THE door of the Troop meeting room opens, and there on the threshold stands the boy-the reason for it all.

He is twelve. He became twelve years of age just the other day. At last had come the moment he had been waiting for and dreaming about for years: At last he could become a Scout. Tonight he has set out to take the greatest step in his whole young life-to join a Troop.

And there he stands now-a little shy, a little bewildered, a little scared at the magnitude of the occasion.

Well, What Happens?

One of two widely different things may occur. This?

He may approach the Scoutmaster: "I would like to join," he says.

"How old are you?" asks the Scoutmaster. "Twelve years."

"Do your parents want you to be a Scout?" "Yes, sir."

"Well, I am awfully busy just now. Here, you take this Handbook and sit over there in the corner, and after the meeting I'll see you."

And there he sits-with a book in his hands the pages of which he has turned many times before- while around him things are happening in which he has no part.

The meeting goes on, and after the meeting: "Oh, did you want to see me? Awfully sorry, but we have a Troop Leaders' Meeting on now. You take the Handbook along and come back next Friday night. And try to learn the Tenderfoot Requirements in the meantime! So long!"

Now maybe the boy will be back at the next meeting and join the Troop in spite of everything. On the other hand . . .

Or That?

Or this is what may happen:

The Scoutmaster, noticing the boy as he stands in the door, goes to him.

"Oh, hello! Come right in. Have you come to join us? And what is your name? Billy Jones? Well, well. Mine is Joe Brown and I'm the Scoutmaster of this outfit. (He lifts his voice.) Fellows, we have a new boy with us. His name is Billy Jones. Which Patrol wants to be his host for tonight? Oh, you all do? Billy, do you know any of the fellows? So, you know Marshall Chambers of the Eagle Patrol. All right. We'll let the Eagles take care of you. I'm certain they will give you a good time. And then after the meeting, I want to see you again. We have to talk over this Scouting business together."

First impressions are lasting. The boy who is met with friendship and made to feel at home will stick.

The boy is one big smile. He takes part in everything enthusiastically. There is even a simple game put on just for his benefit-one with no complicated rules and requiring no special training. During the meeting the Senior Patrol Leader comes around and says "Hello." And after it, the boy has a talk with the

Scoutmaster, in which the leader tells him a bit of what is expected of him, of the ideals of Scouting, of some of the things which are in store for him. And a fellow from the Eagle Patrol, who lives in his neighborhood, is hanging around to walk home with him.

This boy has been made to feel that he is wanted, that he is already surrounded by friends.

And as he goes to sleep that night, he is truly happy as he whispers: "Help me to become a real Scout!"

Well, Which Shall It Be?

First impressions are lasting. The first impression the Troop makes on the new candidate has much to do with his desire to stay in it.

It is up to you to see to it, that these impressions are of real benefit to the boy.

Securing The Boy

There are at least three ways in which the new boy may get into the Troop:

1. He may have heard of Scouting and may have made up his mind for himself that he wants to join.

2. He may have a friend in the Troop who has persuaded him to join.

3. The Troop may have set out deliberately to get new boys, for the purpose of spreading tht influence of Scouting in the community and to ensure the growth of the Troop.

The good Troop will want to be a complete Troop, by bringing its membership up to the size specified for a standard Troop-32 boys plus the leaders-by enrolling more boys and by filling vacancies as they occur.

It should be recognized that not all boys come into Scouting without being asked. Many a boy never became a Scout simply because he was never invited.

The thoughtful Scoutmaster therefore surveys his field. He comes to know the sources of new membership. If his Troop is sponsored by a church or other institution with a boy membership of its own, then that membership is his natural recruiting ground. But beyond that it has been found that the local school authorities are quite ready to cooperate in taking a count, in the proper grades, of the boys who want to be Scouts and are "just waiting to be asked." Consistently, the result of such surveys is an indication that three boys in every four want to be Scouts.

Having discovered the boys, a strategy for inviting them into membership should be developed. Perhaps the best approach to a new boy is through the leader of the Patrol in which he will most logically fit. Meanwhile a visit on the part of the Scoutmaster to the home of the boy in order that he may talk with his parents prepares the way for their active cooperation in this important step in their son's life.

The Twelve-Year-Old

The best policy of the Troop in its recruiting of new boys is to recruit them while they are young. Get them at twelve!

It has been found nationally that the twelve-year-old (1) Comes most easily, (2) Stays longest, and (3) Advances furthest.

Many twelve-year-olds will come by themselves, but it is far better for the Troop to invite them. Many Troops keep themselves informed as to the ages and birthdays of the boys in their neighborhood, through contacts with schools and churches. Then, about two months before a boy's twelfth birthday, a couple of Scouts call on him and invite him to visit the

Troop at its next meeting. When he gets there, the Scoutmaster himself greets the boy and makes him feel at home. He is invited to come again, and after a couple of meetings he is usually anxious to join.

He is discussed at a Troop Leaders' Council, and one of the Patrols invites him to enter. And that, by the way, is an important point. A boy should not be assigned to a Patrol. He should be invited by the Patrol. The Patrol Leader will help him with the Tenderfoot Requirements, or provide him with a buddy, so that he may be ready to meet and become a Scout on his twelfth birthday.

A warning may be in place here. Do not ask a boy to attend Troop meetings and to start work on the Scout Requirements until he is almost twelve years old. To permit younger boys to enter into the Scouting activities is unfair to tjie Scouts in the Troop, unfair to the youngster himself and in absolute conflict with the policies of the Scout Movement. He may want to become a Scout on his twelfth birthday. Two months' preparation in advance should be considered the maximum time that a boy will need.

The Permanency Of The Troop

While a "crop" of twelve-year-old boys will insure the growth of the Troop it will not by itself insure its permanency. For this, it is necessary that the Troop have a comparatively constant age distribution and a uniform flow of membership, with younger boys moving up into the positions of those older Scouts who leave the Troop to take their place in the affairs of the world.

A Troop which can keep a fairly uniform age distribution will have little to worry about as far as its permanency is concerned.

Note the difference in ages. A sign of a healthy Troop. Tenderfoot Scouts coming in and growing into Senior Scouts.

If you neglect to pay attention to age distribution, you may find yourself with few older boys and with few boy leaders at the times when you may most need them to carry on the Troop.

Membership Inventory. It is good business in the Troop to take membership inventory twice a year (just before reregistering the Troop, and then again half a year later). If any irregularity in the age distribution is then found the vacancies may be filled.

Becoming A Scout

When a boy has decided to become a Scout, four definite steps are taken:

1. He is prepared in the Tenderfoot Requirements, preferably with the help of the Scout who is to be his Patrol Leader.

2. He is examined in these Requirements by his Scoutmaster-possibly in his home before his mother and dad.

3 He is registered with the National Council (through the Local Council).

4. He is invested into Scouting by his Scoutmaster, at an impressive investiture ceremony before his whole Troop-possibly with his parents present.