If you are planning the Open House, here are a few hints that you might find helpful. If you are not the one planning the Open House, please get this information to the person in your Troop who will plan your Open House.
Equipment and Supplies to Consider
Laptops (more than one for group registration), projector, and a screen (a white board or smooth white wall will also work)
Contact cards with Troop contacts and regular meeting times
Your Troop Activity Calendar (showing scheduled meetings, campouts, and vents)
Open House Evening
Set up your sign-in table, projector, at least two laptops with WIFI, and chairs. Check to make sure your video or slides will work in the lighting and the sound is good.
Post an American flag and a Troop flag (if available)
Trailmen should attend in matching Trail Life USA attire (Leaders also, if possible)
Be ready to receive early-arriving families 15-30 minutes prior to your scheduled start time. Visitors will be more likely to arrive early, so you want smiling faces to greet them. Have some Trailman Handbooks, a Standard with medallions, or a sample campsite set up available for people to see and review.
Have Troop greeters meet each family at the door. Make eye contact and smile!
Make sure each family signs in, providing an e-mail address and phone number as they arrive!
The Agenda
The purpose is to introduce new families to Trail Life USA and to inform them about how they may participate.
Announce at the starting time that you want to allow a few minutes for visitors to find you, if necessary
Have a few Trailmen lead the flag ceremony, including reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the Trailman Oath, and the Motto (at the end, lead the applause for them)!
Briefly state the purpose of tonight’s meeting, explain how Trail Life USA:
Works in partnership with a church. Trail Life USA is a Christ-centered ministry, owned and operated by the local church.
Provides literature and other materials, training for leaders, Area program activities, and many levels of volunteer leader support.
Encourages outdoor adventure and Christian character—developing our nation’s future leaders, as well as godly citizens, husbands, and fathers.
Introduce Troop Leaders. One Leader should take 3-4 minutes to tell about your Troop, the name of Chartered Organization, size of Troop; day, time, and location of Troop meetings. Another Leader or a Trailman can tell of their exciting Summer Adventure!
Hand out your Troop Activity Calendar. Cover the highlights. Make sure families have your contact information if they have questions later.
Hand out customized Welcome to Our Troop letters, play the “Logo Revealed” and “Freedom Award” videos or some of the other videos recommended on this site. Mention the Leader Pages and Resources available to Leaders and Registered Adults on TroopTrack, and pass around a Trailman Handbook.
Emphasize that each parent has the opportunity to participate with their son. This is a family program. (If your Charter Organization has an AHG Troop, talk about how whole families can be involved at the same place, same time, on the same night. No more splitting up in multiple directions!)
NOTE: Unlike other youth organizations, you are not “recruiting Leaders” at the Open House. Leaders must be selected and approved by the Charter Organization before being offered a leadership role. Trust God to bring the right people if you have leader vacancies to fill. Let’s get them in the door first, observe their character and get to know them before entrusting our sons to just any “warm body”!
JOINING – Explain the registration process (our all-electronic system will be a surprise to many—they will expect to fill out a form and write a check that night). There are now two ways to register new members through Troop Track. You’ll be given the following options when you add a member:
“Register Now” – Perfect for recruiting events, use this option to register boys at meetings. After providing the parent's name and email, TroopTrack will launch registration, allowing the parents to complete registration immediately using your computer.
“Register Later via Email” – Great for registering boys outside of meetings or when parents have contacted you via email, phone, etc requesting to join your troop. The parent will receive an email with instructions for registering their son in your troop. For direction on how to register large groups, please refer to the Group Registration document.
And really, this isn’t about getting them to fill out an application—it’s about inviting them to join your family on the Trail. Make sure they know they are being personally invited to come to your next meeting (share the date, time, and location). If they like, they can decide to join at their next visit, but they should not continue to participate beyond the second visit without membership.
CLOSING – Thank them for coming, and end the meeting with a brief prayer.
After The Open House
Remind them of the next Troop meeting specifics in an e-mail the next day, and send another reminder the day before your next Troop Meeting.
Contact Information
Trail Life USA
10612 Augusta Rd.
Belton,
SC 29627
Phone: 321.247.7761
Email: [email protected]
