JSN is Sept. 11!

We all want this to be the most successful JSN ever, so please be working with your committee on planning your recruiting strategy and JSN.    It's critical that we get our Scouting message out to the boys, and since the traditional rally is no longer available to us within PISD, it's necessary to develop other strategies to give boys the opportunity to join Scouting.

This Thursday, May 1, please plan on attending the Cub Scout Roundtable where we will discuss developing a marketing plan for your Pack.

And, mark your calendar NOW, for the Thursday, August 7th Cub Roundtable.  At that meeting, we will present:  "JSN: The Director's Cut II" and conclude the event with a Cub Scout only Program Preview.

Here are a few additional recruiting ideas:

1.  Have a Cub Scout Coloring Coral at your school's registration day.  Take the kiddies off Mom's hands so she can go through the lines with minimal distruption.  Keep the kids busy with your older scouts and Den Leader personnel.  Have simple coloring pages, an easy craft, word searches, other puzzles.  And, of course, have your tri-fold board with wonderful Cub Scout pictures and brochures with your Pack's JSN information.  Provide a service and market, all at the same time.

2.  Use your car for advertising .... white shoe polish or special "window" markers will do the trick.  Have several Pack parents decorate their car and be sure to park in visible spots the few days before and including JSN!

3.  Have a clever give-away, like inscribed pencils (CUB SCOUTS ROCKS!).

4.  On JSN, as parents are lining up to check-out, have organzied games (with leaders and some of the older scouts) to keep them occupied so the parents can finish filling out their forms and complete the registration process.

5.  If your principal will allow, set-up a table with tri-fold display, brochures, flyers, etc. at MEET THE TEACHER (usually the day or so before school starts).  Be sure to man the booth with Leaders and Scouts in uniform.

To help your Pack be successful at recruiting new scouts, we’ve compiled this list of ideas …. Try them, refine them, put a new spin on them …. Whatever you think will work best!  Then let us know what worked well and what didn’t, so we can continually revise this document.  By sharing our ideas, we will all benefit!

Tried and true.  Very effective where you can use it!.   Requires permission from principal and co-operation from teachers.    Gather eligible boys, either all together or by grade level.  Lunch or recess time is usually successful.  Usually timed for the day of JOIN SCOUTING NIGHT (JSN).

The District can provide you with a CD version of a short 2 minute video presentation about Scouting.  With the principal’s permission, this could be broadcast during the elementary school’s morning video announcements.  Some PISD principals allowed this last year; some did not.  But the KIDS LOVED IT!

Gee whiz, this recruiting stuff is getting hard and EXPENSIVE!  How can the District help out?

 Good question!  The District really can help the individual Pack defray some of the associated costs of the increased expenses related to recruiting.  Here’s how!

Here’s a brief summary, followed by the literal policy text off the official PISD web-site.