What Does it Mean when We See "Sign Up Night" Calendar Entries for our Pack Number????  It means that a School Sign Up Night for the school or schools noted in the Calendar Entry has been scheduled, either by District Executive Isaiah Campbell in sync with the Pack or by the Pack in sync with Isaiah.

What is a School Sign Up Night?  It's one of two types of Sign Up Event -- the other type is a Pack produced Welcoming Fun Event where you invite new families to "test drive" Cub Scouting in your Pack or Den.

• School Sign Up Nights need to be welcoming but rapid, informative but not overloading -- and you're recruiting the whole family, not just the youth, because Packs need Parent Leaders too. 
• Schools want us "in and out" quickly ... most parents want to come in, get the details (this is where having a good one page/two sided flyer that is a "Pack Packet" of information is super helpful to you and them), sign up and get home!   
• Invite your Pack Families to attend and help "Welcome" new Families ..
• ... Peer to Peer and Parent to Parent persuasion is Powerful!

• A Pack produced Welcoming Fun Event on a different day than the School Sign Up Night can be longer and a lot more fun, especially outdoors -- what fun you have is up to you, but see the Sign Up  Events page for some ideas).
• Packs schedule their own Pack produced Welcoming Fun Event when convenient for Pack parents and leaders.
• There can be more than one ... before and/or after a School Sign Up Night.
• After a School Sign Up Night, you might include a Pack Parent Orientation on the side while the Cub Scouts do fun things -- maybe led by any Scouts BSA Troop you know.
• Need ideas about Fun Things to Do?  See this menu of Fun, Simple, Easy Activity ideas.

• For either type of big Sign Up Event, see the Sign Up  Events page, including the plan and script ideas there -- the script works with a few engaged volunteers either as a presentation or a "station to station" event, and can be supported by District Professionals .  You can download the script and tailor it to fit your Pack's program and policies.

But if Isaiah set up the Sign Up Night, doesn't that mean he will do everything?  No!  It's your Pack and so you should own the event and you should be the voice families here -- let them know your fun activity calendar (easy to copy and edit flyers with activity lists are here), work with them on how you will tell the school families how your Pack operates -- you will know that better anyway. 

Should we just have Leaders show up ... or other Parents and Families too?  Invite your current families to attend -- dub them your "Welcome Team" or "New Member Coordinators" to welcome new families -- and to help with the "one on one" and "peer to peer" connections that will draw families into your Pack, especially to convey the concept of shared leadership, of Cub Scouting as a family program where Every Parent Leads.  So get your current Scouts and Families out there -- they can "sell" the program better than anyone! -- and let Isaiah know your plans, so that he can support you if he talks.

Can Troops Help?  Absolutely.  Maybe by leading the kids in games while the parents listen to the speakers.

More helpful ideas and tools at the Recruiting Tools page (with the download of the Guide to Cub Scout Family Recruiting) and the sub-pages on Making a Calendar of Fun Activities, Flyers and Media to Promote Your Pack, Recruiting Leaders, and Sign Up Events -- don't forget to update your Pack's "BeAScout" pin online. 

Highlights of the most recent District News were these (click links for information):  Recruiting Step Three: Recruiting Adult Leaders ... 2024 Cub Scout Recruiting Plan -- For Your Review ... Alpha Merit Badge University October 5 ... Opt In, Opt Out ... and from the week before: 2024 Southern Crescent Cub Scout Fishing Derby -- Saturday, August 31 ... Help for Den Leaders -- "Assembled" Den Meeting Plans ... Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.

Cub Scout Leader Training Dates.  See atlantabsa.org/cub-leader-training for Cub Leader Training dates -- Bert Bender is scheduled to lead those flagged with "Bert Bender".  Upcoming dates this weekend:

• September 7 (@ Appalachian Trail Adventure Quest, Cherokee YMCA camp on Lake Allatoona -- Appalachian Trail Adventure Quest is a fun day event open to Cub Scouts from all Districts).
• September 8 (@ Peace Baptist Church, Covington Highway just inside I-285)

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. 

Dear Cub Scout Leaders (and Commissioners and other District Volunteers who love Cub Scout Leaders): If you missed the heavily attended live broadcast of the 2024 Cub Scout Membership Recruiting Plan reveal or want to watch it again, you are in luck!  Go to the Atlanta Area Council Recruiting Resource Page at atlantabsa.org/recruitingresources where you’ll find:

• a link to the Recruiting Rollout Video at the top of the page
• the 2024 Guide to Cub Scout Family Recruiting.

Want Even More?  Related pages tie into the Steps to Successful and Sustainable Recruiting:

1. Make a Calendar of Fun Activities that families like – your Pack’s big fun activities that current and future families will want to join.
2. Let People Know – Promote Your Pack Program!  Many ways to let them know what you're doing.  And update your BeAScout Pin and Online Registration Tools.
3. Find More Leaders and Helpers - one by one, find folks who can help your unit out (do this throughout your recruiting process).  That page now has links to the recent Engagement Series Videos.
4. School and Community Presence – “Adopt a School” and you’ll get more School and Community support.
5. Once you've laid that foundation, have Sign-Up Events: not just School Sign-Up Nights, but Fun Den and Pack Welcoming Events Too!
6. More Fun Events.  Keep expanding and extending your Calendar of Fun Events … want ideas?  See these Fun*Simple*Easy Activities.  Many!

Other Pages cover Parent Orientation and Scouts BSA Recruiting (honestly, the key methods there are like the Six Steps above minus School Sign Up Night because Scouts BSA aged kids will join because they want to not because Dad and Mom want them to).   

From Derek Smith <dereksmith6002@gmail.com>: "Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - Eta Lambda Chapter is pleased toannounce the 2nd annual Alpha Merit Badge University on October 5th, 2024. Following up on the success of our inaugural event on September 30th, 2023, we are proud to announce this year’s event will provide Atlanta area scouts with the unique opportunity for advancement in their pursuit of excellence in scouting.