recruiting new blood into pack committee

[blw2]

I'm feeling that our committee needs a few more bodies + some new energy.

 

What have you found to be the best way to recruit into the committee?

Open invitation to all parents?

or

Specific targeted encouragement and invitations to only certain folks?

 

Does your committee look for people that would be a good fit, for personal invitations?

Do you just look for willing and able for invitation?

 

 

We have a full compliment of DL's + a few other members. There's not a lot of depth or energy though. People are willing to help, but only so far and are quick to pass or drop the ball.

Our current acting CM is only handling the pack meeting "show component and plans to stop after this school year. Acting as ACM, I am doing all of the paperwork stuff, secretary, registration, webmaster, advancement, etc.... well at least partially as best as I can. I'm not really up to fill in the CM role, especially with no help to take over all the rest and honestly getting a little "tired".

 

We haven't had a lot of good result in the past, such as from efforts to recruit such as den coordinators to help our popcorn kernel.

 

I'm thinking the good fit is not something we should be worried with, but I'm sure others in our group wouldn't agree. I'm of the opinion that new energy and ideas are what we need.

BUT I'm also thinking that we couldn't survive a lot of negative energy brought to the committee either, and I think folks with a lot of gung ho new ideas would drive away the current core of the committee that doesn't really want change.

 

Would you ask your DL's to start thinking about which parents might be a good fit, and then let the committee discuss/decide..... or just send an open invite to all parents?

[Eagledad]

I have had tremendously good luck with targeting and personally asking individuals to volunteer in just about every scouting position from the District Committee to Tiger parent. I have also personally recruited voluntieers for many planning and organizing committees from Council to Cubs. People are reluctant to give up their time when they don't know the job, so I typically ask them for only a little time by taking on a coleader or assistant role, of any position. Then as they get experience and learn the system better, I ask them to take on a more responsible position. Also, while folks are protective and cautious with their personal time, they are also flattered when you specifically pick them for the job. The key is to not ask for too much all at once. Get them on the team first so they invest some time and interest in the program. Then you push them up the tree. Who knows, you may be recruiting a future Silver Beaver. I have. Barry

[King Ding Dong]

The open invitation never seems to work. I think it should still be put out there so people know the position is open and they can't come back at you complaining how you hand picked everyone.

[Tampa Turtle]

Face to face recruiting. I never quite understood the Pack Committee structure when I was a Den Leader. As a Boy Scout Leader the situation is a bit different. We get some "retired" den leaders who feel it will be less work as well as some Dad's that want to avoid being a brown shirt or a Merit Badge counselor. Also get some Dad's whose boys go AWOL during high school years and hope to maintain some influence for a 17 year old Eagle dash.

[AKdenldr]

Personal ask for a task, be ready with a second task if they turn that one down. Be ready to describe to them why you think they would be good, not why the pack needs it.

[King Ding Dong]

Personal ask for a task, be ready with a second task if they turn that one down. Be ready to describe to them why you think they would be good, not why the pack needs it.

Excellent point

[frankpalazzi]

Personal ask for a task, be ready with a second task if they turn that one down. Be ready to describe to them why you think they would be good, not why the pack needs it.

It really does work!

[Cambridgeskip]

As above. Decide what you actually need (Treasurer, Secretary etc), identify who would be good, then go and ask them. Massed invites are just to easy to ignore, forget etc. And at times people think "it doesn't apply to me". When actually asked in person folks are far more receptive.

[mashmaster]

Recently, we had an overnighter that had limited capacity, So I gave priority to leaders kids and committee member kids prior to doing the first come first serve. I made it very transparent and I got two new committee members from that because they wanted into the event. It was interesting that the event ended up getting all that wanted in, but we didn't know that until later. No complaints from parents as they all recognized how much the leaders put in.

[DeanRx]

I say do both open invite and targeted asking of a given individual. There is a two-fold reason for this... 1) You might miss out on a leader that is just waiting to be invited. 2) When you target a certain person for a given position, you get to have a say in who does what. But, if that is prefaced with an "open invite", you will avoid the possibilty of playing favorites or "hand picking" your committee / etc...

 

Same reason I ALWAYS anounced committee / adult leader meetings at the pack show. I never wanted a parent to be able to say they weren't asked to provide input. The couple of times I had parents approach me about things (once about rules for a campout, once for the PWD rules) - I reminded them that both things had been announced / discussed at the committee meeting the month prior and the meeting topics / agenda had been published both verbally at the pack meeting and via e-mail disto list to all parents in the pack. I then asked if they wanted to chair that portion of the committee the following year. Of course I got told "no", but at least it shut them up when all they wanted to do was complain about a procedure / rule that they had the opportunity to provide input to, but chose not to until after the decision had already been made.

 

I had a parent ask me if the incoming CM was the "right choice" when I stepped down after 4 years in the job. I reminded him that I had been asking for someone to take over for the past three months. The new guy might do great, he might not - but he was the only one to step up, and if the parent was going to question this person's ability to do the job, why didn't THEY throw their hat in the ring when they had the chance?

 

Dean

 

[blw2]

Good points everyone, thanks.

Makes total sense logically to do the open invite to maintain transparency, knowing that you wont get much out of it.

I like your practice DeanRx of publishing committee mtg minutes to the parents. Not something we do, but I'm going to suggest it at the next mtg.

Since our CM and old guard of the committee believe I keeping things "small and efficient", this should be an interesting conversation!