This document provides guidance on using Facebook to promote a Cub Scout pack. It recommends creating an official Facebook page for the pack to connect with parents and share information. The summary provides tips for setting up and managing the page, including: 1) Have at least two adult administrators manage the page and turn off private messaging and photo tagging to protect youth. 2) Regularly post photos from events, updates, and thank you messages to engage parents and volunteers. 3) Promote the page by sharing the URL via email and encouraging parents to like the page. 4) Monitor the page daily to promptly address any inappropriate content in accordance with BSA guidelines.

1. FACEBOOK & SCOUTS
Facebook, Social Media, and your Cub Scout Pack

2. Going where the people are
• Email? Filled with spam, not regularly checked
• Postal mail? Expensive – and filled with junk mail
• Website? Hard to set up and manage. People don’t
remember to check
• Facebook?
• 95% of Facebook users check in daily
• We spend 3 times as much time on Facebook as on email
• 73% of moms and 68% of dads regularly use Facebook
• Go where the people are already.

3. How to Facebook as a Pack?
• Social Media Guidelines from the BSA:
• http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Marketing/Resources
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/SocialMedia.aspx
Have 2-deep leadership running the page
Turn off ‘messaging’
No names – no image tagging of parents or kids, even by
the parents.
Must be monitored

4. Building the Page

5. Page
Information
Talk about your Pack
here. When was it
founded? When do you
meet? Do you have an
elevator speech?
The BSA requires
specific boilerplate
disclaimers to be placed
in the General
Information, see the
guidelines.
Be sure to have a
contact phone
(Cubmaster) and email
address!

6. Cover Photos
• 851x315 image
• Should reflect
your pack
• Change
occasionally
based on theme

7. Profile Picture
• Square
• Should stay relatively constant – this is your brand logo
• Represents your Pack in many places on Facebook

8. Setting up the Page
• Turn off messaging. No private messages.
• Publish some content – welcome message, news, about.
• ‘Like’ some pages from your page. HOAC, Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts, Camp Naish, other Packs.
Do you have photos from past events? Make albums!

9. Photos on Facebook
• Photos are great – and get the most response!
• Photos must conform to the Scout Law and Youth
Protection.
• One rule – no names, no ‘tagging’ people.
Turn off in Settings.

10. More content on Facebook
• You can post photos, stories, videos and short quips to
the page.
• Several posts a week work better than one big monthly
post.
• Keep your page on peoples newsfeed with regular
updates
• Users can post to your page too – monitor daily for
inappropriate content. Remove content that does not
conform to the Scout Oath and Law.

11. Promote your Page!
• Add the URL to your emails, webpage, handouts and
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more.
Invite all your parents to like the page by email.
Use the page regularly.
Post relevant fun content supporting the scouts, activities
and volunteers
Use it to thank your volunteers.

12. Advanced: Managing ‘Likes’
• Some folks will ‘like’ the page
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for less than honorable
reasons.
People who like your page
will see all the content,
photos and more in their
timeline.
If they have no connection to
the pack, ask them why they
liked the page
Problems? Click the ‘X’!
Monitor daily.

13. Advanced: Events
• You can use Facebook to manage public events – Pack
Meetings, Blue and Gold, Pinewood Derby and more.
• Events show on
• dfd
your timeline.
• They allow guests to
RSVP.
• Photos can be
posted to events
too!
• And guests can
check in to the
event!

14. Advanced: User Management
• Edit page – Manage Admin Roles
• Manager – has full control of the page.
• Content Creator – Everything but manage
admins
• Moderator – responds to and can delete comments
• BSA Rules require two admins, at least one Youth
Protection trained.

15. Advanced: Location
In Page Info, set your
address.
A day or so later, try to
‘check in’ there to claim the
location!
Adds ‘checkins’ on
Facebook, and a Map!

16. Advanced: Scheduling Posts
• You can schedule posts six months in advance!
• Camp reminders, event news and more,
• Click the ‘clock’
below the post to set a date and time
• Review all scheduled posts in the ‘Activity Log’

17. Advanced: Managing the Negative
• Social media takes a thick skin. Negative conversations
are happening already, but now you have a voice in the
conversation. Don’t delete negative comments unless
they violate the terms laid out in the BSA Social Media
Digital Contract.
• Be prepared to respond to negative or inaccurate posts if
response is warranted. Some negative comments do not
require a response, while others should be taken
seriously and addressed.
• Be Scout Like. Display the Scouting Values