School won't hand out flyers

[VinceC]

Hello,

About 3 years ago our local school district stopped our pack and one other from recruiting in the schools. They use the arguement that if we can come in, they have to let everyone. We had been permitted to send flyers to the school that were sent home with the boys until this year. This year we took the schools our flyers for our round-up. When they didn't arrive at the homes as scheduled, we called and were told by the school secretary they forgot. This was repeated for two more days until our round up date had passed. I wrote to the principal to ask what happened, or if there was a change in policy on handing out our flyers that perhaps we didn't follow. I do expect her to answer as I believe she is pro-scouting. Our problem lies with one person, the district superintendent. What I find frustrating in this situation is that flyers for all sorts of non-school related activites have found their way to my home via my son's backpack. I have seen flyers for soccer, fall baseball, Spanish lessons, science camp, and numerous P.T.O./PTA letters. Maybe I just needed to rank a bit, but I thought the scouts had to be given the same treatment as the other groups, maybe I'm wrong.

Vince.

[SueM]

Many school districts are starting to "lock out" recruiting efforts...it's getting to be a major problem in some areas. Locally here, we are no longer able to go into the classrooms and present programs to recruit or send home flyers. We have to fight just to be able to go to the schools on their Back to school night and set up a table with information.

 

Sue M.

[nldscout]

According Federal Law, a school has 2 choices. Allow any group to send home flyers or allow no non-school supported groups. There is no middle ground, its either A or B. If they are doing something other than that, then ask council to intervine for you.

[scoutldr]

In our school district, it's left up to the individual Principals. The school in my area will not let the BSA in the front door to hand out flyers or do "boy talks". Our feeder pack has gone from 150 boys down to 6 in the last 10 years.

 

I agree, it is not the school staff's job to handle BSA paperwork or take time out of the instructional day to promote a private program. With the advent of Standards of Learning testing, there is not a free moment in the day that's not directed toward the SOL test.

 

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

Let me get out my old banjo and play the same old song for you guys.

 

Flyers in the schools used to work.

Now, we got to find something else that works.

If I can't get flyers in the schools, then

I would make sure that each unit has

a darn good program,

For each Scout knows one other person

that

they can recruit.

If they have something worth while to bring friends to,

then

recruiting is easy.

I know, I know,

that

that is work as well

But it works.

 

[SSScout]

What nldscout said.

 

This is about equal access and legality and communication.

Make contact with other Scouters, compare notes (roundtable? DE? ). Is this situation peculiar to your school only or endemic to the whole school district? Your Council and District need to step up and insist that Scouting be treated the same as any extra curricular activity. If soccer clubs and Bible study groups and privately owned ice skating rinks and karate dojos can send home notices, so should you (us?). Have your local Council check with National Capital Area Council and the hassles they overcame in our area.

 

Don'tforget to enlist public opiion. A letter writing campaign to the local newspapers will not hurt a bit.

 

And when all is said and done, review the forum posts here about whats right (and wrong) with Scouting and take heart.

 

YiS

[Jeffrey H]

The traditional recruting methods don't work anymore in our city where the schools are no longer supportive of Cub Scouts.

 

Our Pack increased by about 20 boys this year but only 4 of those were from a School Night recruiting effort. If we hung our recruiting efforts only on "School Night" our Pack would be in serious decline.

 

We recruit by word of mouth and simply invite boys to join. In turn, the boys invite their friends to join. It's grassroots and it works. Parents tell us that they hear about us because we have a reputation for being active and actually doing "fun things".

 

 

 

[madmike]

try hitting up the school PTA

 

thats where our pack does most of the advertising, the meetings while usually are held at school are not under the control of the school.

 

I live in suburbia, and out PTA is so active its almost annoying, so its always a good place to showcase the cub scouts and recruit!

[SemperParatus]

I am of the crowd that thinks its time we move on past the school recruiting concept. More and more school administrators are ducking out on this. Who needs them.

 

Run the best unit in town, arrange your own recruiting night at your meeting place, put out some signs, take out an ad in the local paper, have the kids wear their uniforms to school and church, be active and visible in the community and those who are interested will definitely come.

 

Based on my wife's experience as an elementary school teacher, a flyer in the backpack has about a 20% chance of being seen and read by today's parents. Recruiting is all about increasing our odds of getting noticed. An active and exciting unit that is out and about in the community will draw boys in much easier than any piece of paper ever could.

[OldGreyEagle]

Ya know, if other private organizations not connected with the school system are getting their flyers distributed, it may be time to call your local ACLU and get them working for you and I am sure merlyn would agree. (I think)

[acco40]

Elementary Schools are like troops - the school district and councils may have policy and guidelines but the Principals and Scoutmasters are who really sets policy.

 

Regardless of the legal issues, I don't think it would be in your best interest or in the interest of the BSA to invoke the ACLU or other confrontational actions. Have someone from your uit talk with the Principal and find out his feelings. Does your unit perform service for this school?

 

In my neck of the woods, we (Scout units) may use the public schools like anyone else. The going rate is $25/hr for a classroom, $200/hr for gymnasium or cafeteria.

 

People need to realize that in the eyes of many, the BSA's image was tarnished by its "we are a private institution and can legally choose who we want to associate with" attitude. I think the BSA won the battle but is losing the war.

[mtm25653]

Our schools do still allow us to hand out flyers, but we do a lot of other things as well. Our district did ALL of these this year - not certain of total recruitment, but an existing Pack and a brand new Pack in overlapping area in a rural county got ~25 boys combined, existing pack had been about 60 boys. We are in a District and Council that has an annual increase in scouting membership.

- Articles/pictures, particularly about service projects and big events, in the local papers as often as possible, to keep scouting visible in the community year round

- Recruiting posters in grocery stores and other major stores (in our area, that's the local Thrift shops, hardware stores, Walmart)

- Ad in the local paper about Roundup

- Follow-up recruiting event for all packs in the county - this year it was a bike rodeo the Saturday after roundup (2 packs got several additional boys at this event) with ad in local paper

- Business cards for boys to hand out to friends, date/time of roundup, asking them to join scouts

- Yard signs in front of roundup locations

- Church bulletin inserts

 

Run a good program and make yourself visible.

[Beavah]

Regardless of the legal issues, I don't think it would be in your best interest or in the interest of the BSA to invoke the ACLU or other confrontational actions.

 

I have a thing about schools and superintendents followin' the law, eh? Which in this case they're not doin'. Accumulate your evidence, log communications. Go to public comment at your next school board meeting and say in no uncertain terms that if the practice doesn't change formal enforcement action is imminent and you will file a federal complaint that may cost the school district all of their federal dollars. Your school board will contact the attorney for their state association, who will confirm their risk.

 

The enforcement arm for the federal law is the Office of Civil Rights under the Department of Education. You do not need to spend money on a private cause of action, or contact the ACLU, CIR, or other legal aid group (though often a competent attorney firin' a shot across the bow will get you slightly faster action). You simply file a complaint with OCR. They do the investigation and enforcement for you. In the current administration, they're relatively speedy and firm about these complaints, eh? You can contact the OCR enforcement office in your area by looking them up at http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm. In many cases, state law parallels federal law in order to protect state educational funding, so you may also have a means of enforcement through your state mechanisms.

 

I would also talk to your SE. My understanding is that national has taken a relatively aggressive stance on this matter, and issued some direction to SE's on how to proceed with enforcement.

 

Yah, I also agree with others that you should develop other recruitin' means, but public schools should follow the laws set by the public, eh? If yeh want to be a "Boy Scout Free Zone" pay for a private school.

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

OK, I see that aint enuf, so verse 2

 

the singing Bear is at it again...

 

Court suits and Scout suits may be just the thang

Caus flyers in the schools aint allowed

But the community that hears only hollering

Dont want no crummy Scouts comin round.

Just crank up those programs

And kick out the jams

Do your service, thank you mam

Get your program out

all over town and let them know

That no school Super can keep you down.

Just make your program fun, fun, fun

One that runs and runs and

it will set you free.

 

FB

 

[Beavah]

Mine eyes have seen da story of the tramplin' of our rights

Cause all the Bears are singin' but they won't put up a fight

Some times you have to light a fuse before they see the light

So use all the tools you have...

 

Glory, glory public schooling,

Ain't for private little rulings,

We pay their bills and salaries and for the paper that they use,

So don't be afraid to call their bluff.