Led by: District Executive Sheri Price & Council Commissioner Jim Davis
On April 16, 2025, Scouting leaders from across the Bucktail Council gathered at the Walker Center for a productive and collaborative Roundtable focused on year-round membership recruitment. The evening kicked off with a Safety Moment shared by Unit Commissioner Jeff Keller, setting a mindful tone for the evening.
District Executive Sheri Price opened the main session by introducing the topic and sharing valuable resources from Scouting America’s Dynamic Recruitment materials, emphasizing the importance of active and consistent recruitment throughout the year.
Council Commissioner Jim Davis followed with a review of national membership statistics, highlighting both challenges and opportunities—most notably, that current membership levels mirror those from 1931, and 45% of youth nationwide aren’t involved in any structured activity. This opens a significant window for Scouting to grow.
But the most impactful portion of the evening came through group discussion. Leaders in attendance engaged in a spirited and extended dialogue, sharing successful strategies and exploring new opportunities. The conversation far outlasted the formal presentation—a true example of Roundtable at its best.
📘 Dynamic Recruitment Playbooks:
🗂️ Hot Topic Discussion Guide:
🧰 Recruitment Tools Provided to Attendees:
Year-Round Recruitment Guide
Memorial Day Activities for Outreach
Summer Recruitment Ideas
Peer-to-Peer Recruitment Cards (with program-specific images and QR codes linked to each unit’s BeAScout.org pin. To request cards, contact Sheri Price.)
✅ Use of School Presentations:
✅ Community Presence:
✅ Cross-Unit Collaboration:
✅ Leverage Holidays & Summer Events:
Memorial Day parades and ceremonies are prime opportunities to engage families and show Scouting in action.
Consider fun, low-commitment summer activities to keep youth engaged and attract new recruits.
Review the Dynamic Recruitment Materials to refresh your understanding of strategies and tools available.
Contact Sheri Price to order Peer-to-Peer cards for your unit or to brainstorm ideas tailored to your community.
Plan one new recruitment activity per season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) and integrate it into your calendar.
Engage your parents and current Scouts—they’re your best recruiters! Use summer outings and service projects as open-door events for guests.
Coordinate with nearby units to plan cooperative events—stronger together!
The next gathering will take place on Wednesday, May 21, again at Camp Mountain Run. The topic will be announced by May 1. Mark your calendars and plan to bring a fellow leader!
JULY 24-27 | This is a completely unique and re-designed experience intended for older Scouts. This program is supplemental to the normal week of Resident Camp. Participating Scouts will get an opportunity to challenge themselves and put their Scouting skills to the test through various outdoor activities. This stand alone four-day schedule includes but is not limited to:
Scouts will utilize current talents and learn advanced skills on their way to earning requirements from various merit badges. Participants will also complete requirements for Leave No Trace and parts of Wilderness First Aid.
We will be running this as a pilot program with limited participation so sign up early. Adult leaders may also sign up to fill empty slots and/or serve as additional supervision. We must get a minimum of 8 qualified Scouts to run this program as intended.
SCOUTS AGES 14 & UP
Where but at camp can youth experience all that the great outdoors offers! Sleeping under the stars in a tent, telling stories and singing songs next to the crackling of a campfire, hiking in the woods and seeing all that nature has to offer with his fellow scouts and friends, canoeing and fishing in the calm waters of a beautiful lake, building their skills skills at the archery and rifle ranges, experiencing the exciting COPE Course, and enjoy all the fun activities that the camp will offer. Camp Mountain Run summer camp offers this and much, much more. When a scout leaves camp he will leave with a smile on his face, memories and friends that will last a lifetime.
At summer camp, youth come closer to the natural world and to one another. They explore trails and sharpen skills together. Here, in the outdoors they share triumphs and troubles, and learn important values as a group – values like patience and respect for others’ point of view, and doing their fair share and helping others in need – life skills that are part of the personal growth we want for every scout.
Come and join us this summer for our new exciting summer program at Camp Mountain Run on our 380+ spacious acres nestled in the rural Allegheny Mountains, with a lake and stream that provides an exciting Scouting experience of a lifetime!
Camp Mountain Run offers a dedicated staff of qualified people to help make your camp experience a success.
Camp Mountain Run has been Nationally accredited as a summer camp through 2028!
Camp Mountain Run is excited to announce the release of the 2025 Summer Camp Merit Badge Schedule! With a diverse lineup of over 60 merit badges, this year’s program offers something for every Scout — from outdoor adventures like Kayaking, Climbing, and Wilderness Survival, to STEM offerings such as Chemistry, Space Exploration, and Moviemaking.
New this year, Scouts can take advantage of Bonus Merit Badge sessions held daily from 1:00–1:50 PM and 4:30–5:30 PM (Monday–Thursday), including Chess, Archaeology, and Multisport. These sessions are open for sign-up upon arrival and may include leader-led opportunities unique to each week.
From first-year Trailblazers to seasoned Scouts working toward Eagle-required badges, Camp Mountain Run continues to deliver high-quality programming in the heart of Pennsylvania’s wilderness. Get ready for an unforgettable summer!
We are excited to be able to provide these video resources to our new and experienced den leaders. We are thankful for several local councils that put these videos together! Below are two links. One is linked to an orientation video for den leaders to show them how to use these videos. The other is a link to the video resources and Scoutbook resources.
Scouting gives young people the opportunity to explore a world beyond the boundaries of everyday life. It presents them with chances to try new things, provide service to others, build self-confidence and develop leadership skills. These experiences help Scouts while they are young, and stay with them throughout their adult lives, helping them to grow into exceptional men and women who respect their families, communities, religions, countries and themselves and are Prepared. For Life.
Packs, Troops, Crews and others may now opt to send their trading post orders for badges, books, advancements, etc. to Bucktail Council Trading Post. This will allow us to have orders ready for you before you arrive to pick them up.
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