Recruiting Sign-ups vs Actual membership

[SctDad]

I was wondering if anyone out there had some experience with recruiting signs ups. I was wondering how many boys you actually had join the pack, after their parents signed the contact list. We had 24 names added to the list that we started and I was wondering if there was any history of how many I could expect to actually join.

 

Just trying to find out how many leaders I need to recruit also.

 

 

[Bob White]

That is probably going depend on how well the list is followed-up on.

 

The more positive info you get into the scout's and parents' hands, and the sooner you do it, the better the success you will have. How many leaders you will need will depend on the the age break down of the scouts that sign up. A good rule of thumb is is to get 1/3 of the families involved in the pack as leaders or on a committee.

 

If you are going to have 24 Tigers each will have to come with an adult partner. I would make 4 Dens and work to recruit two active adults from each den.

[Karen_216]

Since we give out applications right then at recruiing night and it is a separate event not mixed in with any other school event, we get very few that don't join. Maybe two last year.

[Lisabob]

Our rate was probably around 70-80%, but as BW says it depends heavily on how you follow up, as well as what sort of event this was - a targeted "Join Scouting" night will get you better quality sign-ups than some non-scouting event, but conversely you may get more sign ups at a general event (school, church social, etc.) because you're reaching an audience that maybe hadn't even thought about scouting yet. Generally speaking, people who are interested enough to provide you their contact info, are interested enough to join if you do your part to follow through.

 

The places where that turned out not to be the case were mostly where a parent of an older boy (4th-5th grade in cub terms) decided that the child would be too busy with school that year, or where they had a conflict with meeting nights. In the former, there's little you can do except to let them know that the door is always open if things should change; in the latter, you could still refer them to other packs in the area who might meet on nights they could attend.

[Twocubdad]

At our recruitment nights we, too, take applications and dues, so the number of folks who show up for "info only" is fairly small. Because the events are run as mutli-pack district events, the sign-in sheets are turned in to the DE and membership people and they are responsible for following up with the families who didn't join. Generally, it is a fairly small number.

 

If you are doing info-oriented recruiting and not converting the tire kickers into recruits, you need to change tactics. Ask for the sale. We just go in with the assumption that everyone is there to sign up for Scouts. Hand them an app and tell them how to make out their check.

 

I don't know if this is what you are asking about, but in my time in the pack, we usually had one or two Scouts who would turn in an app and money and never show up for meetings. Mom/dad said no, conflicts with sports, dog ate my homework, blah, blah, blah. That always told me that our dues were too low.

 

My observation was that we could expect 20 to 25 solid new Cubs per year -- two new Tiger dens, one new Wolf den and a smattering of Bears and Webelos. Much more than that the drop out rate just went up.

[SctDad]

Just for some more specifics,

 

I figured up the numbers

 

12 Tigers (One of which is the new Tiger Leaders Son)

 

7 New Wolf

 

2 New Bears

 

3 New WEB1

 

1 New WEB2

 

The Webelos 2 will probably be going to another pack as they already have a den and it would be a benefit to him.

 

So with that said what does everyone think I will get with the numbers now. Just trying to be realistic.

 

 

[pixiewife]

I do not have figure to go by, the only thing that I can say is if you are going to have some that don't acctually sign, it is more than likely going to be in the Tiger group, since parents have to acctually be with their child.

I know, go figure.

~Pixie

[Basementdweller]

We have had several boys sign up and never come to a meeting. We have called and spoke to the parents the scouts have spoke to the boys at school and showed them pictures of events. No clue as to why you would sign up for scouts and never go?????????

[John-in-KC]

Back to school night was on the 12th. Actual recruitment is going to be on the 26th (next Tuesday). As a UC, I've encouraged the CC/CM to keep contacts with the parents over the intervening time.

 

Next year, whatever Pack I'm serving (this is not a permanent assignment per my DC), I will encourage them to deliberately plan for recruitment in the first few nights of school, and take adavantage of an area festival to have an event right out of the starting gates.

 

I think that's one of the tricks ... have fun things for the youth to do immediately.

[SctDad]

"I think that's one of the tricks ... have fun things for the youth to do immediately."

 

We also had our pack meeting last night and talked about some of our upcoming events. One of them is a pack campout. We will be going to the Battleship NC and then camp at a State park. We have 7 boys from last year that are aware and waiting for this campout. As for the new boys, it will be optional. We will work hard to get all those that want to go, going on the trip. But I am not gonna stress over it. If they want to go then everything is good.

 

For those of you who know how things have been going this past year, our committee is getting better, bigger, and more organized. I have completed BALOO training, and we are planning a pack training day next month. This will be for all of the leaders to make sure that we are up to date. I am planning this a little bit out so that I can find out what other new leaders I have.

 

Here's to another great year in scouting.