Troop recruiting

[Basementdweller]

Well got another half a dozen signed and paid apps tonight..... Middle school had their open house night last thursday night.....Took my laptop and videos of the boys in action......Story board with more pictures and the SPL. Talked to about 30 very excited boys who stood watched the video and shot questions at the SPL and I faster than their brains could complete the thoughts......

 

​4 were cubs not from our Pack and had quit 2 were never in cubs.

 

I could see the parents in the background cringing. Any thoughts on getting the parents engaged?????

 

I tried the it's cheaper than football angle,

I have tried the life skills and responsibility,

I have tried the better quality of friends...

 

Thought we had the troop completely filled out.....Rats.....only got 6..... The PLC is deciding what to do with the new scouts......

 

But the good news is we are looking at 14 webelos crossing into the troop in february.....which will completely close the troop. As I am limiting it to four patrols and leadership team.

 

I am excited to see we are close to achieving one of my goals for the troop......

[walk in the woods]

Congrats BD! If you figure out the parent thing let us know . Maybe just a cup of bug juice and a direct question, "what are your concerns?"

[koolaidman]

BD, maybe its a money thing and they are thinking of all the stuff they have to buy?

 

Did you cover financing and let them know any shortages come form the Bank of the Basement? <-yes a joke. based on reality

[qwazse]

Don't count your chickens until the hatch, but ...

You have a whole lot of the right kind of problem to have.

 

By now you know each parent comes with their own baggage. Best you can do is have your most enthused parents talk to them and explain the commitment without whitewashing anything, and explain the rewards without downplaying the little stuff. (In my units, that includes them knowing that espresso will be served 4 miles in.) This is where a good CC earns his/her place at the campfire.

[Basementdweller]

If I get 8 of the webs I will be happy. Hense my fall recruiting. I hope those old jambo tents get here before next months outing. Less than $10 gets them thru the end of the year and we are just starting the largest fundraiser for the year so the lads can pay their own way Disappointed we only recruited 6

[qwazse]

If I get 8 of the webs I will be happy. Hense my fall recruiting. I hope those old jambo tents get here before next months outing. Less than $10 gets them thru the end of the year and we are just starting the largest fundraiser for the year so the lads can pay their own way Disappointed we only recruited 6

For camping in September?

10 x 20 foot tarp + 75# rope for a ridge line + baler twine + wooden stakes. Shelter for 6 to 10.

 

Always the ones who got away ...

[Kudu]

I could see the parents in the background cringing. Any thoughts on getting the parents engaged?????

 

 

Yes, if you offer backpacking, climbing, scuba, canoe trips, shotgun, on a regular basis, word will get around, and high adventure parents, district/community/friends of friends will volunteer for those trips. These are adults who want NO part of typical BSA monthly campouts.

 

As for regular recruiting:

 

Consider a Facebook, YouTube, and Web presence: We get a slow but steady stream of Scouts who transfer to us from standard Troops. I plan to add Google+ soon.

 

Also, we make sure that Scouts earning the 1st Class "tell a friend or lapsed Scout about Scouting" requirement, to bring their friend to a cool campout (they do NOT have to register). Figure another 10% per year there.

 

And, of course, anyone with access to a public or private school can bring in an extra twelve (12) to twenty registered Scouts per year using my 6th Grade Recruiting Presentation:

 

http://inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

 

[Basementdweller]

I could see the parents in the background cringing. Any thoughts on getting the parents engaged?????

 

 

Yes, if you offer backpacking, climbing, scuba, canoe trips, shotgun, on a regular basis, word will get around, and high adventure parents, district/community/friends of friends will volunteer for those trips. These are adults who want NO part of typical BSA monthly campouts.

 

As for regular recruiting:

 

Consider a Facebook, YouTube, and Web presence: We get a slow but steady stream of Scouts who transfer to us from standard Troops. I plan to add Google+ soon.

 

Also, we make sure that Scouts earning the 1st Class "tell a friend or lapsed Scout about Scouting" requirement, to bring their friend to a cool campout (they do NOT have to register). Figure another 10% per year there.

 

And, of course, anyone with access to a public or private school can bring in an extra twelve (12) to twenty registered Scouts per year using my 6th Grade Recruiting Presentation:

 

http://inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

I know your legendary presentation.....

 

We don't have that level of access to the schools.....

[Basementdweller]

If I get 8 of the webs I will be happy. Hense my fall recruiting. I hope those old jambo tents get here before next months outing. Less than $10 gets them thru the end of the year and we are just starting the largest fundraiser for the year so the lads can pay their own way Disappointed we only recruited 6

That is how we backpacked....for years.....

[Basementdweller]

There is no talking to some of the parents......It was completely overwhelming.......No possible way to address the parents hanging in the back......Little more than shaking hands and handing out meeting flyers and answering boys questions. I had a clipboard for folks to put down their name and number.....no luck.....a few wrote down names but it is completely illegible.

 

The most interest I have had at a middle school recruiting night ever......results weren't as good as it could have been.....

 

I did get an invite back to curriculum night, choir and band night.....and the bash nights......Which are for the honor roll students every grading period......

 

I intend to be at all of them.

[Kudu]

Parents are overrated.

 

What do you need them for, other than driving? Most parents are happy to do that a couple times a year.

 

Baden-Powell's version of Scouting requires neither parents nor an SPL. The Patrol Leaders run the Troop.

 

But these are serious leaders.

 

[Kudu]

I could see the parents in the background cringing. Any thoughts on getting the parents engaged?????

 

 

Yes, if you offer backpacking, climbing, scuba, canoe trips, shotgun, on a regular basis, word will get around, and high adventure parents, district/community/friends of friends will volunteer for those trips. These are adults who want NO part of typical BSA monthly campouts.

 

As for regular recruiting:

 

Consider a Facebook, YouTube, and Web presence: We get a slow but steady stream of Scouts who transfer to us from standard Troops. I plan to add Google+ soon.

 

Also, we make sure that Scouts earning the 1st Class "tell a friend or lapsed Scout about Scouting" requirement, to bring their friend to a cool campout (they do NOT have to register). Figure another 10% per year there.

 

And, of course, anyone with access to a public or private school can bring in an extra twelve (12) to twenty registered Scouts per year using my 6th Grade Recruiting Presentation:

 

http://inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

Me neither here in Florida.

[Basementdweller]

Parents are overrated.

 

What do you need them for, other than driving? Most parents are happy to do that a couple times a year.

 

Baden-Powell's version of Scouting requires neither parents nor an SPL. The Patrol Leaders run the Troop.

 

But these are serious leaders.

hmmmm, so your last outing kudu.

 

How much did it cost?

Where did the money come from?

So did the parents approve???

Who signed the permission slips?

 

 

Bottom line we take are allowed to spend time with the boys once a week and on weekends because the parents allow it.

 

Honestly most of the parents I deal with can't pass the background check........

[Brewmeister]

I could see the parents in the background cringing. Any thoughts on getting the parents engaged?????

 

 

Yes, if you offer backpacking, climbing, scuba, canoe trips, shotgun, on a regular basis, word will get around, and high adventure parents, district/community/friends of friends will volunteer for those trips. These are adults who want NO part of typical BSA monthly campouts.

 

As for regular recruiting:

 

Consider a Facebook, YouTube, and Web presence: We get a slow but steady stream of Scouts who transfer to us from standard Troops. I plan to add Google+ soon.

 

Also, we make sure that Scouts earning the 1st Class "tell a friend or lapsed Scout about Scouting" requirement, to bring their friend to a cool campout (they do NOT have to register). Figure another 10% per year there.

 

And, of course, anyone with access to a public or private school can bring in an extra twelve (12) to twenty registered Scouts per year using my 6th Grade Recruiting Presentation:

 

http://inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

Taking a backcountry hike in shorts in February blows my mind.....

[TSS_Chris]

I could see the parents in the background cringing. Any thoughts on getting the parents engaged?????

 

 

Yes, if you offer backpacking, climbing, scuba, canoe trips, shotgun, on a regular basis, word will get around, and high adventure parents, district/community/friends of friends will volunteer for those trips. These are adults who want NO part of typical BSA monthly campouts.

 

As for regular recruiting:

 

Consider a Facebook, YouTube, and Web presence: We get a slow but steady stream of Scouts who transfer to us from standard Troops. I plan to add Google+ soon.

 

Also, we make sure that Scouts earning the 1st Class "tell a friend or lapsed Scout about Scouting" requirement, to bring their friend to a cool campout (they do NOT have to register). Figure another 10% per year there.

 

And, of course, anyone with access to a public or private school can bring in an extra twelve (12) to twenty registered Scouts per year using my 6th Grade Recruiting Presentation:

 

http://inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

@Kudu: Nice presentation and nice web sites. I'm going to try to work some of your ideas into my Fall recruiting for Cubs. I don't get that level of access at the schools, but I can definitely incorporate some of this into my round-up night.

 

A couple of comments for you:

 

Your Facebook page has numbers after it. That means it's not a "real" page in Facebook's eyes. Visit the page admin for your Troop's page on Facebook and set the "Page Info->Page Address" field. That will get rid of the numbers after your page address and make it easier to find in searches, plus set a few other flags on the FB system.

 

Before you go spending time on Google+, you should spend a few minutes on MyScouting.org and update your unit's pin information. If you're attracting dissatisfied boys from other area Troops, this should be an important method of lead generation for you.