“It’s A Great Day For Scouting"

“The 3 Rs of Scouting"

(Recruitment, Recognition, 

and

Retention) of Scouting,

that can be used if you are starting a

new, an established, or a troubled

Unit. It begins with recruiting, which

should be on going, but we have 2 periods designed each year.

The 1st one begins  in the summer, when we

should be preparing for a “School

Night For Scouting” in the fall, to

recruit new Scouts / Leaders.

. 

The Commissioner Caricature Autoghraphed 

Click on the Black Words Underlined, for Caricature Autoghraphed on PDF. 

For a Cub Pack, our target  market is Boys in the 1^st through 5th Grade 

This is when, as a Commissioner, we

meet with the Charter Partner’s IH

(Institution Head), and or CR  

(Charter Representative), to explain

their responsibility, for a CO (Charter

Organization), and get their signature,

for that year. Then, with their

support, you get fliers for the School Night For Scouting, to the Families, of those Boys. Prior to that evening, in starting a new Unit, invite the interested Parents to a, Parent only meeting, for a one on one, question, and answer meeting, inviting the IH/CR there also, or a representative. This is where you will sign up their son(s), and Leaders, with a minimum 10 Boys, and 7 Leader’s goal, with the latter needed to sign the new Charter. In an established Unit, the School Night for Scouting, should be a date prior to, their monthly Unit meeting. That way it is a short time before the new Scout Families can experience, what Scouting is all about, and you can get the new Leaders Trained. This particular School Night for Scouting, is the time that you will recruit Leader’s, to fill the positions, not filled prior to the summer, and to add what is needed, because of the increase of boys, from 1^st through 5^th Grade.

My favorite recruiting period is, in Spring, for Cub Packs, which is titled differently, such as "Spring Into Scouting", where your target market is, specifically

Kindergartin Boys,

that will become your Units new Tiger Cubs, and TLs (Tiger Cub Den Leaders). Note: Unlike the Fall Recruiting, this event should be held in conjunction with a Pack meeting, or Pine Wood Derby Races, so these new Tiger Cubs see an active Unit. Because of the different school schedules, across the Country, their registration, at the Council offices, is June 14, but they are protected, on the Unit Insurance, when they actually sign up. To keep the new Tiger Cubs interest up, until the new year, you need your Activities Chair, have at least 3, and recommended 5 activities scheduled through the summer. This can include automatic scheduled activities, like a City or Town Celebration/Carnival/Parade Days etc., as well as age appropriate Camp Days, and a Units picnic / planning meeting, to end the Summer’s Activities. This also allows the Unit to earn the National Summer Activities Award, which requires that, 75% of the Unit, and Den membership, as well as individuals, participate in 3 activities, one each month, to earn that Award. For Troops, they can earn the National Camping Award, which includes Summer Camp, where that Award should be included in the evaluation form, filled out at, the end of the Units Camping experience, making sure that the Camp Staff mention it during each week.

Once the Leaders are Trained, then they should receive a packet of, Square Knot Awards they can earn, for their position, which should be followed up by, for Packs, the PT (Pack Trainer), or Troop or Venture Crew Committee, so that they do the things required, for the Award, and for their Scouts. Like our Youth, when Leaders earn their Square Knot Awards, they should be Recognized, immediately, for those Awards. This is the way we are going to Retain those Leaders, and Youth.

If a Unit actively uses the 3Rs of Scouting, through out the year, they will be guaranteed to have a successful Family / Faith Based program, and earn every Award, available to them.

  
Preface  

“It’s A Great Day For

Scouting”

I started this site after hearing that other Council Colleges were sharing my contact information, if they wanted information on Retention in Scouting.

This was written, by, and for Commissioners, showing that, a Commissioner can start a new Pack, Troop, Post, or Crew, and making it a success, within it’s 1^st 15 months, and

each year after which

includes earning the National Quality Unit, National Summer Activity, or Summer Camping, the DC’s 100% Trained, and the Great Expectations Awards, they can do the same for an established Unit, with new Leadership. It all begins, with the support of that Unit’s Charter Organization.

I used a daily log, written for a Cub Pack I started, during the 1^st  

2 years, as its 1^st

CM, for the planning meeting each August, which I also used, for my Thesis, earning the Doctorate, in the College Of Commissioner Sciences. Like most Commissioners, I had been a Unit Leader in Cub Packs and Troops, before and during, over 30 years as a Commissioner.  In Cub Packs, I held all positions, earning the three Den Leaders, CM and Cub Scouter Awards.  In Troops the same, earning the Training and Scout Master’s Keys. I also started a Cub Pack, and when the Scouts and leaders were ready, a new troop. 

As a Commissioner, I held all positions on the DC’s (Districts Commissioner’s) staff, earning the Arrowhead, Commissioner’s Key, and District Committee’s Keys, plus  Wood Badge Beads, as well as being the District Eagle Board of Review Chair. 

As ACC (Assistant Council Commissioner) for Retention, I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, as well as being the Dean of the Bachelors Degree, in the College of Commissioners Sciences, for two years. I has since, earned my PhD, for the College. I also earned the Council’s Distinguished Commissioner’s Award. I was also the recipient of the District Award of Merit and the Council’s Silver Beaver Award.  All of the above helped me  start the above new Cub Pack at his Church / Elementary School, chartered October 2, 2002. Being its CM was the only position he hadn’t held before, earning the Cub Master’s Key, after 40 years with the BSA. 

Here he will share the steps he took, and tools he used, that earned them, after 15 months, the National Summer Activities Award, Quality Unit status with 100% Boy’s Life), the only Unit in the District, with 100% Trained Leaders, and their CO (Chartered Organization) was chosen as the Charter Partner of the Year.  Except the latter, they have earned the above, every year since. What is shared here can also work for an established Unit with new Leadership, or to reorganize a Unit, without having to cancel the charter, which should only be, the last resort.

Devices Earned:

 

Earned Square Knots From 1965 Through 2008

Above includes new CCS Doctorate Square Knot available at Supply #18093. Click on Black Underlined Words which is MS Word Document, and each Square Knot can be separated, for use, as you please.
 

 

1910 Society

   n nnn   

Founders Circle

Then: the Commissioner's, and District Committee, and the Scoutmasters Keys:  

Recognition and Training

Two things helps encourage Retention, of our Scouts, and Leaders, which are Recognitions, and Training that, the BSA also believes, because for SMs, there is a Training Square Knot, and Beads for Wood Badge Training that, the latter is the same Award, for all Leaders, in International Scouting. First, there are 3 Square Knots for Scouts, for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venture Crews, is a Religious Award, then Cub Scouts is the Arrow of Light, and Boy Scouts is, the Eagle Award. The 1^st, and 3^rd

Square Knot, can be worn, as a Scout, but the Arrow of Light, cannot be worn, until becoming a Leader..

For me, I was in Cub, and Boy Scouts during 3 years in Illinois, while a Foster child, then 3 more years, at Boys Town, where I did earn the Catholic Ad Altari Dei Award. Then, after 2 tours, as a “River Rat” for the Navy, in Vietnam, I became a SA, SN, and New Unit Organizer, from age 21, in one Council. I then rechartered the Troop, I was in, at Boys Town, when I came back to be a Family Teacher, as it’s SM, from 1976, and 1977.

After leaving there, I began as a UC in 1978, then RTBS, ADC, and DC, through 1984. During that period I earned Scout Master, and Training Keys, Arrowhead, Commissioner’s Key, Award of Merit, Silver Beaver, and Wood Badge Beads. Finally, my oldest boy, Joe II was old enough to be in the 1^st Tiger Cub Den, in

a Unit I reorganized, in the District we lived in, while the Eagle Board of Review Chair, in the other District.

In that Unit, I also recruited 17 Leaders, and had each one Trained, including myself, 1^st for CC,

then Tiger, Cubs, and Webelos Den Leader’s training, then earning those position’s Square Knot Awards. I also helped on this new District’s DC Staff. Joe II earned his Catholic Parvuli Dei Award, in 1986. That was the same year that, I became permanently  Disabled. However, I realized that, I could still handle my Volunteer service.

Then, my 1^st 2 sons

earned their Arrow of Light, crossing over to Boy Scouts. When, my youngest, Jacob, was old enough for Tiger Cubs, I started a new Pack, and Joe, and I helped both sons earn their Religious Awards, in 1993, which all 3 sons, received them from Archbishop Sheehan, who gave me mine, as a Junior at Boys Town in 1965, and I received my Adult St George Award from, also in 1993, the year the Archbishop retired. When Jacob’s Den earned their Arrow of Light, I started a new Troop, where they Crossed into.

Also, in 1993, when Joe II, as a Life Scout, and his 2 brothers, left Scouting, I was recruited as the 1^st

ACC, for Retention, 1^st for Scouts, where

I was asked to find out why Scouts left Scouting, which was because, they either didn’t like the program, or there was no program. So, I needed the DCs to find those Leaders who were offering good Family / Faith programs, which also they had, Advancements on a regular basis. What we also were able to prove was that, they took advantage of the all training available to them. We also learned that, to Retain Scouts, we had to retain those Leaders, with good programs, plus Commissioners that, understood, what good programs are.

 It was in 1982 that I started my Endowment Programs, as shown on the Endowment page, of this web site. In 1997 I started Special Needs Scouting, and I was a Special Needs Scouter, on the Central Region Staff, at that years National Jubilee. I also started a Cub Pack, at my Church in 2002, and earn my Cub Master Award, and a New Unit Organizer Award, and I have been a PT for 2 1/2 years. I will be retiring my ACC oposition, next April, after 15 years, but I have been given the go, to restart the Religious Relationships Council Committee, which was dissolved in 1987, where I was on that committee. I will continue as a Commissioner at Large.

Click on above Black Words Underlined fo this page on pdf.