Cub Scout Crossing - In Ceremony

[beadqueen]

Hi, I'm Judy with Pack 810 in Jacksonville, AR and we're working on our first Tiger Cub Roundup this month "Catch a Tiger by the Tail and Bring him to Scouts!". We're wanting to get them in by May in time for our crossing over ceremony on May 18 and then on to Day Camp. Any suggestions on how best to go about doing this? We're gathering volunteers to go to the schools and do a "School Drive" like we do in September, but concentrating on the Tigers this time around. We're thinking about painting our faces like tigers, going in uniform to the principals first to obtain permission and appropriate days and times, then going to the classes to do our quickie talk, hand out flyers and bracelets and then arranging a meeting night for the parents. What can we do to make sure this is a success?

[Karen_216]

I'd double check with Council and the DAy Camp that boys that will be Tigers next year are allowed to go to the Day Camps.(unless you mean they will be wolves). I'd still plan summer pack activities regardless to get them involved with your pack over the summer. Do a swim day aor Fishing Derby or Raingitter Regatts or Mini-golf, etc.

 

About the Roundup-- Make sure you have a firm date set. Advertise your "welcome night". Serve some snacks or pizza and get the Boy Scout Troops to come along and keep the boys entertained. If you have free local papers have picture of scouts dressed up and leaders to tell about it, put up posters and flyers in local businesses that will allow you to do so. We participate at our school Fair (we're not allowed in the schools). You can also print up mini "business" cards to give to the boys in school to tell about your night . Contact National about these. Our local council had a template last fall and it came from them - Put stickers on the boys with info about your scout night. Put up the Join cub Scouts Banners.. Of course you may also get other ranks too-- a happy by-product?

Go to Baseball and other sports (in Uniform other-wise it's just creepy) and hand out info to parents there.

Also make sure you get a primer from your Council about doing the school days in case you haven't done it before. Bring some awards and a pinewood car. Maybe do a hokey magic trick to get attention.

Good Luck.

[ScoutNut]

You mention you are gathering volunteers to go to schools. Is this Tiger Roundup for your Pack only or a District-wide event?

 

Get your DE involved in this effort. They can print fliers with all of the info on the sign-up meeting night (and you Pack contact info if done for only your Pack) at no cost to your Pack. The DE can also do "Boy Talks" and have freebies to give to the boys.

 

If this is a District-wide Roundup, make sure you have a representative from each of the Packs in the area at the signup parent meeting. If they can bring some picture of their Scout activities that would help.

 

Having a visual of the things your Pack does will help if the Roundup is just for your Pack too.

 

Have all permissions, dates and times set up well in advance. Advertise your signup meeting in a variety of different ways. Do you have any families in your Pack that either have kindergarteners, or know any kindergarten families? Have them chat up the kinder parents before and after school. Let them know what a great program Scouting is. Let the current Scouts know that if they can get a buddy to register they will get a cool recruiter patch that they can wear on their uniform.

 

Have activities for the boys to do at the signup meeting. Utilize Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (Den Chiefs would be great!) to run games and activities. Using boys the kindergartners know will help both the boys and their parents feel more comfortable. I like the Tiger face painting. Do it on the boys either at the schools or at the signup meeting.

 

I like the sticker idea. Make it large and visible. Maybe a big orange tiger head shape or paw print. If you have your "Tiger Talk" later in the school day, the boys will be more likely to still have that sticker on them, the flier intact, and be bursting to tell their folks as soon as they fall out of those school doors.

 

Good Luck!

 

[DenZero]

We actually just tried this, but need a better strategy. On Monday, the District Exec. gave a presentation at lunchtime, and sent home all the younger boys with stickers announcing the roundup at the school on Tuesday evening. The DE resreved the school lunchroom for the evening, and I met him and the assistant district commissioner there. We came armed with lots of brochures and handouts. One family of a prospective Tiger showed up, and we gave them a really good presentation.

 

It appears that this technique is not reaching enough families. There are more kids in Kindergarten and first grade this year than they have had for many years, but reaching them and getting them to consider Cub Scouts is very difficult.

 

Any other ideas?

 

 

[ManyHats]

We made a big poster announcing the roundup and showed a picture of the fishing pole that would be given away that night. It was posted at school for several days. Brochures were also sent home with all the boys at school with the signup date. I'm not sure how much that helped, but we did have several boys come.