Recruitment Menu Resources
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Set the table for a great recruitment by making sure people can get in touch with your unit.
Launch Party
This event is held annually in August.
Did you miss the Launch Party/kickoff to Scouting year?
You can still order your recruitment supplies here
Accepting Youth Applications
Accepting youth is faster and easier than ever with the Online Registration System!
New families are excited to get going and, nowadays, expect to be able to sign up for things online.
Make sure you're ready for new leads and online registrations with these guides and videos at
Scouting.org/OnlineRegistration
National Resources
National BSA has pulled together resources to help you find and engage interested families, including marketing materials, planning calendars, and webinars!
See more at Scouting.org/Recruitment
New Member Coordinator
Sustaining strong membership in a unit depends partly on reaching new audiences to invite them to join the unit and partly on engaging new members and their families so that they feel welcomed and want to stay.
New Member Coordinators can help with both!
BOOM Event
Learn how to grow your unit in the day of virtual Scouting, expand your program and fund your adventures.
This event is held annually in June.
NCBSA.org/BOOM
Whet their appetite with these great starters and show them what's in store!
Print Media
Promote your unit in local publications. Try a place of worship, newsletter or bulletin. Local news will often run stories provided by community groups. Be sure to provide a good photo, contact info/website, and promote upcoming events. See tips on getting your story covered!
Social Media
In addition to being a great communication tool with parents, having a strong presence on Facebook and other social media can be an incredible tool to promote your unit within your community. Shares and likes boost visibility. Check out the National Social Media Playbook.
Poster/Yard Sign Campaign
Coordinate with local businesses to display a poster and/or yard sign promoting your unit. Think about places where parents of Scout-aged children are likely to go
School Publications
Great for schools that don’t allow direct access. Obtain a spot in the school calendar, lunch menu, or school event program.
Uniform Day
Nothing creates more awareness of your unit than coordinating your Scouts to wear their uniform on the same day.
Food Delivery Flyers
Ask your favorite pizza delivery place if they would be willing to tape a flyer to their pizza boxes. As we all know, busy parents buy pizza.
Town Marquee
Ask a fire department, school, place of worship, or a movie theatre to feature your unit on their signage.
Garnish with Inflatables, stickers, etc
This is the main course. The cornerstone of any recruitment campaign is a great sign-up event. Your entrée is served with your choice of garnishes to make sure you’ve got a crowd ready to join your unit.
Primary Recruitment Night
A single event to satisfy even the hungriest unit!
We ask that all primary recruitment nights take place in September.
Hold your event at the local school whenever possible. Getting attendance at this sign-up night should be the focus of all of your marketing efforts.
When new parents show up to a recruitment night, they are there to sign-up, so don’t spend time trying to sell them on joining.
Provide them the information they need and most importantly -
COLLECT THE APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION FEES OR BRING A LAPTOP AND SIGN THEM UP ONLINE.
Second Chance Recruitment Night
Sometimes even the best of plans can fall prey to things outside of your control. Follow the Scout Motto and Be Prepared!
Having a second chance sign-up date on the schedule from the get-go will help.
Units are not restricted to September for additional recruitment events.
Learn more about hosting your recruitment events
The most important part of making your meal successful. Sides are the means of personal invitation to your recruitment events.
In School Scout Talks
Whenever possible, talking directly to a group of students about joining Scouts in conjunction with a great flyer is the best means of inviting new youth to join. There are many ways this can be done, so think outside of the box if necessary.
Non-School Scout Talks
Whether at a place of worship or to a sports team nearing the end of their seasons, there are more places you can find a captive audience of Scout-aged youth. Get creative here.
Peer to Peer Cards
This allows your Scouts to take an active part of recruitment. These are business style cards with your recruitment night information for your Scouts to pass out.
Personal Invitations
Personal invitations to your recruitment night are more likely to result in attendance if sent from a parent of a Scout. Plan in advance to get your list of invitees built in time for this to be most effective. Use your parents for help.
Everybody’s favorite part of the meal! The best part is that dessert can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
These activities can help your unit focus on year-round recruitment.
Halloween Candy
Make labels with unit information and distribute to your families and ask them to put them on the candy they are going to distribute to neighborhood kids.
Community Events
Having a presence at appropriate community events, like farmer's markets or fairs, lets people know Scouting is alive and well and can be a great experience for your Scouts. Make sure everyone is in uniform and remind them that we are representing Scouting when at public events.
Parade Kit
Having a float in a parade is a great way to boost your visibility in the community you serve. If allowed, you can even take it a step further and toss out candy with unit information attached. Council also has a banner, Eagle mascot and giveaways available!
Library Story Time
Getting your Scouts to read to younger children at the library in uniform sets a great example and will be fun for your Scouts. While there, give out Boy’s Life mini-mags with unit information labels.
Adopt-A-School
The BSA's Adopt-a-School program is an exciting opportunity to connect Scout Packs, Troops, and Crews with schools in their communities. Participating Scouts work, within clearly defined guidelines, to partner with school administrations and offer the volunteer services that most effectively meet their school’s needs. For more information visit: AdoptASchool.
Scouting.org
Summer of Service
As we have throughout our history, Scouting families are answering the call to work together in service of the greater good. From public health drives, to caring for the environment, to assisting neighbors in need, Scouts have always been a force for positivity and goodness in our communities. Join us today, with projects big or small, in a Summer of Service!
Scouting.org/
SummerOfService
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