Five Rivers Council > Resources > Membership > Unit Support

Unit Support

Thank you for joining the Scouting family!

Here you will find a variety of resources to help grow and strengthen your unit. We encourage you to take time to browse through our website.

  • Start with your District’s page. There you will find the people who are specific to your area who specialize in different parts of the District Committee. 
  • Review our Commissioners page and how they can assist you.
  • Follow us on Facebook for up-to-date events and stories. You can also follow Camp Brulé and Camp Gorton!
  • Check out how to Market Your Group.

Resources

All:

Ideas:

Recruitment

GEOFENCING MEMBERSHIP PROMOTION

 

  • Have a New Members Coordinator in your Unit
  • Make recruitment a part of your Program Planning Conference
    • School Sign Ups
    • Bring a Friend night
    • Webeleos to Scout Transition
  • Have your BeAScout pin up to date
  • Organize, Plan and Promote a Unit Open House
  • Have a Recruitment table/box that goes to different events
    • Pictures of Unit activities
    • Schedule for the year
    • Contact info
    • Something to draw the kids to you
    • Something for the kids to do while you talk to the parents
      • Coloring pages
      • Raft regatta
      • Large Jenga game
      • Real life “Angry Birds” game
  • Participate in Community events (parades, carnivals, etc)
    • Have promotional items at these events
    • Have a table at these events
    • Reading at Library
  • Promote whenever your Unit is seen by the Community
    • Popcorn Show and Sell’s
    • Community Clean Up
    • Participation in Scout Sunday/Sabbath
  • Online Promotion – BSA Media Guidelines
    • Unit Facebook page (please keep in mind public vs private)
    • Community/School Facebook
      • Occasional posts by families
  • What Else?
    • Business card/tag in with Halloween candy
    • Sticker on Popcorn
    • Sign in local community business, with contact info
    • Adopt a School
      • Positive relation with your School
      • School Clean Up
      • Assist with parking or opening doors during voting

Retention (Keeping the Scouts)

  • Planned Program (Year Round)
  • Planned Meeting (with back up plans) Troop  Pack
  • Immediate recognition on advancement and awards
  • New and fun activities – same thing from year to year gets boring. You also need to keep in mind what is fun for you might not be for the Scouts. Involve the PLC in the Planning Conference.
  • Game Night – Have a night where the Scouts can come, play games and have fun. Scouting is not always about Camping. Fun, Fellowship, and Good Sportsmanship.
  • Cell Phones – Cell phones are great tools. Cameras, Video, GPS, Constellation, Animal Tracks and more. We teach proper use of knives and fire, we also teach safe and proper electronics use with our Cyber Chip training.
  • Keep the parents informed and involved. Even small tasks can grow into a future leader for Unit.
  • Be flexible. You are competing with other organizations for their time. Your Unit should be flexible to their schedule.
  • Trained leadership. Have all of your parents take Youth Protection. You should have your leaders take Position Specific Training as soon as possible to give them the tools they need.

Resources