Increasing Attendence? Suggestions ???

[johnnylaw101]

Just so we can roundtable the topic...

 

Any gimics or fun things to promote and ensure good attendece at Den and Pack meetings... (more than just "make it fun") I would like us to discuss specifics... i.e.

 

COMMUNICATION:

 

(1) Email... at the beginning of the year or sport season I get both mom and dad's home, and work emails. (i.e. My wife and I each have our own personal and work emails = 4) Organize a CONTACT/GROUP LIST on your email so that you only need to type one message, and dont have to enter every address separately.

 

(2) Text Messages.... LOVE em' !!! Again, get cell phone numbers for mom and dad... and create a CONTACT LIST in your cell phone. (They all can do it... just learn how) Then you can send just ONE SINGLE TEXT at the same time to the group list. I will send text message reminders the day of the meeting both at noon, and again one hour before. (i.e. "Cub Meeting 2nite at 7 pm!! C U there!!")

 

(2.5) www.onecallnow.com Is a auto message service. You record a message and it is sent out to the families. (like campaign season from candidates)

 

(3) Keep it simple... When, Where, Who, what time....

 

(4) Keep it regular... same day of the week, and same time.

 

(5) Calendar... download a blank calendar for the following month.. put events on it, and hand them out... they hopefully will put on their refriderator.

 

(6) Little prizes for attending and completeing 5 advancement requirements. Get a star for coming, and a star for every 5 advancement completed towards their badge. At 8 stars they get a prize.... a compass... a neckerchief slide... 99cent store toy, ect...

 

Any other suggestions or tips that others use ???

 

(This message has been edited by johnnylaw101)

[gwd-scouter]

On your list of possible things to do, keeping den and pack meetings on a regular schedule is probably the best. Don't most den meetings happen on the same night at the same time every week? When I was a den leader, I gave out a sheet to the parents each month that showed the den plans for the next month. Yes, this did require me to do some preplanning rather than throwing together a meeting at the last minute. When I was Cubmaster, I encouraged the den leaders to do the same. Most did and it helped keep their den meeting attendance up.

 

Our Pack meetings were always scheduled for the last Monday of the month. All the families knew that and we usually had very good attendance, except toward the end of the school year - by then most of the guys had earned everything they were going to earn and families just figured they didn't need to show up.

 

Again for Pack meetings: do your dens do presentations, skits or songs? Do you have a den assigned each month to do the opening, present flags, etc.? How about set up and clean up?

 

We had a spirit stick - a long hiking pole with feathers and bells on the top. It was awarded to the den that showed the most spirit during a pack meeting. Then that den would decorate it (some burned their den number on it, some added beads, whatever they wanted), brought it to their den meetings for a month, and would award it to another den at the next pack meeting.

 

As far as prizes for requirements completed. I wouldn't do that. Mostly because I get a bit weary of our tendency to give out awards to children for doing what they should do. Besides, Scouting already has awards for completing requirements toward rank. The plastic advancement toward rank thingy that holds beads. If I remember correctly, the boys would get a bead for everything three or four requirements they completed toward their rank.

 

Attendance prizes? Not sure about this one. Boys at Cub Scout age have no control over attendance. It is driven by their parents. Some parents will be very gung ho about Scouting and will make sure their son makes everything. Others, not so much. An award for attendance would be more of an award for the parent than the Scout.

 

At least I certainly wouldn't do it at the pack meeting level. Now, at the den level you could make a den doodle. A wooden structure with all the boys' names on it and maybe string hanging down to hold beads. Beads could be added for all kinds of things: perfect attendance for the month, wearing the uniform, showing the most spirit, etc. On this though, remember, Cub Scouts is about doing your best. And, of course, making it fun.(This message has been edited by gwd-scouter)

[IM_Kathy]

when my son was in cubs our pack had each den make their own flag rather than using the bought ones... the one my boys had for Webelos we strung through cord for each boy with a piece of wood with their name on it... they earned different colored beads for doing different things and strung them onto their string.

 

I'll try to remember what all they were, but they were based off of boy scouts since that was what they were beginning to learn...

 

* blue was be prepared - uniform on and came with book

* yellow was obiedient - following rules and good behavior

* white was doing a good turn - which they got for being denner and also if they did something above the "norm"

* red they got for completely a webelos pin, but I can't remember what scout term(s) we used for it

* green was for attending a pack event, again I can't recall the term we used

 

for keeping parents and leaders informed - our pack had monthly leader meetings where we finalized pack events and announced all the info to the leaders... we also had a webpage with all the info including a flyer for each event that parents could print out or that leaders could print out to pass out to the parents

 

my son's boy scout troop uses google groups... it's very handy as you type one message in there and it will email it out to everyone that has signed up for our group. SPL always sends out his agendas before the meetings and then the outdoor cordinator will post final lists of who is attending campouts and who signed up as drivers

[Cubby's Cubmaster]

Here are my 2 cents worth...To get better attendence, you need two things: (1) a good reason for parents to bring their kids and (2) send LOTS of reminders as parents are very busy and meetings can fall through the cracks.

 

As for a good reason to attend, I've found that I've got two consituencies to please: the kids and the parents. I've found these groups have different likes and dislikes. So at our pack meetings we try to give both groups a reason to come. For pack meetings, we plan big things to do to help build excitement. This year we did the following:

 

Aug - Water bottle rocket derby

Sept - Den Midway & ice cream social

Oct - Cub Scout Olymipics (with participation medals)

Nov - Raingutter Regatta

Dec - Took off. (Pack went ice skating which was lightly attended.)

Jan - Pinewood derby

Feb - B/G banquet (which was not well attended--even with Mad Science for entertainment.)

Mar - Zoo Animal demo presented by Cincinnati Zoo

April - Bike rodeo

May - Pack move-up picnic

 

We assign these to a den to run or else the pack committe does it. Each den will run one pack meeting's activities during the year.

 

I've used the BSA Program Helps & BALOO Helps for some activities (even from past years) but I always keep focused on activities that will keep kids & parents interested and not necessary what the program helps say to do.

 

I've found that the crafts are a good idea as all kids like to do them--even the 5th graders. Plus, parents like to help, too.

 

I'd rotate in fun activities every other year so they don't get stale.

 

Getting more parents involved also helps with attendence.

 

We've used 'Cubby' our stuffed bear mascot as a prize to the den with the best attendence and best uniformed.

 

Having cookies and water at the end of the pack meeting is always a plus.

 

Here is an idea our pack doesn't do...Handing out prizes or patches at each den or pack meeting. Have a perfect attendence patch to give out at the end for the scout that gets all the patches. I don't think we've felt a need for it.

 

 

As for communication, we use Scouttrack.com and its automated calendar feature to send a reminder 1 week and at 2 days before an event or meeting. Instead of a newsletter, I send out a pack update email once a month noting the future activities. We have the pack calendar to hand out at the beginning of the year so that all are aware of what we are doing.

 

Hope these ideas help.

 

With regards,

Cubby's Cubmaster

[John-in-KC]

1) CONSISTENCY. Whenever your meeting is, be consistent about it.

 

2) LEADER PREPARDNESS. DL, ADL, and Den Chief have put their heads together between the meetings. Pre-opening, game, craft, program activity are planned and ready.

 

3) CUB HAS A GOOD TIME. If this is "school x2", the Cub will not want to attend.

 

4) COMMUNICATE with parents. Short, sweet, to the point. Get the word out.

 

5) PROMISE and LAW OF THE PACK. These are tools for you. Know how to leverage them in working with your Cubs

 

6) DON'T BE A SCREAMER. Kids turn off to a screamed/yelled "SIGNS UP!!!!" They'll head for the exits no later than the end of the program year.

 

7) KNOW YOUR MATERIAL. Self-explanatory

 

8) MAKE SURE PARENTS KNOW WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO SIGN OFF ON. Akela is parent, guardian, grandparent, not just the DL/ADL

 

9) Uniform, uniform, uniform. There's a reason it's a Method of Cubbing.

 

10) NATIONAL PROGRAM. National publishes the Annual Program a year ahead of schedule. The Annual Program drives articles in Boy's Life as well as Scouting Magazine. It drives what is presented at Cub Roundtable. If you're not using it, you're having to re-do work already complete.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)