"Join Scouting Night" is a proven method for successfully recruiting new Cubs Scouts and their families into Scouting. "The plan" has been developed over many years. Success at the council, district and pack level depends on everyone following the plan, with no departure from these time-tested methods.

NEW for 1999

The plan is relatively simple. On September 16, boys and their parents are invited to the elementary school nearest their home to learn about Cub Scouting and to join a Tiger Cub, Cub Scout or Webelos den. This plan allows volunteers to tell the story of Scouting to boys and parents. The plan asks for their support, leads to the organization of new Cub Scout packs where needed, and makes effective and efficient use of volunteer time in getting it done.

One of the most critical components of the plan is the ability to get boys excited about joining Cub Scouts. This is done most effectively by visiting boys in the classroom, providing them with a 3-4 minute "pep talk" about Cub Scouting, and then personally handing them an invitation flyer to take home.

The first critical steps in preparing for a successful Join Scouting Night involves recruiting volunteers and preparing them to do their jobs. The following are important volunteers to have in place to run an effective Join Scouting Night meeting:

The Join Scouting Night Coordinator presides at the Join Scouting meeting and helps make arrangements with the school principal and custodian. Specifically, the Join Scouting Night Coordinator should:

• - Contact the school principal and ask for cooperation from the school
• - Make arrangements for classroom visits to promote directly to boys and to distribute flyers
• - Recruit helpers to assist with registration, Tiger Cubs, leader recruitment, and other areas, and Boy Scouts lead games and activities for Cub Scouts
• - Preside at Join Scouting Night meeting following the suggested agenda found in this leader's guide
• - Turn in (or phone in) results of Join Scouting Night to District Report Center on Join Scouting Night

The Tiger Cub Coordinator assists the Tiger Cub den in getting organized. Specifically the Tiger Cub Coordinator should:

The Registration Coordinator helps with all of the details necessary to register boys and adults on Join Scouting Night. Specifically the Registration Coordinator should: - Make sure there are enough applications (both Cub Scout and Adult Leader) and extra pens on hand for Join Scouting Night - Be familiar with the proper fees to be charged at Join Scouting Night (See fee chart in this Leader's Guide, plus any pack fees that may be charged) - Make arrangements to have change available - Have checks made out to the pack, and then submit all fees collected to the pack treasurer, who writes one check to the Viking Council for all Join Scouting Night fees collected

Other helpers may also be needed depending on experience of volunteers, size of the pack and other factors.

Important tasks and the corresponding dates are found in the Join Scouting Night for Scouting calendar. Make sure your team of Join Scouting Night volunteers talks about who's doing which tasks and when.

August  Contact school principal to inform of program School Night and secure cooperation Coord.

Recruit School Night Volunteers JSN Coord

Attend School Night Training JSN Coord,Tiger Coord, Regis Coord

Sept 1 Make arrangements for classroom visits DE, SN Coord and flyer distribution with school principal

Sept 8-16 Classroom visits conducted to every possible DE, JSN Coord school; Deliver flyers to schools .

Sept 14-16 Final Check with school principal and custodian. JSN Coord

Sept 16 Uniform Day - (All Cubs wear uniforms to school) Cubs, SN Coord

Sept 16 JOIN SCOUTING NIGHT All

Sept 16 District Report Center - All units turn in (or call-in) DE, Chair, Team Join Scouting Night results, applications and money.

Sept 18 Council Turn-in. All applications and money DE delivered to council service center.

In order to put your best foot forward, it is a good idea to have an understanding of how the Join Scouting Night meeting will flow. The following is a suggested agenda for conducting your pack's Join Scouting Night meeting. The "centerpiece" of this meeting is the "Parent Orientation Booklet," which is supplied in quantities sufficient for one copy per new family attending. The Join Scouting Night Coordinator should review this booklet in detail with parents and boys, adding any specific information relating to your pack's operations.

Set up pack displays.

Be prepared with pre-opening activities to keep boys and parents involved. Meeting can be killed quickly with uncontrolled running, shouting and horseplay. Seat parents and boys together, and recruit a couple of older Boy Scouts to take the boys and play games with them once the meeting gets underway.

Have parents sign attendance rosters as they arrive. Distribute the appropriate parent orientation guides to parents. Seat families together by grade, i.e. all of the first grade families sit together, second graders together, etc. Plan on enlisting enough helpers to hold separate sessions for Tiger Cubs and Cub Scouts.

Have Boy Scout helpers take the new Cubs out of the room and lead them in games (ideas can be found in your "Join Scouting Night" packet.

Welcome everyone, introduce the key players in the Join Scouting Night Agenda and briefly state the purpose of the meeting. Give some highlights of your pack's activities. Then explain that there is separate information for the Tiger Cub program and the Cub Scout program. Separate the Tiger Cub families from the Cub Scout families and review the Parent Orientation Booklets.

Walk parents through the Cub Scout Parent Orientation Booklet. Explain the topics covered on each page:

page 2: Introduction to Cub Scouting. Discuss the benefits of Scouting to parents and boys.

page 3: How Scouting works. Explain the den, pack, committee and chartered partner roles. Identify your chartered partner organization.

page 4: The advancement program in Cub Scouting. Explain different ranks and the corresponding grade (age) levels.

page 5: Cub Scouting Activities. Describe the various camping opportunities as well as special activities your pack conducts.

page 6: Explain the volunteer leadership concept in Scouting. Share expectations of everyone to help in some capacity.

page 7: Describe the various volunteer opportunities in your pack. Note any dens that need leaders, and mention any pack level positions that need filling. Every parent should be involved!

page 8: Review list of projects and positions where help is needed. Ask parents to fill out and leave it with you before they leave. There is no substitute for asking a specific parent to take a specific job.

page 9: Discuss the costs involved in Scouting. This includes the registration fees you'll be charging tonight, as well as any pack fees. Consider collecting fees for a full year in addition to the current year's fees to help make rechartering even easier! Be sure to mention what your pack provides to boys and what uniform parts you require. Mention that financial assistance is available for those who have concerns about the costs.

page 10: Be sure to provide important names and numbers to everyone before they leave. OR

Walk parents through the Tiger Cubs Parent Orientation Booklet. Explain the topics covered on each page:

page 2: Introduction to Tiger Cubs. Discuss the benefits of Scouting to parents, families and boys. Explain that Tiger Cubs is for a boy and adult team. Review the objectives of Tiger Cubs.

page 3: Recite the Tiger Cub Motto and Promise. Have everyone join you after they have learned it. Review the organization of the den, pack, committee and chartered partner. Identify your chartered partner. Describe the duties of the den coordinator, and let them know that one Tiger Cub adult partner will need to serve in this capacity for each Tiger Cub den. Describe the Tiger Cub den's role with the pack, and inform the group when and where the pack meets.

page 4: Review the contents of the Tiger Cub Activity Packet. Discuss how the Family Activity Book is used. Explain the wall chart and stickers, and the Tiger Tracks. Review the advancement and recognition components of Tiger Cubs:i.e. the wall chart and stickers, the Tiger Tracks, and the Belt Totem and activity beads.

page 5: Describe the Tiger Cubs uniform options. Discuss the pack's uniform philosophy and policies, and reach a consensus on what the den's uniform will be. Review the costs of Tiger Cubs, including registration fees, Boys' Life Magazine, the Family Activity Packet, any pack dues or activity fees, and uniform costs. Your pack may consider collecting a full year's registration fees in addition to the Join Scouting Night fees to make rechartering even easier! Be sure to mention that financial assistance is available for those who have concerns about costs.

page 6: Review the tips for success.

page 7: Begin to fill in the den's calendar of group activities. Select a host for the next meeting at a minimum, and even better, fill in the next month or two.

page 8: Be sure that everyone leaves the meeting with a complete roster of the den members. One idea is to pass the booklets around the group, with every parent writing their own information in every other member's booklet.

Using the information that follows, split up by grade, distribute Cub Scout Applications, organize dens and recruit adult leaders where needed. Be sure to mention how application and fees will be collected.

Divide by grades: 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th, with 6 to 8 boys per circle. These will be your dens. Identify any returning leaders, and limit returning Den Leaders to eight boys only. Sit in a circle, facing each other, with boys and parents side by side

The Chair's job is to obtain a Den Leader, Assistant Den Leader, Committee Members, and parent helpers from the group in the circle.

Explain leadership positions and what is expected from job description. Review training available. (Review "Hints on Recruiting Leaders", p. 7 of this Leader's Guide)

Tell Chair to raise hand when leadership is secured. Provide Chair with adult application. (Bring adult registration applications when leadership is chosen.) Walk away and leave them alone, return only to answer questions and encourage.

Cubmaster, Assistant Cubmaster and/or Committee Chair. Meet with returning leaders and recruit as needed.

as needed to each group Have parents fill out boys' applications. Explain fees and encourage Boys' Life subscription (see fee sheet in packet). Fees are to be turned in to new Den Leader or pack treasurer. Front cover of application goes to parent and boy. Den Leader or Cubmaster keeps last copy of boy's application. All new leaders complete adult applications.

Ask new leaders to remain with you and dismiss other parents and boys. With new leaders encourage attendance at Training and Roundtables, tell date and place of New Pack Leaders Meeting, and collect all fees and applications and place in envelope with attendance sheets and turn in at District Report Center.

The most successful method used to recruit den and pack leadership is to identify potential leaders before Join Scouting Night and recruit prior to the Join Scouting Night meeting! Before anyone will volunteer, they need several things:

What is Scouting? How will it help my son, my family, my community? Exactly what are the expectations and responsibilities of this job? What resources exist to help me understand my job and to do it the way it is supposed to be done? These are all common questions a new leader will most certainly have. Be prepared to point out the answers to all of these questions without being asked - and have job descriptions available for those who are considering positions.

An explanation of some of the benefits of Scouting can serve as some of the best inspiration to help many potential leaders volunteer for a Scouting job. Some ideas you may wish to point out are:

Very few people take on a role in Scouting without being asked. Once potential leaders have been selected, say something like, "It's clear that you are the best person for the job. Can your son and the rest of the boys in this den count on your support as their leader?" Use your own words and be sincere. Not many people want to say "no" to their own son! Be positive. Don't make it a long, uncomfortable, arm-twisting session. Explain that Scouting is a family program - it takes both boys and parents to make it happen. Benefits will come to boys and parents who get involved.

Annual registration fees for the Boy Scouts of America are $7 per youth or adult member per year, and $9 per year for Boys' Life magazine. Boys and adults joining at Join Scouting Night pay a prorated membership fee based on the month in which the pack renews its charter. Prorated fees can be found in the chart below. In addition, packs are encouraged to consider charging new members the prorated fee, plus an additional full year's registration fee. This practice helps to make the rechartering process even easier by eliminating the need to collect additional fees from boys and adults who have just joined Scouting.

NOTE: Any unit dues or activity fees should not prohibit any boy or adult from joining Scouting. Any boy or adult who wishes to join Scouting is only required to pay the National registration fees shown below. Please try to be aware of situations in which families may not be able to pay unit dues on Join Scouting Night. Does your pack's budget allow for a "needy boy" plan? Tiger Cub packets will be checked out to packs prior to Join Scouting Night. Upon the completion of Join Scouting Night, packs will pay $3.00 for the total number of packets checked out minus the number returned.

Transfer fees - adult and youth members with a current registration card transferring from one unit to another or from one program to another pay a $1 transfer fee.

The first issue of Boys' Life magazine for Cub Scouts joining in September will be the November issue, and two months from the registration date for boys joining later. The subscription ends two (2) months after the charter expiration date.