Fall Recruiting Strategies From the Pros

As Unit Serving Executives prepare for Fall Recruitment, they are encouraged to check out some tips and tools provided by other key professionals from around the BSA network. Below are a few items that can assist you and your membership team as you prepare for Fall Recruitment.

Faye Hammond, Assistant Director of Field Service, Atlanta Area Council

• Contact 15 principals now to get a sense of what will be allowed once school has started.
• Secure a donor to pay for principal gifts during fall recruiting (suggested donation: $5,000).
• Encourage units to be ready to receive online applications.
• We are now positioned to securely receive adult applications electronically. This provides an additional level of internal security and allows leaders and executives to electronically transmit information without fear of exposing personal information.
• Develop plans to deliver your buzz-up (video) via closed-circuit television – it may be your only avenue.

Gwangi Shipp, Family Scouting & Finance Development Director, Occoneechee Council

• When preparing to meet with a superintendent or principal, always do your homework before meeting with them. Find out something about them that you can relate to, like where they are from, what college they attended, or what their hobbies are. This is key to building a good relationship.
• Always bring a thank you gift to their administrative assistant or whoever serves as “gate keeper” for them. Making a memorable impression with them will help you in the future.
• Are your units prepared for recruitment with items such as a unit program calendar, year-round budget, fact sheet about the unit, leadership contact sheet, and an updated BeAScout pin?

Peggy Durbin Assistant Scout Executive, South Florida Council

• Call your principals to let them know Scouting has been active and promoting continuing education through our programs during these challenging times. Tell them we look forward to being able to reconnect again this fall and would welcome the opportunity for their assistance in helping a very worthwhile program recruit even more of their students.
• Reach out to your unit leaders and families and ask them to produce short video clips of their Scouts engaged in the fun Scouting activities they have been doing throughout the lock-down, and encourage them to share those videos with their family and friends.  
• Both of these suggestions are also in video form that can be uploaded for a virtual Program Kick-off via Facebook.