NORTHERN LIGHTS COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF
My Best Friend Is a Scout!
How to Use the Materials
Each Scout will receive an envelope from his leader, which will include a postcard sized “boy card”, two postcard sized invitations, and two business cards. A Cub Scout Leader should have a special Den Meeting to instruct the Cub Scouts on how to use these new recruiting tools.
1.
Boy Card – Each Scout will fill his name in on the
front side of the card and promise to “Do His Best!” to invite his two best
friends to join Scouts with him, because Cub Scouts is more fun when you join
with your friends. On the reverse side
of the card the leader helps him to write in the names of his two best friends that
he will invite. His friends can be from
school, his neighborhood, or maybe even a relative. On the bottom portion on the back of the card
the leader helps the Scouts fill in the date, time, and location of the next
meetings where the new boys can sign up for Cub Scouts. Leaders may want to fill this information out
on the cards ahead of time for their Cub Scouts, especially for the younger Cub
Scouts. Cub Scouts should hang on to this card as a reminder that they promised
to “Do Their Best”! This card can also
be used as a bookmark to be kept in their handbooks.
2.
Invitations – Each Scout will receive two invitations
to give to his friends, which lists the date, time and location of the next
meeting where the friends can sign up for Cub Scouts. The leader needs to help the Cub Scout fill
in his name at the top of the card (so the parents of the friends will know
that their son is being invited by a friend), or do it for him ahead of
time. The date, time and location of the
next meeting also need to be filled out by the Cub Scout or a leader. The
Cub Scouts should be instructed to give the two invitations to the best friends
that they listed on the front of the card tomorrow at school, or the next time
they see them.
3.
Business Cards – Each Scout will receive two business
card “reminders” to give to their friends on the day of the next Den
Meeting. Again, the leaders needs to be
sure that the date, time and location, along with the Cub Scout’s name, are
filled out, by either helping them to do it at a meeting, or by doing it for
them ahead of time. Be sure that the Cub Scouts are reminded on the day before the meeting
to remember to give the business cards to their two best friends on the day of
the meeting.
NORTHERN LIGHTS COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF
My Best Friend Is a Scout!
Parent Information
Dear Parent,
This fall we are asking your Cub Scout to help make a difference in the lives of his friends by personally inviting them to join Cub Scouts with him. Studies have shown that boys tend to gravitate towards participating in activities that their friends participate in. We believe that your son is more likely to stay in Scouting, and get the full benefits of a proven program, if his friends are in it with him!
What are those benefits again?
Learn new things
Develop new skills
Develop a sense of belonging
Enjoy a “safe haven” for activities
Learn citizenship, character, and fitness
Develop leadership skills
Develop self-confidence as he earns badges
Spending “quality time” with family and leaders
And, YES, he will have a lot of fun too!
Please help your son participate in the “My Best Friend Is a Scout!” program by reminding him to do a couple of things.
First, please review the materials with your son that he received at the special Den Meeting. The materials are fun and colorful, and your son can earn a special recruiter patch if he gets a friend to join.
Second, starting tomorrow, remind him to take the two invitations to school to give to his friends. The invitation is personalized and comes directly from your Cub Scout to his friends.
Third, on the morning of our next Den Meeting (listed on the materials), be sure that he takes the business card reminders to school to remind his friends of the Den Meeting that day.
Another way you can help is to follow up with the parents of your son’s friends and encourage them to come to the meeting. Your son will have more fun in Scouts if his friends join, and you just may make some new friends yourself!
Many thanks to you and your family for choosing Scouting for your son. The time you spend with him in Scouting is very important and will help him to grow into the best adult he can be!
For more information about the values of Scouting, please contact your son’s leaders or the Boy Scout Office, (701) 293-5011.
NORTHERN LIGHTS COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF
My Best Friend Is a Scout!
Den Meeting Outline
1. While the Cub Scouts gather – select a game from the Group Meeting Sparklers or How-To books. Try to catch parents and have them stay for this special meeting.
2. Opening – Pledge of Allegiance and Cub Scout Promise. Talk about the importance of the Cub Scout Promise.
3. Recite the Cub Scout Motto – Do Your Best! Ask the Cub Scouts what “Doing Your Best” means to them.
4. Introduce the new “My Best Friend Is a Scout!” theme. Tell them that they are going to play an important role in getting their friends to sign up for Scouting with them this year. Ask them if they would like to be in Scouting with their friends.
5. Give each Cub Scout an envelope with the new materials. Read the “boy card” with them, and ask them if they will “Do Their Best”. Have them write their names on that card. On the other side of the card help them to write in the names of their two best friends that they want to be in Scouts with. Be sure that they write down the two names. Ask each of them to say out loud who they will invite. If two or more want to ask the same person, encourage them to choose a different person. Be sure to have them write in the date, time and location on the card (or have it done ahead of time).
6. Take out the invitations and have them fill in their names on the card, followed by the date, time and location of the meeting where their friends can sign up. Instruct them to give two friends an invitation tomorrow at school, or the next time they see them.
7. Fill in the same information on the business cards and tell them to give these cards to their friends on the day of the next Den Meeting.
8. Ask each Cub Scout to say out loud the two most fun things they did in Scouting last year. Some things that should come out; day camp, earning awards, pinewood derby races, den trips, projects, etc. It is important that they tell their friends all about these fun things!
9. Tell them that if they recruit a friend to join Cub Scouts they will get a neat recruiter patch. Tell them that they will have even more fun than last year because they got their friends to join!
10. End the meeting by re-reading the boy card where they promise to “Do Their Best!”
NORTHERN LIGHTS COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF
My Best Friend Is a Scout!
Sign-up Den Meeting Outline
1. While the Cubs Scouts gather – Have the Cub Scouts show the new boys the Cub Scout sign, handshake, and salute. Have the new parents fill out a Cub Scout application for their son.
2. Opening – Say the Pledge of Allegiance and teach new boys and parents the Cub Scout Promise.
3. Song – “This Land is Your Land” in the Cub Scout Songbook. Boys and parents point to audience when they sing “your land,” and point to themselves when they sing “my land,” and point to the audience and then themselves when they sing “for you and me.”
This land is your land, this land is my land-
From
From
the redwood forest to the
This
land was made for you and me.
4. Game – Corn Pitching in the Cub Scout Program Helps pg. 8 Nov 03. Have the boys and parents participate together.
You
need a good-sized bowl and six kernels of corn (the kind used in bird feeders
work better than popcorn). Each player takes turn pitching the corn kernels,
one at a time, into the bowl from a set distance. Keep score of how many kernels end up in the
bowl. The winner is the one with the
highest
5. Handout a Parents Guide to each new parent and explain how the boys advance, how the den and pack meetings work, where they can get books and uniforms, other upcoming activities, and how the parents can get involved.
6. Activity – Make Edible Cabins. Let the boys and parents build a model of a Pilgrim’s log cabin using pretzel sticks and peanut butter.
7. Closing – Thanksgiving Closing Minute Cub Scout Program Helps pg. 8 NOV 03
As
is natural at this time of year, we all start thinking about the blessings in
our lives. As we do this, we need to
think of Cub Scouting and what it means to each of us and what Cub Scouting has
brought into our lives. Not only the
things we have learned, but also all the wonderful people we have the pleasure
of knowing. I count each of you as a
blessing in my life.
8. Collect application fees from new
parents and announce next meeting.