Reqruiting

[92_SPL 10]

Can anyone give me ideas for reqruiting. We have about 5 active members right now. ty

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

Ty,

Get flyers out to the schools, hold an open house in which you can several stations set up and invitees can go around the room and learn scout skills., get to your district roundtable and invite webelos to attend outings meetings, have an invite a friend camping outing. Just stome ideas to start

[ozemu 10]

Get an outstanding program happening now. right now. Then get a sound recruiting base going with some cub packs. Then be patient.

 

Don't stop the PR from hitting the papers and radio but be patient - the rise may take a few years to reach the desired goal. Then again you might explode. Depends on a lot of local factors - don't tear yourself to peices either way.

 

I've found that rapid rises in numbers result in a lot of disharmony in the troop. I suppose the Scouts with the right spirit get outnumbered by new ones who haven't yet got the Scout pox.

 

Go for the long view and don't let small numers stop you from having a great time. Some things are easier in small numbers.

 

Oh! and I've learned that you must get your parent committee and adult leadership going early on. Otherwise you will pay a price when your numbers get going. It's all about groundwork.

 

Let us know how it goes. Good luck.(This message has been edited by ozemu)

[eagle90 125]

The best recruiting tool is Word of Mouth. Plan an exciting program for the five scouts you have, and they will tell their friends. "Hey I went on a canoe trip last weekend. "We're going caving this weekend" etc. Your 5 scouts will tell their friends and you will be up to ten in no time! Good luck!!

 

 

[LauraT7 13]

Recruiting non-scouts? or recruiting from cub packs?

 

We have also recently put a recruiting effort on - in both areas in the last year - as we don't have a "feeder pack" and it worked! We've gotten 3 new boys - 2 non-scouts and a transfer, and 8 new crossover cubs!

 

Or Troop determined that we would do an ongoing effort to recruit and get the Webelos / non-scouts in to things with our troop multiple times in their two-years as webelos - rather than just fill the cub requirement of attending ONE Scout meeting and ONE activity for their AOL. our boys figured that if the cubs did things with us enough to get to know a few guys, they would want to go where they knew someone already.

 

I'm proud of our boys for thinking in the long term - rather than think of ONE recruiting activity at a time. Their plan is to do something specifically designed to include webelos or non-scouts about 3 or 4 times a year. At the same time, they want to make it appeal to the Boys in our troop - so most of the things they came up with, while rather light to keep in line with Cub Scout rules, include advancement work or some other "hook" for our boys to want to participate, too.

 

some of the things we did -

 

for both cubs and non-scouts - we recently did an overnight in a Museum WWII submarine. A museum, aquarium, zoo or other "lock-in" type would work as well. We told the boys they could invite a non- scout friend and we also invited a webelos den and their Dads. This works because while Cubs are not usually allowed to camp with scouts, this is an activity that is unusual enough to attract the scouts, but tame enough to qualify for cub scouts.

 

On almost any activity - encourage a boy to bring along a non- scout friend. Talk to the scouts parents, as well. their boys will have more fun if a buddy is along, and parents benefit by having the troop be succesful and their boys happy. Make sure that EVERYONE knows, however, that the non-scout must have scout health forms, permission slips etc, and must be of the age and other requirements of a boy scout to keep within BSA guidelines. If a boy comes along a few times, encourage him to join. Realize, however - that if a boy joins through a friend - and hasn't been a scout all along - they may not be as gung-ho for the advancements and badgework - at least, not right away. they're just along for a good time!

 

Good cub den recruitment ideas included -

 

a swim night at our local high school pool in the winter - follow Safe Swim! the cubs can get their Auquanaut pin, and the boy scouts can get advancement requirements.

 

We meet in the city park in the summer - so we will do at least one night as sample cooking night - this is where we try new methods of cooking, try new recipies, etc. We don't cook a meal, per se - but we have enough different things that every body gets to cut, dice, pare, use charcoal and box ovens, stoves and dutch ovens and of course - EAT!!! Another good opportunity to include the cubs in a fun activity and a meeting - food ALWAYS attract boys!

 

a hike at a local corn maze in the fall - locally a number of farms around here have these at Halloween - a couple are REALLY HUGE. We use this as an annual event with Cubs, and have a campfire there afterwards with a cobbler or something. The "maze" averages 8-10 miles and has Punch Points along the way - so if the boys get a certain amount of hole punches at points, we know they went at least 5 miles. We bring compasses, and match the cubs with our exisiting patrols - they teach the cubs how to use the compass and find their way with it, completeing the 5 mile compass hike requirement for the scouts and some for the cubs, too.

 

Short bike trips on local trails and a sack lunch.

 

Conservation district events - our conservation district has planned programs & kits you can pick up and do yourself, or already planned events lead by volunteers that are low - per-person cost.

 

We have Courts of honor on 5th mondays - but in August, after Camp, we have a BIG court of honor at a park ofr scout camp, because the boys have so many badges from camp. this is a family picnic and awards/ skits / games and FOOD. We often invite cubs and families to this each year.

 

A running theme through these recruitment events is to keep them simple and take advantage of OTHER organizations already planned events. We don't want to waste tons of planning energy and time on recruitment events that are generally tamer than the more complicated things our boys like to do. We're still a small troop, and don't want to spread our resources too thin.

 

but there is always room for "just fun" and not always going on a high adventure trip or working on advancements!

 

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

LauraT7

 

When you speak of health forms for non-scouts are talking aobut Class1-2? or something else?

 

Ron

[LisaSandoz007 10]

I posted this under another thread, but when I found this one, I thought it might be seen by more people here.

Lisa

 

 

Hi everybody!

I am new here, so I will give a short intro.

My name is Lisa Sandoz. I am involved with Troop 007 in Granada Hills, Ca. I came here looking for an answer to some recruiting problems that I am having. There are some wonderful posts and ideas here. We do or have done most of this stuff, including the mistakes! BUT, the problem I am having is HOW DO YOU CONTACT THE PACKS TO DO WEBELO RECRUITING? We have a Webelo Weekend planned, good strong program, enthusiastic (though small in number) group of Boy Scouts. But no way to contact the packs. Our DE will not allow usto have a list of packs and cubmasters. We have passed out flyers at parades. We talk to kids, whether Webelos or non-scouts every chance we get. Can you offer ideas? Is there something inappropriate about desiring to contact the cubmasters of local packs to tell them about our event? Any advice is appreciated.

 

YIS,

 

Lisa

[NeilLup 13]

Hello Lisa,

 

I am stunned by one thing you wrote "Your DE will not allow you to have a list of Packs and Cubmasters."

 

So here are some suggestions:

 

1)Do you have a unit Commissioner? If so, ask your Commissioner to help you get those names.

2)If not,contact your Asst. District Commissioner and/or District Commissioner. Tell them that you are trying to recruit graduating Webelos Scouts for your Troop but that you don't have the names you need of the Packs.

3)Contact your DE again. You really don't need the names of all the Cubmasters and Packs in the District, just those in your area. Ask your DE politely for that information.

4)If that fails, consider asking the DE's boss, the Field Director, Director of Field Service or Scout Executive. Tell them that you want to recruit graduating Webelos Scouts but are having trouble getting the names and contacts for local Cub Scout Packs. Ask them for help.

5)Consider going to the District Cub Scout Roundtable. Ask for a moment to speak and tell them that you need some names and help. Possibly some of those Cub Scout packs are at the Roundtable and there you are.

6)Ask your District Chairman if your District has a Webelos to Scout Transition person. If so, get in touch with them.

 

These should get you started.

 

By the way, Webelos is always written with an S at the end whether singular or plural.

WE'll BE LOyal Scouts. And it is an adjective

 

So

 

Webelos Scouts

Webelos Books

Webelos Leader

[LisaSandoz007 10]

Hi Neil,

Thank for the checklist!

 

So here are some suggestions:

 

1)Do you have a unit Commissioner? If so, ask your Commissioner to help you get those names.

Yep, been to him. He takes his direction from the DE. Last week the DE told us we needed to get the info from the Unit Commish-- we told him our UC was a busy man, and we knew that the only info he could give us was what was given to him by the DE. DE insisted on this chain of command, called the Commish. De called us back, said Commish says he is too busy to help you. DE then gave us the names of two packs that are not geographically good for us-- and one has NO 2nd year Webelos (yes, I KNOW it is Webelos with an "S', I just get clumsy sometimes!). The second pack has a cubmaster who is ASM in another troop......

 

 

2)If not,contact your Asst. District Commissioner and/or District Commissioner. Tell them that you are trying to recruit graduating Webelos Scouts for your Troop but that you don't have the names you need of the Packs.

 

Been here too. Their answer is that that info has to come from the DE and we cannot recruit outside of a pack that has not been "assigned" to us.

 

3)Contact your DE again. You really don't need the names of all the Cubmasters and Packs in the District, just those in your area. Ask your DE politely for that information.

Have called/spoken to him every day for a week. Asked only for the ones in our area. Have only been given two packs, and NOT in our area. The others are all "assigned". De stated he cannot give us info on the "assigned" packs, because that would make their troops angry.....

 

 

4)If that fails, consider asking the DE's boss, the Field Director, Director of Field Service or Scout Executive. Tell them that you want to recruit graduating Webelos Scouts but are having trouble getting the names and contacts for local Cub Scout Packs. Ask them for help.

 

Our first step was to go to the Field director, because we had already been through this De foolishness LAST year. Oh, we went to the Field Director last year too-- DE ignored the Field Director's instructions. New field Director this year-- she agrees that we are entitled to this info, and can pitch our event to ANY pack. DE STILL refuses to give info.

The next step is to the Scout Executive. Tried that avenue last year also, but this year there is a new guy. Looking forward to getting his take on the situation.

 

 

5)Consider going to the District Cub Scout Roundtable. Ask for a moment to speak and tell them that you need some names and help. Possibly some of those Cub Scout packs are at the Roundtable and there you are.

 

Did that. Cub and Scout Roundtables are at the same time/same place. Last year, asked for a moment to speak. We were refused-- because " the only events you can announce at Roundtable are those that are sponsored by the District" this directly from the mouth of the Cub Roundtable Commissioner. Went again this year, with our flyers, thinking we would just talk to pack reps individually. There were only two packs represented, and they were whisked off to a meeting which we could not "interrupt" with non-cub Scout business. (Yeah, figure THAT one out!) As an aside, VERY few Scouters attend Roundtable any more-- the main purpose seems to be pitching jackets and Woodbadge beading and talking about how great the Roundtable Staff is. In an effort to increase attendance, the staff tried not giving out Camporee ribbons til the next Camporee. Didn't work, even though the word was put out that the only way to get your troop's ribbons was to show up at Rountable. The next Camporee was cancelled for lack of participation.....(then the local Jamboree was cancelled also......)

 

6)Ask your District Chairman if your District has a Webelos to Scout Transition person. If so, get in touch with them.

 

District Chairman does what the DE says to do. AND he happens to be the person who used extreme profane language to my son at Camporee when my son was trying to remedy what he thought was an oversight, but came to figure out was a purposeful wrong. We don't have a Scout Transition person-- we have a Membership Chair. Zero help there-- she is only interested in doing what brings her personal glory. Another aside, I actually heard her talking to an Eagle Candidate (not real sure how he was a candidate, because he had not even selected a project.....), encouraging him to perform a particular project, because it was really really easy and he did not have to do much, and her son had done it, and she could help him out with the outline and scheduling, from her son's project. I will be kind and say that she is one of my LEAST favorite people, for a decade's worth of reasons.

 

 

These should get you started.

 

By the way, Webelos is always written with an S at the end whether singular or plural.

WE'll BE LOyal Scouts. And it is an adjective

 

Yeah, I think I already addressed this one!! My son would be all over me like gravy on rice if he knew I had gotten this one wrong!

 

So, as you can see I have already been "started" on this process. I am trying to figure out where to go from here. As I said, I will be making an appointment with the Scout Exec, but after all else I have been through, I just am not expecting too much. Hoping yes, expecting, no! My frustration level has gotten to the point of carting this situation all the way to National, but I am thinking they are not interested in this.

 

So what that leaves me with is needing different "out of the box" ideas for recruiting.

And of course, any other ideas for prevailing with this bunch of, oops, no, I was going to express a very unscoutlike opinion.....don't want to set a bad example for my boys!

 

anyway, thanks for listening, and if you have any other thoughts or opinions, or suggestions, I am definitely listening!

 

Lisa

[sst3rd 129]

Lisa,

 

Our Pack has been incredibly disorganized for over 5 years, and our Troop has supported them as you have. Their leadership was dictated by one person who drove the Pack into the ground. Our Troop is helping the Pack to reorganized, but we haven't had a Webolos graduate for over 5 years. So, we had to recruit outside of Scouting (friends). We have a great program, and have picked up a Scout here and there. It appears that our Troop's good reputation has gotten out. Even though our Council also trys to match Packs to Troops (particularly the same numbered and sponsored), Pack Webolos leaders are trained and encouraged (in this Council anyway)to visit several Troops to find the best fit for each Webolos Scout. Admittedly as a SM, I would be upset if our Pack graduated into another Troop, but I currently have nothing to worry about. Our Troop is active in the community and have a decent and current website. We currently have 5 Webolos from three different Packs, that have made committments to graduate into our Troop. This is outstanding, and our Scouts are very proud of this.

 

DON'T give up. One Scout at a time.

 

sst3rd

[frank10 12]

Lisa,

This one is easy if you know the right question... Don't call your DE and ask him what packs you can recruit from... have some one else call him and ask for the packs that their 9 year old son can join. Same list but I bet this time he gets it to you.

 

Lets hope this DE retires soon. We have a feeded pack and we work with them to be sure that they visit atleast two troops before they cross over. It's improtant to make sure that each Webelos finds the tooop for him.

[LisaSandoz007 10]

Dear sst3rd,

 

Wow, this sounds like you have a good thing going on, and the right mindset to accomplish it!

 

I am strongly committed to having a Webelos OR a Scout find a troop that is a good fit for him. I would much rather see a boy stay in Scouting for all it has to offer, than to insist that the flavor of our troop is right for any given individual. When my son bridged, he first visited 6 troops-- he wanted to leave no stone unturned!! I think that all Webelos should have the opportunity to do the same thing-- well, maybe SIX is not necessary, but I am sure you get my drift! We are also active in the community and our boys actively seek to help on any and all Eagle projects being done by any Scout in any Troop.

I bet your Scouts ARE proud of recruiting 5 brand new Scouts, and from three packs no less. That is STELLAR!!! We are also working on getting a website up and going-- we have done the preliminaries, but need to find the time to do the rest of it.

And, you are so right-- I MUST remember that it is ONE SCOUT AT A TIME, and what is important is that I do not let down the boys that we do have.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post-- the inspiration is vastly appreciated!

Lisa

 

Hi wingnut,

we actually did exactly as you have suggested. The result was that the DE asked where the boy lived and then gave him the contact info for the pack he said was in the boy's area. The mom who made this call for us was flabbergasted when the DE refused to entertain the idea that the boy and his mom may want to check out more than one pack, and would not give her the information.

 

I do hope the De retires soon, but actually I think he has his own little "kingdom" set up and has no plans to go elsewhere. But we will see where all this leads in the coming week-- is it too much to hope that my efforts may "help" him to retire??

It absolutely warms my heart to hear that there is another troop out there that that encourages their boys to visit other troops. We operate the same way with all the Webelos we encounter.

 

Thank you also for taking the time to respond to me- the inspiration is what will keep me going!

 

Lisa

 

 

[CubsRgr8 10]

Someone needs to educate your DE that packs are not "assigned" to troops, even if they share the same unit number and charter organization! That said, your council covers a huge geographic territory and it just might be (sad to say) that there aren't any other packs closer to you than the two previously mentioned. I went noodling around and came of with this link: http://www.bsa-la.org/index.html Besides provding links to some unit websites, there's a link for each District's website. These in turn have some additional unit links. For a great example of how a council can promote pack/troop research, check out this webpage posted by my council: http://www.milwaukeeboyscouts.org/unit_locator.htm Good luck to you!

 

 

[Adrianvs 10]

If the shortened version of "WEBELOS scout" is "Webelos" shouldn't the shortened version of "WEBELOS scouts" actually be "Webeloses?"

 

 

I would like to see that one catch on.(This message has been edited by Adrianvs)

[frank10 12]

I think it is Webeli