Peer-to-Peer Recruiting
Many parents and children, regardless of known information, place their
confidence in the trust they hold in friends or well-known sources. Often,
despite Scouting’s positive image, potential new members want verification
from a trusted friend—“word of mouth” advertising.
Peer-to-peer recruiting uses two of Scouting’s greatest strengths—a wide range of volunteer leaders and youth members located in nearly all neighborhoods and the confidence those members have when recruiting others to join.
The objective of peer-to-peer recruiting is to overcome youth access barriers through a diversified and magnified approach that will:
¨ Personalize the invitation to join to each boy and adult family member
¨ Give access to the best-qualified prospective adult leaders
¨ Expand the outreach and market penetration of the local councils
¨ Provide successful planning and recruiting alternatives for councils and districts
¨ Maintain Scouting’s ability to assist chartered organizations in youth outreach methods.
These methods for peer-to-peer recruiting can be mixed and matched to suit the local situation:
¨ Small-group recruiting meetings “bring a buddy” events
¨ Incentives for boys and volunteers Small-Group Meetings
Step 1: In spring or early summer, a current den leader and the Cubmaster or committee chair invite a prospective new den leader to the den leader’s home to be recruited.
Step 2: The newly recruited den leader, with support from a current pack leader, hosts a new-member night after distributing flyers in the neighborhood and/or to a son’s classmates.
Step 3: Follow-up includes flyers and personal calls, visits, or direct letters of invitation to each family, inviting them to attend the pack’s Cub Scout round-up.
Step 1: The pack designates an event or meeting as a “bring a buddy” activity.
Step 2: Flyers are given to each boy/leader/family in the pack to distribute in neighborhoods, religious institutions, schools, and businesses.
Step 3: A “bring a buddy” activity is held for current and new members. Potential new leaders and youth members are identified, selected, and recruited.
Step 4: New leaders and Cub Scouts are assigned to dens.
These are examples of possible “bring a buddy” events:
A Day in the Woods or a Day at Camp. This simple program gives boys a chance to experience day camp activities. It could be scheduled on a Saturday morning, but it would require more time than a traditional den meeting. Activities could include virtually anything offered at traditional day camp programs: handicraft project, Frisbee® golf, nature walk, cook your own lunch, etc.
Bowling. Many bowling centers have ready-made programs to expose young children to bowling. Some also have features such as black-light “glow bowling” and gutter bumpers, which make the experience fun, and interesting for them. Experience in the sport isn’t necessary. Bowling could be done as a parent-child activity. Some bowling centers have community rooms where the leaders could meet with the parents and/or the boys after the activity.
Cub Scout Olympics. This activity could be done on a weekday after school or on a weekend. Cub Scouts should provide their friends with a written invitation to the “Cub Scout Olympics.” The invitation should include a list of the games to be played and the equipment and clothing the boy should bring or wear: tennis shoes, towel, etc. The activities should be simple but challenging and include such things as a softball toss, 50-yard dash, Frisbee® throw, sit-ups, putting competition, marbles, or water balloon toss. The activities should be organized such that the participants compete against a standard rather than against each other. In this way everybody can win and those boys who aren’t athletically inclined won’t feel left out. Everyone could be awarded certificates and/or medals.
Scavenger Hunt. A scavenger hunt can be as simple as a backyard activity, or it could be neighborhood wide if adults accompany the boys. As in any scavenger hunt, a list of items that the teams must try to find is drawn up, with clues given as necessary. “Experienced” Cub Scouts and their invited friends should be on the same team. Included in the scavenger items should be several Cub Scouting-related items: Pinewood derby kit, Wolf Cub Scout Book, Cub Scout neckerchief. The final clue could lead the teams to a location where the boys could be registered as members of the pack.
Marbles Tournament. This joining activity gives the boys a chance to start working on the marbles sports pin. Provide each boy with a bag of marbles and explain the rules. Allow time for the boys to practice and show each other their techniques. While the boys are practicing and competing in a supervised setting, the parents could be oriented to Cub Scouting program. The activity could end with registration and snacks.
Incentives¨ Recognize current leaders who recruit new leader(s).
¨ Recognize current youth members who recruit new youth member(s).
¨ Recognize pack families who recruit new families.
¨ Provide a registration incentive for new youth and adults.
¨ Offer levels of recognition for those who recruit 1, 2, 5, etc., members.
Adult recognition suggestions: personalized bats, balls, camping items, jackets, shirts, event tickets, patch
Youth recognition/incentive suggestions: Pinewood derby kits, Hot Spark kits, event tickets, camperships, fee discounts, patches, fast-food coupons, baseball/sports cards, “current trend” collectable when appropriate.
¨ Coordinate the pack “bring a buddy” event and/or den rally nights
¨ Support new leaders in flyer needs/distribution, follow-up calls or visits, and registration collection and turn-in
¨ Work with rally team or district round-up members
¨ Track rally night progress
¨ Promote/track incentive programs with youth and adults
Potential committee chair sources: parents, pack committee member, chartered organization representative, unit commissioner.