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Will
Rogers once said “The only thing wrong with
the Boy Scouts of America is that there
are not enough of them”. With declining
numbers in our elementary schools throughout
the council this statement takes on new
meaning. Cub Scout membership is down
nationwide and with 85% of Boy Scouts coming
from the Cub Scout program, it is only a
matter of time before we see a dramatic
decrease in Boy Scout membership. But
there is a solution! We need to have
a great year of Cub Scout recruitment. You’ve
heard the expression “the more the merrier”,
well we want to help all of our Cub Scout
Packs have the best recruitment effort ever
this year.
The
plan begins with communication to the school
that the Pack recruits from. Find
a night early in the school year that does
not have any conflicts (Open House, Meet
the Teacher, etc.) and schedule a Cub Scout
Rally in the cafeteria. Next, arrange for
a flier to go out about one week before
the rally to all boys in 1st through 5th
grades (or 4th if that is as high as the
school goes) if the school has a folder
day that is the best way to make sure the
information makes it home. Another
thing to arrange with the school is
a Boy Talk. Boy talks should be done
the day of the rally. This is the most important
part of the rally process. A Boy Talk
takes about 5 minutes and can be done classroom
to classroom, in an assembly format, or
by visiting PE classes (whichever the principal
feels would work best for that school).
During a Boy Talk, a uniformed Scouter
tells the boys all about Cub Scouts (in
5 minutes) making sure to focus on camping,
fishing, hiking and mentioning BB-guns and
Bows and Arrows doesn’t hurt either.
Make
no mistakes, the Boy talk is where most
boys decide to join Scouting. The more excitement
that can be shared with new boys about the
fun of Cub Scouting the more Cubs you will
recruit. Make sure and tell the boys
to bring an adult with them to the rally.
Also make sure and tell them the time
and place of the rally several times and
even ask them to tell you when and where
the rally will take place. Next comes the
marketing part of Cub recruitment.
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Getting
the word out in as many ways as possible
is the goal - Articles in the local newspaper
about Scouting and information about the
rally, signs and posters around school,
marquis around town announcing School Night
and the time and place of rallies. Another
marketing tool is to have all existing Scouts
wear their uniform to school on the day
of the rally.
Finally
the night has arrived and it is time to
welcome new families to Scouting. Have
displays set up showcasing things that your
Cubs did last year. Pictures, craft
items, Pinewood derby cars, a pop-up tent
all make great displays to let a new family
get a glimpse of what is to come. Separate
the new families by grade, each with their
own table. Remember to begin the rally
on time. A great way to begin is to
have a Boy Scout Troop, or a Webelos Den
conduct a flag ceremony, instruct all new
Cubs on the Cub Scout salute and let them
practice it. After the opening ceremony,
introduce all of the existing leaders
in the Pack and mention that Cub Scouting
is a family activity and works best when
everyone helps out. Line up
all of the new and existing Cubs and tell
them they are going to go outside and have
some fun. Send them with two leaders
just outside the cafeteria and have
them teach all of the boys the Cub Scout
Sign, Promise and Motto (this takes
about 7-10 minutes). During this time
give the parents an overview of Cub Scouts
(Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos, Den meetings,
Pack meetings, etc.) Remind them about
Scouting’s 93 year record of helping to
build character and instill values in boys
across America, but mention that the boys
only came to have fun and that the character
building happens through that fun. About
this time the boys outside will be ready
to come inside and share with the families
what they have learned. Line them
up in front of the room and help lead them
in the Promise. Then have them say
the motto, louder, and one more time even
louder! This is a good time to talk
about advancement and the Bobcat badge.
There are 8 requirements for Bobcat
and in 30 minutes all the boys are halfway
there! See
Rally - page 2
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