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Membership Moments

The Scouts BSA team has just launched the Membership Corner. This site curates ideas for growing and strengthening a troop.

New Member Coordinator

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/New-Member-Coordinators.pdf

▪Why do we need New Member Coordinators?

▪We need to welcome youth and their families to Scouting by

▪Building awareness of the benefits of Scouting

▪Inviting families and helping them to join

▪Ensuring that all new members feel a sense of belonging

Unit Pin updated??

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Be-A-Scout-Pin-Set-up.pdf

To update a Scouts BSA unit pin, a Key 3 leader (or delegate) must log into My.Scouting.Org, select the unit from the Menu, then click Organization Manager and Unit Pin on the left side of the screen. Here, you can update the contact information, set the pin to appear on BeAScout.org, and enable online applications by ensuring the corresponding settings are turned "on" by clicking the checkmark next to them. Click Save at the bottom to apply your changes

Blue & Gold as a Recruitment Activity

It is Blue and Gold season! The Scouting America includes the following information around the Blue and Gold Banquets: “Blue and Gold Banquets are a tradition in Cub Scout packs. They are a celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the Scouting America on February 8, 1910, and therefore usually take the place of the February pack meeting. Often, badges of rank are awarded. The Arrow of Light ceremony may even be included as the 5th graders cross over to a troop. Sometimes community leaders or special guests are invited to attend. The meal can be a pot-luck dinner or other arrangements can be made – whatever suits your pack.”

https://www.scoutshop.org/blog/blue-gold-banquet-planning-guide.html

Pinewood Derby as a Recruitment Activity

Have you ever considered using the Pinewood Derby as a recruitment activity? Most packs normally hold the Pinewood Derby early in the year when packs don’t usually think about recruitment. There are a lot of young boys and girls who would love to be part of this exciting activity, it only makes sense to use it for recruitment.

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Pinewood-Derby-as-an-NFA.pdf

From Parent to Leader: A Guide to Boosting Cub Scout Involvement

https://www.scoutingatl.org/RecruitingLeaders#helpers

To create a thriving Cub Scout Pack, you need a strong team of adult volunteers. Many Packs lack the necessary leadership, and an increase in new scouts means an even greater need for help. The key to successful recruitment is to first turn parents into helpers, and then to empower those helpers to become leaders.

The Right Way to Ask for Help

Asking parents to immediately become a Den Leader or Cubmaster often results in rejection. People are more likely to say yes to a small, manageable task. Instead of asking, "Who wants to be a Den Leader?" try these strategies:

Ask One-on-One: A group plea for volunteers often makes individuals think someone else will step up. Ask each parent individually and offer a specific task.
Start Small: Give a parent a simple task, like leading a small part of a meeting's activity. This builds their confidence and shows them they can contribute.
Form a Team: Encourage parents to co-lead or form a "team of helpers." When parents see that others are also pitching in, they feel less pressure and are more likely to take on a leadership role. This "share the lead, share the load" approach makes the job seem less daunting.

Turning Helpers into Leaders

Once parents are actively helping, you can encourage them to take on more responsibility.

Recognize and Celebrate: Acknowledge and appreciate every parent who helps. Celebrate their contributions publicly to show them their efforts are valued and to make their kids proud.
Provide Support: Remind them that they don't have to be experts. Provide them with resources and tools, such as program guides and activity ideas, to help them succeed.
Make it Fun: Foster a sense of community among the adult volunteers. When leaders and helpers enjoy working together, they'll be more engaged and committed.

By shifting the focus from an immediate leadership request to a gradual process of involvement, you can build a more engaged and sustainable team of adult volunteers for your Pack.

Parent Involvement in Scouts BSA

https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/about-scouts-bsa/parent-involvement/

The Shift from Cub Scouts to Scouts BSA

Parent involvement is a crucial aspect of Scouting. While Cub Scouts is a family-oriented program designed for parents and children to do together, Scouts BSA is youth-led. In Scouts BSA, adults are present to provide a safe and supportive environment, not to take over or do the work for the Scouts. The goal is to help young people develop self-confidence and leadership skills.

Key Adult Roles in a Scouts BSA Troop

Parents and other adults who want to get involved can serve in various registered leadership positions.

Scoutmaster (SM): Works directly with Scouts, acting as a coach and mentor. The SM's primary roles are to equip youth leaders with the skills to run the troop, ensure the rules are followed, and serve as a positive role model.
Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM): At least 18 years old, the ASM helps the Scoutmaster, provides guidance to patrols, advises youth in leadership roles, and assists with the troop's needs. ASMs are also essential for meeting the "two-deep leadership" requirement on all outings.
Committee Chair: Appointed by the Chartered Organization, this person oversees the Troop Committee's administrative functions and ensures all responsibilities are delegated and completed.
Committee Member: This committee acts like a board of directors, handling the troop's policies and administrative tasks. This allows the Scoutmaster and ASMs to focus on working directly with the Scouts.
Chartered Organization Representative (COR): This is the direct liaison between the troop and the organization that sponsors it. The COR appoints the Committee Chair and acts as the contact for the local District and Council.

Other opportunities for adults include volunteering as merit badge counselors, camp staff, or instructors. Adult leaders must be at least 21 years old, with the exception of Assistant Scoutmasters, who can be 18. All leaders must also be approved by the Chartered Organization.

Invite Teachers to Celebrations

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Invite-Your-Teachers-to-Celebrations.pdf

Have you ever considered inviting your children's teachers to your Blue and Gold ceremony? Court of Honor? It's a very simple thing to do. Teachers, principals, and PTO/PTA leaders are more likely to accept an invitation than you might think. Just send them an invitation a month in advance of your event.

Summertime Activities

https://www.gatewayscouting.org/files/56020/pack-summer-recruitment

A few suggestions are: ● Bike rodeo ● Professional baseball game ● Scout Olympics ● Dutch oven cooking potluck ● Splash pad ● Tie dye or any other STEM activity ● Relay races ● Library or museum meetup ● Discount movie theater meet up ● Hike ● Full moon hike ● Campfire with songs and s'mores ● Picnic ● Ice cream party ● Pool party unit event ● Family volleyball or softball game The opportunities are limitless, and remember, these are meant to be fun for the whole family

Rocket Into Scouting Playbook

https://cnyscouts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/rocket-into-scouting-playbook.pdf

The Rocket Into Scouting program is designed to take your recruiting efforts to new heights. With a focus on fun, this program invites families in your community to experience the adventures that only Scouting can offer. The program leverages an activity that kids love (building and launching rockets) while showing parents that Scouting will foster their child’s creativity, initiative, and sense of wonder.

Your council or district will host a community event for parents and youth to design, build, and launch their own rockets. All of the details (supplies, snacks, instructors, games) will be taken care of by the council or district. All the families need to worry about is having a great time. Through this simple interaction, parents will see the experience, friendships, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that Scouting can offer their children. It’s sort of a “test drive” of the Scouting experience. Scouting employees and volunteers will be on-hand to help with the event, answer any questions, and of course, sign up new Scouts! This playbook will act as your guide for planning, promoting, and carrying out an event in your area.

Leader Succession Planning

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/RTHT-Leader-Succession-Planning.pdf

Having a great leadership team helps ensure you have a great Scouting unit. Successful leaders provide a welcome atmosphere to potential families and keep current families engaged in the program. Scouts who have families involved generally stay in the program longer, but being a Scout leader is not a forever job. Career and family commitments may change, or Scouts leave the program and the family ‘retires’ with them. Other times, a unit may be growing rapidly and needs additional leaders to help run the program. Finding new leaders when positions are vacant can be stressful for the unit, so it is important to have a leader succession plan in place. Succession planning is an ongoing process where current leaders are regularly identifying potential new leaders, and then are helping them learn and grow to be experienced leaders themselves. A succession plan can create a culture of volunteering within your unit and will improve overall unit success.

Here are some ideas to help you with your succession planning!

● Identify roles to be filled – make a list of unit positions, and when you will need a successor for that position. Describe the responsibilities of each role – knowing what is expected will make new leaders more comfortable with volunteering.

● Know who is available – make a list of adults who are not currently in a leadership role or adults who are ready to try a new role.

● Determine the skills of your potential new leaders – use parent/family surveys, either in writing or through conversation. This helps you understand which skills, abilities, and previous experiences potential new leaders have.

● Ask for help – sometimes new members aren’t sure how to begin volunteering or even if they are welcome to join. By asking for help, even if for small jobs at first, you can make these new members feel welcome and needed.

● Get the commitment – be sure the new leader understands and accepts the responsibilities for the position they are filling and that other leaders are all on board, and then complete the paperwork for membership.

● Train the new leaders. After a volunteer has committed to take on a leadership role, be sure to provide them with all the necessary training to do the job. Because you planned ahead, your new leaders can shadow your experienced leaders to help ensure a smooth turnover.

● Say thank you! While most Scout leaders do not volunteer to receive recognition, it is always a good idea to take the time to thank your leaders for the work they do and for giving their time to Scouting

Resources: Roundtable Support Page https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/roundtable-support/roundtable-planning-resources/

Aaron on Scouting - Succession Planning for Cub Scout Leaders https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/podcast/succession-planning-for-cub-scout-leaders/

Aaron on Scouting - Why Succession Planning is a Must in Every Scouting Unit

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/01/06/next-up-why-succession-planning-is-a-must-inevery-scouting-unit/

https://help.scoutbook.scouting.org/knowledge-base/scoutbook-tutorial-for-parents/

How Do I Give My Scout Access to Their Account?

A parent is the only person who can give a Scout access to their records online. Unit Admins are not able to grant a Scout access to their records. The Scout must be registered with a unit. Make sure the parent is connected to the Scout account / record in the Scout’s Connections page. Also, make sure the parent has the Parent/Guardian connection role with either Full Control or Edit Profile permissions. The parent should login to Scoutbook, click on their Scout’s name and go to Edit Extended Information for their Scout and click the option at the bottom of the page to allow their Scout to connect to their own account. The Scout will need their own unique email account. A temporary password will be sent to them.

NOTE: If a parent does not see the “Invite Scout to Connect” button at the bottom of the Scout’s Edit Extended Information screen, then the Scout has already been invited and an account has already been setup for them with their email address as their User Name. Go to the Messaging Center and click on the Scout’s name, unclick the BCC option and send the Scout an email to log into Scoutbook. They can use the “Forgot Password?” option on the login screen to reset their password if they forgot it.

Recruitment Events are as easy as One, Two, or Three!

Scouting is FUN! So is recruiting! Consider the following steps when planning recruitment events.

Step 1: Streamline recruitment and make it fun! Parents experiencing a fun new activity together with their child is the ultimate scouting experience.

Step 2: Be Prepared! Successful events begin with good planning.

● Be clear, concise, and timely with your marketing. Consider using geofencing to improve attendance.

● Update the BeAScout Pin.

● People join people! Scouting families provide valuable insight and experience to potential families. Ask them to volunteer at your event.

● Have designated greeters so families feel welcome the moment they walk in. Step 3: Sign Up Families on the Spot! If a family attends your event, they most likely want to sign up and join, especially if they had fun!

● Move the families through quickly but not rushed. At the same time, make it okay if they have more questions. No pressure.

● Have resources available to register and take payments.

● Provide New Member Flyers or Welcome Packets.

Following up Prospective Leads on BeAScout.org

BeAScout.org is a free recruitment tool for units. Make sure your contact info is up to date. Contact person can be anyone who will respond to inquiries and follow up on the leads. The Unit Key 3 or designee will receive emails when there are leads from the website. Leads from BeAScout.org can be found in “Invitation Manager” in my.scouting.org. Leads that do not receive any follow-up by the seventy-two-hour mark tend to dry up. Make sure that the person responsible for doing this responds quickly.