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Our den is a combination of boys from 2 different school districts on account of there being so few boys. We'd like to recruit enough boys from our elementry so that we could have our own den, and not have to travel (and other reasons)

 

My question... I want to make up a little flyer to send with my bears so they can pass it out to the friends in their class in hopes of recruiting new Bears. Is there a certain or "set" protocal I have to follow, Is there a form we have to use, or can i make it myself?

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Every school system has its own set of rules governing the distribution of flyers within the schools. Check with your Principal, and/or the District Superintendent.

 

Once youve received approval, contact you Council office and they should be able to make up recruiting flyers for you. Most can be customized for you.

 

But before you embark on this effort, I would take look at the potential impact on your program. First and foremost, what will happen to the other boys if you breakaway and start your own den? You cant just walk away from them mid-year. Then what will happen to them in the next year, will there be leadership?

 

Next, recruiting mid-year can put an enormous strain on your resources. If you recruit now, you have an obligation to complete this years program with these new boys. Essentially, you might have two programs running in parallel or at least some variation of that. Its February now and I suspect that your Bears are almost ready to receive their Bear Badge. You might have to go back and start all over again with the new boys, while at the same time, running a program for your existing Bears.

 

As for having boys from different schools in the same den, it has one very distinct advantage. The boys circle of friends gets larger!!! Dont be too quick to discount this benefit to the boys.

 

But something tells me that there is more to this story.......

 

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Something tells me there is more to the story as well.

 

I would check with the principal to make sure, but generally, if a boy is handing a flier to a friend, then there is should not be much of a concern. It would be no different than him handing him an invitation to a birthday party. But, if they are standing at the front door of the school handing them to every boy, then you've got an issue.

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Call your District Exec. National had a program that most councils used this fall for recruitment. I can't remember what the specific name was, but it involved the boys giving postcards to their friends inviting them to join Cub Scouts with them. Your council might have some supplies for this left that you could use.

 

Having some boys working towards rank while others are done can be tricky, but not impossible, especially with Bears. Remember that any complete achievements not used for rank can be used for electives. You could work on rank achievements that your current boys did NOT do. That way the new boys could count them for rank while the old boys could count them for electives.

 

It is never to late to recruit! Also, remind your boys that if they convince one of their friends to join they can receive the Recruiter strip!

 

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Well, no not to every boy in school. Just to same grade 8-9 years old. We live out in a very non crowded area and the two different schools are not close to each other. The one school has enough bears to stand alone, and the other school does not so, for two years there has not been a cub scouts pack. If we had just a few more than we could stand alone as well.

 

ANYWAY.....thanx for the advice

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Big difference between a Pack & a Den.

 

If you want to recruit enough boys so that you can split the Den in two that's fine. However, you should know that unless your Pack Committee Chair can find a Den Leader for those other boys they will be left with out a Den at all. It does not matter if the other school has enough boys to have it's own Den. Without Den Leaders they will not have Scouts. You currently have 5 boys in your Den. How many would you be spliting off that go to the other school?

 

If what you want to do is either have the other school form it's own Pack or have your school form it's own Pack, that is even more complicated. You should talk to your Council District Executive for help.

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