The Scouting America Brand Center has long been No. 1 on our list of tools for marketing your unit. You can use it to prepare authorized logos, photos and videos for sharing online.
There is still, however, tremendous value in real-life, in-person, face-to-face recruiting events, and in those situations, you can’t go wrong with a good flyer.
That’s where the Brand Center’s new #AdventureOn! DIY templates could come in handy. They are intended to simplify the process of creating custom recruiting assets for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA.
You can use them to create old-fashioned flyers and posters (along with social media images, web banners, email headers and more).
And, best of all, you can create your own assets in just a few minutes.
Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions. Click here for a PDF of the instructions.
How to get started
First, choose the template that’s right for you. Click here for Cub Scout-themed templates. Click here for Scouts BSA-themed templates. Download the template of your choice. You can always download multiple templates and experiment with which one looks best.
These templates are designed to be used with all sorts of design tools. For simplicity’s sake, the tutorial above uses Google Drawings, a simple and free application designed for folks (like me) who aren’t experts in more advanced software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
Once you’ve created a blank drawing, insert your chosen template using the “insert” tool in Google Drawings (or whatever software you’ve chosen).
A selection of the templates available in the Scouting America Brand Center
Now that you’ve added your template, it’s time to customize it with photos.
You can use your own photos, or you can choose from the Brand Center’s large collection of Cub Scout photos and Scouts BSA photos. The Brand Center has photos divided by activities, including archery, cycling camping, fishing, hiking, rockets and more. If you use your own photos, make sure all activities depicted are in alignment with the Scout Oath and Law and the Guide to Safe Scouting.
Insert your photos into the drawing the same way you inserted the template. Move the photo into place and crop, if necessary, using the instructions in the tutorial above.
Once you’ve added your photos, you’ll want to customize your drawing with information on your unit. Something along the lines of, “Want to be a Cub Scout? Join us at our back-to-school meetup on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Smith Elementary School cafeteria.”
The tutorial includes instructions on adding color to your text and other fun things like that, but at this point, basically, you’re done!
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