Membership Update: Recruiting Adult Volunteers

Missed the Webinar? Watch the Recording Anytime!

Recruiting youth is only one piece of building a strong Scouting program. Behind every thriving Pack, Troop, Crew, or Ship is a dedicated team of adult volunteers helping make the program possible.

If your Unit is struggling to recruit and retain adult leaders, you’re not alone. In a recent Council-wide survey, recruiting adult volunteers was identified as one of the top concerns among local Scouting Units, especially Cub Scout Packs.

To help address this challenge, the Baltimore Area Council Membership Committee hosted a webinar focused on practical, sustainable strategies Units can use to strengthen membership growth in 2026 and beyond. The webinar recording is now available on-demand for leaders, committee members, and parents to revisit anytime.

What the Webinar Covers

The session explores how successful Units move beyond a once-a-year recruiting push and instead adopt a year-round membership strategy. Leaders discuss how small, consistent actions throughout the year can help create stronger retention, improve parent engagement, and build healthier leadership pipelines.

Topics covered include:

• Building a 12-month membership and recruiting strategy

• Identifying leadership gaps before they become emergencies

• Using Family Talent Surveys to uncover parent skills and interests

• Creating clear volunteer role descriptions and realistic expectations

• Practical methods for recruiting adult volunteers

• Ways to gradually cultivate and mentor future leaders

• Strategies for improving parent engagement and participation

The webinar also highlights several real-world volunteer recruitment models that Units can adapt based on their own culture and needs, including “100 Point” participation systems, Help Wanted boards, and personalized one-on-one recruitment approaches.

Why Adult Volunteers Matter

One of the biggest takeaways from the session is that membership growth and volunteer recruitment go hand in hand. Units cannot sustainably grow without enough adults to support meetings, outings, advancement, communication, and program delivery.

The webinar emphasizes that many parents want to help — but often need clearer expectations, smaller entry points, and direct encouragement before stepping into leadership roles. Leaders are encouraged to start small, invite participation early, and create opportunities for families to gradually become more involved over time.

The session also reminds volunteers that Scouting leadership is not about having prior experience. Many successful leaders started with little or no Scouting background and learned along the way through mentorship, training, and hands-on experience.

Resources Available on the Membership Hub

In addition to the webinar recording, the Council Membership Hub includes downloadable tools and templates designed to help Units take action immediately, including:

• Position description templates

• Family Talent Surveys

• Membership planning guides

• Year-round recruiting calendars

• Contact information for District Membership Chairs

• Additional volunteer recruitment resources

The Membership Hub is designed to give Units practical tools they can customize and implement right away.

Watch the Webinar

Watch the full recording and access downloadable resources at:

baltimorescouting.org/membership

Start planning today to build a stronger, more sustainable Unit for tomorrow.