As an employee of the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, you spend a little, if not most, of your time on the job considering effective recruiting. But how much do you consider alumni of the program (not the steadfast volunteers who have made Scouting their lives, but the adults who have lost touch)? And what about the ones who feel overwhelmed with their existing time commitments but still want to support the BSA?

“We’ve really got to do more to engage our alums,” ‎Associate Director of Alumni Relations Ryan Larson explains. “As young people, we prepare these individuals for great service to their businesses and communities, so it’s very important we plant the seed for their continued support of Scouting.”

BSA employees are tasked with ensuring continued involvement of adult Scouts and registered Scouters. The most crucial part is communicating with your volunteers how beneficial a lifelong connection with Scouting is.

Here are six great selling points to share with your team to attract more registered alumni:

Note: there are two tiers of alumni: Hikers (who can register for free) and Pathfinders (who pay $35 for additional alumni benefits). Learn more here. 

1. $30 of a Pathfinder’s dues are tax deductible.

2. Portions of revenue generated from Pathfinder fees are available to councils who apply and are selected for council alumni service grants for worthy projects.

3. A list of Hikers and Pathfinders (all registered alums) is shared with Scout executives on a quarterly basis, directly connecting Scouters with supportive alumni.

4. Here’s a fan favorite among alumni: discounts! Pathfinders gain sweet deals from big brands, like 15% of select services at Firestone, 50% off items at Men’s Warehouse, 35% off tickets from 15 movie theater chains including AMC, and 25% off at Pappa John’s pizza. And that’s just to name a few! Scouting alumni can access their discounts by logging in to http://saa.abenity.com/discountprogram.

5. Pathfinder’s perks include invites to alumni events, a lapel pin, a window decal, a luggage tag, membership to the National Scouting Museum, a subscription to Scouting Magazine, and a one-time 10% off coupon from the BSA Supply Group.

6. Hikers and Pathfinders receive the quarterly newsletter – Alumni Alive! This newsletter keeps alum connected to nationwide goings-on in the program.

Who can Become a BSA Alum?

The Scouting Alumni Association defines alumni as everyone positively and personally impacted by the Boy Scouts of America. That includes former Scouts, family members of Scouts past and present, community leaders and millions of Americans who benefit from Scouting in their communities every day.

With around 204,000 alumni already registered, this group already rivals the alumni registries of major universities, and with your help, that number can grow exponentially. There are 50 million possible alumni, and as an employee with close connections to BSA volunteers, you can help us touch these lives, continuing our connection with the Scouts who have already committed a tremendous amount of time to the organization.

Check out the BSA Alumni website at www.BSAalumni.org, and encourage volunteers, parents, and anyone who desires an easy connection to Scouting to sign up with the Scouting Alumni Association.