Got a Calendar of Fun Activities for your Pack and Dens?  Good.  Sharing and Promoting Your Pack Program?  Great.  Next Step: be on the lookout for leaders.  Parents of Scouts last year may have "watched" you lead -- now you should pull them into leadership roles.  You’ll need the essential roles of Den Leaders, Assistants and Committee Members of course, but you’ll also want many different roles and small jobs so that every parent has a path to helping.  The best Packs and Dens create a culture of collective leadership, one where Every Parent Helps and through this process you turn parents into helpers and helpers into leaders. 

To help with this step, see www.atlantabsa.org/RecruitingLeaders.  There are many ideas there -- and many videos there -- about how to create a culture that leads parents to answer “yes” when asked to help, from planning a menu of jobs and setting expectations to ways to ask for help to succession planning and more.  No one tool works for all – but all tools work for some.  Pick ones you like. 

For more, see www.atlantabsa.org/RecruitingLeaders. 

Hello Scout Leaders – Especially Key 3 Leaders and Key 3 Delegates (and those who want to be):  Online Registration is Easier for All.  Most new Youth and Leaders now “register” online – and it is faster and easier than ever.  For one thing, Scouting America will collect any registration fee and new member fee, freeing up the Unit to only collect pack program fees (or “dues”) until charter renewal for the upcoming calendar year.  You can also coordinate with families and other Units to “transfer” registration and set up “multiple” registrations in more than one unit – with no paper required! 

• This is a great time to update your BeAScout pin and the Online Registration for your unit. 
• Especially because you probably want to adjust your 2024-25 pack program fees (or “dues”) and messaging to reflect the Scouting America fee increases from April, with the key increases being $85 twelve month (not prorated) Youth Fee (up from $80) and $65 annual Adult Leader fee (up from $60). 
• You can see the steps at www.atlantabsa.org/updateBeAScoutpin, and find examples for how to complete your “BeAScout.org” profile and tailor automatic emails that generate when someone interacts with BeAScout.org and submits an online Application.
• Because if you write these automatic emails well, it will help attract new Scouts and families to your unit and make their onboarding easier. 
• But wait – there’s more!  Unit to Unit transfers, like crossover from a Pack to a Troop, can be done completely online, with no new paper!  See this for more. 

To help you with these messages, we’ve got some ideas for input by your Unit Key 3 Leaders or Key 3 Delegates (they have the access to do updates) in three spots: 

1)      Unit Pin Blurb.  In My.Scouting == > Organization Manager == > Unit Pin, there is expanded space for “Additional Unit Information” (now 500 characters), and anyone seeing your online “BeAScout.org” profile will see this.  We’ve posted a document with some options at www.atlantabsa.org/updateBeAScoutpin.  Tailor that to fit your Unit. 

2)      Fee Email.  Second, in My.Scouting == > Organization Manager == > Settings, there is an option to click a box called “Include Fees/Fee Explanations”, and enter “Fee Amount”.  That “Fee Amount” needs to be an amount that excludes the Scouting America National fee that will be collected directly in Online Registration.  

Highlights of the most recent District News were these (click links for information):  Scouts BSA Troop Recruiting Video And Resources ... Scouts BSA Troop Program Ideas ... Please Recommend Candidates for District Roles  ... District Annual Business Meeting October 24 ... and from the week before: Helping Units in Your District ... Steps to Successful Cub Scout Family Recruiting ... Help for Den Leaders -- "Assembled" Den Meeting Plans ... Opt In, Opt Out ... Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.

Want more Scouts in Your Scouts BSA Troop?  See this Scouts BSA Recruiting Ideas video for a review of best practices used by growing Troops. More ideas at atlantabsa.org/ScoutsBSARecruiting. 

Want more Fun in your Scouts Scouts BSA Troop program?  To keep current Scouts and attract new Scouts?  See this page with links to dozens of Troop Program Resources. 

Elections will be held at the Southern Crescent District Annual Business Meeting to be held on October 24, 2024, at 7 pm.  This event will be held at 612 College St. Hapeville, GA.  Your participation in this election is important to the continuing health of the Southern Crescent District.

Recommendation of Candidates (for District Chair, Vice Chairs, Members at Large, and a recommendation to the Council for our District Commissioner):

• All currently registered Scouters of the Southern Crescent district are eligible to recommend candidates for District Office and Members at Large for 2024 - 2025 to the Nominating Committee.
• Recommendations must be submitted to the committee in writing no later than October 10, 2024.
• You may recommend yourself and/or others.
• Please submit your recommendations to Laurie Blanchard by electronic mail at ltb17@att.net