Recruiting works!

[yellow_hammer]

I just left our local middle school where I gave my version of the "campfire recruiting" pitch. (Details at http://www.inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm)

 

Out of about 50 sixth grade boys who attended there were 14 who signed the sheet asking us to give their parents a call about scouts. I was prepared to be happy with 2 or 3 sign-ups so I am thrilled with 14. Of course, not all of them will join but maybe we'll get half.

 

As I passed around the sign-up sheets and asked for questions I got stone silence. Not to worry... I gave them some questions to ask me and after a few of those the questions were coming in freely. I guess they just needed an ice breaker. Several of the questions were about shooting which were prompted by the used targets and shotgun shells that I had laying around. The biggest hit was the hot sparks. I had several and almost all the boys wanted to try them. Even a group of girls in the back of the auditorium came up to try them. So much for scouts not being cool with the chicks. ;-)

 

One boy stuck around after everyone left to tell me that he wanted to sign up but that he was afraid of bugs. I told him not to worry about that too much that he should just come try it out and we'll see how it goes. In a conspirational tone I told him that we had some boys who used to be afraid of bugs but now they had gotten over it and that he would too.

 

Next step: fifth graders this spring.

 

If you've been thinking of trying something like this then I encourage you to give it a try. It was fun!

[GernBlansten]

Sounds like a great idea. What are "hot sparks?"

[yellow_hammer]

They are small flint and steel tools for starting a fire. Boys love them. We get ours at the council scout shop but you can get them online at scoutstuff...

 

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&C3=CAMPEQUIP&C4=&LV=3&item=01167

[GernBlansten]

Gotcha. The ol' flint and steel trick. Gets em' every time.

[Kudu]

 

yellow_hammer writes:

 

just left our local middle school where I gave my version of the "campfire recruiting" pitch. Details at

 

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

 

I am happy to hear that my recruiting presentation worked so well for your BSA unit!

 

I divide the recruiting process into four phases:

 

I: Selling Danger and Adventure to Sixth Graders

 

Out of about 50 sixth grade boys who attended there were 14 who signed the sheet asking us to give their parents a call about scouts. I was prepared to be happy with 2 or 3 sign-ups so I am thrilled with 14.

 

In the future you will see this rise to a consistent 50% rate for you. The number of boys who sign up is directly proportional to how much you push bears, snakes, fire, guns, knives, archery; and Traditional Scouting skills such as saving lives, walking into a forest with a map & compass & a pack on your back and finding your way without a foot-trail; cooking over a fire; and most importantly pitching a tent in the very scary deep dark woods.

 

Oh yeah, and if your local school forbids it, don't forget to mention DODGE BALL!

 

As I passed around the sign-up sheets and asked for questions I got stone silence.

 

The ideal person to answer these questions is an older Scout who might be already known to them as a local sports hero. This is a great place for them to meet their future Patrol Leader.

 

II: Selling the Program to Parents

 

Of course, not all of them will join but maybe we'll get half.

 

If your experience is similar to mine you will find that of the 14 boys who gave you their name and parents' phone number:

 

2 parents will never answer their phone (caller ID?).

 

2 parents will hide behind their answering machine and never call you back.

 

3 parents at this point in the academic year will tell you that their son's school work is suffering because he is involved in too many activities, and they have already cut back on the number of sports, etc. in which they allow him to participate.

 

The remaining 7 parents may be willing to give you one minute (60 seconds) to make your case. The single most important tool you have at this critical point is the fourth column of the "Yes, I Want to Go Camping!" sign-up sheet in which you asked each boy to indicate what part of your "camping program" he most wants to try.

 

When you personalize the conversation by knowing exactly what their son is interested in, you will notice a sudden shift in the conversation.

 

Rather than resisting you as yet another telemarketer you are now someone who knows something positive and true about their son, and you might provide a valuable resource.

 

When he has already told his parents that he was excited about your presentation, the common response I hear then is a conspiratorial "To be honest with you, it never, ever occurred to me that my son would take an interest in Boy Scouts!

 

This "Selling the Program to Parents" is the most challenging part of the process, and I am open to the suggestions that anyone may have to offer. It is hard to describe here in words the deep frustration that you will feel when you hit a brick wall on the telephone, or later at the meeting you realize that the "definite maybe" they gave you on the phone did not turn out.

 

A frank discussion in this thread about how to sell things to people on the phone would be very valuable.

 

I do know that the more excited his or her son is about going camping, the more likely it is that a parent will drive their son to a meeting.

 

I usually try an aggressive "Ask for it by name" approach during the assembly: "If you want to go camping with us, TELL YOUR PARENTS AS SOON AS YOU GET HOME, and give them this information sheet."

 

Unfortunately the attention span of a sixth-grader is not very long.

 

The biggest hit was the hot sparks. I had several and almost all the boys wanted to try them.

 

Try offering a "Free Spark Tool" to everyone who shows up for the important first Troop meeting, to be awarded after earning his Fire 'n Chip card at his first campout.

 

III: A Successful First Meeting

 

Unlike "Selling the Program to Parents" the success of this phase of the recruiting process is completely under your control. Simply put, if their first meeting lives up to the Promise of Scouting that you offered in the school assembly, often 100% of the boys who do show up will be so excited that their parents will sign the application.

 

The theme of this first meeting should be obvious: "Learn How to Use a Spark Tool."

 

I collect bags of long pine needles during the year. At their first meeting each Scout gets to borrow a Spark Tool to light a cotton ball and pine needles outdoors on an old pie tin or metal plate. Their Patrol Leader then teaches them how to start a fire, along with a little about fire safety.

 

After that the new Scouts play dodge ball in their permanent Patrol. I like to pit the entire Troop against the oldest Patrols so that the new Scouts are on the winning side. The more unfair these sides are, the better :-)

 

The second meeting should be a presentation by their Patrol Leader about what to bring to camp. He should have them turn to the equipment list in their Scout Handbooks and make a contest out of being the first to identify each item on the list as he unpacks it from his backpack. Ask him to stress the labels on his non-cotton clothing, and use equipment that can be found around the house, asking them if they already have something similar that they can use without buying anything.

 

IV: First Year Retention

 

Some random things you are not likely to read elsewhere:

 

A. Good Experience First Campout.

 

1) If you decide to continue with the theme of fire, plan on having them all earn "Fire 'n Chip" (and if possible Second Class fire-making with a Second Class foil meal cooked over coals).

 

2) Do NOT trust the weather: Have a "Plan B" dry lean-to or cabin available if you are camping outside in warm weather. Leave all that "learning through bad experiences" stuff for later.

 

3) Poop School: After arriving at camp conduct First Grade Poop School with instructions at the latrine on how to use it. It may seem obvious to you, but it isn't. Second Grade Poop School covers cat holes: if you mentioned wilderness camping they will be wondering about how to poop in the deep woods, but remember that this is a scary subject. More new Scouts fear outhouses and cat-holes than monsters, bears, bugs, and fear of the dark combined.

 

B. The Best Patrol Leader in the Troop

 

1) Really, I'm not kidding.

 

2) If you use Traditional Patrols, use your influence with the PLC to get the new Scouts into the Patrols of the very best Patrol Leaders. Consider holding Patrol contests designed to decide on this in the months ahead of your recruiting presentation. If you don't have any good Patrol Leaders, then consider a Baden-Powell modified NSP.

 

3) If you use a New Scout Patrol (NSP), consider adapting it to Baden-Powell's Patrol System. This means the Scoutmaster personally asks the very best Junior Leader in the entire Troop to serve as the NSP Patrol Leader. The ideal candidate is an Eagle Scout sports hero who has already been SPL and is looking for a new challenge. He really will enjoy their adoration. Support him, and make sure his best bud is also associated with the Patrol as APL, Troop Guide, or Patrol "Troop Quartermaster" so that he is not isolated from his age-peers (because if you are using the real Patrol Method, your Patrols are separated from each other at campouts).

 

If you've been thinking of trying something like this then I encourage you to give it a try. It was fun!

 

Thanks again, I'm glad you enjoyed it :-)

 

Kudu