serious growing problems

[MI6Ash]

hey, does anybody know how we can get our troop to grow? we actually have a large property, because we are a large township, but the troop below us, in the township below us has practically taken control of our "property" meaning they make people as far as the north of our county, and because they are growing so quickly (60 boys last time I checked) we lost three boys to them, and all the weblows are going to them, so we now have two scouts, 1 tenderfoot, 1 second class, 1 life. any ideas as to how we can get more boys?

[BM_Crawford]

If they are taking your filler packs then they maybe recruiting. If they are recruiting cub scout packs they could get into VERY SERIOUS trouble. This happened to our troop. After a split the troop that split from us started recruiting cub scout packs taking our filler packs and several other troop's. Now they are facing alot of trouble for it and may get shut down.

[MI6Ash]

hmm... well we are shrinking. and my friend (now in the other troop) invited me to come with him when he was soon to be recieving his arrow of light, apparantly there was a meeting, with the scout master of the "other" troop, and they were kind of "advertising" troop 430, and these were 423 weblows! we lost all 10 of them to 430.

[MI6Ash]

also, on a side note. because we are so low on boys, we are low on money and cannot afford many of the "privalages" that other troops have, we loose out on the best camp sites at camp, and due to the small amount of boys, we are all having serious difficulties advancing. I have been stuck at second class for a year trying my best to get ahead (on wednesday I have my scout master's conference)

[Guneukitschik]

Is this perhaps a program issue? are they offering a more planned and prepared program than your troop? You also need to make some recruiting efforts of your own! Don't just assume that you'll get the upcoming webelos from your pack! Invite them along on a activity with your Troop (keep in mind the youth protection requirements...if you are camping overnight...each webelos will need a parent/guardian) And talk with your District Executive and express your concerns about them recruiting from your area.

[don]

There are a few misconceptions within this thread.

There is really no such thing as a filler pack within the BSA.
The scouts should be able to go to whatever Scout unit they want. They should be able to pick the best one for them.

Troops can and should recruit at all packs that they want, it is not true that the BSA does not allow this and someone will get into trouble.

Now for your shrinking unit, Build it and they will come!
Create hands on meetings, a campout a month. Meetings and campouts filled with hands on scouting activities. And recruit after you get an exciting program going, recruit at all packs near you.

It does not take money to have good meetings and campouts!

[Guneukitschik]

I agree with you on the fact that they should be allowed to join whatever troop they wish...however if your troop is operating an exciting, effective program you should have no trouble attracting the new scouts you need. Typically a scout attends a unit that is from their neighborhood...it is correct to assume that the upcoming scouts will carry over into the troop. There are circumstances in which scouts travel to a neighboring unit...and there is no problem with this.

[BM_Crawford]

Troops can and should recruit at all packs that they want, it is not true that the BSA does not allow this and someone will get into trouble

Sorry but this is simply untrue. It is against BSA to recruit and troops should not be able to do it. It hurts other troops in the area and currently there IS a troop getting into big trouble for this. It was brought to a professional's attention when they started recruiting from his troop.

And YES there IS such this as a filler pack. You are most definately allowed to pick whichever troop you wish you should have that oppertunity if you didnt I would be a very unhappy person. A filler pack is a pack that filters into a certain boy scout troop. THey can always decide to change that and go with another troop its within their right but generally they stick with one troop.

So what I said was not true in the least I left the part out about choosing whatever troop you wanted but I assumed that would be understood.

[don]

BM_Crawford
Sorry, but you are mistaken, tell me where it say in any BSA polices that say this.
You are being fed a line. I understand why units keep saying that you cannot recruit in my area, it is because they know that they do not follow the BSA program, and have a weak unit.
Also tell where I can find any info about a filler pack from the BSA.
You cannot because some old guys made it up and the rumors will not go away.

[scoutmasterbob]

Our council even has a patch you can earn, a recruiter patch, when you sign up a new scout that has never been registered before.

Recruiting makes scouting grow, unfortunatley, there are those that may abuse the policy, but I will agree with one of the earlier threads, if you have a successful program that gets results, it does not matter how big or small your troop is, your membership will grow.

I think another unused tool is public relations, you need to get your successes in the news paper, out in public for all to see. This is a good position for the Troop committee.

[don]

I did some research on this last night. What I found out was that the only time the BSA does not want a Boy Scout troop to recruit from a pack is if the Charted organization has a Cub and Boy Scout troop charted. Which means the CO "owns" both of them.
Any troop that is trying to stop another troop from recruiting open packs, probably does not have a good program.
Competition will only make for better troops.


scoutmasterbob
unfortunatley, there are those that may abuse the policy
What does this mean?

[scoutmasterbob]

I think I meant that some Troops may be recruiting active scouts from others Troops to leave and join their Troop. I dont think that is right policy or not.

I too did some research about this and you are right don, a charterd organization has a cub scout pack and a boy scout pack, it only makes sense when you think about it.

I also found this link about recruiting on the National Council website:

http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/18-748/index.html

It had some helpful insites to recruiting.

[BM_Crawford]

I did some research on this last night. What I found out was that the only time the BSA does not want a Boy Scout troop to recruit from a pack is if the Charted organization has a Cub and Boy Scout troop charted. Which means the CO "owns" both of them.
Any troop that is trying to stop another troop from recruiting open packs, probably does not have a good program.
Competition will only make for better troops.


scoutmasterbob
unfortunatley, there are those that may abuse the policy
What does this mean?

See I told you I was right. The chartered pack with the troop is the filler pack. The Pack that is with the same charter filters into the troop with the same charter.

[don]

I guess I am a bit naive. I did not even think about boy scouts trying to get scouts from one troop to another! And I agree that it does not seem right. There are so many other ways to recruit. Great link, I was on the site last night and did not find that.

[BM_Crawford]

You're not naive don! A Scout is Trustworthy is in the Scout Law so they shouldn't try to recruit from other troops. I only know about it because some of my friends tried to get me to join their troop but I declined quite hastily.

[MI6Ash]

well... just a little update on our situation... we have 2 scouts, 2 tenderfoots (tenderfeet?!) 2 second classes (one about to become 1st) and a star... that's seven (7)... we also have no webelos 1 or 2... *sigh* looks like Wernersville won...

[wagionvigil]

Having a small troop is not really a bad thing. I have had as many as many as 20 and as few as 5. In a small troop you just must take on more responsibility. We do alot of things with another troop 12 miles away. Which helps share the load. All the leaders in this area are friends and will do anythng ther is to help each other,not hurt each other.Right now I am the CC after serving as SM for 15 years. The three oldest boys have aged out and have just completed their Eagle. SO right now there are 5 boys 1 star 3 second class 1 tenderfoot. They had a meeting last week with the W-2 den and 5 will be crossing over in February. I have seen very few Mega troops that function well. Let me tell you about one of them.
It is a troop from Va. with 150 boys from a military base. When they come to our camp in SW PA. it is usually the last week of camp and they take up a large part of the Grove area of our camp. Chain of Command is what it is all about. The SM tells the ASM what is up the ASM talks to the SPL and ASPL and they in turn talk to the PL and so on. Does it work Yes very well BUT the KEY in this big group is Chain of command.
In a small group it needs to woirk the same but with some adjustment for the group. You can make your small numbers work for you. DO IT!