Recruiting volunteers can seem like a daunting task. We all know that many hands make light work, but when you're already short staffed, it can make it seem like a life-or-death opportunity. This has the snowball effect of making volunteer recruiting even harder, and often leads us to make mistakes of desperation. We wind up putting the wrong person in the wrong job, or scaring off potential volunteers.

So in an effort to help, I've put together some great resources to help you in your efforts.  

The Connecticut Rivers Council Recruiting Resource Page

The Seven Deadly Sins of Volunteer Recruiting

From the Mid-America Council Every Family Has a Job

Also from the MAC, Volunteer Recruiting Step-By-Step

Remember that Keep it Simple, Make it Fun, should be a focus in volunteer recruiting too. Remember that everybody can do something, and that people, by their very nature, are helpful. It's also true that the more kids you have, the more potential volunteers you have, so if you only have 10 kids in your pack, you'd have at least twice as many if you recruited 10 more kids.

Don't be too focused on titles, don't be too formal, and remember why it is that YOU volunteer. Other people will volunteer for the same reasons.

Lastly, remember the example of Tom Sawyer getting the white picket fence painted. Let people see you have fun volunteering, and they will be that much more likely to join you!

Remember that you are not alone. There's always someone you can call. Your Unit Commissioner, Assistant District Dommissioner, District Commissioner, or District Executive is just waiting to be asked to help you. It's why they are there.

Thank you for everything you do for Scouting.

Yours In Scouting,

Mike Cooney

Senior District Executive, Mohegan District

mcooney@bsamail.org