Introduction
The Boy Scout troop open house allows a troop to swing open
its doors and roll out the red
carpet to welcome guests. It provides a forum to show off Scouting
activities and the troop's
accomplishments. It is an effective tool to reach youth who
have never tried Scouting.
Hosting a troop open house is a five-step process that has been
tried and proven in troops
throughout the nation. Each of the following five steps is vital
to the event's success:
1.Present a school rally to fifth- and sixth-graders.
2.Mail the parents of interested youth a personal
invitation to the troop open house.
3.Follow the invitation with a telephone call to
the parents.
4.Host the troop open house for youth and their
parents.
5.Organize a troop or district activity to involve
new Scouts right away.
Youth join Scouting for the fun and outdoor adventure. Parents
want them to join for
completely different reasons—character building and leadership
training. Following this plan
for conducting a troop open house will help you address the
wants and needs of both youth
and their parents. Use the Troop Open House Planning Sheet in
this brochure to track your
progress.
STEP 1: Present the School Rally
a.The Boy Scouts of America recommends that
recruitment efforts be concentrated
on fifth- and
sixth-graders in early spring,
as they approach
Boy Scout age. Several resources
can be used to
spark their interest, including
introducing youth to
Scouting with an interactive presentation.
b.Cooperation of schools is essential to gain access
to Scout-age youth. Contact school
administration
to schedule presentation time
during school with
small groups of boys.
c.Plan the presentation to highlight Scouting's
activities, high adventure, and
outdoor
experiences. Display hands-on
visuals such as
backpacks, canoes, and tents,
and allow the youth
to check them out up close. Dress
in outdoor wear
to complete the setting. Allowing
some
experienced Scouts to assist in
the presentation
could help the youth visualize
themselves as
Scouts. The presentation should
be no more than
five minutes.
d.Following the introductory presentation, give each
youth a High-Adventure Survey,
No. 34241. Ask them to check the
high-adventure experiences that interest them.
Explain that Scout troops do the
kinds of activities listed on the survey.
e.While the youth are working on their surveys, announce
that you would like to invite
them to join a Scout troop. Explain
that they will receive an invitation to join a Scout
troop in their community if they
mark that they are interested in joining. Collect every
survey, and check to ensure that
each is complete with the youth's full name and
contact information.
f.If the school cannot allow assemblies with
youth, suggest the alternative plan of
having the school distribute the
High-Adventure Survey. Be sure to pick up the
completed surveys soon after their
distribution.
STEP 2: Mail the Invitation
a.The next step involves following up on the initial
contact with youth who indicated their
desire to join a troop. The Scoutmaster
should send a personal letter to the parents
of each interested youth, spelling
out the values of Scouting and extending an
invitation for the youth and his
parents to visit the troop at its upcoming open house.
Include a Time Well Spent brochure,
No. 02-341, or another brochure that describes
Scouting's values, to provide
further information.
b.Timing is important. Mail the letter as soon as
possible after the survey is completed;
schedule the troop open house
for the week after the family receives the invitation
letter.
c.Model your letter after the following sample:
Dear parent:
Your son has taken a step
toward building a solid future; are you
willing to support his growth?
Recently, your son indicated
his desire to try his hand at such
high-adventure activities
as backpacking, cycling, camping,
swimming, canoeing, rock
climbing, and horseback riding. Our
Scout troop will participate
in these activities and even more in
the coming year, and we
would like to invite him to join the Boy
Scouts of America.
Scouting has a reputation
for helping youth develop
self-reliance, strong character,
respect for others, good
citizenship skills, and
physical and mental fitness. For almost a
century, our programs have
instilled in young men the values
and knowledge that they
need to become leaders in their
communities and in their
countries.
Please join our troop for
our open house at
__________________ (time)
on ____________________ (date)
at __________________________________
(place). You'll get a
firsthand look at some of
our troop activities, and you can visit
with our Scouts and their
adult leaders. Take some time to look
over the enclosed brochure,
and bring any questions or
concerns to the meeting.
I look forward to meeting you!
Sincerely,
Scoutmaster, Troop ____________________
Telephone no. ____________________
STEP 3: Follow Up with a Call
a.On the day or evening before the open house, each
prospective Scout's household
should receive a telephone call
from a member of the troop, ideally the Scoutmaster,
who sent the letter. As you make
the call, keep in mind that the youth has already
expressed his interest, so direct
the call to a parent.
b.To help put the parents at ease, ask the following
questions:
Did the family receive the Scoutmaster's letter?
Does anyone in the family have previous Scouting experience?
Do they have any questions about Scouting or the troop open house?
Do they know the time and location of the troop open house?
c.Ensure parents that you look forward to meeting
them and will meet them at the door
to greet everyone.
STEP 4: Host the Troop Open House
a.The troop open house can be conducted as a districtwide
event for a number of
troops, or an individual troop
can conduct one independently. The important idea to
remember is that Scouting is showcased
and each guest is made to feel welcome.
b.Involve all troop members in the open house from
the planning stage. Remind each
Scout of the importance of building
their troop; be receptive to their ideas. Begin
making plans for the open house
as early as possible, following these suggestions:
Prior to the night of the open house, involve the troop in sprucing up
the
meeting place. Treat the task as a "spring cleaning" since the troop will
be
welcoming guests.
Prepare a display of troop activities, photos, and awards that the troop
has
earned.
Assign greeters to be at the door to welcome guests as they arrive. Be
sure to
have adequate seating.
Have a printed agenda and a copy of the troop's calendar at each seat.
Make assignments for each part on the agenda well in advance. The senior
patrol leader should be the emcee of the meeting.
Prepare refreshments for your guests if you desire.
c.The troop open house should follow an agenda, such
as the one in this brochure, to
help guests gather a broad range
of Scouting information. The youth is introduced to
basic Scouting skills while an
adult troop leader informs the parents about Scouting's
values and its positive effect
on youth.
d.During the open house, Scouts and Scouters should
do everything possible to make
their guests feel comfortable
and to answer each question as it arises. Be sure
parents know they may ask questions
at any time. The guests should be allowed to
participate whenever possible.
e.At some point, the Scoutmaster should explain that
both the youth and his parents
may join the troop. Have applications
available for both Scouts and adults.
Sample Troop Open House Agenda
Assign To:
1
Preopening
___________________________
— Conduct a simple action game
for early
arrivals.
2
Opening
— Hold the flag ceremony.
___________________________
— Welcome the guests.
___________________________
3
Activity Time
A. Skill time for youth
___________________________
— Hot spark
— Knot relay
— Tent pitching
B. Parent orientation
___________________________
— Explain the ideals and values
of Scouting.
— Introduce the troop leadership
and its
organization.
— Distribute the troop calendar.
— Explain the summer camp opportunity.
— Thoroughly explain the costs
of troop
membership.
4
Joining Process
___________________________
— Youth and parents complete applications
to
join Scouting.
— Announce information about the
next troop
meeting.
5
Closing
— Scoutmaster's Minute
___________________________
— Closing ceremony
___________________________
6
Refreshments (optional)
___________________________
STEP 5: Organize a Troop or District Activity
During the initial contact with Scout-age youth, we promised
that Scouting is action-packed.
Youth will expect that adventure soon after they become Scouts,
so schedule an exciting
activity soon after the troop open house. Here are a few suggestions:
Troop Campout
New Scouts joined with the expectation of going camping, and
they should be given this
opportunity for outdoor activity as soon as possible after the
troop open house. Begin
planning the activity well before the troop open house so that
the event is in place when the
new Scouts join.
Districtwide Overnighter
Some districts may choose to host all their troops for an overnighter
at an area camp. The
program could include basic Scouting skills, a campfire, and
preparing a simple meal. The
experience will quickly give new Scouts a sense of belonging
and fulfill their expectations of
an exciting adventure.
Lock-Ins
Lock-in events also have proven successful in some districts.
Lock-ins, which are especially
effective in colder climates, are more like "camp-ins" rather
than the usual campout. They can
be set up at the local YMCA or school gymnasium. Program possibilities
could include
swimming, sports, movies, refreshments, and a little sleeping.
Two-Deep Leadership
According to BSA Youth Protection policies, every BSA trip or
outing involving Scout-age
youth should be supervised by two BSA-registered adult leaders
or one registered adult
leader and a parent or guardian of a participant, one of whom
must be at least 21 years of
age. The chartered organization is responsible for ensuring
that sufficient leadership is
provided for all activities.
For more information on BSA Youth Protection, consult The Scoutmaster
Handbook, No.
33009.
Get New Scouts Involved
New Scouts should be introduced into the mainstream of troop
activities as soon as possible
after they join the troop. Assign them to a new-Scout patrol
and get them started on earning
advancement. The Scoutmaster, assistant Scoutmaster, or troop
guide should take
responsibility for helping new Scouts get a good start.
Troop Open House Planning Sheet
District ____________________________
No. |
|
Rally |
|
|
Phone Call Made |
Open House |
New Scouts |
New Adults |
Subscriptions |