Step 1 – Ask or inform
Decide as a leadership team how many parents you need each week to make the section run well.
We recommend that you use the parents guides to provide easy to understand information for parents. It’s a simple way to induct parents and inform them of what you do in the section.
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The parent’s guides can be accessed in the following ways:
Download
PDFs can be downloaded or view online at the links below:
There is also a Parent’s Guide to Explorers available.
Personalise in the Brand Centre
The guides are available on the brand centre and can be personalised to make them relevant to your section. These personalised copies of the Parent’s Guides can be downloaded for free or printed copies are available to purchase.
Simply search guide in the brand centre, which you can access here.
Also give all parents/guardians a rota leaflet:
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A supply of these are available from the County Development Service. Click here to order some!
Have the conversation
Parents and carers (and their wider families), are generally interested in finding out more about scouting. When a new member joins your section have an upbeat conversation with their parents/guardians about the opportunities to get involved and encourage them to return the getting involved form (available to download and adapt from southlondonscouts.org.uk/section-rota
From this you can assess whether you have anyone who, for example, are first aiders who could run an interactive session or budding gardeners or DlYers who could help run a badge? Everyone will have something they can give - they may just not realise it yet! Of course, there will be some parents who may not want to work with young people directly but could help out behind the scenes with badge records etc.
Quite often someone will be happy to help out but, understandably, may want to test the water first. One leader we spoke to said that he asked a parent to become the social secretary but they said no. However, when asked if they would organise the summer barbecue they agreed and, when this was successful, then agreed to organise the Christmas party.
Often giving a person a title scares them off but if you ask them to help on a project-by-project basis the likelihood is that they will say yes.
In short, we just need to accept what people are prepared to give and be grateful. If someone shows the slightest thread of interest, then encourage them and get them involved. You've got to keep asking and take whatever comes along.
Using people effectively
As well as the issues list above, there was one main concern that parents had: 'lf I give an inch you'll take a mile.' When asked: 'if you would consider helping out in your child’s section, how often would you consider doing so?' The answer, on average, is ‘once a month.’
It’s important that when a person agrees to join a rota that they are kept informed of what is going on and are given things to do during the section meeting. Included them as a member of the extended leadership team and not made to feel like a 'spare part.'