Martine Robin's Secrets to Recruitment Success

As told to Guiding News

Recruitment can feel daunting to even the most seasoned Leaders. But for Martine Robins, whose experience spans Unit set-ups in Glebe, Botany, and Mosman, it all comes down to planning, people–and a pinch of smart PR.

At the recent Annual General Meeting of Girl Guides

NSW, ACT & NT Martine was presented with a Wattle award for good service to Guiding, noting that when she rebuilt the Mosman District she obtained 49 Youth Members, and even recruited her own replacement as District Manager!

We sat down with Martine to hear how she’s been consistenly growing thriving Units and what she thinks every Leader should know about attracing new families to Girl Guides.

Q: What’s the most important thing to get right before even starting recruitment?

Martine: You’ve got to have a great program and good Leaders in place–no one wants to join something continued over page that feels half-baked. A quality product is just easier to promote. The more fun and meaningful your Unit looks, the more interest you’ll generate.

Q: How do you make sure your promotions actually get seen?

Martine: Repetition is key. People are more likely to respond when they’ve seen a message multiple times. I always suggest choosing a PR window–say, the end of January–and focusing your efforts over 2-3 weeks. That way, you can build visibility leading up to a “Come and Try” night that coincides with the second week of term.

Target school newsletters, host a cake stall at a local market or busy shopping strip, and get the message into school-parent Whatsapp groups. Community social media pages and newsletters are worth tapping into.

Q: Whatsapp groups seem like a new frontier–how do you make the most of them?

Martine: They’re actually incredibly effective. Most schools have year-based parent Whatsapp groups. We create a simple ad for our “Come and Try” night and share it with our exisitng Guide parents, asking continued over page them two repost it to all their networks–especially if they’ve got kids in other school years. That targeted outreach really works.

Q: Tell us more about the cake stall idea–it sounds fun!

Martine: It works really well! Kids are drawn to cupcakes, and Guides love “playing shop”. We’ve had girls bake and decorate cupcakes with lollies and Smarties–anything that catches the eye! We set up at local markets, shopping centres or outside closed bank branches on weekends. You just need two adults: one to help the girls and manage sales, and one Leader dedicated to engaging families.

We use a card reader on a phone (Wespac EFTPOS Air), and always have flyers and a sign-up sheet. The girls wear their uniforms and sashes–visibility is key. And Leaders should be ready with an elevator pitch. Mine is:

“Girl Guides allow girls to be themselves, build confidence, resilience and valuable life skills. Through camps, games, outdoor and community service activities and the badge recognition system, girls challenge themselves, develop leadership skills, make new friends and have some great adventures!” continued over page continued over page

Q: What makes a great Come and Try night?

Martine: It’s all about energy and variety. We kick off with a get-to-know-you game, then rotate through three stations–maybe alternative cooking using tealights, a craft activity, and a physical or outdoor challenge. One Leader should be dedicated to welcoming and chatting with parents. Not everyone registers ahead, so have spare copies of your District Overview and Term Plan on hand. Follow up quickly with anyone who enquires–send a simple overview that answers all the FAQs: when, where, who, how much, how to join.

Q:What’s your golden rule for keeping recruitment sustainable?

Martine: Try not to let your Unit drop below 12 girls. It’s hard to build momentum from a smaller base bcause you’re relying on existing families to grow your reach. Once you’ve got critical mass, word of mouth takes over, and recruitment becomes much easier. But you’ve got to keep an eye on transitions–if older girls are ageing out, plan ahead to welcome the next wave.

Q: You’ve mentioned you use templates–what kind of resources are helpful for Leaders?

Martine: A Term Overview, a “Come and Try” digital flyer to share via Whatsapp/social media, and a District Overview that explains everything clearly for new families are my must haves. You can download templates with the latest branding from My Guidebook on the Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT website. These save every Leader from writing the same emails over and over!

Q: Final thoughts?

Martine: I’ve learned so much from working with Felina French at Guide House over the years–she taught me a lot about how to approach recruitment and feel confident doing it. And while some things change (like the rise of Whatsapp!), the basics remain: be clear, be visible, and deliver a program worth talking about.