PATHWAYS Newsletter for August 28, 2020

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Longhouse Council - Pathways - August 28, 2020

Vol. #2 Issue #28

This week's Newsletter is dedicated to Recruitment & Membership

Where, When & How to promote your Joining Event.

Update your BeAScout.org Unit Pin (can't tell you enough how important this is)

Build Relationships/connections you can leverage to spread the word. Such as.....

School relationships
PTO/PTA Members or Officers
Principals & Teachers
School Board Members
Participate in Back to School Nights and Open Houses where possible

Build Charter Organization/Community relationships. Such as ....

Churches in the Community
Service Organizations
VFW & American Legion Hall Signs
Firehouse Signs
YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Day Care Agencies, Home School groups, youth sports, etc.

Target strategies to the specific community in which your unit exists

Community Facebook Page advertisements
Calendar of Community Events: Parades, service events, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
Self-marketing via Facebook, Instagram, Next Door, Snapchat, Tik Tok, etc.
Large yard signs or banners (available at the Council Service Center)

Ask Local Businesses (i.e, Ice Cream Shoppes, Restaurants, Pizza shops, Museums, Comic Book shops, Gyms)

Geofencing of Joining Activities/Events

Remember the location of the event is irrelevant to the location of the fence
Have parents, the unit, the chartered organization all share the event as well

Capitalizing on School District Relationships

Morning Announcement Videos where possible
The National organization is creating video sets that are customizable to the Council or District and/or Unit
Inclusion in school flyer distributions or communications where willing
School Marquee Signs
Remind Me App/Peach Jar
Community and PTO Event Reminders

National & Council Open House Events

These are going to be high end, high profile, virtual event where people can learn about Scouting then join a local unit online. (Family Fun Fest)

+ Any Other Methods you would like to use to spread the word

Alway promote your joining event at least two weeks before, and advertise it in at least seven different ways.

Promote Scouting Using the Sept. 12th Family Fun Fest

The upcoming Family Fun Fest on September 12th is a GREAT way to actively promote Scouting and give families an opportunity to get a taste for the fun so they’ll want to join this year. You are a vital part of making sure families in your community know and are excited about the event; please help spread the word.

The Family Fun Fest site has been updated with details about the September 12th event and includes key details about the Family Fun Fest Pinewood Derby 500 race. Encourage your local families to register for the event for a chance to have their Pinewood Derby car race at the Texas Motor Speedway!

You can help by promoting the Sept 12th Family Fun Fest by:

Sharing promotional video, social posts and/or the Adventure Log on social channels and newsletters to encourage current families, Scouts and volunteers to invite friends to participate.
Reaching out to local media to offer tips to help local kids make their Pinewood Derby cars for the Pinewood Derby 500, also taking the opportunity to highlight key local activities available for families to welcome them into Scouting

Updated logos, photos, video, and other branded materials to promote the event are available on the BSA Brand Center. Thank you for your continued support as we all work together to drive increased interest in Scouting and support recruitment!

Family Fun Fest Website

Win $500 Just By Updating Your BeAScout Pin

Updated BeAScout pins are crucial to the success of this recruiting season, and to help encourage units to take this vital step, we’re giving away some great prizes. Units that update their BeAScout pin anytime between June 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2020, will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $500 Scout Shop Gift card, or one of five $100 Scout Shop Gift cards. See the full rules for the giveaway here.

For units that need help updating their pins, they can find a complete set of step-by-step instructions on how to update the BeAScout pin this guide, and/or this “Setting Up Your BeAScout Unit Pin” instructional video. As we move into join-Scouting season, now is the time to remind units to be Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, and Kind by doing a Good Turn and updating their pin so people who are looking for a great Scouting unit can find them!

Recruitment Plans, Resources & Supplies

We have lots of resources and supplies to help with your recruitment plans. We have fliers, parent guides, yard signs, and more in house. Other resources can be found in Marketing & Membership. You can find detailed plans and other ideas to help with recruitment. Looking for images or videos to use to excite families to join your program? The BSA Brand Center has everything you could want. Lastly there is the Council page that has resources from past years that are still useful.