Best Practices from our Most Successful Packs of 2019
We invited our councils top 20 recruiting Packs from 2019 to share how they were so successful.
These 20 Cub Scout Packs recruited more than 35% of all new Scouts in the Grand Canyon Council last year. Of the 20 Packs invited, 6 joined us.
We had representation from Packs in urban, suburban, and rural parts of our council. These Packs charged families anywhere from $60-$275 for a year of participation, and spread out through public schools, private schools, and faith partners for their primary recruitment sources, and represented most of Scouting districts.
In short, our most successful units come from diverse backgrounds, but we set out to find what they had in common.
One of the first items our Packs mentioned was being present where the families were. For most this meant a Facebook page that was up to date with contact information and calendars that shared the adventure.
Kelly, from Pack 7010, mentioned that when the Pack page was first set as a business it portrayed the pack more formally than they intended. So, a group was the better way to go.
David, from Pack 129, said they take all of the interest from families on the Facebook page and enter those families into the Leads system of BeAScout to keep track and follow up with them.
Michael from Pack 263 was the first to mention that they are at Back to school or meet the teacher nights, but that is not their recruitment event. Those evenings are a great chance to market and share information, but families have other goals that night. Most of our other top recruiting packs agreed with that feeling and added how they best used those nights to promote their join event and how they had excited families to return.
Daryn from Pack 653 had the great idea of printing a flashy poster with a large QR code that redirects families back the Packs web page he invites families to take a picture of. That way families have the picture and the link saved in their phone, so the pack is available to the family when they think about youth activities.
Michael and his pack host an ice-cream social for the new families as the excitement to have families return for the join event.
Pack 682 is based out of a charter school, so not all families are from the same neighborhood. They have worked hard to build a strong community of Scouting families this has helped with both retentions of Scouting families, and it shows potential new families a fuller picture of what Scouting offers.
Kevin and Steve from Pack 88 have the existing Den Leaders attend sign up nights to help welcome families. That night they emphasize volunteers and family involvement is key, so the stage is set for all families to be active right from the start.
There was one universal truth that applied for all units we visited with. They have a calendar that they stick to. Outdoor events take place monthly, Pack meetings are monthly, Families know what to expect, and these adventures can be shared easily with new families. Make sure your existing Scout families have the calendar and feel comfortable sharing it with others before the end of the summer.
Thank you to Packs 88, 129, 263, 653, 682, 7010 for visiting with us to help all Packs grow so we can serve more members of our communities. Share your successes or questions with your District Membership Chair or District Executive to be a part of the conversation as we grow scouting in Arizona this fall.
For more information and to learn more visit our fall recruitment toolbox. This is a great resource that is constantly growing with added tips, tricks, and resources for you, our Scout leaders.
