Pack Retention: How To Keep Cub Scouts & Leaders Coming Back

Recruiting Cub Scouts and families is a popular topic (be sure to check out our helpful guide to pack recruiting 😀 ) but even the best recruitment doesn’t do much good if those new Scouts only stay for one year. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your Cubs and volunteers keep coming back. But how?

Retaining Cub Scouts and leaders in your pack often boils down to three things: fun, program, and communication. If your Cub Scout program is fun and your pack is following the Scouts BSA program, den leaders will have a clear direction for meetings. And, if your pack practices regular and effective communication, “business” should operate smoothly.

PS. This article is a guest post collaboration between Cub Scouting volunteer Jaci H and Cole 🙂

In this article, we’ll share some retention tips from packs across the country while focusing on how they relate to fun, program, and communication! Some of the tips will come from a very interesting Retention Best Practices 35-page thesis that was presented in Mississippi in 2011.

Scouting Experience: I’m ecstatic to say that I’m now the proud parent of an Eagle Scout. My son started Cub Scouts in the first grade and continued all the way without any lapses. He had a ton of fun and made many memories over nearly a dozen years!

We know that you might be saying: “That was over a decade ago!” However, we think the data that was compiled and analyzed has a lot of valuable findings that are quite likely the same today in Cub Scout packs. The thesis looked at leadership, training, communication, pack goals, activities, recognition, recruitment, orientation, and parental involvement.

Cub Scout Retention: Fun First!

Just like the fictional Mary Poppins quips, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” My son had amazing den leaders who followed the program so that the boys earned rank without even realizing it sometimes (because of all the fun). That’s the way it should be!

Scouting Experience: My husband, who served as the Cubmaster for my son’s pack, was excellent at converting tasks into fun. Let’s say there was confetti tossed around an event. He’d say something like, “Alright, who can collect the most pieces of paper from the floor?” Or, “I bet you can’t pick up all this trash in two minutes.” The boys would rush to beat the timer! Pretty sneaky, huh?

So how do leaders keep the pack and dens fun? Packs typically have large exciting events to look forward to each year — think Pinewood Derby and Raingutter Regatta races. Doing things that help unify the pack, including community service, will also help everyone connect. 🙂

Mike B., a Cubmaster and den leader in New Lenox, IL said, “Camping has really brought my pack together. You need to make sure the kids and parents make friends with people within the pack (outside their dens). It used to be that no one would talk to each other. Now it seems like we are a big family.”

Scouting Memory: When my son was a Cub Scout, we attended a minor league baseball game and then set up tents on the field afterwards and slept there! Running around the baseball field and stadium at night…. That was exciting for the kids! Even as an adult, I thought it was unique and fun.

Other fun events mentioned by packs included regular movie nights, live animal shows, annual Blue & Gold celebrations, monthly awards, active camping (as Mike B. just mentioned), fishing days, park play dates, and going to sporting events. Inviting interesting performers — like magicians, scientists, and comedy folks — can spice up a pack meeting too!

Keep It Fun (and Easy) for the Leaders

You could say the same for retaining leaders: keep it fun. Cathy W., an AOL (Arrow of Light) den leader from Canal Fulton, OH, said her pack has adult outings. “We have a monthly parents’ night out where adults just get together for dinner and socializing. It’s been so great for building a strong pack family!”

Cathy W. also said that her pack pays for the registration of leaders and provides training. That’s how they make it easy for the leaders! In addition, they have monthly parent-leader meetings to keep everyone engaged and active. The most helpful thing of all for her leaders is the Shared Leadership approach.

Shared Leadership Approach

According to Scouts BSA, the Shared-Leadership Model involves a different parent each month assisting the den leader. This team hosts that month’s den meetings as well as the den’s part in the pack meeting. What a great way to get more parents involved! 😀

“I am very passionate about Shared Leadership…it’s been the most incredible thing I’ve implemented with my den! I actually have done Shared Leadership from Lions to AOLs and it’s naturally evolved from being parent led, to, at the Webelos/AOL level, being Scout-led, which really has set up my den for Scouts BSA,” Cathy W. added.

Helpful Link: Want a refresher on all the different volunteer roles in Cub Scouts? Check out our handy guide!

Cathy also leads a related class through the Baden Powell Institute that is both online and live. We recommend Scout leaders take advantage of this amazing and vast training opportunity featuring dozens and dozens of courses!

For Cubs in second grade and older, the den leader works with a co-leader, and potentially, a den chief (an older Scout from a troop). While often not utilized, the den chief is a wonderful role that enhances that Scout’s own experiences as well as the experience of the younger Scouts.

Scouter Stan describes the unique role of a den chief in this video (7:26):

When Cub Scout leaders are regularly supported through something like the Shared Leadership Approach (and den chiefs!), it relieves some pressure while pulling the other parents into the fun and thus solidifying their engagement and commitment.

We love this quote from the Best Practices thesis paper: “In Cub Scouting, you’re either a den leader or your main job is to help the den leaders. There is no other choice.” The statement is attributed to Bill Smith, the Roundup Guy, Baloo’s Bugle.

Program: Follow Scouts BSA

When it comes to the content of your program, it’s best to follow Scouts BSA. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel! Use the overall leader book, as well as Den Leader Resources from BSA, and complete all training available to you on the My.Scouting site.

We suggest this because Cub Scouts will be most successful when leaders follow the program as intended. As Scouts earn their ranks and advance, they generally maintain interest and motivation. If you’re ever unsure about what to do, consult with your local council. They are there to help! 🙂

Looking for some tips and fresh ideas? We wrote an article to help guide folks in planning a Cub Scout den meeting. It includes several video tips and a lot of ideas for activities too. A field trip can also serve as a den meeting and can help mix things up!

In the Retention Best Practices we mentioned (pg. 22), we loved this sentiment: “Exposure to skills does not mean mastery of skills, just a challenge, a learning experience, and fun. Some boys at this age [nine] have a terrible time with skills… A boy needs a compliment for a job well done to the best of his ability.”

This video (3:58) gives five tips for new den leaders:

We also suggest keeping the momentum going in your pack by continuing activities in the summertime. We know families vacation and will have different schedules, but make it a goal not to let the summer go to waste! I’d recommend every pack host enough activities to qualify for a National Summertime Pack Award. Incorporate natural summertime activities and it will be easier than you think!

To make planning the year-round pack program fun, have a volunteer “party” to set the calendar for the following year! Make sure to do this several months in advance. Keep your popular annual events to a certain schedule and mix in some new events based on ideas from leaders and Scout resources, like these sample Scouts BSA pack calendars.

Communication: Make It Effective

One of the things most folks find frustrating is not being able to find answers to their questions. As soon as you have families join your pack, they should be informed and trained as to how to communicate within your pack.

Helpful Link: Our guide on How To Welcome Families to a Cub Scout Pack offers a lot of great tips regarding communication!

Cub Scout parents who are well connected and informed will have a positive view of the program. Communication also means reaching out to families who are absent from the group to let them know they are missed — and to find out if there are any issues that need to be addressed.

Here’s another great thought from the Best Practices thesis: “Every parent needs to feel connected to the group with someone to call to discuss an issue, problem, or question. That phone call might be as simple as needing someone to talk with or vent some frustration.”

Scouts might miss meetings due to sports, so it’s important to let the family know they are welcomed back when the season is over. If it turns out that the family won’t be returning, parent JD D., assistant Cubmaster from a pack in Brownsburg, IN, suggests finding out what the pack or den could do better. “Ask what they liked and what they didn’t like,” he said.

He also recommended, “Remind them that membership is for a year, so if they change their mind, they are always welcome back…It could also be that your unit just isn’t the right fit for their family. Sometimes it is necessary to recommend checking out some other nearby units… While we all want all the kids in our own unit, it is better they stay in Scouting.”

Conclusion

Just like keeping good leaders in the business world, it’s easier and more cost effective to keep great leaders in the Scouting world! Keep your amazing leaders by paying for their registration and any additional training. Make sure they are also having fun and parent involvement is solid.

It’s also more cost effective to retain Scouts. Keep your Scouts happy with a terrific program full of fun and progress through Cub Scout ranks. When it comes to communication, make sure your entire pack family knows how to locate the answers to their questions, whether it be virtually or personally. Try to notice when someone isn’t showing up and find out why.

We have many articles on our website connected to topics within this article. Here are just a few you might consider reading.

We hope you’ll stay a while and look around! Best wishes in your Scouting journey 😀