October Scouting Recruitment

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CALENDAR: JAN / FEB / MAR / APR / MAY / JUN / JUL / AUG / SEP / OCT / NOV / DEC

A steady flow of youth into a each scout unit is essential to maintaining unit health. New Scouts bring energy and enthusiasm to the program. To avoid the pitfall of shrinking membership, aim to add at least 10 new Scouts every year by having a year-round growth plan in place will help attract new Scouts.

Scouting (Boy Scouts of America) has some unique recruiting opportunities every month of the year, a successful program will incorporate many of these:

Tip #1: Halloween PassAlong Cards

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  1. Halloween - Pass Along Card for Cubs or Scouts: Every year many scouters see hundred plus little kids knocking on their door yelling trick or treat. This year give out two treats - including a small card featuring your unit, district, favorite camp, BSAParents or BeAScout. Our neighborhood gets a lot of spanish speaking visitors - so a dual language card is our pick. The BSA Resource center has an easy to fill template to use to print your own neat cards. Create several dozen to hand out at Halloween.
  2. Halloween - Haunted House: Have a troop gathering at a scout's home that gets a lot of visitors. Include both themed and scouting exhibits. Show the scouts know how to have fun and do really cool things. Little kids will be really impressed to see the older kids having a serious party.
  3. Halloween - City Festival - Many communities organize their own Halloween festival with lots of kid friendly booths. Bring along a giant supply of candy, old BoysLife/ScoutsLife magazine and interest cards.

Halloween - Pass Along Card: Every year many scouters see hundred plus little kids knocking on their door yelling trick or treat. This year give out two treats - including a small card featuring your unit, district, favorite camp, BSAParents or BeAScout. Our neighborhood gets a lot of spanish speaking visitors - so a dual language card is our pick.

  1. What is a PassAlong Card? It's printed on cardstock paper - either business card size or 3x5 card size. Eye-catching graphics on one side with a simple URL Weblink on the bottom - (Either to BeAScout.org or your Pack/Troop)
  2. Council Resource Room - Scouting has many of these already preprinted - inquire with your district executive or council "resource room"
  3. Creat your own Print Template for your unit - See ReferralRock.com. A single 8x11 sheet of cardstock in your personal printer can generate 8 cards.
  4. Print Box of 500 for $7.49 at OverNightPrints.com. Design it easy online.

Tip #2: Halloween Haunted House

Halloween - Haunted House: Have a troop gathering at a scout's home that gets a lot of visitors. Include both themed and scouting exhibits. Show the scouts know how to have fun and do really cool things. Little kids will be really impressed to see the older kids having a serious party.

Tip #3: School PassAlong Cards

Hopefully by now every family is holding a stack of pass along cards. This is your opportunity to teach your youth, (especially older youth in Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts or Venturing) how a friend-to-friend referral invite works.

  1. Store a few cards in your school locker, backpack or school desk.
  2. Have a focus on a major upcoming fun event.


Tip #4: Parent at Home or Office

Encourage parents to have on hand a small stack of pass along cards at either the home or office to use in the following situations

  1. Referral to a friend
  2. Distribution at a unique event

Recruitment Resources

Pass Along Cards

District Roundtable

District Membership Team and Roundtable Commissioners should prepare the following for the October Roundtables:

  1. Have a large supply of scouting pass-along cards ready for distribution.
  2. Present a five-minute "Big Rock Topic" and how Packs, Troops, Crews, Posts and other Scouting Volunteers can effectively use scouting pass-along cards in their neighborhood.
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See Also