Wetassa District
Serving Scouts in Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Carroll Counties in Northwest Illinois
A District of Blackhawk Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
Membership
Membership
Important please read
Please click on the above link to see the complete document in PDF format.
Bring a Friend
Join Scouting Night
Recruiting Flyer
Welcome to Cub Scouts
Please look at the above information as it is very important to the BSA Fall
recruiting program. Click on the above 4 links to see the complete program
which is in "PDF" format and includes a color brochure.
Wetassa District
Blackhawk Area Council BSA
Bill Determan Membership Chairman billdeterman@tds.net
Wetassa District Membership Report – Jan. 2008
2007 has been closed out, the figures totaled and thanks to a last minute diligent effort by Cheyann and Julie, Wetassa District has earned Centennial Quality District status by showing an increase in youth served, quality programs, an active district committee/commissioner staff, and achieving our financial goal. In addition Blackhawk Area Council has also qualified as a Centennial Quality Council.
The year-end reports indicate that we showed an increase of 1.2 % in total membership, a 2.4 % increase in the number of units in the District and a 1.7 % increase in the number of registered adults. In addition, we are reaching the highest percentage of available youth of the five traditional districts in the council at 13.9 %.
While the above figures seem to indicate a good year, it was only a good year in the Venturing program that pulled us up to our membership goals and over during the year. In reality, the Cub Scout Program showed a 1 % decrease, the Boy Scout Program showed a 6.7% decrease and the Learning for Life (Explorers) showed a 14.3 % decrease. It was only the 23.2 % increase in the Venturing Program that allowed us to show an increase in youth membership.
Last year I set a goal of a 10% increase in total youth membership. Unfortunately we didn’t even come close to that goal. We did achieve a 1.2% increase and that’s a step in the right direction. For the coming year we need to renew our commitment to increasing our membership density. Once again I challenge the units in our district to get out and actively recruit. I still feel that the 10 % goal is achievable. Once again we will be having a Spring Recruitment aimed at adding new members. New members recruited in the Spring will be eligible to participate in summer activities whether it’s Cub Fun Days or Boy Scout Summer Camp.
An added emphasis for this year is the Webeloes to Boy Scouts transition. Our Cub Packs and Boy Scout Troops should make a concentrated effort to see that the two programs work together to retain these youth in the program.
We must also commit ourselves to providing the best possible program to our youth. The key to a quality program is a trained leader. This fall the District beefed up its training program and has training personnel in place for both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs. Training sessions are scheduled for Leader Basic and Leader Specific training and each leader who hasn’t been through training is encouraged to do so. An important part of training and communication is the monthly Roundtable Meetings. Attendance by each unit is vital for program planning and presentation.
Remember that even though organized recruitment programs are aimed at the spring and fall, recruitment is a year-round process and should be an on-going part of each unit’s program.
My challenge to each unit in the District is to retain the current level of youth membership and during the year add 3 new members. If each unit can meet that goal, we not only will meet our 10% increase for the year but exceed it. It can be done!
