Membership Growth Overview
Plan membership growth as an annual cycle that begins before fall recruiting and continues through each new family’s first year. Join Scouting Night may produce registrations, but timely follow-up and clear orientation help those families become active members of the pack.
Membership growth cycle
| When | Question to answer | Use this page |
|---|---|---|
| Spring and early summer | When should our pack begin recruiting, and how does the work fit the James River District calendar? | How Fall Recruiting Works in the James River District |
| Before contacting schools | How do we request access and maintain a working relationship with local schools? | Working with Local Schools to Promote Cub Scouting |
| Six to eight weeks before recruiting | What dates, materials, people, and processes must be ready? | Fall Recruiting Checklist |
| Before and during your recruiting event | How do we plan a Join Scouting Night that helps families understand the pack and take the next step? | Join Scouting Night Planning Guide |
| Before recruiting begins and after each inquiry | Who should contact interested families, when should contact occur, and how do we connect each Scout with a den? | Following Up After Join Scouting Night |
| During each family’s first several weeks | What should new parents learn first, and how do we explain the pack without overwhelming them? | Planning a New Family Orientation |
Several parts of the cycle overlap. Build your follow-up process before recruiting begins. Start school outreach while you plan the recruiting event.
Orientation begins the retention phase. Use the follow-up and orientation pages to establish each family’s first weeks, then use the communication and program-planning resources in this book to support continued participation.
Recruiting resources
Use Heart of Virginia Council resources first for local materials, procedures, and joining tools. Use Scouting America resources for additional national campaign assets.
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Heart of Virginia Council Recruitment Materials: Order Join Scouting Night flyers, prepare your BeAScout listing, find your unit joining link and QR code, manage prospective-family inquiries, and access council recruiting tools.
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Scouting America Recruitment Resources: Find national campaign materials and customizable recruiting assets.