PACK ADMIN HELPS

Fall Round Up

I can’t possibly tell you all the details of running a great Join Scouting Night, School Night for Scouting, Back to School Night, Cub Scout Round Up Night or whatever else you want to call your Fall recruitment and membership drive within the space limits of an issue of Baloo.  The amount of material is endless.  Two of my favorites sites –

Leslie’s Cub Bob White’s Pow Wow Online,http://www.cubbobwhite.net/  and

Carol’s Cub Roundtable, http://www.cubroundtable.com/

Both have extensive material on this topic.

There is a 35 page handout called “Key Elements of a Successful Fall Round Up,” that should be available from your local council. Carol has posted it on her Race to Scouting section –

 http://cubroundtable.com/race-to-cub-scouting.htm

So here are some good ideas to start you thinking about your event that I found on Twin Valley Council’s website.

Have a great Fall recruitment – and to quote our slogan here in Southern NJ Council –

Drive for Five – may you each have a charter with at least five more members than last year when you renew.

Commissioner Dave

The 4 P's of School Night for Scouting

Twin Valley Council, BSA

http://www.twinvalleybsa.org/

PLAN

All boys and their parents are invited to the School Night location nearest their home to learn about Scouting and joining a Tiber Cub group, Cub Scout Pack, or Boy Scout Troop. It is the intent that every Pack and Troop in the Council participate on the same night. Here is an opportunity to permit many boys to become members.

• It enlists the support of parents
• It leads to the organization of new units
• It is a recruiting idea of proven excellence.

When

"School Night for Scouting" will take place Thursday, September 19, 2002. It is a short, fast moving session where boys and parents gather to see simple displays and to hear a brief outline for the Scouting program. They will talk with adult leaders, fill out applications, (parents too), pay fees, and get needed information about meetings and activities. If existing Units cannot absorb the boys, they will meet with an organizer and a new unit organization will be started immediately.

What

At the same time, for each new boy and new adult, the Unit completes additional enrollments, collects fees, and make a report to the District Coordinator at the District Report Meeting scheduled to immediately follow the sign up meetings. So  let's get started! Be a part of the largest recruitment effort ever undertaken by our Council. We're proud to have you as part of our team. Let's move forward together and prepare for September 19, the first day of Scouting membership for hundreds of boys in South Central Minnesota.

PERSONNEL

School Night for scouting requires people. It attracts new people expressly for this single opportunity. They need to be selected early and trained in their responsibilities. Personnel essential to the success of the program are:

• The District Coordinator conducts training for the unit leaders and presides at the School Night for Scouting district report meeting to collect fees, applications, etc
• Unit leaders from the area to enroll boys and their parent in the Pack and Troop.
• A Tiger Cub Organizer from each Pack for Tiger den organization.

PREPARATION

School Night for Scouting takes time in preparation. At least three months are involved in important meetings and training. Other preparations begin even earlier. The time schedule outlines the minimum time requirements to do a thorough job. Personnel are urged to read their job description thoroughly and then strive to complete the steps "on time".

All facets of "School Night" are designed to make this one meeting in each school successful. Work ahead so you're ready for the Fall

PROMISES

Boys and their parents are promised Scouting through the School Night for Scouting program. These promises can be, and must be kept. Key individuals in keeping this commitment are the unit leaders and organizers. The unit leader must be willing to accept new boys and to ensure each boy receives what has been promised. He must realize this is the time to sign up additional help and to have parents accept definite responsibilities. There will be no better opportunity than the one at hand.

The commitment of the organizer is to see that new unit organization is started and then follow it through the completion to provide a Scouting program for boys who cannot be absorbed in existing units.

School Night for Scouting Agenda

Adapted from Twin Valley Council, BSA

http://www.twinvalleybsa.org/

You may choose to make a School Night for Scouting flip chart based on the following agenda to ease your presentation

PRE-OPENING

Have the following ready –

• Attendance cards,
• Scouting literature,
• Ceremony equipment,
• American flag and unit flag

EXHIBITS AND DISPLAYS

Direct boys and parent. to visit exhibit and display area.

Set up sign with unit number, sponsor, and time and place of meetings.

At least two Cub Scouts in uniform.

Pictures and/or slides of activities, especially Day Camp.

Sign to direct First Grade boys to special Tiger Cub meeting room.

Other display items might includes Pinewood Derby cars, projects from past Scout Shows, etc

REGISTRATION

Have boys and parents fill out a name tag.

Have parents fill out attendance card for boy.

Split out Tiger Cubs (1st grade boys and their parents to different locations.)

OPENING CEREMONY

• Teach "When the Sign Goes Up".
• Here is a simple way to get order for announcements or the next order of business. Explain that whenever you raise your hand in the Scout sign, the group is to become attentive and stop talking.
• Have everyone practice it a few times until the proper reaction becomes automatic. This method of getting order saves your voice and nerves. Explain to the boys "when the sign goes up, everyone is to listen".
• Flag ceremony--Cub Scout Den
• Form two lines facing each other. The flag is marched up between the lines with all personnel saluting. The flag is halted at the head of the lines and turned about face, whereupon all assembled give the Pledge of Allegiance.

WELCOME - STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

• Briefly state purpose of meeting.
• Tell prospective members and their parents about Scouting's opportunities in the neighborhood and inform them as to how they may participate.
• Tell how Cub Scouting does business.
• Creates a partnership with an institution such as PTA, church, or civic group to use the Cub Scout program with their youth.
• The unit is owned by the chartered partner (school, civic club, etc.)
• The chartered partner provides unit meeting place and leadership.
• The (name your local council) provides program literature and tools, training for leaders, volunteer and professional guidance and a major activity schedule, including provision of camp facilities. Let everyone know when the next scheduled training session is.
• Cub Scouting is for boys in grades 1-5.
• Cub Scouts join a Pack. The Pack meets once a month and it's a family meeting (Mom, Dad, brothers & sisters). The boy is assigned to a den which has 6-8 members and meets once a week.
• Talk about benefits of Boys' Life.
• Introduce Unit Leaders

UNIT SPECIFICS

• Parent participation.

Place great emphasis on each parent joining

Scouting with their son.

• Parents who have boys of Scouting age are the major source of leadership. Cub Scouting is volunteer led.
• Full support and cooperation of every parent is essential to a successful Cub Scout program.
• Parents can help carry their share by serving as unit leaders or den leaders, unit committee members or auxiliaries, or by cooperating on transportation for Cub Scout outings.
• Parents need to keep informed.
• Parents should encourage their boy in his advancement.
• Unit Information
• Leadership Meeting place and time
• Registration fee
• BOYS' LIFE SUBSCRIPTION –
• Policies and procedures (if appropriate).
• Review unit program for the coming year.
• Leader should distribute a "hand out" describing the Unit's planned program for the next 12 months.
• Distribute and review applications for membership.
• Work on organization of new dens as required.
• Process applications for membership... Cub and adult. Fill out applications and collect fees for new enrollments. Adult applications need to be signed by a representative of the unit's chartering organization.
• Our next meeting will be _________

ADJOURN

• Mention Boys Life magazine again
• Have inspirational Cubmaster’s Minute (Closing Thought)
• Tell everyone Pack parents will remain t answer questions
• Dismiss Boys and Parents

COMPLETE YOUR SCHOOL NIGHT FOR SCOUTING' REPORT

• Turn in Report along with all the registration forms to your District Coordinator. 
• It does nobody any good for you to keep those applications on your refrigerator until charter renewal, you “get them all together,” “I get a chance to look them over again”, … (or any of the myriad other excuses I have heard over the years)
• Until you file that application –
• The new Cub does not have BSA insurance
• Will not begin receiving Boys’ Life, which is usually three months after registration anyway
• Your council may refuse to process awards for him as he is not registered (Mine does – CD)
• Straighten up meeting room facilities - remove displays - thank custodian.

Leather Pack or Den Totem

San Gabriel, Long Beach Area, Verdugo Hills Councils

Totems can be used for Den or Pack spirit or both.

Make up an award scale –

Each time the Scout attends a Den or Pack meeting or Pack event he gets a bead for his totem.

An extra bead if he wears his uniform

Another for having his book

Beads for Pinewood, Space and Rain gutter derbies and other special things

Maybe some beads for Sports Awards or other patches earned (Leave No Trace, Outdoors, …)

After every so many (5? 10?) beads he earns a plastic Bear Claw or Eagle Talon.

Have a special helper bead to award when a boy stays to help set up or clean up for a meeting

Maybe a Cubmaster’s award for great Scout Spirit

Be inventive

Decide on your totem –

Where do you wear it?

Should it hang on a belt? 

Attach to a pocket button?

Be a necklace?

How about shape –

Arrowhead?

Tent?

Hat or Cap?

Circle?

Square?

Dodecahedron?

What should it say?

Pack Number?

Town?

School?

Church?

Cub scout logo?

A year – Should each boy gets a new one each year, one for Tiger/Wolf/Bear and one for Webelos, or keep the same one until he graduates?

Maybe stamp the Cub Scout diamond as each rank is earned – or stamp just this year’s rank?

Make a leather totem using stamping leather and stamping tools. Lots of vendors carry pre cut shapes – The Leather Factory (www.leatherfactory.com ) or Ozark Campfire in Belton, MO (816-331-7112) are two of my favorites.  Ask around, see where the leaders near you get things. 

Don’t have stamping tools??  Borrow stamping tools from other Packs in the council or ask around, someone is bound to have a supply. The Leather Factory stores conduct training sessions where they supply everything needed to make a totem.

Supplies Needed:

• Stamping Leather Shapes
• 2 mm Round Leather Lace
• Stamping Tools
• 6 x 9 mm Pony Beads
• Plastic Claws