Recruitment & Membership 

Recruiting Scouts to your Cub Scout Pack or Scouts BSA Troop is exciting! It can also feel overwhelming, especially if you are a new leader. Rest assured, you can do this! The following ideas and resources are intended to simplify the process for you and your fellow leaders. And please ask your district professional if you need help!

Four Easy Steps to Recruitment

1. Plan | 2. Promote | 3. Welcome | 4. Follow Up

1. Plan

• Choose a date and time to hold your sign-up event
  • Consult with other leaders to check their availability
  • Host a picnic, campfire, ice cream social, fly rockets or foam planes, or other fun event where kids and parents would feel welcome
  • Have a table at your local school’s Open House/Welcome Back night
  • Meet at your regular time and location, but NOT on the same night as Den, Pack or Troop meetings (too hectic!)
• Update your PIN in my.scouting.org so interested families can find you through BeAScout.org. Learn how by clicking here.

TIP - Plan 6 weeks ahead to give yourself time to organize and promote it

2. Promote

• Request flyers (by August 15, please, or at least 2 weeks before your event) from your district professional to be distributed to local school students (include QR code)
• Local newspaper – share a photo and caption or submit a brief article two weeks before your sign-up night (Click here for a sample email)
• Request yard signs & posters from your district professional and ask current Scout families to put them out/up (include QR code)
• Create event on Facebook for your sign-up night. If you have funds, pay to boost it.
• Share to community social media pages or through the Next Door App
• Create a public Facebook page for your unit if you don’t have one

TIP - If you're ready to take promotion to the next step, check out the resources available to you through the BSA Brand Center!

3. Welcome

• Smile and introduce yourself and the Scouts and leaders
• Ask parent to write down their contact information
• Set up stations with station table tents
• Provide information about your program 
• Use QR code so they can register on their own device
• Bring a laptop or tablet and have them register
• Have paper applications on hand
• Provide a copy of your program calendar & leaders’ names

TIP - Your unit's Key 3 leaders have access to the "Invitation Manager" tools in my.scouting.org, which really helps to keep information centralized. Learn how to use it.

4. Follow Up

• Initiate communications with families
  • Send emails or text messages with a link to your unit’s PIN so they will find you immediately
  • Use my.scouting.org’s “Invitation Manager” tool: enter parent names, contact info and send them links to sign up through my.scouting
• Be responsive
  • Reply to messages/questions within 24 hours
  • If you don’t have the answer, ask your district professional for help
• Remind them about meetings a few days ahead of time

Your District Professionals

Great Trails: Jessica Bonham

Jessica.Bonham@scouting.org   (585) 993-5359

North Star: Brandon Blatz

Brandon.Blatz@scouting.org   (716) 445-3350

Voyageur: Chris Matthewson

Chris.Matthewson@scouting.org   (716) 462-9770

Whitetail: Dan Carpenter

Daniel.Carpenter@scouting.org   (607) 331-1193