Looking to grow and reinvigorate your pack? Here are some helps!
“Before we can put Scouting’s values into youth, we have to put youth into Scouting.”
2023 Recruitment Night Trainings
Recruiting New Cub Scouts
The purpose of a Recruitment Night is to enroll new Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts in existing Cub Scout Packs, to enlist parent participation in the program, and to organize new units for youth who want to join.
Objectives
- To increase the number of youth served by the Boy Scouts of America in your Cub Scout pack.
- To showcase the Cub Scout program. Show that Cub Scouting is fun!
- To provide parents with information about their role in Cub Scouting, including advancement, Pack participation, and support.
- To recruit new leaders. Assist the Pack and chartered organization in the selection and enrollment of new adult leaders.
2023 Fall Membership Calendar Key Dates
- Aug 15 – Schedule two Fall Recruitment Nights and turn in Pack Recruitment Plan to your District Executive
- Aug 15 – Update BeAScout.org pin. Here’s a how-to PDF (updated 5/20/20)
- 1st Day of School – Recruitment Night promotion begins (yard signs, fliers, B2S nights, uniform days, etc.)
- By 2nd week of school – Host your pack Recruitment Night
- By Oct 31 – Host your second pack Recruitment Night
- After Recruitment Night – Recruitment applications due
- By Nov 9 – Turn in an updated pack roster to your district executive or district commissioner
The Basics
- Host your first Fall Recruitment Night preferably within the first 2 weeks of school and no later than 4 weeks.
- All packs should have a robust promotion plan including flyers, yard signs, banners, posters, and Invite-a-Friend cards.
- Encourage current scouts to bring friends.
- We strongly recommend using Invite-a-Friend cards. These cards help your Cub Scouts invite friends to your pack. Full details are in the Cub Scout Pack Recruitment Guide (below) under “STEP THREE: the Cub Pack Recruitment Plan.”
- Training is vital for new leaders. Direct all new leaders to my.scouting.org or in-person training.
- Never hold the first Fall Recruitment Night in combination with a pack meeting or school-sponsored back-to-school program/open house.
- Utilize geofencing and other social media to promote your recruitment nights. For very little cash, your pack can easily communicate with families in the neighborhood.
Turn On Your Pack’s Ability to Accept Online Applications and Update Your Pack’s BeAScout.org Pin
It’s more important than ever that your pack update their BeAScout.org pin and turn on online applications at my.scouting.org. Both functionalities are easily turned on by a member of your pack’s Key 3 at my.scouting.org by clicking on the Organization Manager. COR’s can also designate a registered member of the pack as an alternate to approve adult applications if desired by adding a COR Delegate in my.scouting. The online system will collect all national and council fees. This means you will not have to bring any paperwork or fees to the office. We encourage every pack to use this functionality for new members to join! Full details at https://www.scouting.org/resources/online-registration/
Helpful documents and videos
- 2022 Cub Scout Pack Recruitment Guide pdf (rev. 7/27/22)
- Cub Pack Recruitment Plan (rev. 8/10/21)
- Unit Guidebook for Online Registration (rev. 4/21)
- Order Recruitment Promotional Materials here (online form), Please order TWO WEEKS before materials are needed.
- Recruitment Night Sign-in sheet
- 100-Point Adult Participation Form fillable PDF. Parents can choose what they’d like to volunteer for, with the goal of a total of 100 points.
- Learn how to Geofence your unit’s recruitment night.
- Welcome to Scouting flyer Give this flyer to every family as they enter your join night. It will direct them to the New Family Welcome page in the bullet below.
- New Family Welcome page This page has all the Welcome Packet contents for new families.
- 2023 Membership Fee Chart Remember, if a unit uses online applications, all national and council fees are collected automatically. A unit only needs to collect pack dues if the unit uses online application.
