The AI New Member Coordinator

They don’t leave the program. They leave the mess.

Every week brings a pile of new messages, when they get sent at all. Some come late. Some are full of insider jargon. Some never arrive, because the volunteer who was supposed to send them got busy. The family doesn’t see a communication problem; they see a pack that doesn’t have it together. So they leave.

“I was so lost! And I didn’t want to interrupt the meeting to ask what something meant.”

Sherry Smothermon-Short, Cub Scout Ideas

247 Pack 247 , verified business

1. coordinator: Don’t forget Tuesday at GS, 6:30. Working on Bobcat reqs + handshake. Kits drop at B&G. Sign up via the form Sue sent.
2. you: ?

The family problem, in full →

The volunteers are drowning in work nobody trained them for.

The work of keeping a family from falling through the cracks is CRM work: knowing what each family needs, and reaching them at the right cadence. Scouting America created the New Member Coordinator position to do exactly that. Only 15% of packs have it filled, and about 2.5% of those bring any professional marketing experience. Retention keeps a pack (and the program itself) alive, and it’s implicitly assigned to 628,000 volunteers who were never trained to do it.

Sue’s inbox one family, five apps

• BAND Joe Lewis (Cubmaster) Hey Sue can you call the Patterson family? They didn't show last week
• Messages Hendricks family Sorry to bother but when is the next den meeting?
• Gmail Mrs. Patterson RE: Tuesday meeting, quick question…
• Remind Kim family is my son in the right uniform?
• GroupMe Den 4 parents Anybody know when the Pinewood kits are dropping?

The program problem, in full →

An AI New Member Coordinator that is always available.

A family asks at 9pm (what’s a Bobcat, where do I get the handbook, is my kid behind) and gets an immediate answer, written for their pack and at their comfort level. RSVPs get nudged on Sunday night. Permission slips get followed up before the meeting. The volunteer stops being the bottleneck. And nothing falls through.

Pack Memory

Tonight · while you were out

• Answered the Hendricks family. They asked whether a uniform was required for Tuesday. I told them a pack t-shirt is fine for now.
• Nudged 2 RSVPs for Tuesday's den meeting.
• Sent Bobcat handbook link to the Kim family.
• Followed up on Patterson permission slip.
• Confirmed the Pinewood Derby kit delivery.

Pack Memory

Generic

Welcome to Pack 247! We are excited to have you join our Scouting journey. Please bring your scout to our weekly meetings.

Written with Pack Memory

Hey, Sue here, from Pack 247. Tuesday's Bear den meets at 6:30 in Mrs. Patterson's classroom at Good Shepherd. Wear whatever. A pack t-shirt is plenty if you don't have a uniform yet. I'll find you when you walk in.

The design problem, in full →

A different cadence for every family.

Week two, the messages start fitting. The jargon gets explained. The reminders come on Sunday night, when the family is actually sitting still long enough to read them. Week six, the cadence feels like someone is paying attention. Week ten, the family feels included and cared for. They stay.

Pack Memory

1 decision for you The Patterson family hasn't engaged in 9 days. A check-in before Tuesday tends to bring families back.

12 handled this week

• Nudged Patterson family, confirmed RSVP.
• Sent welcome packet to Hendricks.
• Answered “what's a Bobcat?” for Kim family.
• Reminded Den 4 about Tuesday's meeting.
• Followed up on Pinewood Derby signups.

247 Pack 247 , verified business

1. coordinator: Hey, Sue here, from Pack 247. Tuesday’s Bear den meets at 6:30 in Mrs. Patterson’s classroom at Good Shepherd. Wear whatever. A pack t-shirt is plenty if you don’t have a uniform yet. I’ll find you when you walk in. We’ll be working on Bobcat that night.
2. you: What’s a Bobcat?
3. coordinator: First rank every new Cub earns: Scout Oath, Law, sign, salute. Your kid is learning it now, just like everybody starts.

The AI strategy, in full →