Welcoming Back Our Girls and Guys Lost to the Epidemic

We’ve all been there. A length of rope is given to us and we are instructed to tie a . Whether it’s your first time or been a while since you last tied one, you are confident you can tie it. But sometimes it is not as easy as it looks and you need to ask for help. Just like we received help tying that knot, the WOGGLE Initiative is here to help our membership teams learn why the Scouts left and what we can do to reconnect Scouts who left the program during the Covid epidemic.

Who will develop the plan? • Professional Staff • Council Membership Team • Council Commissioner • Assistant Council Commissioner for Recruiting and Retention Key areas to examine: • Why did Scouts leave? • Are their Units still active and delivering the promise? • What can we do to reintroduce the benefit of to the lost Scouts and their families? What should be included in the plan? • Timeline • Program specific recruiting tips • Resources to access lost contact information • Survey to be used when contacting lost Scout • How to conduct a Membership Inventory • Knowing who to ask for help How will the initiative be promoted? • Council website • Webinars • Roundtables • Unit presentations Who will conduct the initiative? • Professional staff will support the initiative. Council Membership Committee, Commissioners too. • Unit Committees • New Member Coordinators • District Membership teams • Unit Commissioners APPENDIX 1 – WOGGLE Commissioner support

1. Distribute the WOGGLE at the District level the District Membership Chairs and District Commissioners a. Share with Membership Committee and Roundtable Commissioners for promotion at District Committee meeting, Membership Committee meeting, District Roundtable

2. District Commissioners distribute WOGGLE to Unit Commissioners

3. Unit Commissioners deliver WOGGLE to Unit Key-3 a. UC supports Unit Key-3 efforts to re-recruit Unit’s lost youth i. Membership retention and growth is a criteria on the Unit Assessment form https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/commissioner/pdf/Troop- Commissioner-Assessment-Form.pdf b. Continue to support all support areas (as listed on JTE) to help ensure high-quality program and retention of remaining Scouts i. Promote existing resources to support recruitment, such as Summertime Pack Award c. Use Commissioner Tools to communicate Unit recruiting efforts and results

4. District Commissioners monitor Unit Commissioners’ efforts to engage Units, follow-up with Unit Commissioners if contacts not being made according to timetable

5. UC communicates reason(s) for Unit’s loss of Youth Membership, REASONS for lack of re- recruiting success and opportunity for recruitment by other Units

6. District Membership Chair coordinates additional recruitment efforts if original Unit is successful in re-recruiting Youth Member(s)

APPENDIX 2 – WOGGLE – USING JTE criteria to support recruiting

1. Training and Membership a. Membership – need 4 to 6 youth members per year for den / patrol b. Training – safety and competence i. All activities are required to follow Covid protocols established by their Chartered Organization, Council, BSA National, and governments 1. https://colbsa.org/about/coronavirus/ ii. All volunteers are required to submit PA clearances, complete BSA YPT 1. https://www.scouting.org/about/youth-safety/ iii. registered position-specific training 1. Opportunity for parent / guardian to become involved in Unit program

2. Planning and Budget a. Recruiting plan – engage Scouts and prospects BEFORE school ends for the summer i. Early planning allows time for good preparation and maximum participation b. National Summertime Pack Award –June - August activities - keep Scouts engaged i. https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33748.pdf c. Day Camp – don’t have to be a registered Scout! i. https://colbsa.org/daycamp/ d. Council-sponsored fundraising opportunities i. Adventure cards https://colbsa.org/adventurecard ii. Popcorn program https://colbsa.org/popcorn/ iii. Camperships https://colbsa.org/camperships/

3. Membership a. WOGGLE – re-recruit at Unit level, follow-up at District level b. Recruiting tools – BeAScout pin c. Recruiting events d. Scouts to support recruiting and retention of Cubs e. Peer-to-peer recruiting Peer to Peer business cards f. BSA resources i. smart-marketing-social-media

4. Program a. Program guides b. District, Council and National resources c. Scouting-friendly organizations 1. DVOA http://www.dvoa.org/learn/scout/index.php ii. Minor-league sports organizations 1. Color guard for National Anthem

5. Volunteer Leadership - proactive approach to recruit leaders and communicating with parents

6. Unit Priorities and Other Details a. Focus on known issues to be addressed i. Key Leader(s) changing within the next 4 months ii. Help Needed In a specific area iii. Need to discuss unit with ADC/DC (optional)

7. Unit Service Plan a. Work with Commissioner to plan action to raise Unit performance (i.e. Unit budget)

APPENDIX 3: PROGRAM PLANNING - WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER?

PACKS TROOPS and CREWS

June June • Discuss membership in your unit • Ensure that all new Scouts attend planning meeting summer camp. • Begin planning for your Fall • Discuss membership in your unit recruitment and Back to-School planning meeting. events

• Recruit preschool and Kindergarten- aged boys and girls to the fall Lion July and Tiger Den • Work closely with new Scouts and • Cub Scout Summer Activity #1 parents during their transition to the Boy Scout troop, ensuring their July needs are met and that their move has been natural and fun. • Fall recruitment and Back-to-School • Work on rank advancement with events confirmed new Scouts. • Participate in a community event

• Cub Scout Summer Activity #2 August

August • Get contact information about Webelos Scouts. • Advertise Fall recruitment and Back- • Plan a joint Scouts BSA to-School events troop/Webelos den camping trip for • Promote Bring-a-Buddy to Cub October. Scouts • Share upcoming events with • Put fliers and/or yard signs in local Webelos den. public places • Select a den chief for each Webelos • Cub Scout Summer Activity #3 den

DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP TEAM

• Work with your units to ensure that they are working on membership during the summer.

• Involve your unit leaders to help you recruit over the summer

• Be visible at summer events to promote Scouting o Community festivals o Carnivals o Circus o Fourth of July Celebrations o First Friday o Parades o Encourage Pack leadership to share this quick 3-minute video with new Scouting families. It answers the five most frequently asked questions: • What uniforms and books will I need? • What's a den? • What's a pack? • What is rank advancement and how does it work? • Who is Akela? o https://youtu.be/skSD7y6fgB4