Handouts for Recruiting

[SctDad]

Just looking for some suggestions on what to have on the table for handouts when we have a recruiting table set up at the local school for Back to school day.

 

I plan on things like

Day Camp Flyer

Calendar

 

Trying to find some handouts.

 

Any suggestions?

 

[Bob White]

have you looked at the on-line resources for Cub Scouting at the National website?

http://www.scouting.org/CubScouts/resources.aspx

[DenZero]

How about handing out Raingutter Regatta kits, with a sticker on them giving the date of the race in about a week. I would think that would help motivate the kids to come back.

 

[SctDad]

Bob

 

I am looking at some of the things on that list. I am going to contact my council center to see if they have any of it for me.

 

Den Zero

 

We do the Pinewood Derby. But I can see where you are coming from. Being a low budget pack I think that we could just make a display of some of our cars and let the boys see them. Although I might pass the Rain Gutter regatta idea about at our pack committee meeting next week. that may be something fun for the boys.

 

Keep the ideas coming.

[Lisabob]

SctDad, I just did our district's round up training last night. We give each pack a huge packet of promo material, including a CD with printable stickers, "business" cards, and post cards - you can customize with your pack's round up info. We encourage packs to print some off and have available for boys. There are also posters, mini Boys Life copies, etc. in there. The mini BL are a big hit, both with the boys and with their parents (nostalgia moment for a lot of dads). All of this stuff arrives in our council office courtesy of national, so you should be able to get the same materials.

 

If for some reason you don't or can't get these, you can also find some councils with good web sites. One around here (not my council) is Clinton Valley Council - check out the "Cub Scout Recruiting Materials links on the right side of the screen (stickers, powerpoint, etc.) Hope this helps!

 

[Karen_216]

Put together not just a handout but a parent info packet. Are you doing sign ups too??

What about uniforms and the cost of these and the proper insignia.

What about adult roles and a description?

Do you have a trifold display or bring a laptop w/ a powerpoint showing pack pics and how much fun they've had?? displays of beltloops and trophies and neckerchiefs and some fun stuff they can build. Maybe Lowes will give you some of their build-n grow kits they have to give out.

Talk to your council- ours put a flyer out for us with dates and contact info for us to hand out. You can have your registration date on there.

[Trevorum]

At a recruiting event for Boy Scouts, we displayed a large "Wanted" poster like the following. It was eye-catching, attracted lots of attention, and got results. This poster idea could easily be modified for Cub Scouts.

 

 

WANTED

 

Boys aged 11 and up*

 

FOR

 

camping,

catching fish,

canoeing rivers,

exploring caves,

making campfires,

shooting bows & arrows,

swimming in swimmin holes,

rappelling down rock cliffs,

and other outdoors adventures.

 

Must like knives, sharp sticks, bugs, getting dirty.

 

Reward Offered

Self reliance, Leadership skills, Character development

Lots of fun

 

 

Contact Boy Scout Troop xxx

xxx xxx Church, xxxxx Steeet

Meetings are every Monday 7-8:30 pm

 

*To join a scout troop, a boy must be 11 years old, OR have completed the 5th grade, OR have earned the Arrow of Light award in Cub Scouts.

 

[gcan]

Trevor, I love that flyer! We will pass flyers out to the schools in the fall- I think I might steal your idea, if its' up for the taking!

 

We have Pinewood derby cars, lots and lots of pictures, books from every year to thumb thru, and applications. We also have a Spanish-speaking boy scout on hand at two of the schools to talk to the parents. He HAS come in handy- so if you pull from an ESL population, you might want to consider it. Oh, and a cub scout or two from that school is always a good idea!

Depending on your pack budget, Oriental Trading Co has some cheap pencils, ect that you can get engraved with contact info.

[Trevorum]

gcan, thanks! Absolutely, please use the WANTED poster idea as best works for your unit.

[funscout]

At the cub level, we also found it helpful to have a real live cub scout, in uniform at our table. Of course, be sure to choose a boy who will be a good representative. The youngest boys were usually in awe of the uniform with cool patches on it being worn by someone that they either knew, or at the very least could relate to.

[gcan]

One thing I forgot to mention-

 

Collect old Boy's Life and Scouting magazines people are willing to part with, and let interested boys and parents take one home with them!

[SctDad]

I think what I will do is get some of the small copies of the boys life magazines that they have at the council. They use those for give aways, or at least they did last year.

 

I am aslo thinking about getting some of the banners and stuff from the council. I am also going to see if they have any of the folders and stuff like that for those parents that sign their son up. I am thinking about putting some things like our newsletter, some flyers about up coming Day Camps and some phone lists for the parents so they know who to contact. And I may also include a list of jobs that we could still use filled for leadership in the pack along with the description of what the job is.

 

Kind of making a new parents packet.

[John-in-KC]

As a new UC, I was with my Pack for Back-to-School night recruitment.

 

We used many of the ideas above.

 

PINEWOOD DERBY CARS are a huge Boy Magnet. Tell kids they and their Moms or Dads can build those, and WATCH OUT

 

Next year a Pack Grandpa, a machinist, is going to built a small PW track kids can use.

 

Scouts in Uniform (Cubs and Boys) is another Boy Magnet. They need to know they're not freaks alone.

 

Scouters in Uniform is another Boy Magnet. They seem to "get it" that others are willing to give of their time to raise the next generation.

 

Finally, since GSUSA wasn't present, we knew where a program was and we made sure girls expressing interest were sent to it

 

We didn't try to close the sale. We were in the multipurpose area with school spirit clothing, the school bus folks, the cafeteria folks, and the school district after school program. What we did do was:

 

- Recontact everyone, thanking them for their interest, and reminding them of the ice cream social recruitment night.

 

- Invite them to a Pack activity between back to school night and recruitment night.

 

- We'll recontact again before recruitment night.

 

- Finally, this Pack is chartered by and based in an area church. It will use the next two Sundays to market within the parish.

 

The marketers tell us we need 5-7 impressions before a product or service locks in to our minds. If I recommend anything about recruitment season, it's be deliberate in building your activities.

 

Recruiting doesn't just happen, it takes some planning

[DYB-Mike]

All great ideas!

 

For a recent Roundup we had the following:

 

h Pinewood car display. A definite boy-magnet. Weve used this display at fundraisers and had been asked if the cars were for sale.

h A collection of Snoopy-theme patches helping to illustrate the Cub Scout Trail.

h Laptop with a looping slideshow of Pack pictures.

h An artificial camp fire. This was one we got online and is very realistic (uses colored lights and a fan with a silk flame). This was another boy-magnet.

h Homemade business cards with the Packs website address on them.

h A real-live Cub Scout in full uniform.

 

We also had the standard BSA brochures.

 

I had previously made a poster that was well received at Roundups. I printed photos from Pack activities with applicable captions on them such as adventure, civic pride, blast off (rocket shoot) and just plain fun and arranged the photos on a display board with Baloo inviting boys to join the Pack and join the fun. This display got broken up but we still use some of the pictures in other displays.

 

YIS

Mike