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Today’s episode features the return of my good friend Sandy Payne. You may remember her from Episode 1, where she did a great overview on working with Scouts with Special Needs. Sandy’s an expert on helping Scouts with Autism, and I always learn a lot from our conversations. We recorded this episode at June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation in Ashford, Connecticut. I’d like to thank them for hosting us. About the Guest Sandy Payne has been the chair of the Connecticut Rivers Council Scouting with Special Needs Committee for the past 8 years. She’s been a licensed practical nurse for 20 years.  For the last 15 years, she’s have been involved in scouting starting as her son’s Tiger Parent. Her son, who is on the Autism spectrum, earned the rank of Eagle in 2015. Sandy’s got a great Scouting with Special Needs Facebook page that you should like. Promotional Link New Lyft customers Get $20 in Free Ride Credits Looking for some extra income, sign up to drive with Lyft, and up to $100 in bonuses! Additional Resources for Helping Scouts with Autism http://www.autismempowerment.org/autism-scouting-program/ https://sensoryswim.com/ http://nationalautismassociation.org/ https://www.autismspeaks.org/resource/autism-services-and-resources

I had my good friend, Ken Lee, on the show to talk about Scouting Religious Emblems programs. Ken comes from a great scouting family going back three generations on camp staff at June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation in Ashford, Connecticut. He’s an Eagle Scout, and he’s the father of an Eagle Scout. He’s been a longtime assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 4 in Norwich. At present, he’s the District Chairman for the Mohegan District of the Connecticut Rivers Council, which serves Southeastern Connecticut. But it was in Ken’s capacity as the Chair of the Norwich Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting that I had Ken on the program. I hope you enjoy it.   Scouting Religious Emblems Resources Ken, on the left, with Bishop Michael Cote. Duty to God Pamphlet, with descriptions of Religious Awards Programs P.R.A.Y. Website National Catholic Committee on Scouting National Jewish Committee on Scouting Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting National Association of Muslim Americans on Scouting BSA Scouting Religious Emblems Page Episodes Mentioned Episode 10 – She Started a Cub Scout Pack in Kazakhstan   Contact Ken about Scout Sunday Patches Each year, Ken creates a great Scout Sunday patch. If you’re interested in getting one, feel free to send an email to Ken. A selection of Ken’s patches   Sponsor Product mentioned Slumberjack Boundary 0 Sleeping Bag For extending that autumn season a bit, or starting in early on spring, theSlumberjack … [More] Price: $69.95 Buy Now (Remember to use promo code SAVE20 to save 20% at checkout)                    

The Trail to Eagle isn’t always the smoothest ride. Episode 11 covers the stories of a few of the Eagle Scouts I’ve had the honor of working with. Related Content 7 Life Skills You Learn from Backpacking   Support the Show Do your shopping through my Amazon Link. I get a small commission from each purchase, and it adds nothing to your costs Or… You can make a small donation to support the show at Patreon.com Save on Camping Supplies at Campmor with Promo Code “Save20”   Photo by mypubliclands

Suzanna El Mogazi was a Girl Scout as a youth and signed her son up for Pack 424 in Katy, Texas as a Tiger as soon as he was old enough. The pack needed a second Tiger leader badly so she stepped up. It was terrifying but wound up being the greatest thing ever. She led nine boys for Tigers and Wolves. This past summer her family moved to Atyrau, Kazakhstan for her husband’s work. Their compound had Girl Scouts established but no Cub Scouts. For that matter, there was no Kazakhstan Cub Scout pack at all for her son to join. So with the help of the Transatlantic Council, and the Dostyk American International School, Susanna started a new Cub Scout pack – Pack 88 in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. Now she leads the Bear den of 6 boys and is also the Cubmaster. We talked for about 40 minutes, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It’s a great conversation where we covered Resources Mentioned Transatlantic Council William D. Boyce New Unit Award (includes directions for starting a new unit) Doing a Boy Talk How You Can Support the Show Give us 5 Stars on iTunes Like Us On Facebook Do Your Amazon Shopping Through Our Link Donate to the Show on Patreon amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "oldmom-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "319f798337cec3f9b7bdb52fc36a94cb"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B00K2GXNGA,B00XIGZ8BE,B01ETPO66A,B00WT5Q6L6";

If at first you don’t succeed, and you don’t get as many kids as you should at your first recruiting night, then it’s time for Round Two Cub Scout recruiting. In this solo episode, I go over how you know if you’re serving as many kids as you should in your pack, some of the things that can go wrong in the initial phase of recruiting, and some things you can do to fix them.   Episodes Referenced Episode 7 – Cub Scout Recruiting with Matt Ghirarda   Articles Referenced Doing a School Recruiting Talk 23 Places to Hang Flyers Cub Scout Recruiting 30 Day Rule     Round Two Cub Scout Recruiting Resource Referenced Cub Scout Bring-A-Buddy Cards   Website Mentioned Nextdoor.com   Support the Show Shop on Amazon Make a Donation on Patreon Photo by woodleywonderworks

Here’s the conclusion of my interview with Matt Ghirarda. We talked a bit more about messaging to potential scout families, time commitments, recruiting adults, your recruiting night checklist, and a lot more. (Click here for part one)   About Matt Ghirarda Matt Ghirarda has worked professionally for the Boy Scouts of America for 12 years. He has served as a Program Specialist and Summer Camp Director with Boston Minuteman Council (Milton, MA), District Executive & Camp Director with Katahdin Area Council (Bangor, Maine), and is currently serving Nashua Valley Council (Lancaster, MA) as a District Director.   Support the Show! Please consider supporting the show by doing your shopping through our Amazon link, or by making a donation to the show on Patreon.   Cub Scout Recruiting Resources Nashua Valley Membership Muster Slide Show   Articles Referenced Doing a Boy Talk 23 Places to Put up Flyers 5 Simple Things You Can Do To Grow Scouting this Fall My Top 10 Reasons to Sign Your Son Up for Cub Scouts   Episodes Mentioned Ep. 5 – Volunteer Recruiting Basics Ep 2 – Using Facebook to Promote Your Pack Photo by woodleywonderworks amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "oldmom-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "f8d732afb43dd814a41b8be97ddd7e1a"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0985909773,0984954236,B00LXCUE9Q,B00M1BJ52A";

Matt Ghirarda from the Nashua Valley Council joined me, and we had a great talk about Cub Scout Recruiting. In part one of our conversation, we talked about why recruiting is important, how councils can help packs recruit, school access, marketing and a whole lot more. If you’re in charge of recruiting Cub Scouts this fall, then this episode is one you can’t miss. (Click here for part two) About the Guest Matthew Ghirarda has worked professionally for the Boy Scouts of America for 12 years. He has served as a Program Specialist and Summer Camp Director with Boston Minuteman Council (Milton, MA), District Executive & Camp Director with Katahdin Area Council (Bangor, Maine), and is currently serving Nashua Valley Council (Lancaster, MA) as a District Director. Support the Show! Please consider supporting the show by doing your shopping through our Amazon link, or by making a donation to the show on Patreon.   Cub Scout Recruiting Resources Nashua Valley Membership Muster Slide Show   Articles Referenced Doing a Boy Talk 23 Places to Put up Flyers 5 Simple Things You Can Do To Grow Scouting this Fall My Top 10 Reasons to Sign Your Son Up for Cub Scouts   Episodes Mentioned Ep. 5 – Volunteer Recruiting Basics Ep 2 – Using Facebook to Promote Your Pack Photo by woodleywonderworks amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "oldmom-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "f8d732afb43dd814a41b8be97ddd7e1a"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0985909773,0984954236,B00LXCUE9Q,B00M1BJ52A";

In this episode, I had my old friends Justin and Irina Trzaskos on the show to talk about their series of books, “Tales from a Magical Forest“, their work with the Coventry Arts Guild, and Irina’s art classes. Justin and Irina met while working together on staff at June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation in Ashford, Connecticut. She was participating in the International Camp Staff program from Organizația Națională a Scouților din Moldova. These two scout authors have recently released their latest book, Molezart. Episode Sponsor Gearbubble About the Guests Irina Trzaskos is an artist and illustrator based in Coventry, Connecticut. Irina’s vivid watercolor style mixes modern techniques with old world charm. Her art is influenced by the culture of her home country of Moldova in Eastern Europe. Irina is the owner of Irina Trzaskos Studio which specializes in art used for products such as fabric, table wear, stationery and home décor. She is represented by Art Licensing International. She also illustrates children’s books for the book series, Tales From a Magical Forest. Her fairy and animal creatures bring these stories to life and entertain readers young and old. Irina also teaches watercolor courses at Skillshare.com. Her classes feature step by step instructions on a variety of watercolor topics including tropical foliage, butterflies, wedding sketching and floral design. Irina has hundreds of pieces that can be viewed through her agency at artlicensing.com. Justin Trzaskos is the author of the children’s book series Tales From a Magical Forest. His children’s titles include, The Fairy and the Frog, The Fairy and the Bird, The Fairy and the Mouse, The Fairy and the Rabbit, A Fairy Christmas Eve, Welcome to Camp Summerberry and Molezart. Justin has also written a cookbook called Cakesadilla Cookbook and a short story titled The Reverse Boomerang. Justin collaborates with his wife Irina on bringing these stories from the sketch pad to publication. Justin is also the President of the local arts organization, The Coventry Arts Guild, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and artists in his hometown of Coventry, Connecticut. Books written by Justin can be found at www.amazon.com/author/talesfromamagicalforest.   Tales From a Magical Forest Amazon Facebook Website About Irina Trzaskos Studio FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM ONLINE CLASSES PORTFOLIO FOR ART LICENSING   Additional Links Coventry Arts Festival – Sept. 9th at Patriot’s Park in Coventry, Connecticut The BSA’s International Camp Staff program       amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "oldmom-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "95486280d0adda3e16b460ed9cc8b99a"; amzn_assoc_asins = "1974511987,1512146196,1497466822,1499505264";

Episode 5 covers the basics of volunteer recruiting. Have you been standing at the front of the room asking for help at every meeting, to no avail? Then you owe it to yourself to take the 13 minutes out of your busy day to listen to this simple volunteer recruiting primer. Learn about the basics of coming up with a recruiting plan. What is a nominating committee, and who should you want on it? Learn why you shouldn’t feel guilty asking people to volunteer, and why you’ll get more volunteers when you ask big. You’ll also get some quick and easy ways to find out who you should be asking. The episode also covers how you should make the ask. Why you should never go alone, and why how you’re meeting should go. Today’s Sponsor The Old Mom Diaries   Volunteer Recruiting Resources Cub Scout Roles and Responsibilities Family Talent Survey Sheet   Please Subscribe iTunes Stitcher Google Play     Here are four really good books on volunteer recruiting. Don’t be scared off by the prices, you can find most of them for a lot less used on Amazon. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "growyourgroup-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Related Items"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "75e7c58e7b62fdb468b71cd01ab6f5bb"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0977395405,1601381492,1523228733,1592579353";

With summer camp coming to an end; I go over my top 10 reasons for you to join Cub Scouts with your son. From great activities to family bonding and character building, this September is a great time to get in on the fun. Articles Referenced My Top 10 Reasons to Sign Your Son Up for Cub Scouts   Links Referenced Youth Protection Training Resources Tufts University Study beascout.org   Sponsor This episode brought to you by our Amazon page. There are lots of great deals for Back-to-School on Amazon.com. Don’t spend the last few days of your summer going from store to store. Go to Amazon, and spend more time on the beach.

I had a great conversation with my old friend Dave Parry about his career in Scouting, about fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and most importantly, how all the resources and volunteers we need to be successful are usually under our noses the whole time. Dave’s an all-around great guy. Really down to Earth, and he’s got a really great way of putting things. I asked him on to talk fundraising and volunteer recruitment. There’s some real gold in this episode, and I hope you enjoy it. I spoke to Dave over the phone from his home in Eastern Connecticut. This episode is great for anyone in Scouting looking to recruit new people, but these ideas would translate to just about any group imaginable. About the Guest Dave Parry is a retired Scout Executive with the Southern New Jersey Council. He also served as Development Director with the Connecticut Rivers Council.   Sponsor Today’s Episode is brought to you by Dashlane Link Mentioned Joshua’s Trust Fundraising Book Recommended Let’s Have Lunch Together – A Learning Novel

These days, about a third the world’s population is on Facebook. That number increased by 17% in 2016 alone. 5 new people sign up for Facebook every second of every day. You need to be able to learn the basics of Facebook marketing in order to grow your Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, Rotary Club, Elks Lodge, Church, Synagogue, or even your business. So how do you do it? In today’s episode, I go without a guest in explaining the difference between a Facebook Group, and a Facebook Page; how you can get thousands of people seeing your posts; and how you can target those views to your potential members/volunteers/donors/customers.   About the Guest There’s no guest today. Just your host. But he’s got 10 years of experience in using Facebook marketing to reach audiences. Mike is a former Senior District Executive for the Boy Scouts of America. He’s also the Vice President of the Norwich Noontime Rotary Club and is a District Committee member for the Nipmuck District of the Connecticut Rivers Council, in charge of their social media. Sponsors Gear Bubble – Make Money by Creating and Selling Your Own Custom Mugs, Hats, Shirts and More This episode is also brought to you by our Amazon Page. Your purchases made through our link add nothing to your final purchase price and help keep the show going. You can also make a direct donation at patreon.com/growyourgroup. Viral Article Mentioned Top 10 Reasons to Send Your Kid To Scout Camp   Facebook Marketing Resources Difference Between a Facebook Page and a Group Facebook Statistics BSA Social Media Playbook Creating a Join Now (Call to Action) Button 3 Quick (and Free) Ways to increase Facebook Page Likes Roundtable Handout BSA Talent Release Form Looking to Listen to Podcasts and Talk Handsfree in Your Car? Then you should get the hands-free Bluetooth in-car speakerphone. Keep your hands on the wheel while you listen to your favorite podcasts, or answer important phone calls.  

Episode 1 – Scouting with Special Needs Sandy and I had a great discussion about helping scouts with Autism and a wide variety of other special needs.  Sandy went over the resources available to help units integrate these scouts into their program. We also talked about how to start a Scouting with Special Needs (or Disabilities Awareness) Committee in your council. You really need to listen to the end. There’s a story that will take your breath away. About the Guest Sandy Payne has been the chair of the Connecticut Rivers Council Scouting with Special Needs Committee for the past 7 years. She’s been a licensed practical nurse for 20 years.  For the last 15 years, she’s have been involved in scouting starting as her son’s Tiger Parent. Her son, who is on the Autism spectrum, earned the rank of Eagle in 2015. Sandy’s got a great Scouting with Special Needs Facebook page that you should like.   Sponsor This episode is brought to you by our Amazon Page. Your purchases made through our link add nothing to your final purchase price and help keep the show going. You can also make a direct donation at patreon.com/growyourgroup. Literature Mentioned BSA Guide to Advancement, Section 10 Disabilities Awareness – Serving Scouts With Disabilities Resource Page Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge Pamphlet Guide to Working with Scouts with Special Needs and DisAbilities Scouting for Youth with Disabilities Manual Registering Qualified Members Beyond Age of Eligibility For UK listeners   Did you miss the Grow Your Group Show introduction?   Looking to Listen to Podcasts and Talk Handsfree in Your Car? Then you should get this hands-free Bluetooth in-car speakerphone. Keep your hands on the wheel while you listen to your favorite podcasts, or answer important phone calls.  

An Introduction A short introduction to give you an idea of what the Grow Your Group Show will be all about. I give a (very) brief autobiography and go over the aims and methods of the show, and relate a great story at the end. This podcast is going to cover all things nonprofit. We’ll be going over recruiting, and fundraising and marketing. We’ll go over program ideas, and ways to make your meetings more fun and more effective. It’s these things that are really going to help you Grow Your Group – and as it turns out, the more people you have in your organization, the more fun you have, and the less everyone has to do. The show will tend to focus on Scouting, but the lessons we’ll go over are universal. I’m also the Vice-President of the Norwich Rotary Club, so I’m sure we’ll hit on that. And our guests won’t be exclusively scouts and Scouters – but people who can help teach us things. But they’ll all be people who are passionate, and who really know what they’re talking about. I know that volunteers out there are working harder than ever and that there are more and more demands on your time. So, the point of the show is to be able to reach you where you are.   Articles Mentioned 7-year-old Robert Ritchie from Philadelphia, who last year saved two toddlers from drowning Scout awarded medal for using skills to save friend’s life   Episodes Mentioned Episode 1 – Scouting With Special Needs Episode 2 – Using Facebook Marketing to Grow Your Pack, Troop or Club Episode 3 -Fundraising and Recruiting with Dave Parry Looking to Listen to Podcasts and Talk Handsfree in Your Car? Then you should get the hands-free Bluetooth in-car speakerphone. Keep your hands on the wheel while you listen to your favorite podcasts, or answer important phone calls.