SCOUTS CANADAS National Bring a Friend Campaign

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SCOUTS CANADAS National Bring a Friend
Campaign

• What is it?

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The Bring a Friend Campaign is

• .a CELEBRATION of Scoutings involvement in
  the community and an OPPORTUNITY for Scouting
  youth and leaders to invite their friends to one
  or two meetings. It usually occurs during the
  months of January, February March.

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Introducing..

• Scouts Canadas
• BRING A FRIEND KIT
• Designed for the Section Leader

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CONTENTS OF KIT

• How to Set Up a Bring a Friend Night an
  Overview
• Suggested Timelines
• Bring A Friend Invitations
• Contents of Visitors take home package
• FAQs
• Checklist Make sure youve covered everything
• Follow-Up

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How to Set up aBring a Friend Night(An
Overview)

• 1. Discuss engage the youth in your section.
  Ask about their ideas for inviting friends to a
  meeting.
• 2. Set the date for Bring a Friend meeting(s)
• 3. Prepare invitations
• 4. Request promotional material if needed
  (tattoos, stickers, pamphlets) from your CFE
• 5. Arrange to have additional leadership or
  parent helper(s) to maintain supervision/ratio
• 6. Plan program to include visitors
• 7. Prepare visitors take-home package to
  distribute to guests at the end of the evening
  (includes registration forms (youth adult),
  contact info, tattoos, brochures, list of
  upcoming section events)

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TIMELINES

• 3 Weeks Before
• Send completed invitations with the youth in your
  section to pass on to their friends
• Inform your Group Committee, Area team, CFE that
  you are hosting a Bring a Friend evening
• Ask for promotional materials (if needed)
• 2 Weeks Before
• Purchase craft supplies needed for meeting (make
  sure to buy extra)
• Remind youth to distribute invitations
• Make photocopies of registration forms, letters
  etc. for Take Home
• Packages
• 1 Week Before
• Encourage youth to call their friends to remind
  them about meeting
• Ask youth in your section for the names of the
  friends that theyve invited
• Put finishing touches on packages to distribute
  to the guests. This is a great activity for the
  youth in your section to help with.

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Bring a Friend Invitation

• Allow the youth in your section to fill out the
  invitations ensuring that date(s), time
  address are included
• Contact name/number should be included on the
  invitation in case parents/guardians have
  questions about Bring a Friend meeting night.

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Visitors Take Home Package

• Your sample package should include
• Letter to Parent/Guardian Thanking them for
  allowing their youth to participate and
  encouraging them to think about joining.
• Scouts Canada Participant Enrolment Form and/or
  Application for Membership Appointment of
  Volunteers
• Contact name number for the Group
• Scouts Canada youth section brochure
• Scouts Canada Be a Leader brochure
• List of upcoming section/group events (perhaps
  this is in your Group/Sections most recent
  newsletter)

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Q Do friends who attend a meeting need to have
  their parents sign a Hold Harmless Agreement?
• A Friends can attend regular meetings for two
  nights without having to sign the Hold Harmless
  Agreement. However, they should register on or
  before their third night. Friends are not
  permitted to attend camps/outings until they have
  become a registered member.
• Q I am concerned about ratio of leaders to youth
  with the new members coming in. How can I handle
  these new members?
• A  Good question you should probably plan now
  on asking a few parents to help out during Bring
  a Friend campaign, who knows you may even find a
  new leader in one of those parents.  Dont forget
  to make sure you have a few extra materials on
  hand for meetings so the friends can fully
  participate too!

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Checklist Prior to Bring a Friend Event

• Promote Event to youth in your section
• As a section, prepare invitations
• Inform Group Committee, Area Team, CFE of the
  event
• Purchase supplies needed for the meeting
• Remind youth to distribute invitations
• Copy forms for take home packages
• Encourage youth to remind their friends as the
  event gets closer
• As a section, prepare PR take home packages

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Checklist for Bring a Friend Event

• Set up greeters at the door to welcome visiting
  youth and families.
• Make nametags (or allow visitors to make them)
• Ensure adequate leadership to accommodate extra
  youth for that meeting
• Ensure adequate supplies, craft materials, snacks
  etc.
• Set up display at your section meeting. Display
  should include photos, flags, camp blankets,
  posters etc.
• Provide each friend with a Promo kit or Visitors
  Take Home package upon their departure

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Checklist for After the Bring a Friend Event

• Send follow up letter to those parents/guardians
  who filled out the sign-in sheet
• Ensure any new registrations/payments are
  forwarded to SWO Admin Centre via CFE.