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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. We also have career related
explorer posts (fire, police, medical, engineering, etc.) for those
youth interested starting at age 14.
As of December 31, 2009, we
supported over 3600 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.
See our Unit Directory
page to locate a unit close to you.
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.
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.
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.
Our Troops also recruit youth throughout the year who
are not currently or may never have been in a Scouting program.
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! 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.
Another major growth area in Scouting is Venture Crews
and Varsity Teams, where young men and women up to the age of 20 can
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.
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 2010 Fall Membership
Campaign where we are targeting for a total youth membership of
3,649 by December 31, 2010.
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 2010 is
to organize 2 additional 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
Scouting Membership FAQ’s:
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1. What’s the difference in
the types of Scouting units (Packs, Troops, Teams, Crews, Explorer
Posts)?
A description of each type of Scouting unit is shown on our web page
at
http://www.fthamilton.danbeard.org/join.htm
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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
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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.
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4. Won’t Webelos Scouts miss
out on major Pack events if they transition before the end of the
school year?
It is recommended 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.
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5. How can I locate a Scout
unit near me?
See the Unit Directory.
This lists all current units in the district, sorted by Zip Code and age
group.
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6. How much does it cost to
join Scouting?
Registration cost is $15 per year, prorated monthly to
the end of the registration year. In addition, some units have unit dues
that pay for expenses, such as advancements.
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7. Whom do I contact if I
have an organization that want to sponsor a Scouting unit?
Contact your 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.
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8. How can I get help to
start up a new unit?
Contact your district New Unit Coordinator, Membership
Chair, or District Executive.
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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 513.378-0635 (cell).
Also see our Unit Directory
page to locate a unit close to you.
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