1. How to get the most out of your night in front of the parents
School Night Sign-Ups
How to get the most out of your night in front of the parents
Michael Patterson
Trainer introduces himself/herself.

2. Why would a family not want to join?
Boring/disorganized sign-up presentation.
Costs.
Not the right fit for the family.
Others?
It’s important to understand what we’re up against. If a family comes to a sign-up night, it’s because they are interested in joining cub scouts. There are sign-up nights with 10, 20, 30 or even more families in attendance, but when only 5-10 boys actually sign-up something went wrong. They left without signing up because we either said/did something that turned them off to the pack. National says that the #1 reason that families stated after not signing up at an event was BORING/DISORGANIZED presentation.
What are the other reasons? How can we address them?

3. Strategies for a Successful Recruitment
Classic Presentation
Round Robin Stations
Carmax Style
The answer to that #1 reason for leaving the sign-up event is to have a plan and follow it. Here are three different models that have all been successful in recruiting families to Cub Scouting.

4. Powerpoint/flip chart
Classic Presentation
Powerpoint/flip chart
Presenter
Volunteer
Volunteer
Tiger Den
Wolf Den
Volunteer
Bear Den
Webelos Den
Volunteer

5. Classic Presentation
Presenter leads the event and supported by 1 volunteer per table.
Gives introduction to program (Be BRIEF)
Activity!!!
The ask for volunteers
Paperwork, payment and calendar (See ya!)
Advantages/Disadvantages?
Read through the basics of the presentation.
The Activity in this style of sign-up night, breaks up the monotony, gets the kids and parents playing together, gives families a chance to see what we do in Cub Scouts.
This presentation makes a direct ask for volunteers at the mid point of the presentation. Have volunteers guide the conversations at the tables to find out who will be helping the pack in what way.
Keep sign-up to 45mins to an hour tops. Anything beyond that is killing the audience. Remember that they came to get the basics and sign-up. They had no idea that they were about play games, be asked to be a volunteer or even how much they would have to pay.

6. Round Robin Stations Station 2 Our Pack Station 3 The Dens Station 1
What is Cub Scouting?
Station 4
Costs and Fund Raising
Station 5
Work Tables
Entrance/Sign in
Exit/Turn-in

7. Round Robin Stations 1 volunteer per station.
Families sign in and rotate at their own pace.
Stations have their area of expertise in about a 2 minute sound bite.
After passing through stations, a volunteer/s help the families fill out forms and turn in.
Follow-up parent meeting is necessary.
Advantages/Disadvantages?
Families come in and circulate through the stations and should be signed up with the next meeting date in hand. Probably about 20 mins. Make sure to give a personal invitation and reminder to the parent orientation to have as strong a recruitment from the new parents as possible.

8. CarMax Style Our Pack Display Fundraising Display Table Table Table
Cub Scouting Display
Activity
Display

9. CarMax Style
Family comes in, volunteer greets them and gives them the tour.
Take them through the displays, answer questions and get them excited.
Sit down at tables, and review applications and payments.
Push for both applications.
Advantages/Disadvantages
Similar to the Round Robin style, this style takes strong salesmanship on the part of the volunteers guiding the families into the Pack. Everyone needs to be on the same page and up to date on all goings on in the Pack.
A parent orientation is also needed in follow-up to recruit new leaders.

10. Helpful Hints Do’s Don’ts Get volunteers (PLURAL!!!)
Respect people’s time.
Bring Displays
Make it Fun!!!
Be long winded. (It’s about them)
Let applications walk out the door.
Separate kids from adults.
Charge more than the prorated amount for registration.
DO’S
None of these work without at least 4 volunteers. Everyone in the Pack can chip in. This will also help with recruiting new adults. No one wants to be the only leader and if they see that you’re there by yourself, they will think no one wants to be a leader.
They had no idea how long they would be there so don’t take up their time. Most made last minute schedule changes because their kid came home with a flyer from school the day before or day of.
People are visual creatures. Play to this! It will also make you pack look stronger and make a better case to join the volunteer team that makes all this cool stuff happen.
CUB SCOUTS IS FUN!!! Let’s never lose sight of this especially when we’re putting ourselves on display to non scouters.
DON’TS
No one wants to hear the Cub Master’s dewy eye’d speech about his kid winning the pinewood derby. And then the next speech and the next and the next… It’s about them!!! I’ve never heard a question that wasn’t a variant of “What do you do? Where and when do you meet? How much does it cost?” Are answers need to be good but also brief. Let the displays do the work.
If apps go home with families, they will never be seen again. When the families fill out the apps, it formalizes their entry into scouting and makes it a lot less flaky. We can always follow up with them by using the contact info on the app.
By separating kids from the adults, we just proved that we are a baby sitting service and that they aren’t needed to serve as volunteers. Activities that include the adults also demystify the whole volunteer thing making the jobs seem much more doable and will increase the rate of volunteerism among the parents.
Some packs have dues. Some packs actually charge $70, $80, $100 or more. This is common among sports and other activities yes. But parents just found out about you. They haven’t really seen the bennefit of scouting yet, and to many families it looks like running around in the woods (which is free). It is strongly advised that Packs wait to charge dues until after the sign up to give the families time to see the value of our program. Let the families know that dues exist but Scouting teaches the boys to earn their own program. Give them a chance to see this in action first.

11. Michael Patterson 817-313-0084/Michael.Patterson@scouting.org
Questions? The End
Michael Patterson