The basis of this program is for current Cub Scouting youth members to recruit
their friends into the pack. Studies show that members will remain active in the
program if they are participating with their friends.
We have always had a "friends recruit friends" philosophy, but we have never
given them the tools (and taught them how to use them) so they can be even
better recruiters for Cub Scouts! This
year we are counting on you to help
them become recruiters for Cub Scout-
ing.
The "My Best Friend Is a Cub Scout!"
campaign is designed to give Cub
Scouts some recruitment tools and fos-
ter in each one the desire to recruit his
or her two best friends to join Scouting.
Current members will have more fun if
their friends join them, and they will
stay in Cub Scouting longer. There will
be less chance of negative peer pres-
sure when their friends are also Cub
Scouts.
On the next several pages we have re-created some of the materials developed by
many Scout Councils which have had great success with "My Best Friend Is a Cub
Scout!" recruitment. If you have any questions about this exciting, unique recruit-
ment program, contact your District Executive, or email joinscouting@scouting.org
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
Additional Recruitment material is available
at www.craterlakecouncil.org/recruiitment
Dear Leader,
Thank you for participating in this Cub Scout recruiting campaign! We have designed some new ma-
terials and approaches to help your pack recruit boys and girls into the great program that your pack
offers, a program that will positively affect the lives of the youth and their families!
The basic thought of this program is to get your current Cub Scouts to help recruit their friends into
the pack. Studies show that your current Cub Scouts will stay involved if they are participating with
their friends. We have always had a "friends recruit friends" philosophy, but we have never given
them the tools, and taught them how to use them, to be good recruiters for Cub Scouts! This year
we are counting on you to help them become better recruiters for Scouting.
The "My Best Friend Is a Cub Scout!" campaign is designed to give your Cub Scouts some
recruitment tools and the desire to recruit their two best friends to join Scouting with them. Your
current Cub Scouts will have more fun if their friends join with them, and they will stay in Scouting
longer. There will be less negative peer pressure when their friends are also Scouts.
The program should work as follows:
1. The pack receives 2020 Recruitment materials, along with new recruiting tools for Cub Scouts.
2. Either the pack, or preferably the den, will have a meeting prior to the recruitment event to teach
the Cub Scouts how to use the new tools. Be sure to review the "How to Use the Materials" flier.
3. The leader plays a very important role by making sure that the Cub Scouts fill in
the blanks on the new materials that they will give to their two best friends.
4. The leader should encourage the current Cub Scouts to think about all the fun things they did last
year. Getting the Cub Scouts to remember all these things now will refresh their memories and they
should tell their two best friends about these fun activities when they give them the invitation.
5. At the meeting be sure that all the materials are filled out and that the Cub Scouts
know what to do with the invitations and business cards. Give them the Parent
Information flier to give to their parents, which explains the program and how parents
can help.
6. On the evening before the recruitment meeting, call each family and remind the
parent, or the Cub Scout, to bring the business card reminder to school for their two
best friends.
7. Recognize any Scout that recruit a friend by giving him a “Recruiter” patch!
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
Additional Recruitment material is available
at www.craterlakecouncil.org/recruiitment
Dear Parent,
This fall we are asking your Cub Scout to help make a difference in the lives of their friends by
personally inviting them to join Cub Scouts with them. Studies have shown that youth tend to
gravitate towards participating in activities that their friends participate in. We believe that your child
is more likely to stay in Scouting, and get the full benefits of a proven program, if his or her friends
are in it with them
• What are those benefits again?
• Learn new things
• Develop new skills
• Develop a sense of belonging
• Enjoy a supervised environment for activities
• Learn citizenship, character, and fitness
• Develop leadership skills
• Develop self-confidence as he/she earns badges
• Spending "quality time" with family and leaders
• And, YES, they will have a lot of fun too!
Please help your child participate in the "My Best Friend Is a Scout!" program by reminding them to
do a couple of things.
First, make sure he attends the special Den Meeting so that he can learn how to use the recruitment
materials; you may even want to attend with him! The materials are fun and colorful, and your child
can earn a special recruiter patch if they get a friend to join.
Second, the day after that Den Meeting, remind them to take the two invitations to school to give to
his/her friends. The invitation is personalized and comes directly from your Cub Scout to their
friends.
Third, on the morning of the recruitment meeting (listed on the materials), be sure that they take the
business card reminders to school to remind their friends of the meeting that evening.
Another way you can help is to follow up with the parents of your child’s friends and encourage them
to come to the meeting. Your child will have more fun in Scouts if his or her friends join, and you just
may make some new friends yourself!
Many thanks to you and your family for choosing Scouting for your child. The time you
spend with your child in Scouting is very important and will help him or her to grow into the best
adult they can be!
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
Each Scout should be given an envelope from
their leader, which will include a postcard sized
"buddy card," two postcard sized invitations, and
two business cards. Each Den Leader should
have a special den meeting to instruct the Cub
Scouts on how to use these new recruiting tools.
1. Commitment Card—Each Scout will fill their
name in on the front side of the card and
promise to "Do His Best!" to invite their two best
friends to join Scouts, because Cub Scouts is
more fun when you join with your friends. On the
reverse side of the card the leader helps the scout
write in the names of the two best friends that the
scout will invite. The friends can be from school,
the 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 meeting where the new youth
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 re-
minder 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 their 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 their name at the top of the
card (so the parents of the friends will know
that their child is being invited by a friend),
or do it for them 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 are 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 re-
ceive two business card "reminders" to
give to their friends on the day of the
meeting. Again, the leader 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.
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
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, en-
courage them to choose a different person. Be
sure to have them write in the date, time and lo-
cation
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 their
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 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: Cub 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 they will have even more fun
than last year because they got their friends to
join!
End the meeting by re-reading the buddy card
where they promise to "Do Their Best!"
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 best friends.
5. Give each Cub Scout an envelope with
the new materials. Read the "buddy 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.
Additional Recruitment material is available
at www.craterlakecouncil.org/recruiitment
Invitation—Each Scout will fill their name in on the front side of the invitation and promise to "Do
Their Best!" to invite their two best friends to join Scouts, because Cub Scouts is more fun when you
join with your friends. On the reverse side of the invitation, the leader helps the child to write in the
names of their 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 meeting where the new youth 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.
Photocopy the printer-friendly page provided and fold into quarters to distribute.
Additional recruitment materials can be found at
www.craterlakecouncil.org/recruitment
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
FOLDABLE INVITATION
My Best Friend Is a Cub Scout!
Please come to our next meeting on:
___________________ at _________ o
’clock
(day) (time)
at
___________________________________ .
(meeting place)
I, _________________________, want
you_________________________________
to join Cub Scouts
with me so that we can all have fun
together!
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.
Make two-sided 8.5” x 11” photocopy of the printer-friendly pages provided and trim into quarters.
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
INVITATION CARDS
You Are Invited to Join Cub Scouts!
By _____________________________
(Inviting Cub Scout’s Name & Phone)
On _____________________________
(Day and Date)
At _____________________________
(Location and Room)
From
_____________________________
(Time)
Come join the fun with your friends in
Cub Scouts!
MY BEST
FRIEND IS
A CUB
SCOUT!
Dear Prospecve Cub Scout Parent,
The Cub Scout on the front of this
invitaon is a friend of your child, and
has personally invited your child to join
Cub Scouts with them. In Cub Scouts your
child will have lots of fun, learn new
things and make new friends. But Cub
Scouts is much more than that.
Everything they will do in Cub Scouts—ceremonies, earn
awards, sports, games and cras, will be done with a specic
purpose in mind. The reasons parents want their child to get
into Cub Scouts probably aren’t the same as why he will
want to join. Take a look at the 12 Core Values Cub Scoung
strives to teach:
Cizenship Honesty
Compassion Perseverance
Cooperaon Posive Atude
Courage Resourcefulness
Faith Respect
Health and Fitness Responsibility
Please come nd out about all the fun! You and your child
are invited to learn more about Cub Scouts at the date/me
and locaon listed on the front of this card. If you like what
you learn, you can join that night.
My Best Friend is a Cub Scout!
2020 Recruitment Plan
