MAKE A CALENDAR OF FUN ACTIVITIES
SHOWCASE YOUR PACK PROGRAMPlan a Year Families Will Want to Join.
A strong Cub Scout recruiting plan begins with a strong program. Families want to know what Scouts will do, where they will go, and what experiences they will share. Build a calendar filled with activities that Scouts and families will look forward to throughout the year.
Topics on This Page:
RECRUITING RESOURCES
What Sounds Better: Meetings or Experiences?
Cub Scouting is about fun, family, friends, and hands-on experiences. Cub Scout handbooks are filled with Adventures, and your den and pack calendar should be too.
If it is fun for Scouts, fun for families, and safe, it can be part of your Cub Scout program.
- Use council and district activities as anchors in your annual plan.
- Add hiking, fishing, biking, rockets, STEM, service projects, field trips, camping, and other family activities.
- Invite prospective families to selected activities so they can experience your pack before joining.
- Use advancement resources to help connect activities with Cub Scout Adventures.
A Possible Activity Calendar
May: Celebrate the end of the school year with a picnic, cookout, field day, graduation activity, or family event.
June: Attend Day Camp or Twilight Camp, go swimming or fishing, or plan another outdoor activity.
July: Keep summer fun going with informal family outings and simple den activities.
August: Celebrate "Back to the Pack" with swimming, biking, boating, games, or s'mores.
September: Take a hike and introduce families to outdoor Cub Scout skills.
October: Plan a family camping experience or attend a council camping event.
November: Combine service with rockets, biking, range & target activities, or other fall programs.
December: Celebrate together and consider a service project that supports your community.
January: Try a museum overnight, special outing, winter activity, or Pinewood Derby preparation.
February: Celebrate Scouting's birthday, hold a Pinewood Derby or Blue & Gold event, or complete a service project.
March: Get outdoors for hiking, biking, kites, games, or other spring activities.
April: Camp, fish, launch rockets, or explore another outdoor experience.
Pack Planning Tips
- Ask Families What They Want to Do: Surveys and informal conversations can reveal activities that excite your current families.
- Invite Parents to Help Plan: Families may know about destinations, activities, and opportunities your current leaders have never considered.
- Make Planning Social: A picnic, cookout, or pizza gathering may encourage more participation than a formal planning meeting.
- Ask About Interests: Parents who fish, bike, hike, camp, cook, swim, build, or explore may be willing to organize an activity they already enjoy.
- Plan Ahead: Put desirable activities on your calendar even if every event leader has not yet been identified.
- Share the Calendar: Use your annual plan as a recruiting, communication, and retention tool.
Keep the Outing in Scouting
Cub Scouting should be active, outdoor, and hands-on. Advancement does not have to happen only around a table or inside a meeting room. Hikes, outings, campouts, service projects, games, and field trips can provide excellent opportunities for learning and advancement.
Once you have a calendar worth joining, move to Step Two: Promote Your Pack Program.