SCOUTERS!  We are well into our new year. Hopefully everyone has their recharter packages turned in, or at least close. I am going to shift gears and talk a little bit about spring recruitment. For the Boy Scouts, you should be looking at getting the newly crossed over Scouts engaged and excited for summer camp, also start to involve the new Webelos in the troop, not just the new Webelos II's but also the brand new Webelos I's.   I have found in the past that the earlier you get the Cub Scouts excited about Boy Scouts, the higher likelihood they will stay in Scouting when it comes time to cross over. On the Cub Scout side, spring time is a great time to get the new tigers and other boys who wished they joined last year excited about scouting. Make sure that you have the information out to the parents of perspective scouts on all the things your pack does during the summer months and the fun that can be had by the family. Don't forget to stress the core values of scouting. I've included some basic tips and resources available to help out, and as always you can talk with your Unit Commissioner or myself. Take Care and Scout On!

Resources

Applications

Youth and Adult Applications are available from the Unit Commissioner, your District Executive or at the Glacier's Edge Council office. Make sure you have enough for each recruitment event or community event you attend. It is good practice for the Unit Leader to have some available at all Scout functions should a new Scout family ask for one.

Flyers and Stickers

Customize flyers are typically sent out to Cub Scout aged students in schools. Please see your district membership committee or district executive order these flyers for the schools in your area. Flyers can also be used as handouts at public events, distributed on pizza boxes or any effective way that is suggested. Stickers are given to each boy during the boy talk to remind them to show the flyer to their parent.

Boy Talks (in school recruiting)

While flyers and sticker have their place, they work much better when accompanied by personal communication. One method of achieving this is by arranging Boy Talks in local schools during the school day. Boy Talks are the opportunity for a scouting volunteer or staff to talk to students at their school as part of their daily program. You can contact your local principal directly to setup a Boy Talk. These events have the most impact when a local leader is available to be part of the Boy Talk as he or she can give more detailed information on Scouting in your area.

The BeAScout.org site has now become a national recruiting website for local units. Cubmasters, Committee Chairmen and Charter Organization Representatives can logon to their units' BeAScout profiles at www.myscouting.org. Those leaders can then customize their unit's profiles so that families interested in Scouting can contact unit leaders directly. It is very beneficial that every unit make sure their profile is up to date.

General Recruiting Tips & Guidelines

Be Creative. While a table with information and application on it may have a chance of bringing new scouts to your unit, it can be much more successful by adding an activity such as a photo display of your unit in action, Rain gutter Regatta or a Pinewood Derby track.

Don't Recruit Kids...Recruit Families! While at an event or sign up night make sure you pass both a Youth Application and Adult Application to each adult/youth pair that approaches you. Encourage the parent to fill out both and explain to them that Scouting is a volunteer run organization and that the success of your local group depends on the wiliness of parents to help out in some roll. You can finalize how they will help and what role they will fill (Committee, Den Leader, etc) at a later time.

Respect Parents Time. Parents who are interested in signing their children up for Scouting don't always have to be sold on scouting. In fact, they are usually used to the same procedures that sporting programs use - they arrive at the recruitment night ready to fill out the application and pay that night. Make sure they receive an application the first time you engage them and make every effort to collect the application from them at the same event. If the application is completed, signed and paid for as soon as possible, then their son can jump immediately into your program and you won't waste your time or the parents' time tracking down applications and money.

Once the application is complete, turn it into the Glacier's Edge Council as soon as you can. If one of your unit leaders can't turn them in quickly, a Commissioner or member of the Field Staff will make arrangements to pick it up for you. This will ensure that the Scout is invited to all the summertime activities and covered under BSA's insurance should an incident should occur. It also allows for the Council to immediately being assisting the Pack with advancement tracking.

Use the Uniform. Scouting has a great tool in the uniform as it is widely recognized among the public. Having leaders and scouts in their Field Uniform will make it clear what you are representing at recruiting events. Always consider having your scouts wear their uniform to school the day of a Boy Talk or recruiting event to raise awareness and attention.

Alternate Communication. Each community has its own unique ways of promoting community events. Make sure that your recruiting and other Scouting events are in your town's community bulletins, church bulletins or websites.

Scout Day at Illinois Railway Museum

Saturday May 11th

Please join us on Saturday May 11th, 2013 as we learn about railroading as a career, help learn the railroading merit badge requirements for Boy Scouts, and get to ride some amazing TRAINS! Activities will be available for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts as well as all youth groups. Boy Scouts will be able to work on the Railroading Merit Badge. For more information: http://www.freewebs.com/scoutdayatirm/