Bushel baskets and coleman lanterns

[SSScout 1624]

...because no one uses candles on camp trips, that's why...

 

Don't trust Council or District to put Scouting in the public eye, you local unit folks gotta do it.

On the inside page of your local paper are all the phone numbers and email addresses you need to get started. The smaller and more local the paper, the more they will love to "cover" your Scout event. Cub Scout Day Camp, Camporee, overnight visit to the local historic warship, local boy earns Eagle, local group (!Troop!) to hike 200 miles thru New Mexico mountains, if your Scout group is going to do it, TELL SOMEONE.

 

If your Cub Pack has a PR person, very often the local editor will love to include the results of your Pinewood Derby and you know the boys will get a kick out of seeing their name in print. MAKE THE CALL. WRITE THE NOTE.

TV stations are a possibility if you have "eyecandy" to go with the story. Monkey bridge, flag ceremony, lots of Cubs cheering, watergun fights, rock climbing.

Radio stations are not as good sources of PR as they were because most are into music and not so much about local news, but ya don't know until ya ask.

The phone call is best to pique their interest. Ask to speak to the NEWS editor, they will send you to the right person. Be persistant. You may have to repeat your story many times to many people. Be patient and upbeat every time.

**After 6 phone calls, speaking to at least four different people, I convinced the "Metro" editor to cover our visit to the USS Constellation. One quarter page story, two scouts interviewed. Of course it was worth the effort.

**Umpteen phone calls, several emails, and the Washington Post sent a photog and reporter to our CSDC. One half page with 4 photos in the local County insert!! Even the reporter said he had a good time!

**District makes contact with a local weather TV man. Guess who speaks about Scouting for Food on TV for a week!!

**How 'bout the traffic 'copter overflying (flpflpflpflpflpflp) the Camporee?

Now, I have no idea how many (if any) new Scouts we gained from these, but they cost NOTHING but effort.

All it needs is SOMEONE to make the calls.

 

'Course, if National wants to get Mel Gibson or somebody to do voice over for a thirty second rockclimbingflagraisingtugowarrafttriphikealongmonkeyropebridgearcherybbgunsoccergame interlude, well, nothing wrong with that.

 

Oh, that's Mathew 5:15.

[Eamonn 61]

SSScout,

I of course agree whole heartedly with us going out and telling everyone about the good stuff we do.

Part of my reason for starting the other thread was because, a few years back I was trying to help raise a large amount of money for our council.

I met with people and foundations who have lots of money!! (My mother didn't raise a fool!)

I was shocked at how little people who weren't involved and who hadn't been involved in Scouting knew about what we did and what we are trying to do.

I was talking to someone about this and they said something that has stayed with me. They said "What do you expect when you meet in the basement and camp in the woods?"

Ea.

 

[SSScout 1624]

Thank you, Ea.

 

As Willy Sutton said, "because that's where the money is."

 

So, taking the suggestion, if you wish to find BOYS, you ought to go to where the boys are.

Schools (we've been thru that), TV, libraries, newspapers (well, the parents read'em, we hope), mebbe blogs are next? But the point is that, just like alot of Scout stuff, one can't depend on National or Council to do it. As way opens to you, just do it (outside of that reserved one hour a week, of course).

 

Because if the boy doesn't want it (quality program, boy led, etc.), the parent ain't gonna support it. And if the boy doesn't know about it, he isn't gonna want it. I guess they all go together, don't they? So you tell the parents about the opportunity and the boy about the opportunity and then try to clear your calendar's saturdays for the next 5 years...