Getting Parents and Boys to RECRUIT

[SeattlePioneer]

I need more help from parents and Cub Scouts to recruit more boys at recruiting nights.

 

We offer boys the "Recruiter" strip but that doesn't do much. I'm thinking about offering a boy who recruits a new boy a $5 Mcdonalds certificate so both boys can have an ice cream sundae or something. But what do other packs find effective to motivate boys?

 

 

What can be done to motivate parents to help find and invite new families to recruiting nights?

 

 

This spring I organized paper airplane making and flying competitions which were fun activities and should have been attractive for boys to invite their friends to attend. We had lots of Cub Scouts and parents attend, but few new boys.

 

 

What to do?

 

[King Ding Dong]

You have to interest the boys but you have to sell the parents. Are you trying to recruit from a church or school ? Our CM had luck last year by showing some Video at lunch time at the school to the 1st graders, then reeled the parents in at a school open house night. He also set up the derby track in the cafeteria and had practice races.

[dedkad]

We have our meetings at a school and do our recruiting solely at that school. We try to keep visible at the school and make sure people see the boys in uniform having fun. That helps get boys interested. We send out flyers to all the 1st through 4th grade boys at the beginning of the school year, and we sometimes go and speak at the Back to School night. We are lucky that our school is so supportive of Scouting. Sometimes we get referrals from the local Scout office when people call there looking for information, so make sure you have your Pack info on file with your District.

[SeattlePioneer]

<< Our CM had luck last year by showing some Video at lunch time at the school to the 1st graders, then reeled the parents in at a school open house night. He also set up the derby track in the cafeteria and had practice races. >>

 

Hmmm. We will bemaking and launching stomp borttle rockets or doing a simplified Raingutter Regatta at our sign up night this fall.

 

Usually I'd be visiting boys at school lunches, showing them the rocket or boat and handing out stickers with the date, time and location of the signup night/activity.

 

But I could probably set up the Raingutter Regatta trays or rocket launchers at the playground to interest boys after lunch, and hand out stickers after boys have had a chance to try out thwe rocket launch or boat race. The only issue with that is that boys will have already tried out the activity. Most boys will still want to make the boat or rocket and race them repeatedly at the sign up night I suppose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Polaris]

<< Our CM had luck last year by showing some Video at lunch time at the school to the 1st graders, then reeled the parents in at a school open house night. He also set up the derby track in the cafeteria and had practice races. >>

 

Hmmm. We will bemaking and launching stomp borttle rockets or doing a simplified Raingutter Regatta at our sign up night this fall.

 

Usually I'd be visiting boys at school lunches, showing them the rocket or boat and handing out stickers with the date, time and location of the signup night/activity.

 

But I could probably set up the Raingutter Regatta trays or rocket launchers at the playground to interest boys after lunch, and hand out stickers after boys have had a chance to try out thwe rocket launch or boat race. The only issue with that is that boys will have already tried out the activity. Most boys will still want to make the boat or rocket and race them repeatedly at the sign up night I suppose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are the simplified boats made out of? (I assume you are not using kits to keep the costs down.)

 

We used your stomp rocket idea last year for recruitment.

 

We may bring out our marble racing track this year.

[SeattlePioneer]

Boats are cut with a table saw from 3/4 inch wood stock of whatever is available for free or cheaply.

 

Boats are cut about 6" long and 3" wide with a point cut for the bow. I collect old steel rod and cut it in various lengths for masts, using a grinder to sharpen one end so boys can pound the mast into the boat.

 

I collect corrugated plastic roadside signs and spray paint them, then cut them into various sizes. Boys choose the sails they want on their boat and run the rod through the corrugated plastic.

 

I spray paint the boats in various colors since paint wont dry fast enough if boys try to paint the boat hulls. However, boys are encouraged to decorate their boats and sails with crayons and markers.

 

 

Each time a boy wins a Raingutter race they get a sticker to put on their boat or sail, which makes things competetive enough to appeal to younger boys.

 

It takes about five minutes for a boy and parent to make a boat, and boys and parents working together makes a good Cub Scout experience for those new to Cub Scouts, I find.

 

 

This makes a terrific recruiting night activity to draw boys and families into Scouting, second only to the appeal of stomp bottle rockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[King Ding Dong]

Boats are cut with a table saw from 3/4 inch wood stock of whatever is available for free or cheaply.

 

Boats are cut about 6" long and 3" wide with a point cut for the bow. I collect old steel rod and cut it in various lengths for masts, using a grinder to sharpen one end so boys can pound the mast into the boat.

 

I collect corrugated plastic roadside signs and spray paint them, then cut them into various sizes. Boys choose the sails they want on their boat and run the rod through the corrugated plastic.

 

I spray paint the boats in various colors since paint wont dry fast enough if boys try to paint the boat hulls. However, boys are encouraged to decorate their boats and sails with crayons and markers.

 

 

Each time a boy wins a Raingutter race they get a sticker to put on their boat or sail, which makes things competetive enough to appeal to younger boys.

 

It takes about five minutes for a boy and parent to make a boat, and boys and parents working together makes a good Cub Scout experience for those new to Cub Scouts, I find.

 

 

This makes a terrific recruiting night activity to draw boys and families into Scouting, second only to the appeal of stomp bottle rockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have any info on your stomp rocket setup. I have seen some that seem rather complex.

[SeattlePioneer]

Launchers are easy to make and make good den projects.

 

Cut a piece of 1/2" pvc pipe about three feet long and a second piece about two feet long. Glue the two pieces into a 1/2" PVC elbow.

 

Cut two pieces of 2x4 about two feet long.

 

Use 1/2" pipe clamps to clamp the three foot length of PVC pipe onto the 2x4 sections. Sometimes putting some rubber from an old bicycle tire will help make things work better.

 

Fit a 2 liter plastic soda bottle onto the end of the three foot pipe.

 

Use a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe as a madrel to roll a sheet of 8x11 paper into a rocket --- the ,long way.

 

Use a stapler to close one end of the paper tube, and mount the paper rocket onto the two foot PVC pipe.

 

 

 

Stomp on the soda pop bottle to send the rocket into the air.

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Launchers are easy to make and make good den projects.

 

Cut a piece of 1/2" pvc pipe about three feet long and a second piece about two feet long. Glue the two pieces into a 1/2" PVC elbow.

 

Cut two pieces of 2x4 about two feet long.

 

Use 1/2" pipe clamps to clamp the three foot length of PVC pipe onto the 2x4 sections. Sometimes putting some rubber from an old bicycle tire will help make things work better.

 

Fit a 2 liter plastic soda bottle onto the end of the three foot pipe.

 

Use a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe as a mandrel to roll a sheet of 8x11 paper into a rocket --- the ,long way.

 

Use a stapler to close one end of the paper tube, and mount the paper rocket onto the two foot PVC pipe.

 

 

 

Stomp on the soda pop bottle to send the rocket into the air.

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Launchers are easy to make and make good den projects.

 

Cut a piece of 1/2" pvc pipe about three feet long and a second piece about two feet long. Glue the two pieces into a 1/2" PVC elbow.

 

Cut two pieces of 2x4 about two feet long.

 

Use 1/2" pipe clamps to clamp the three foot length of PVC pipe onto the 2x4 sections. Sometimes putting some rubber from an old bicycle tire will help make things work better.

 

Fit a 2 liter plastic soda bottle onto the end of the three foot pipe.

 

Use a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe as a mandrel to roll a sheet of 8x11 paper into a rocket --- the ,long way.

 

Use a stapler to close one end of the paper tube, and mount the paper rocket onto the two foot PVC pipe.

 

 

 

Stomp on the soda pop bottle to send the rocket into the air.

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Launchers are easy to make and make good den projects.

 

Cut a piece of 1/2" pvc pipe about three feet long and a second piece about two feet long. Glue the two pieces into a 1/2" PVC elbow.

 

Cut two pieces of 2x4 about two feet long.

 

Use 1/2" pipe clamps to clamp the three foot length of PVC pipe onto the 2x4 sections. Sometimes putting some rubber from an old bicycle tire will help make things work better.

 

Fit a 2 liter plastic soda bottle onto the end of the three foot pipe.

 

Use a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe as a mandrel to roll a sheet of 8x11 paper into a rocket --- the ,long way.

 

Use a stapler to close one end of the paper tube, and mount the paper rocket onto the two foot PVC pipe.

 

 

 

Stomp on the soda pop bottle to send the rocket into the air.

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Launchers are easy to make and make good den projects.

 

Cut a piece of 1/2" pvc pipe about three feet long and a second piece about two feet long. Glue the two pieces into a 1/2" PVC elbow.

 

Cut two pieces of 2x4 about two feet long.

 

Use 1/2" pipe clamps to clamp the three foot length of PVC pipe onto the 2x4 sections. Sometimes putting some rubber from an old bicycle tire will help make things work better.

 

Fit a 2 liter plastic soda bottle onto the end of the three foot pipe.

 

Use a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe as a mandrel to roll a sheet of 8x11 paper into a rocket --- the ,long way.

 

Use a stapler to close one end of the paper tube, and mount the paper rocket onto the two foot PVC pipe.

 

 

 

Stomp on the soda pop bottle to send the rocket into the air.

 

 

 

[Polaris]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paper-Stomp-Rockets-Easy-and-Fun/ Here are some great photos and design idea. This website has lots of other cool DIY projects. During recruitment, we kept it simple. Rockets didn't have fins or designs.

[Bookemdano]

Do a recruitment event and invite the community. You could try to show a video or slide show of what past scouts have done so they can see what their friends did. Set up a little obstacle course and top 3 times get a prize. If they bring a friend that signs up, put em in a drawing for a gift certificate. I would imagine if you tell the business what its for they may even give the cert. for free.

[howarthe]

I asked my son: "who's your best friend at school?"

Jason: "Jack."

Me: "Wouldn't you like him to come to all your scout meetings with you?"

Jason: "No, I don't think so."

 

Try as I might, I couldn't figure out why not, but my son has never invited anybody. What seems to be working for us is to run invitations in the school newsletters. We recruit at 4 schools. We try to be visible at community events such as parades and flag ceremonies. We have an awesome program (if I do say so myself), so parents sometimes invite neighbors. We also have a web site and a facebook page so that if anyone is looking for us, they can find us.