Getting adults to volunteer--it worked!

[Brewmeister]

At a recent roundtable we were introduced to a strategy for pack event planning and securing volunteers for events that we tried with excellent results. Maybe it's common knowledge and I didn't know it but here you go.

 

Take an event that many parents will be at and ideally where they will be eating and the scouts can go somewhere else. So in our case we were having a year end pizza party at a park, and the boys and siblings were over on the playground equipment.

 

When everyone has a plate of food, Take a big easel or whiteboard and explain to parents that you'd like their input into the type of events the pack should run next year. Write the ideas down on the left hand side. After you have a good bunch of ideas go back to the top of the list and ask who would like to coordinate it.

 

Ideally you get a volunteer and you write them on the right hand side. If not, it's going once, going twice, and the idea is crossed off. Unless your parents are willing to let every idea get crossed off they catch on quickly.

 

We did this with fantastic results...only a few crossed out events and lots of different volunteers including new people. Our activities chair will work with them on scheduling and general coordination/support. While not everyone may follow through, it's a great foundation for the year and people were very enthused because they were acting on their ideas.

[frankpalazzi]

I heard about that technique years ago and never knew of anyone who actually tried it. Glad to see it worked for you!

[Nike]

We do something similar with our Girl Scout committee except we target troops to sponsor the events. No sponsor, no event.

[Eagledad]

I used it successfully in Webelos for my parents to take on the activity badges.

 

However, through the years nothing works better than asking face to face. Maybe it takes a special person or someone with baby blue eyes to do that, but I am rarely ever turned down.

 

Barry

[Tampa Turtle]

I find the smart adults volunteer for the easiest jobs first and then the ball gets rolling...

[SeattlePioneer]

One of the hazards of asking for volunteers is that you get people volunteering to do things they aren't good at doing.

 

And choosing activities to do requires some judgement in structuring a program. Having a tossed salad of activities may not work well.

 

The strategy recommended by BSA is to identify the BEST person to do a job and to ask that person. If they refuse, go on to the next best person.

 

You DO want to have the best people as Scout leaders, don't you?

 

That's not to pooh pooh you method though. There is an art to getting people to help with the program, and if it works for your unit, I'm glad to hear it.

[Brewmeister]

SP, central to this strategy is that I have the best person for the job in the chair role. So she is coordinating things and making sure that people don't fall down on the job. And it is possible that an event or two may fall through.

 

But the difference that was immediately apparent from this method was that people were willing and eager to take things on. And in my mind that is actually one step better than approaching someone and asking, "Will you coordinate this?," because they have actually volunteered.

 

Can they all do a great job of it? Time will tell, but you don't know unless you try and give them the opportunity.