we had an Archery range and the blue bird boxes. I think we have the best housed blue bird population in the nation!! While this was a pack 155 event we invited all boys of Scout age and their families in the area. Baked beans, hot dogs and spuds are cheap.

While Father and son were building boxes or whatever, I would turn on the charm and sign up the Mom.

When the Fire Department seen that the kids were having fun they provided the fire hall for the Blue and Gold and meeting rooms for the dens that didn't meet in Den Leaders homes, they donated stuff to the pack and in time the wife of the "Head Fireman" became the Pack Committee Chair.

Cub Scouting is home and neighborhood based, sad to say the neighborhood isn't going to come to you. You have to go to them. When they see and feel your passion and see that this program works and is doing good they will want to be part of the action. As the local community sees that Pack 123 is alive and doing stuff and that the kids are having fun and doing good stuff in the community the list of "Priorities" and that mind set will change.

Maybe not overnight, but it will change. Then like in the movie the Field Of Dreams; They Will COME.

Good Luck.

Eamonn

 

[msnowman 10]

Eamonn - thanks for your reply. Many of the things you suggested we have tried, with little success.....but, as one of my Cubmaster minutes said, you only fail if you try and fail...and fail to try again, so we'll keep at it.

You asked if our charter org would be any help. That would be a big negatory. It is a church with a very, very OLD population. In and of itself that shouldn't be a problem. But this particular population a)doesn't care that they have a Cub Scout Pack & Boy Scout troop b)fights us tooth and nail (well, their deacon or whatever the layperson below the pastor is called) if we want to hang pictures of activities on one of the bulletin boards in the church, etc. They have no Sunday School because they have no children that belong to the church. Seriously, there are no families with school age children who attend this church. Said state of affairs for the church as well as the Pack/Troop.

Our boys will be marching in the town's Riverdays Parade in June, as well as the Riverside Festival in the neighboring town in July. August will be a "Bring a Friend Ice Cream Social" which I'll also put in our local paper (along with pics of Cub Camp). Keep trying new things til something works.

 

Michelle