My troop didn't have a feeder pack until I turned 17. We recruited by word of mouth. We also had a g

[TAHAWK]

 

I've found the best retention and recruiting tool is an active program. One that camps nearly every month. And if you don't go camping, you need some type of activity instead.

 

My troop growing up kept folks active until 18 and a lot stayed on as ASMs.  If they did quit, it was for one of the following reasons:

 

1)  Didn't like camping.

2)  School/ Sports

3) Perfume

4) Car fumes

5) Job ( to support their perfume and car fume habit).

6) college/ military

 

My son's troop isn't focused on advancement. We are not as organized as some troops, both the adult  organized and youth organized ones. His troop focuses on putting the "OUTING in ScOUTING." They camp 11 times a year, with a lock in the 12th time. When we had to cancel a trip due to too many Scouts not being able to attend due to school, we postponed it and did 2 trips in one month.

 

 

My troop didn't have a feeder pack until I turned 17. We recruited by word of mouth. We also had a great program we used; Wilderness Survival.

 

 

Wilderness Survival is a GREAT program driver.

 

I asked a young Scout why he was interested in WIlderness Survival Merit Badge, and this was his answer:

 

"You get to use knives and other neat stuff and you get to make fires and build forts."

 

AND BUILD FORTS

 

 

 

 

What could be better than that?

 

Not to mention that at least the following can be linked to wilderness survival:

 

Astronomy

Bird Study

Backpacking

Camping

Canoeing?

Communications

Cooking

First Aid

Forestry

Geology

Hiking

Insect study

Lifesaving

Mammal Study

Nature

Personal Fitness

Pioneering

Rowing?

Search and Rescue

Swimming

Weather

Totin' Chip

Tf - Fc requirements

 

Not: "We are learning these knots for advancement"

Instead: "We are learning these knits to build a wilderness survival shelter !!!

Edited January 28, 2016 by TAHAWK

[Eagledad]

I think our troop started out being popular for the adventure side of the program, but we averaged one older scout a month transferring over from other troops and the popular reason was the boy run or patrol method. Younger scouts don't really have a grasp of what boy run or patrol method means, but most considered us from word of mouth of previous Webelos dens. We never had to recruit.

 

Barry

[blw2]

@@TAHAWK wrote

Not: "We are learning these knots for advancement"

Instead: "We are learning these knits to build a wilderness survival shelter !!!

 

I love it!

 

It seems to me that this is what pioneering is all about... or should be.  A fun and productive way to learn and use knots taht doesn't seem like classwork.  It seems to have become an exercise rather than a fun project based on the recent exposure I have had with scouts doing it (as in demonstrations at U of scouting classes, at WEBELOS AKELA camps, etc..)

 

I've written before that I think patrols and troops would be more fun for the boys if they focused more on that sort of thing....

backpacking instead of tailgating... even if driving to the campsite

going on journeys instead of to a destination

testing a boy's mettle instead of testing his patience in sitting and listening

[Eagle94-A1]

OK, I think I need to clarify. We didn't have a feeder pack until I was 17 . However we would invite Webelos dens to come to set meetings and a camp out. But there was a lot of word of mouth. Folks talking to friends, folks bored with their units and transferring, etc.

 

Initially our Webelos meetings were "ringers" and we would have the SWAT team come out. Then talk about, and do, a normal camp out. Did that two years.

 

Third year was interesting.

 

We had the SWAT team come out and talked about the upcoming camp out. Night before our camp out was our normal meeting nite, and we  went to prepare the trailer for the morning. Game plan was to have everything ready so we could load up  the packs and GO!  However, when we opened the brand new storage shed,we were hit with a stench, broken glass, and wet gear. Between our last camp out the month before, and the meeting nite, our new shed developed a bunch of leaks. So we had no equipment.

 

Thinking fast, we decided to do a wilderness survival camp out with the Webelos instead of cancelling. It went better than anticipated, and became our standard recruiting tool. Over the years, we improved upon it, and it became so popular that we had an ASM drive 3 hours from college to the CO, then drive another 1.5 hours with the troop to do the wilderness survival trip. Yep he loved the Wilderness Survival weekends ever since he did it as a  Webelos.

 

Way we did it was teach some basic pioneering skills at the meeting, enough for the Webelos to help build the shelter.  Over time, we also did utensiless cooking.  At the camp out, we would spend the morning building the shelters. Initially it was patrol sized shelters but it morphed over the years to include whatever the Scouts wanted. Sometimes we would have patrol in a shelter, sometimes 2-3 Scouts, and with those working on the MB, individual shelters. Webelos were usually in patrol or 2-3 man shelters.

 

Afternoons were spent doing pioneering and other competitions. We divided the Webelos into existing patrols and would have fun with them.  After dinner, one giant game of manhunt, capture the flag, Civil War, whatever you wanted to call the game.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Eagle94-A1

[qwazse]

"But Mr. @@TAHAWK, Wilderness Survival and Pioneering are not Eagle required. Why should we bother?"

 

Two words son:

 

Catapults

 

Ignition

[SeattlePioneer]

<<1)  Didn't like camping.

2)  School/ Sports

3) Perfume

4) Car fumes

5) Job ( to support their perfume and car fume habit).

6) college/ military>> 

 

 

Girls?

[NJCubScouter]

<<1)  Didn't like camping.

2)  School/ Sports

3) Perfume

4) Car fumes

5) Job ( to support their perfume and car fume habit).

6) college/ military>> 

 

 Girls?

That's #3.

[Eagle94-A1]

Yep #3 "Perfume" = Girls.

 

#4 'Car fumes" supports #3 since most girls won't go out with you unless you drive, at least in my neck of the woods growing up.

 

And #5 definitely supported #4 and #3 habits.

[Stosh]

<<1) Didn't like camping.

2) School/ Sports

3) Perfume

4) Car fumes

5) Job ( to support their perfume and car fume habit).

6) college/ military>>

 

 

Girls?

Perfumes Edited February 1, 2016 by Stosh