Recruiting and Retaining Membership

1. Recruiting and Retaining Membership Lenny Niman Scott Valcourt March 24, 2007

2. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 2

3. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 3 Recruitment and retention are the keys to success for the Boy Scouts of America as the organization works toward a greater impact on the values of America's young people. Source: http://www.scouting.org/media/reports/1999/unitgrowth.html

4. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 4 Which is More Important? Recruiting New Scouts? Recruiting Former Scouts? Retaining Existing Scouts? It depends…

5. Retaining and Recruiting Membership Lenny Niman Scott Valcourt March 24, 2007

6. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 6 General Scouting Retention Adapt the program to the needs and interests of your Scouts Plan a Year-Round Program Help Scout parents to understand how valuable Scouting is to a boy www.ScoutParents.org www.Scouting.org Make it Fun!

7. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 7 Boy Scout Retention Largest youth organization in the US, with over 110 million youth served since 1910 Generational gathering Use the Order of the Arrow resources

8. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 8 Did You Know… Most boys who drop out of Cub Scouting do so in May, June, and September? Families are busy after school is over and Packs without a summer program become easy targets for “activity trimming”. Dens that meet more often have higher retention rates? 21.1 percent of boys who dropped Cub Scouting were in a den that met less than two times per month. Consider a typical family in a Cub Scout pack. Their school year ends in May or June. Summer becomes full of family trips and activities. September rolls around and the family must now decide what extracurricular activities they will take part in for the coming school year. If this family's pack became dormant over the summer, they now have an even harder time deciding whether to stay in Scouting. This directly affects our retention efforts. Those three months when the Cub Scout program meets much less frequently allow for other activities to become priorities in the family's lives. This is why encouraging packs to earn the Summertime Pack Award is important. It keeps families involved in Scouting year-round. Once in the program, the number of meetings per month becomes a factor in retention. In our study, one of five boys (21.1 percent) who dropped was in a den that met less than twice a month. Cub Scouts and their families are looking for activities, outdoor adventure, challenges, and fun. When the meetings are not frequent enough, continuity is lost and other activities will take their place.Consider a typical family in a Cub Scout pack. Their school year ends in May or June. Summer becomes full of family trips and activities. September rolls around and the family must now decide what extracurricular activities they will take part in for the coming school year. If this family's pack became dormant over the summer, they now have an even harder time deciding whether to stay in Scouting. This directly affects our retention efforts. Those three months when the Cub Scout program meets much less frequently allow for other activities to become priorities in the family's lives. This is why encouraging packs to earn the Summertime Pack Award is important. It keeps families involved in Scouting year-round. Once in the program, the number of meetings per month becomes a factor in retention. In our study, one of five boys (21.1 percent) who dropped was in a den that met less than twice a month. Cub Scouts and their families are looking for activities, outdoor adventure, challenges, and fun. When the meetings are not frequent enough, continuity is lost and other activities will take their place.

9. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 9 Why Cub Scouts Leave The Boy Scouts of America asked the parents of a number of boys who dropped out of Cub Scouts, why they did so. Base:  194 parents of boys who dropped out of Cub Scouts Percentages indicate the number of parents who said the item had a "major" or "somewhat of an" influence on the decision to drop out. Source:  National Cub Scout Retention Survey, June 2001

10. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 10 Cub Scout Retention Cub Scouting versus Sports Only 17 percent of boys wanted to focus more on sports. Boring Meetings Top Factor Meetings need to be full of activities – New things Challenging outdoor activities – Year Round Use the Order of the Arrow and Troop resources Program Helps and Program Planning do the trick Training Pays New leaders need immediate training Mentoring Fast Start training and follow up with position-specific training Pack Trainer

11. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 11 General Scouting Recruitment Ask! Invite them to participate! Target population Make it interactive! Get it outdoors! Be visible in the community Plan a Year-Round Program Make it Fun!

12. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 12 Ideas Supermarkets – Everybody goes there Displays, posters, handouts Community visibility events Scouting for Food National Good Turn – like 2003-2004 Parades Religious Education Classes Flyers, presentations Event Sign-up Nights at Schools Sports have them, why not Scouts?

13. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 13 Cub Scout Recruitment Focus on the Family Emphasize fun, friendships, quality time with son, lifelong learning, character development and … FUN! Deliver the program as promised quickly Webelos Transition – start early in second year

14. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 14 Webelos-to-Scout Transition A cooperative effort between the Pack and the Troop to keep boys in Scouts Transition leadership is a shared effort Joint activities are crucial to success Webelos Dens are as important to the future of the Troop as the Tiger Cub groups are to the future of the Pack

15. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 15 Webelos-to-Scout Transition: What makes it easy? All Boy Scout Rank requirements are included in Arrow of Light Activity badges are like merit badges Both have outdoor programs The Den Chief Cooperation of Scoutmasters and Webelos Den Leaders Same uniform

16. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 16 Boy Scout Specific Recruitment September – 11 year old recruitment

17. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 17 Venturing Recruitment and Retention Boy Scout Opportunities Camping, Canoeing, Hinds Island Order of the Arrow Be Visible in the Community Integrate Venturing with Cub and Boy Scout Activities Support the Young People to Make it Fun!

18. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 18 Adult Recruitment Ask parents to be involved with their boys Expect them to want to volunteer Don’t Assume a “no” answer when asking Have a positive attitude Be Specific – Create Specific Jobs Start with small jobs Express Gratitude Show appreciation for what was done in a sincere way

19. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 19 Adult Recruitment Busy people make the best leaders Time Management Skills Communication Calendar, Email List, Website, Phone Tree Training – Early and Often

20. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 20 Family Talent Survey Subject Experts Webelos Activity Pin Leaders Merit Badge Counselors

21. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 21 Key Points Program Parents Visibility

22. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 22 References www.scoutparents.org www.scouting.org www.pinetreebsa.org www.yorkdistrict.org/university07.html

23. Pine Tree Council University of Scouting 2007 GS-5 23 Contacts Lenny Niman lniman55@hotmail.com Scott Valcourt sav@acm.org