SCHOOLASSEMBLIESMADE EASY.Your guide to running great

recruitment events in schools!

GLSsSouth London Leads!

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This guide is designed to provide you with some advice on how to promote Scouting through

schools and help you to make the best use of the most successful method of recruiting new

Members of Beaver Scout and Cub Scout age for your Group.

This resource provides you with advice and information on:

how to approach your local school;

how to use the school to build you numbers or start your new Scout Group

or new Section;

the different types of presentation that can be made at a school;

how to make a presentation;

how to produce your own publicity material.

Before we start we can’t emphasis enough that the standard of Scouting in your Group must be

good before youngsters are encouraged to become a part of it. If necessary, hold back until you

are satisfied that your standards for section programme, activities and Group organisation are

high enough to keep new Members. Our Group Health Check is a great way to identify any

actions you need to take to help make things better. For more details visit

www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/check or contact the County Development Service to arrange a

health check interactive evening for your Groups Leadership Team.

It is equally important to ensure, beforehand, that local Groups have the spare capacity,

leadership and resources to cope with a sudden, potentially large, influx of new members.

There is little merit in whipping-up enthusiasm for Scouting amongst young people, only to

offer them a place on a waiting list.

This guide is designed for use in Primary Schools. School presentations, of the type outlined

below are not really suitable for older age groups. In fact experience has shown that making a

presentation to a group of Secondary School pupils may actually cause existing Scouts to leave.

Any presentation made to Secondary School pupils or 6th Form college students is best done by

the Scouts, Explorer Scouts or members of the Scout Network themselves.

Let’s get presenting..!

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Before beginning to approach Head Teachers, it is a wise precaution to check that no-one else

in the District has got there ahead of you. You should also ensure that your plans would not be

inadvertently 'poaching' from any other local Scout Groups. If all is well, then the way is clear to

seek permission to speak at a local school.

Closer contact with schools near to your Group’s meeting place is generally acceptable and is of

mutual benefit to both the school and Scouting and shouldn’t cause disagreements with other

Scout Groups in your District. Regardless of whether you are eventually permitted to make a

presentation in the school or not. It is good practice to send a copy of your Group newsletter to

all schools nearby.

Head Teachers rarely refuse permission to run an assembly in their school, especially if you have

built up a relationship with the school and many would welcome a session longer than the half-

hour! Do not be disappointed if you are refused, because curricula and other demands must

come first. Be tactful in your initial approach, because Head Teachers may fear that your

presentation would be setting a precedent for other voluntary organisations to follow.

The following outline letter will help you draft one appropriate to your particular circumstances

and can be download from our working with schools toolkit pages at

www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/schools

Dear (name),

I am a Leader with the (your group) Scout Group which meets at (your meeting place).

Through the adventure of Scouting, young people get to take risks in a safe environment, and

have their first taste of responsibility; Scouting gives young people experiences they'll never

forget. The sort of adventure we offer is the chance to try something different and the

opportunity to face challenges.

We offer young people an exciting range of activities in an informal non-academic environment

that compliments their schoolwork. Scouting helps children and young adults reach their full

potential and develop skills including teamwork, time management, leadership, initiative,

planning, communication, self-motivation, cultural awareness and commitment and we want as

many young people to benefit as possible!

Our Scout Group has a Beaver Scout Colony (for boys and girls 6-8 years) and a Cub Scout Pack

(for boys and girls aged 8-10 years), and we want to ensure that young people in our local

community are aware of the opportunities the adventure Scouting offers. With this in mind I

would like to make an appointment to speak to you about talking to the young people in the 6

to 10 age range to give a fun presentation on Scouting.

Our proposed presentation consists of a short PowerPoint full of photos, a talk by me with

some ‘audience participation’. This would take around half an hour. I will also provide some

leaflets and letter for the teachers to give out to take home at the end of the school day.

Thank you for any help you may be able to give and I look forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime I’ve enclosed some information which tells you something about the Scout

Movement and Scouting locally.

Yours sincerely,

{Your name}

(Scout Appointment)

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A presentation to a class or year of school children provides the best opportunity to talk to them

about the fun and activities offered by our Movement. It provides you with a captive audience

where you can be certain of speaking to every child of Beaver Scout and Cub Scout age.

A presentation or presentations should ideally be made to classes rather than a school assembly.

However this might not always be feasible.

School assemblies for the whole year are an ideal opportunity, especially if they are of an

informal nature and provide you with an opportunity to give a visual (PowerPoint) presentation.

Try to avoid school assemblies where this is not possible or where children have to stand in rows

throughout the assembly - it will make your job much more difficult and won't do anything to

promote your case! If possible, ask the Head Teacher if you can sit in on an assembly a few

weeks prior to your visit so you can get an idea of how to approach things.

Some schools hold parents' assemblies. These are school assemblies to which parents are invited

and offer a golden chance for you to promote Scouting.

If it is not possible to do a presentation at the school during the daytime, a presentation after

School might be feasible.

Preparation before your presentation

Before the day of the presentation, aim to have mounted displays or posters around the school

giving a brief overview of your presentation and when it is taking place. Putting up such

information around week before the presentation and leaving it after you leave will help

generate interest in Scouting amongst a greater number of children.

These displays work best when they are large and colourful, and put in a place where they can

be seen by parents really draw in attention. There is a great selection of posters available from

the Print Centre on www.scouts.org.uk

If you are designing your own posters remember to stay on brand and be sure to adapt your

presentation to your audience – it is unlikely that an image of a well groomed Cub Scouts will

be attractive to all boys and girls of that age! Offer to put up the displays yourself but be

prepared to give them to the School and have them display them according to their

preferences.

On the day of the presentation you could arrange to have someone stand with the display so

that youngsters can talk to someone about local Scouting. You should also involve all current

young Members from the school so they can tell their friends about Scouting.

Trusting that all goes well, the presentation could lead to a number of telephone enquiries from

interested parents. Someone then needs to be available for at least a week after the

presentation to greet callers and answer telephone enquiries. Perhaps think about appointing

someone from your section responsible for answering calls and dealing with correspondence

related to the presentation. However, this person must have a confident and friendly telephone

manner, with a wealth of knowledge about the Scouting movement and your section to answer

any questions parents may have.

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Once permission has been granted by the Head Teacher and the date fixed, your next task is to

prepare the presentation itself.

The Presenter

It does not follow that a Leader who can run a good Colony or Pack meeting will have the same

effect when confronted with a sea of faces at a School assembly. The presenter must be

someone who is relaxed in front of an audience, who can catch the mood of the audience and

can react to it quickly. As lifeless, dreary act will bore a young audience within minutes. Once

interest is lost the whole exercise becomes redundant. A bad presentation could do more harm

than good.

Unless the presentation is for a small number of youngsters it is a good idea for a ‘front-man’ to

have the backing of an assistant or two. They should have an infectious enthusiasm and cheery

rapport with young people that matches that of the lead presenter. If available young leaders or

Scout Network members could be used for this role, or you could even get the pupils

themselves to assist you!

Preparation

A presentation is only as good as it’s planning, and presenters should check the area that the

presentation will take place in well in advance to check:

space

the stage

access to plug sockets

projector

screen etc…

For example, if using a PowerPoint presentation the presenter must check whether the venue

has capabilities to deliver it. Before creating your presentation think carefully of what is possible

and what could go wrong. It only takes one technological blip to ruin the whole thing!

The team must now plan the programme. They should find out beforehand from the Head

Teacher how much time is available - for a classroom presentation half an hour is probably

about right. A suggested timetable is:

introduction (1 min)

slide presentation and talk (12 mins)

activities (12 mins)

questions (5 mins)

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Using one the presentation frameworks available from www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/schools

pull together your talk. It will be greatly improved if you add some photographs showing your

Colony or Pack in action.

Once you are happy with presentation slides you should draft your talk, but be aware of

scripting the presentation too thoroughly or you will lose the spontaneity that will make it lively

and entertaining.

This following script bullet points might help you when think about what to say – but it really is

up to you, for example:

1. These are Beaver Scouts – As you can see, being a Beaver is a lot of fun!

2. Beavers wear a blue jumper and group scarf.

3. In the Beavers you do lots of exciting things with your friends.

4. You can draw and paint in the Beavers.

5. You can visit interesting places too.

6. You can do a lot of things that you cannot do at school or at home.

7. Beavers like to listen to stories.

8. If you are six or seven years old, you should join the Beavers.

9. When you reach the age of eight, you can join the Cub Scouts.

10. Cubs have a chance to get outside and explore with their friends.

11. Cubs can try activities that most boys and girls that aren’t Cubs never have the

opportunity to do.

12. Camping is a very popular Cub activity. Living in a tent is completely different from

living at home.

13. Being in a wheelchair doesn't stop anyone from joining in the fun.

14. Games and sports of all kinds, including football, are part of Cub Scouting.

15. If you are between 8 and 10½ you should join the Cubs straight away!

Add similar captions describing your own slides. Remember to keep the words simple to

understand.

Your notes should consist of key sentences, written clearly so that you don't make any mistakes

on the day. They should not be treated as a commentary to be read word-by-word to your

audience - allow yourself to talk to the slides off the cuff, if you feel confident to do so.

Elaborate on your notes, describe what Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts are and what they do.

Think about any exciting activities and outings your group has done in the past or any that are

coming up. Including pictures can be useful here, and provide evidence of how exciting Beaver

Scouts or Cub Scouts can really be. Give a brief overview of a typical Colony or Pack meeting

and any activities and badge work this might involve. Gain your audience's interest and reaction

by asking questions such as "Can you see what he is doing?” and "Would you like to do

that?". Do not, however, offer activities which you do not, or cannot do. Ask pupils if they have

any questions at the end of the presentation, and allow time in your plan for an open question

and answer session.

Leave the pupils excited about Scouting, with knowledge about how they can get involved.

Such information should be reiterated in literature that the pupils take home with them,

perhaps inviting them to an open evening at your Beaver Colony or Cub Pack.

A rehearsal of the slide presentation and talk, indeed the whole presentation, is essential. Time

it to make sure you keep to your allocated time.

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Finally, gather all the props that will be needed. These should include:

supplies of the fun sheets, parents' letter, leaflets, stickers, etc.;

display boards with posters and photos affixed

data projector and screen;

activity equipment to create an atmosphere, e.g. camp blankets, books, a pop-up tent,

Group mascot, rope, badges, billy cans.

Before…

Visit local businesses i.e. Banks, Building Societies, Supermarkets, and request ‘goody

bag’ items, i.e. pens, pencils, rubbers, rulers etc.

Remember to take with you the information that you will use during the schools

presentation itself.

Prepare a parent’s letter and leaflet (including relevant meeting information) to be given

to the young people on the day to take home (see our sample letter at

www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/schools)

Put together ‘goody bags’ for every child – include parent’s letter, any freebies from the

local businesses (possibly a colouring-in competition with prizes for those who bring it

with them to the Section meeting). *Goody bags are an excellent way of ensuring the

letters get home*

On the day…

You should dress like a Scout! This could be your Uniform but why not consider wearing

something like an i.SCOUT t-shirt/polo shirt (these can be order from www.scouts.org.uk/shop),

scout uniform trousers/skirt and your Group scarf? Remember you are trying to appear relaxed

and welcoming to all children.

Any young people who are already members should be persuaded to wear their uniform (or at

least scarf), as well, at least at the presentation. This should only be done with the Head

Teacher's permission.

Arrive at the school in good time to set up the equipment and displays and check the

equipment.

Arrange for a sufficient number of teachers to be present to maintain order. If some of the

pupils become unruly, leave it to the staff to administer discipline, even if the culprits are

existing members of your Scout Group.

Involve current young Members in the presentation (tip them off beforehand) by asking them to

tell their school friends what they like most about Scouting. Choose confident youngsters for

this purpose.

Encourage discussion by asking the youngsters, for example, ask them for directions to the

nearest post office, police station, church, etc.

The more interactive the presentation the better. For example, you could teach some

rudimentary first aid- perhaps simulating an injury on a teacher who will need to be bandaged!

If using pupils from the audience in demonstrations, give positive feedback to what they do,

and make it clear that they will have the chance to learn even more at Beaver Scouts or Cub

Scouts. Using props such as a scout scarf or ropes can be an easy way to make the presentation

more interactive.

Give them all something to do - make the presentation active. Fun sheets - containing puzzles

or drawings to complete - are ideal.

Obviously the nature of the presentation will have to be adapted to the age of the audience, for

older age groups it may be suitable to include pictures or video clips of scouting which can be

downloaded from or County toolkit at www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/schools or streamed from

the Scout Association YouTube channel. This is a good opportunity to emphasis the

independence and responsibility that Scouting can provide.

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Our presentation checklist… Be friendly - talking to lots of people can be scary!

Stand up

Anyone a Scout?

- Anyone been a Scout (including teachers?)

- Famous Scouts - David Beckham, Daniel Radcliffe, Richard Branson, Tony Blair

Friends.

- Who has lots of friends?

- Would you like some more?

What is Scouting?

- Enthuses the reality of Scouting- everyday adventure for boys and girls of any

background.

- A chance to try new things - everyday adventure

What is adventure?

- Not just exciting things - also everyday things like making a cup of tea or helping

To cook dinner

The sections.

- everyone aged 6-8, stand up – Beavers

- everyone aged 8-10, stand up – Cubs

- everyone aged 10-14, stand up - Scouts

What do they do?

- Lots of activities

- Who likes to get muddy? - things that you can do

- Work towards awards

- What things do you like doing? - ask questions. Give blown up badges out

- All these things are part of Scouting, and more ...

- Would you like to try ... - ask questions about activities

Visual Aids.

- Using props such as a scarf, pop-up tent or a canoe paddle can be an easy way to

make a presentation interactive and exciting.

- You could get the children involved my asking them questions and inviting them to

the front to hold or wear the items.

What do they wear?

- Uniform items

- The scarf - different children wear it differently - which is correct?

Questions?

- Do the pupils have any questions about your presentation or Scouting in general?

- Allow time for question and answer session at the end of the presentation.

- Be honest- show Scouting is exciting but be truthful and which activities you are

able to provide.

In summary.

- Lots of fun with lots of friends

- Lots of activities, people to meet and adventures to have.

- Come and join us.

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Get Involved.

- Include information in the presentation and in a letter to take home providing more

information about your group and how interested children can get involved.

- Holding an open day at your Beaver Colony or Cub Pack can be a great way to give

children a taster of what Scouting is about- you can include an invitation in your

presentation and letter home.

Feedback.

- Give your thanks to the Head Teacher and all the teachers involved

- At a later date provide them with feedback of the responses you have got from

attendees of your presentation

.

Have Fun!

At the end of your presentation

- Give each pupil a sticker saying something like ‘I’m going to be a Beaver (or Cub)

Scout’ (include the sections logo),

- Give the teacher information on Scouting to give to the pupils to take home to their

parents at the end of the day, together with a letter to parents.

The following outline letter will help you draft one appropriate to your particular circumstances.

It should be professionally typed on Scout Group headed note paper.

The following outline letter will help you draft one appropriate to your particular circumstances:

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I am a Leader with the {name of your Scout Group. Today I made a presentation about Scouting

to an assembly attended by your child with the kind permission of the head teacher (name)

You may be interested to know that we have opportunities to join our Beaver Scout Colony (for

6 to 8 year olds) and our Cub Scout Pack (aged 8 to 10 years) if, after seeing our presentation

today your child wishes to join in the fun bring them along to our next weekly meeting and see

us in action!

We meet at:

And our meeting time are:

Beavers

Cubs:

We will be delighted to see you there!

Enclosed is a leaflet which shows the adventure of Scouting I hope you find it interesting. If you

would like any further Information please feel free to contact me at:

Yours faithfully

(Your name)

(Your role)

This letter is available to download from our working with schools web pages at

www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/schools

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You could enclose with the letter our ‘live is an adventure – live it!’ leaflet which you can order

from using our leaflet order form which you can find on our County Development Service’s web

pages at www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/schools Alternatively you could produce your own leaflet

giving details of Scouting in your Group or District.

Giving children of Beaver Scout and Cub Scout age more than one thing to take home

inevitably means they will lose some of it! It is therefore recommended that each child is given

their own 'Goodie Bag' into which they can put the items that you distribute. Avoid the use of

plastic bags for safety reasons.

Remember that the young people that are already members of your Beaver Colony

or Cub Pack can invite a friend to the section meeting which would enable them to

gain our County Friendship Award and help contribute to gaining our High Five

Award for your whole section! Visit www.glscountyscouts.org.uk/h5c for more

information.

Producing your own publicity material

It couldn’t be easier to produce your own publicity materials with the Scouts online Print

Centre. You can chose from a variety of posters, documents and flyers complete with the Scout

branding. You can make posters, flyers and letters to send home to parents specific to Beaver

Scouts or Cub Scouts.

Simply sign in to the members area on the Scout website and find the Print Centre under the

“My tools” button.

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Before During After

Design and print/purchase

attractive Scouting

postcards/letters for

children to take home,

including group contact

details and an invitation to

come along to a meeting

Contact the school and

arrange a meeting with the

Head-teacher. Take with

you the information that

you will use during the

schools presentation itself.

Agree with the Head-

teacher the structure of the

presentation. It would be

best if 15-20 minutes slots

where run with each class

in the main hall/gym.

Make sure a projector

screen is available and all

resources you need

Ensure the section you are

recruiting into has an

exciting and welcoming

programme for new

recruits

Prepare a parents

letter/pack

Turn up early to set up and

test equipment.

Put a postcard or picture of

an activity badge on

everyone’s seat.

Play music as children

enter, and show images.

Be friendly and welcoming-

use interactive activities.

Allow time for questions

and remember to distribute

letters to parents

Make sure you clear up!

Leave only your thanks.

Letter of thanks to the

Head-teacher and the

School, with feedback on

responses from pupils

Hold an open evening for

potential recruits with and

exciting and informative

programme.

Support the leadership

team with extra support for

the open evening and a

possible influx of children

Be welcoming- encourage

young people by involved

them in the programme

and using their skills and

talents.

Offering a welcome pack

for parents, and recording

their support

Strive to provide and

balanced programme in

every meeting covering all

programme zones. This is

the key to retain children

and see them move onto

Cubs and Scouts!

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This guide has been put together by South London Scouts County Development Service. It is

based on examples of good practice and the experiences of many Scouters who have found

school presentations to be the most successful way of recruiting young people of Beaver Scout

and Cub Scout age.

This guide will enable you to put together your own presentation. Undoubtedly you will need to

invest a little time and energy in putting it together, but once you have done so, you will have a

readymade package all set for use time after time, although do regularly review it to make sure

it is appropriate for each event that you attend.

Other less frequent, opportunities - some of which may only happen once a year - also provide

you with the chance to promote Scouting. However, such occasions may not involve every

youngster in the school, reducing your captive audience.

Such occasions could include:

Parents' evenings and open days, which can provide you with ideal opportunities to promote

Scouting. On such occasions the Head Teacher will want to show the school full of life and

activity but it is likely teachers and school staff will be tied up meeting parents. Here is your

opportunity to save the day!

If you are able to obtain the use of the school hall or an empty classroom close to the building's

main entrance you could put on a small presentation or display. This could involve a power-

point presentation, a short talk, or a video presentation.

As parents evenings can last for several hours, with different groups of parents and children

coming and going throughout this time, it is best to repeat presentations every half an hour or

so in order to reach as big an audience as possible. Don’t forget to put a sign or banner at the

entrance of the School directing people towards your presentation or display, if it is permissible

to do this.

As part of your presentation, think about mounting one or two static displays and have

promotional material available for people to take away. You could run some indoor games or

activities that get youngsters involved straight away, while their parents visit their teacher. These

could be run in between the slide presentations. Check with the Head Teacher that they is

happy for you to run whatever activities you decide and that the accommodation is suitable. If

needed, an adequate risk assessment should be put in place.

School fetes, This provides a great opportunity to have a recruitment stand and gives you the

chance to meet parents and school children, and you may be able to lay on some outdoor

activities too.

Parent-Teacher Association meetings. Such meetings also give you an opportunity to make a

presentation directly to parents and to gain their support. Provide them with information to

take away and encourage them to bring their youngsters to Colony or Pack Meetings.

School outings, to a local scout camp site can another opportunity for you to promote Scouting

if you are able to muster the manpower needed to lay on some Scout activities. These could

include things like a treasure trail or a simple assault course. Write a letter to all the parents of

pupils informing them of the arrangements and asking them to provide their child with a

packed lunch. Provide the Head Teacher with sufficient copies of your letter for distribution

beforehand. You will also need to arrange transport to and from the school, the Local

Education Authority might let you have use of its transport or the School itself may have

vehicles which could be used. Take sufficient teachers with you to maintain discipline and

involve them in the activities too. On the return trip to the school distribute leaflets and a letter

to take home, inviting the children to continue the fun at their local Beaver Colony or Cub Pack.

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This guide assumes that a school presentation will be used to recruit new Members into existing

Scout Groups, but there are instances when you may wish to start a new Group or Section.

Before starting a new Scout Group or Section, the District must have either Leaders waiting in

the wings, or Scout Active Support Members prepared to run the Group on a short-term basis

until Leaders emerge from amongst parents or the community at large. Setting up a Cub Scout

Pack should be the first priority. The possibility of the Group being sponsored by the school, or

the school providing facilities should be explored.

Case Study

A few weeks before any presentation to children at the school, you should call a meeting of

parents and other interested parties, possibly under the auspices of the Parent-Teacher

Association. This meeting will help you gauge the support for a new Scout Group and it is there

that you can make your offer of interim leadership.

Parents should be supplied with literature at the meeting and either given a presentation or be

shown a video. The sample letter to parents in this guide will need to be modified if you are in

the throes of starting a new Group or Section rather than strengthening an established one.

For support and advice in starting a new Group or Section contact your County Development

Officer who will be more than happy to help you.

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Step 1

Keep your evenings focused on activities rather than your members having to just sit and listen obviously in some instances they will have to sit still but keep this to a minimum. The more activities that you do with your colony, pack or troop, the more your members will be having fun and will want to come back each week.

Step 2

If you need to cover something instructional, turn it into a game, a quiz, a contest– something where the young people are actually involved and doing things. And preferably it should be something that gets them out of their chairs. Get them physically moving around. Play active games, Look at stuff, Go outside. These are the kinds of things that Cubs and Beavers enjoy.

Step 3

Give them lots of praise where it's due.

Step 4

Children love trips, and parents usually like them too. They also like variety, going somewhere new is fun and exciting for them. It’s great to aim to have some sort of outing during your regular meeting time every term.

Step 5

Spend time outdoors, doing stuff like hiking and camping. Young people look forward to these activities when they join Scouting. Make sure that hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities are a central part of your program. If you’re colony or pack does not have regular walks or hikes, we encourage you to start.

Step 6

Communication with your member’s families is very important. For example, it’s a good idea whenever a child is absent from your meetings/activities, to give his/her parents a call. At the very least, you should call when the child has missed two meetings in a row. Most parents are very appreciative that someone noticed their child wasn’t there and is checking to see how they are doing. Of course, you shouldn’t say "Why wasn’t David here tonight?”. You can say "We just wanted to let you know that we missed David at our last meeting. Is he doing okay?" Experience shows that parents are usually glad that someone has called. Staying in touch like this is often enough to keep a child who misses a few meetings from dropping out altogether. Sometimes children have to miss meetings because of other activities or illness. When this happens, always tell them that’s fine. Just ask them to stay in touch. For children who have just joined your colony or pack, the first few weeks of Beaver or Cub activities are very important. Even though they are officially members of your section, most parents during the first few weeks are still making up their minds on whether this Scouting stuff is worth their time, effort and money. They are still in an assessment stage. Help them make the choice to stay with your colony or pack.

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Step 7

Make sure your section is welcoming to new families introduced adults to your leaders and new members to the other children and each leader. They will probably have lots of questions. You should answer their questions, but don’t overwhelm them with information. It is important to stay in contact with parents during the first few weeks so they will decide that this is something they want to continue to be a part of.

A great way to engage parents!

‘From Abseiling to Zorbing: a parent's guide to Scouting’, is designed to give parents a fun taste of everything they want to know when their child first joins Scouting, what happens in Scouting and how they can get involved. The colourful booklet answers some of their most frequently asked questions. It uses case studies and photos to help show parents what happens in Scouting. It promotes the benefits for their child and shows why getting involved in Scouting activities is good for parents too. It even has handy diagrams to illustrate the uniform and badges.

The pack is complemented by downloadable inserts available from the print centre at www.scouts.org.uk so you can personalise the pack with local information, including a welcome letter, family information form, financial information and details about your Group. The pack includes a welcome from the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls, an introduction to the age ranges, frequently asked questions, uniform diagrams and information about how to get involved in your Scout Group amongst other things. These guides to Scouting are amazing value at only 10p each and are available to order in multiples of 25 from www.scouts.org.uk/shop Also, email is a great way to continue to communicate with the parents of your members. Regular email reminders about upcoming events and activities can help ensure good attendance. We also recommend making and distributing periodic newsletters with upcoming events, contacts, and frequently asked questions as well as announcements of badges that have been earned.

Step 8

Make sure your members are progressing as they should with their badges. Getting badges can help keep young people and their parents wanting to come back.

Step 9

Here’s a thought… Don’t stop your program for the summer break. Summer is when young people have the most free time on their hands, and it is when they need Scouting the most. We appreciate there will be periods when you will be on holiday and you may need to pool your leadership resources on some weeks as some of your leaders are away, but your section members and parents will be glad that your are still doing cool stuff during the summer break. Why not start a summer program. It is a lot easier to keep your members coming to your colony or pack after the summer holidays if you haven’t stopped for a long break. Young people are much more likely to drop out in September if they haven’t done any Scout activities all summer.

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Having an active summer programme can help with recruiting as a lot of parents are looking for something for their kids to do during the summer. Scouting is a great thing for young people to be doing during the summer. You could achieve an effective summer programme (even if it’s every fortnight), during the summer holidays by joining up with other Beaver Colonies or Cubs Packs to run badges, go swimming, have a picnic or play rounders.

Step 10

Send out a schedule of your programme every term to the children and parents. This can be a boost for your section in several ways. It’s also a good idea to send a copy to local schools and other clubs so they can help promote what you are doing. Sending a schedule will make your pack look fun and exciting. Just telling the children and parents that your pack does hiking, camping, outdoor games, etc. is fine, but it is more convincing if you can hand out a schedule that shows that you have committed your plans to paper. A programme schedule will also help with recruiting new members. Your schedule will show new recruits that your colony or pack is well-run, organised, and lots of fun. It will help convince young people and their families that your section’s program is where they want to be. Making a schedule will also help ensure that your section follows through and does the Scouting things your members like to do.

Step 11

Make sure your colonies or pack activities are designed for the interests and needs of all your members.

Step 12

Lastly enjoy yourself. If they see you are enjoying it then they will too!