Membership
Committee

   While most of the functions of a district committee focus on giving Scouts fun with a purpose, the Membership Committee focuses on growth -- providing the Scouting opportunity to an increasing population of youth (boys starting at 1st grade and girls starting at age 14).  Thus, retention, recruiting, and forming new units (Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Venture Crews, and Varsity Teams) are the major functions within membership.

Membership Strength

   As of December 31, 2006, we supported over 3,700 youths in 100 units across the district.  That's approximately 13% of the youths eligible for the Scouting programs locally.  Nationally, the average number of youths supported is 22% for Cub Scouts and 13% for Boy Scouts.

Unit Locations

   Locate a unit close to you by consulting our Units Location page (units listed by ZIP code and community) or go to our Unit Directory page to look up units by type (Cub Scout, Boy Scout, etc.).

Cub Scout Recruiting

   Our major recruiting season is in the fall, but we begin preparing for this in the previous spring and last summer when we gear up for the recruiting season by training Cub Scout leaders in successful techniques for these recruiting events.  The major recruiting event of the year is the Cub Scout School Night for Scouting, also known as Roundup.  We typically add over 500 new Cubs each year during this time.

Webelos Crossover

   Another major milestone occurs in February of each year when Webelos Scouts usually cross over from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting.  The retention of these boys during this critical transition is another focus area for membership.  We create programs to retain and recognize boys as they cross over and provide the tools needed by the leaders and parents to facilitate this event, and of course, we track the transition of boys from their Cub Scout units to the Boy Scout troops they have chosen.

Open Houses

   Each Boy Scout Troop has a special event called Open House each year to help Cubs view and select the Boy Scout Troop most suited to their interests.  Different Troops specialize in different kinds of activities, which adds to the richness of the Scouting experience.

Boy Scout Recruiting

    Many people are under the mistaken impression that if a boy doesn’t enter Scouting from the beginning that he can never join later or catch up with his peers. Quite the contrary is true!  Throughout the year our Troops also recruit youth who are not currently or may never have been in a Scouting program.  The Scouting program is designed to embrace youth at any age and provide a rich and rewarding Scouting experience for everyone at all times and enable advancement at the same pace as their peers.  Active recruiting programs of new members by Troops, not just Packs, are essential to healthy and vibrant district growth.

Varsity Scouting

   Varsity Scouting is a program for young men who are at least 14 years of age but not yet 18.  It provides options for young men who are looking for rugged high adventure or challenging sporting activities and still want to be a part of a Scouting program that offers the advancement opportunities and values of the Boy Scouts of America.  Varsity units are organized and identified as Teams.

Venture Scouting

   Another major growth area in Scouting is Venturing, where young men and women from the ages of 14 until the day they reach 21 can form Venture Crews and participate together in learning new skills, developing self confidence, and acquiring a better understanding of the social skills necessary for communicating and working effectively together.  We continually seek young men and women who want to participate and grow in these activities.

Retention

   Membership growth and retention are constant issues.  We lose some Scouts throughout each year to relocation, graduation, and competition from other community activities such as sports leagues and bands.  This means we must constantly work to replace these losses and to increase serving our growing community.  Our next goal for membership is our 2007 Fall Membership Campaign where we are targeting for a total youth membership of 3,713 by December 31, 2007.

District Commissioners

   Membership also works with the district’s commissioner organization to help form new units and reorganize existing units that need a new start.  We gather and analyze information about the community, its demographics, and its trends to determine where and what types of units are needed.  We work with community organizations, such as churches, men's groups, civic-minded organizations, and schools, to secure the charter organizations needed to sponsor Scouting in the community.  Our goal for fall 2007 is to organize 9 new units for a total of 102 units in the district.

   Membership also publishes the annual directory of units and their leadership to promote communication among the Scouting leader infrastructure.

Summary:

   The District Membership Committee works to ensure a steady, balanced membership growth in the district by helping recruit youth and adults into their programs.

The committee:

• Establishes a plan for new-unit and membership growth in the district
• Tracks membership growth throughout the year
• Organizes new units and reorganizes units that need a new start
• Helps youth join existing units
• Plans and helps units carry out district roundups and other youth recruiting campaigns
• Helps existing units develop and execute a plan of year-round recruiting

FAQ’s:
 

Contact Us:

If you have any other questions or would like to join any of our Scouting Programs, please contact our Membership Chair, Charlie Garrison, via email or by phone at 513.942.8943.

Also see our Units Location page or Unit Directory page to locate a unit close to you.

--  Forest E. Witcraft (1894 - 1967),
 (scholar, teacher, and Boy Scout administrator)