Cub Scout packs with strong first-year retention aren’t doing anything most Scouting America leaders would consider extraordinary, according to a recent Scouting America survey of high-performing councils.
What they do is pay attention to the details and fundamentals. Every day. All the time.
“It might sound simple, but success comes when you understand how important the basics are,” says Kate Benson, Scouting America’s national director of Cub Scouting. “This is particularly significant when it comes to onboarding.”
To help packs dive deeper into this advice, Scouting America has developed a resource called “Increase Retention of First-Year Cub Scouts.” This tool breaks retention advice into three parts: Make it personal. Make it fun. Make it easy.
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The guidance grew out of a retention study conducted by Scouting America’s New Programs Department in partnership with four councils: Atlanta Area, Greater St. Louis Area, Green Mountain and Coastal Georgia. Researchers surveyed pack leaders and parents and held in-person sessions to learn what successful packs were doing.
Here’s how your pack can put the recommendations to work:
Make it personal
A family’s Scouting experience should begin with a personal connection, not just a registration confirmation.Benson says some families complete their online registration and pay their fees without ever hearing from someone in their pack.
Automated confirmations can get lost in spam folders, leaving parents unsure about what happens next.
She suggests that a leader reach out with a simple phone call or text message like, “Hey, this is Kate. I saw that you and your Scout registered. We’re so excited that you’re part of our pack. Our next meeting is Monday at 7. We’ll be at the school, doing a team-building pack activity. Really excited to see you.”
That kind of personal welcome accomplishes two things: It helps a family feel included and gives parents a real person to contact when they have questions.
Packs should contact every new family within 48 hours and consider assigning a new member coordinator to make sure no one slips through the cracks. A pack T-shirt, neckerchief, handbook or other Scouting item can reinforce that sense of belonging.
A team-building pack meeting can also help new Scouts and parents build relationships with other families. The goal is to make newcomers feel they’re part of the group from the start.
Make it fun
Kids join Scouting to have fun, spend time with friends and try new things. Their first experiences should deliver on those expectations.
That means keeping meetings active and engaging rather than turning them into another day in the classroom. Get outside when possible, play games, go on hikes and incorporate hands-on activities into advancement requirements.
Benson says leaders should remember that what works for adults doesn’t necessarily work for children.
“Don’t lecture,” she says. “That’s a big part of how adults communicate. It’s incredibly ineffective for our kids.”
Get advice on how to make meetings fun in this On Scouting article.
Make it easy
Even a fun program can lose families if parents struggle to understand the schedule, costs or expectations.
A printed full-year calendar helps families plan around school, work and other commitments. Packs should communicate consistently through a primary channel, such as group texts, and explain the financial commitment up front. That includes national and council registration fees, pack dues, uniforms, activities and other potential expenses. Families shouldn’t have to discover unexpected costs as the year progresses.
Scouting America also wants to make volunteering more manageable by encouraging packs to share responsibilities. Benson explains that these responsibilities can be meaningful without requiring a parent to take on a major leadership position immediately. A Cubmaster might ask a parent to run one activity at the next meeting, provide the directions and let that person handle the preparation.
“It’s not a lifetime sentence either,” Benson says. “These assignments can lighten the workload for existing leaders while helping them identify parents who might eventually be interested in larger roles.”
Resources
Make it personal
- How to welcome a new family video and PDF
- Welcome to Our Pack ceremony guide
- Planner for team-building pack meetings
Make it fun
- Adventures by Cub Scout rank
- Guide to fun and games
- Four-month pack program plan
Make it easy
- Encourage adult leader training
- Use the family talent survey
Read more in our Retention-Ready series
- Here’s the Cub Scout retention checklist every leader needs
- Great meetings are essential to your pack growth — here are some tips
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