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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:
|
Question |
Answer |
| 1. What is the
difference in the types of Scouting units (Packs, Troops, Teams,
Crews)? |
A description of
each type of Scouting unit is shown on our “Join
Us!” page. |
| 2. What are the
age/grade limits for the different branches of Scouting? |
| Tiger
Cubs |
– Boys
in 1st. grade |
| Cub
Scouts |
– Boys
in 2nd through 5th grades
Achievement
level is set by grade:
- Wolf in 2nd grade
- Bear in 3rd grade, and
- Webelos in 4th and 5th grade |
| Boy
Scouts |
– Boys from age 11 through 17 |
| Varsity |
– Young
men ages 14 through 17 |
| Venture |
– Young men and women from age
14 through 20 |
|
| 3. Why do we
recommend transitioning Webelos from Packs to Troops in February
each year? |
It is important for
Webelos Scouts to transition into a Boy Scout Troop early enough
in the year to fully prepare themselves for summer camp and other
activities. Doing this allows them to get to know other
Scouts in the troop so they feel comfortable being with them and
with the new program. Scouts that do not transition early
often are hesitant about attending camp with people they do not
know, which can lead to discouragement and then dropping out of
the program, which is not in the Scout’s best interest. Thus
we recommend doing this transition (a Cross-over) in February. |
| 4. Will Webelos
Scouts miss out on major Pack events if they transition before the
end of the school year? |
We recommend that
Packs invite their Webelos Scouts that are transitioning into a
Boy Scout Troop to participate in those major Pack events through
the remainder of the school year. Doing this is a Pack
option. |
| 5. How can I locate
a Scout unit near me? |
See 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.). |
| 6. How much does it
cost to join Scouting? |
Registration cost
is $10 per year plus $1.75 insurance, prorated monthly to the end
of the registration year. In addition, some units have unit
dues that pay for expenses, such as advancements. |
| 7. Whom do I
contact if I have an organization that wants to sponsor a Scouting
unit? |
Contact our
district
New Unit Coordinator,
Membership Chair, or
District Executive. One of them will contact the potential
chartering organization to explain the program and help organize a
new unit. |
| 8. How can I get
help to start up a new unit? |
Contact our
district
New Unit Coordinator,
Membership Chair, or
District Executive. One of them will contact you. |
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.
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