Recruiting Problems

[Hunt]

Here's our problem--in past years, the troop recruited through "backpack mail" at the local middle school, providing fliers for the kids to take home. This year, the School Board has eliminated this method (for reasons we can discuss on the Issues board, if anybody is interested). I asked the PTA if we could use the addresses in the PTA-prepared student directory to do a mailing, and they said no. We can do things like put up a sign, contact kids who were second year Webelos last year (we can get their addresses from the council), etc. Our past experience is that we don't get too many responses from Back to School night, which is just for parents. Does anybody have ideas on how to get an invitation to youth directly? We'd like to contact 6th graders for the troop and 9th graders for the affiliated crew.

[fotoscout]

Hi Hunt,

 

Im at a loss for an inexpensive way out of this problem. Maybe you could get your CO to purchase a mailing list for your community, and then mail a flyer to all the homes. Very inefficient and costly! You could always put up big roadside signs, (like campaign signs) throughout your area.

 

Backpack mail is the bread and butter of school night in this area. If this becomes a trend it could become very troubling. I would be interested in hearing why your Board of Ed. stopped you from doing this.

 

 

 

[Hunt]

They did it because they wanted to keep an evangelistic Christian group from using the backpack mail, and they determined that the only way to do that legally was to eliminate the "forum." They made some exceptions, though (such as organized sports leagues), so their action may still be unlawful.

[Wishboat]

I don't know how big a community you're located in, but do you have a central square or park where you could put on a recruitment rally? You could publicize it through community bulletin boards, free radio PSAs and newspaper community service sections (even church bulletins and bulletin boards).

 

The event could be simple or involved -- if you have more than one troop or pack in the same fix, band together and let each group plan an activity site that potential scouts could visit -- something fun and interesting -- knot-tying teaching or demos, some outdoor cooking in progress (offer a taste?), a campsite set-up, a backpack packed and unpacked to show what's inside, a PWD set-up with trial runs from past champions, lashing, even a Monkey Bridge -- you know all the things they like to do best -- that's what will attract new members. And, since I'm GS instead of BSA, I don't know whether or not planning and doing any of the activities would fulfill badge requirements for the scouts involved.

 

If you don't have a park or square, could you take it inside -- do you have an area mall? Would they let you pitch a tent and make a mock campsite in the middle of the mall for an entire Saturday or more? That's a lot of walk-through traffic and people to hand out fliers to.

 

Good luck.

 

Wishboat

[Wishboat]

...or maybe the local high school would let you hand out fliers near the gates at a football game (you could offer to take tickets or handout/sell programs or something in return for the favor).

 

...or maybe a presence at the local movie theater during line-up times? Maybe you could even work out some sort of promotion with the management, and they'd let you put some signage and fliers in the lobby or near the concession stands (where we all know this age will end up).

 

I'm just trying to think of where middle-school boys hang out.

 

Wishboat

[fotoscout]

In an effort to avoid the problem your Board of Ed. had, our Board of Ed. (actually the Superintendent) screens everything that any group wants to send home via the schools. If its turns out to be inappropriate for a public school to send home then it doesnt go. You might want to suggest this type of screening to the BOE. Our BOE does routinely turn down many requests to use the schools for dissemination of flyers from all sorts of groups.

 

The down side of this is that it adds another week or two to the process of getting something like a recruiting flyer to the kids.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

[dsteele]

If you can't get through the daily schools (those that meet Monday - Friday) go to the Sunday Schools! All of 'em.

 

Unc.

[dsteele]

Sunday schools don't give tests, guys. It's all pass/fail.

 

Unc.

[troopmom257]

I agree with Wishboat. Some television stations will do non-profit advertising, our local paper also does, and our Chamber of Commerce has an ad board that they post events on. I also like the idea of handing out flyers at a sports event. Are there any coaches who have been involved in scouts in the past? Ask if they could hand them out at practice, such as Flag Football, soccer, etc. Especially if they are run by other groups, such as the YMCA, etc. How about checking with your Chartered Organization? Maybe they will have some ideas or can help with some more costly options.

 

Church bulletins are also a wonderful way to go.

 

Hope these help!

[SR540Beaver]

Hunt,

 

Your Back to School night is just for parents? I guess it could be viewed that way here to since it is the parents who are writing the checks to pay for the lunch account, buy this years school t-shirt, meet the teachers, etc. However, the kids bring their supplies and take them to their new room to store them and meet their teachers. Our back to school night involves everyone. The school is set up in the cafeteria at various tables and run the parents thru in assembly line fashion. However, in the hallway outside the cafeteria, the Cubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, cheer schools, etc. all set up tables to recruit. We picked up 3 new 6th graders for our Troop during our Back to School night.

 

We are allowed to send brochures home with the kids once it is approved by the school board. But our experience is that it is easier to sign them up face to face than to send yet another piece of paper junk mail home with them.

[mich632]

Two issues:

1. Flyers to home. If your school board has taken such drastic action I don't think that is an avenue. But, it worth talking with the board and suggesting "policy" which gives the authority to the school administration to "approve" flyers that are released.

 

I am the chairmen of our school board. And we had similiar concerns. We gave the authority to the school administration to determine what is appropriate for release and what is not. Otherwise you deny many valid groups access. The town recreation program, the PTA etc.

 

2. How to reach students without the flyer.

We do two things. First, we use our current scouts. We have an open house and we encourage current scouts to bring a friend.

 

We also use the school yearbook. It list every child by name and grade. If you have the childs name you can look up the address for "most" of them in the phone book. We then send a flyer out to the parents before open house.

[boleta]

Recruiting into Boy Scouts is extremely difficult. The main source of Boy Scouts is Cub Scouts and their friends. Recruit Cubs and 4 years later they grow into Boy Scouts. Retention may be difficult but that is a different issue.

 

But, anyone going to a Middle School or Junior High to recruit for a Troop will tell you how few kids ever show up. Concentrate on the Cubs!!

[Wishboat]

...but did you ever think that those few kids might be the very ones who need the organization the most? ...or the ones who could bring a lot to the group? ...that they're of an age to make their own informed decisions about joining, rather than being led/forced by mommy and daddy or simply following their friends? Or is "breaking in" a brand new scout at Boy Scout level just too much trouble c'mon, don't disillusion me here.

[dsteele]

I once helped our DE do a boy talk in the 7th grade for new Scouts. My jaw dropped at his methods (which were unorthadox to say the least,) but we signed up 11 new Scouts as a result. Kept most of 'em, too.

 

Unc.

 

Ask me later and I'll tell you what he did. For now, I'm off to a meeting.

 

UG

[EagleInKY]

I believe the best way to recruit at the Middle School level is through friends. Make up your fliers for your Troop open house. Give 5-10 to each scout. Ask them to give them to friends whom they would like to have in the troop.