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Join Scout Night Newsletter Volume 3
Join Scout Night Newsletter
#ScoutSHARE Contest AND Wear Your Uniform to School/Work
REMINDER: Lay out your Scout uniform tonight, tomorrow is Dan Beard Council's #ScoutSHARE Day! Wear your uniform to school, work and around your community to show your Scouting pride as well as inspire others to join! Take photos and post on your social media with #ScoutSHARE with what you love about Scouting to help spread the word. Extra #ScoutSHARE prizes tomorrow so post often for your chance to win! for more info go to www.danbeard.org/scoutshare-day
Show us How you are Advertising your JSN? Share with us!
Over the next 4 weeks, we want our Packs to share the best locations and strategies to use the tools and resources we provided through the Join Scout Night Trainings and materials pick-ups. Each week will have a different focus area to share by snapping a picture and using #ScoutSHARE. This will run through the month, so please share your best practices from your initial Join Scout Night as well as 2nd (parent orientation) and 3rd chance (Den/Pack meeting/activity) opportunities where families can signup.

Here are the weeks and focus areas:
  1. Week 1 (9/14-20) - Yard Signs
  2. Week 2 (9/21-27) - Cross marketing at sports fields/parks
  3. Week 3 (9/28-10/4)-Social Media Posts/Community Pages
  4. Week 4 (10/5-11)-Bring a Friend Cards Blitz
Layout and Tips for for an Organized Join Scout Night
As you prepare for your Join Scout Night, make sure you are using the resources you have been given this year (and maybe from previous years). In this article, we will share best practices for an in-person JSN.

Many of our Packs will be holding JSNs outside this year. In previous years, Packs were given banners (see the pictures to the left) that were great for school open house, back to school nights, etc. These are colorful and attract attention. You may also have some signage to help direct people where to go to sign up. Dig out these banners and put them to use!

If holding an event outside, you may also want to bring a table or two (or more if needed). There will be some schools/churches or other locations where JSNs will be held that may not have access to use tables/chairs like you previously would do.

Have a greeter there to help give instructions to parents as they arrive. Tell them where to sign-in, where to get their materials packet (which includes youth application(s) and Family Talent Survey(s), where to complete the paperwork and where to turn-in and pay.

Have all your handouts ready to go before you get there so you don't have to spend time collating calendars, Pack info sheets, applications, etc. Have all of your items in the 'Scout Me In' envelope you received at the JSN materials pickup. I recommend having a stack that you can grab from the top to hand a new recruit while reviewing the contents and what needs to be filled out and turned in before they leave.

Have a leader or two checking in with parents to see if they have any questions as they are filling out the forms.

At the turn-in location, be sure to review the applications to make sure they are completely filled out. Most common items missed are (birth dates- Scout or parent), signatures (parent or unit leader/designee). Make sure you are ready to take payment (cash, check, credit card if you are able). Some parents are also asking for PayPal/Venmo options. You may want to look into those options for your Pack as well. Lastly, make sure they know when and where the next meeting will be (parent orientation or den meeting).

Make it quick, collect what you need and give them next steps!

Recap:
  1. Have a well marked location to direct people to where your JSN is happening
  2. Greeter to welcome & give instructions
  3. Sign-in Sheets (may want to do 1 location or separate by den)
  4. 'Scout Me In' packet of information including application and Family Talent Survey
  5. Place to turn in BSA youth applications/$ and Family Talent Surveys
Drive Thru an Old Concept with a New Twist

Drive thru JSNs are a great new way to offer a low to no contact registration experience for families, while still being able to deliver the traditional JSN experience, all while keeping gatherings to less than 10. So here’s what you need and how it works:
You will need some traffic cones and/or large signs, a canopy (or several) and 3-4 volunteers.
First, pick a familiar place for families to come- school parking lots are perfect
Next, plan a route that is easily accessible, visible from the parking lot entrance, and if possible can allow cars to naturally fall into 1 line
Place cones and canopies along the “route” to direct drivers
Each volunteer and table or canopy is a station- one for introduction and calendar, one for den information, one for applications, etc
Families drive through, and much like a regular JSN they get info at each station and submit their application at the ent.

Some tips and tricks:
Don’t forget to collect sign in information from each family. BeaScout.org leads can be used for this (provide a QR code for parents to scan) or a simple half sheet of paper asking the basic contact info works as well (this allows only 1 family to touch each piece of paper) or simple use the sign in sheets provided

Have your online application system turned on and QR code posted several times

Have fun with it, be creative. A drive thru model campsite, or display of another pack activity could be fun. Here’s an opportunity we don’t usually have at JSN to show off outdoor activities instead of just pictures.

Don’t forget to report your results to your District Executive and Have Fun!
What do Kids do During the Signups?
What do you do when the parents are trying to sign their son/daughter up for Cub Scouts, but are distracted because their kindergartner is pestering them, maybe another sibling is also driving them crazy?

They need some help! Recruit Scouts/leaders from your Scouts BSA Troop to help with a game or activity they can do while mom fills out the forms.

Have them do some easy to participate games that are fun for everyone all while keeping some space between them. They may be able to come up with some games with a Scouting flare to them too.

Coloring books, 'Simon Says', obstacle course and other activities are easy to do as well as easy to add new people since not everyone will show up at the same time. Come up with a plan in advance and have fun so parents/guardians can focus on completing required paperwork, find out next steps and go home! Be creative and give them something fun to do that will have them excited to come back for the next event!
Successful Parent Orientation Meetings

Make sure your new recruits know when your Pack's Parent Orientation will take place. After the JSN, send all the new recruits a welcome email including the 'next steps' you told them before they left the signup event. You also may want to include this website www.scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts/ or link to videos (5 FAQs video is great) to help answer some basic Cub Scout questions before they come to the Parent Orientation. Also, make sure you send them an 'invitation' to connect to your Pack on Scoutbook.

Review the Family Talent Surveys you received at the JSN. Use the "Family Talent Survey Tracker" Excel spreadsheet (download from http://www.gocubscouts.com/volunteer-leader-info/) to help you keep tabs on the skills/hobbies/interests of your parents even after you lose the paper forms! Know what leadership vacancies you currently have. Start making your list of potential parents to help with certain roles or leadership positions within the Pack. Some may indicate on the survey they are willing to help as a leader or committee member. Make sure you have BSA adult leader applications at your Parent Orientation, especially if you already have willing volunteer leaders. You may have to be more selective with certain positions, so do your homework by reviewing hobbies, interests and skills on the Family Talent Surveys.

The Scout Motto is "Be Prepared". Make sure you have an agenda ready to go for your Parent Orientation that is well thought out and answers the FAQs that you anticipate. Use the Parent Orientation Guide you received at the Join Scout Night Materials pick-up (see picture on the left) to help you prepare your agenda. Keep it to an hour or less. You may be able to move quickly through this especially if you can share some of the videos via email (5 FAQs video referenced above).

Best Practices
Hold two Parent Orientations (might be same night.
  1. for returning parents (trimmed down agenda & collect dues for upcoming year)
  2. For brand new parents (full agenda, sample below)
Have a volunteer signup sheet. Check out the "Pack Parent Orientation Volunteer Sign Up Sheet" Excel spreadsheet find at http://www.gocubscouts.com/volunteer-leader-info/ (pre-populate as much as you can before the parent orientation), then print for parents to write their names to help with events. Require each parent to signup to help with (3) things during the year. This doesn't mean they are in charge of the event, but that they can help in some way, even if it's helping to setup and tear down the chairs for the pinewood derby. If you make this an annual expectation for EVERYONE to do, you have a much larger base to ask for help when the time comes.

Sample Agenda items
How Scouting Works
  • Dens / Pack
  • Pack organization & leadership
  • District & Council
  • Progression
Safety & Youth Protection Training
  • Adult Partners required for K & 1st graders
  • Training at my.scouting.org
  • Mandatory YPT for ALL leaders
  • Strongly encourage ALL parents to take
Pack Fees/Dues
What does it cover?
  • Be specific so parents have a better idea where the fees go (registration, insurance, Pack t-shirt, awards, program supplies, pinewood derby car, etc)
What does it NOT cover?
  • Be specific if there are other items needed to participate or that you recommend (uniform items, handbook, activity fees, etc)
Uniform & Handbook
  • When to wear uniform vs. t-shirt
  • Where to buy uniform, handbook, etc?
Fundraisers
  • Popcorn & Camp Card
  • May need to go into specifics about popcorn sale since it's happening NOW
  • Others?
Calendar
  • Scouting & Sports (or other conflicts)
  • Stay in touch with den leaders if you miss a meeting so you know how to catch up
  • Den meetings & Pack meetings (frequency & locations & purpose)
  • Special events & activities
  • Blue & Gold, Pinewood Derby, etc
Communication
  • Scoutbook
  • Facebook page (private group)
Questions

Helpers/Volunteer Signups
Pay dues
Adjourn
Exciting Virtual Event for the Entire Family: BSA's Family Fun Fest on Saturday September 12!
The Boy Scouts of America had more than 110K views of the first Family Fun Fest held on Saturday, August 8 and reached more than 320K people on Facebook with Scouting messages. To keep that momentum going, we're already moving forward with the plans for the September 12 edition of Family Fun Fest and we hope to generate even more attention and interest in the fun of Scouting!

One of the purposes of this event is to share this with families who may not be currently registered in Scouting, but give them a taste
of what we do AND generate leads in www.beascout.org for families to learn more about YOUR Pack!

It’s outdoor adventure you can have online! This FREE virtual event via Facebook Live is for all Scouts, their family, neighbors, friends and anyone who would like to find out about all the fun and cool things Scouts do. It’s always more fun with friends, so invite some of yours to join you online for Family Fun Fest!

Click here to register!
SCOUTING. DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN.
The Boy Scouts of America, Dan Beard Council is a proud United Way Agency Partner