Re: I forgot to say no...(help me)
settummanque, or blackeagle (blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET)
Sat, 13 Dec 1997 14:24:28 -0600
Beth said "Sure", and for it her District Executive (and I'm really sure
that your dad, too, Beth!) are extremely glad for it.
And those Scouts....they don't know what kind of good things will come from
your participation, Beth....all they'll know is that through your leadership
and work, along with those that'll be working with you, they will have a
GREAT TIME (and isn't *that* what we ALL hope for in our "coaching" and
"supervising" the Game of Scouting??)!!
>Question for today:
>WHAT ARE THE TOP 5 THINGS A SCOUT TROOP SHOULD DO TO >RETAIN WEBELOS? My
first challenge is crossover. Retention last year >was 85%. We must give
a presentation at roundtable (never been to >one!).
Go to a couple...OUTSIDE YOUR DISTRICT first, Beth. Take a look to see what
kinds of presentations "hold their attention" and which are "space and
time-wasters". Then go to your own District's Roundtable and take a look
and see again. This way, you can tailor your presentation to your audience
and tailor it so that they'll "stay alert and awake" during the presentation
instead of "shutting you out" as we all do when it doesn't sound appealing
to us!!
Here are my five:
*Insist on a youth-led, adult-supervised Troop program. If your Troop isn't
doing this now, you need to switch the way that your Troop is being run.
Yeah, it's NOT an "easy conversion" from the adults doing everything to the
youth doing it all, but you'll find that those WEBELOS Cub Scouts that come
to YOUR Troop will see that Boy Scouting is "more grown-up" than the
constant supervision and leadership experienced in the WEBELOS Cub Scout
Den/Patrol situation
*Place more emphasis on DOING and less on SITTING during Troop meetings.
Scouts have been in school all day long, and for the most part, they've been
sitting. Now, bring them to a weekly Scout Troop meeting whereby they're
sitting, and they'll find themselves being bored to tears (or close enough
that they'll want to leave). WEBELOS Cub Scouts need to see that while
there will be some "sitting time" (can't avoid it), the time is mimimal and
the rest of the time is spent actually *learning something new* or
challenging, or is spent *actually planning something* even if it's a
break-out from the Troop meeting early to go down the hall and play
basketball!! *broad smile*
*WEBELOS Cub Scout Dens/Patrols should be "paired up" with at least TWO
Troops. We used to only try to pair up the Pack with a single Troop, and
what we got was a "upward stream of salmon", the majority of which travelled
upward if the "waters were right". Unfortunately Beth, not all of the
"waters are right" for many Packs...the Troop may be weak, only "on paper"
or worse...and we are "shuttling those Cub Scouts" to those marginal Troops.
By having a choice between two Troops, increases the competition for those
WEBELOS Cub Scouts, enables WEBELOS Cub Scouts to see *two different
approaches* toward Boy Scouting (there isn't two identical Troops just like
there isn't two identical Cub Packs) and will allow each WEBELOS Cub Scout
and his parents to decide for themselves which Troop best meets the Cub's
and parents needs (and pocketbooks).
*EXPOSURE OF CUBS TO BOY SCOUTS IS ESSENTIAL. How else would they know as a
Wolf or Bear what's "coming up"?? Boy Scouts and Boy Scouters should try
and make themselves available each month at the Pack meetings, especially if
the Troop is wanting any of those WEBELOS Cub Scouts! Cub Scouts should SEE
Boy Scouts each month...and those Troops interested in getting "a piece of
the Cub Scout pie" should "invest" in providing that Pack with Den Chiefs
and WEBELOS Den Chiefs, the "ambassadors" to that Pack from their Troop.
Not only does it provide for a quality troop leadership/followship
experience, but it BRINGS THOSE CUB SCOUTS eventually to their Troop,
especially if the Den Chief tells the Cubs about what he's been/going to do
with his Troop.
*EXPOSURE OF BOY SCOUTS TO CUBS IS ESSENTIAL. While we Boy Scouters think
that the majority of our members come "off the streets" into our meeting
halls, those that tend to *stay* have had some previous Cub Scouting
experience behind them (either as a graduate or as a drop-out from Cub
Scouting and wanted to try "something more grown-up" later on in life and
found the Troop). Since the program naturally "dovetails" between Cub and
Scout programs, it only makes sense for the "smarter Troops" to start NOW to
develop joint Troop/Pack service projects, something that gets Cubs and
Scouts to "see each other" and to work together (the same things can be said
for Scouts and Explorers to work together).
There they are...my five top things that a Troop should be doing to
encourage more "crossovers" and more members from our Cub Scout Packs.
I am really glad that you're sharing your information from here with others
in your District, including your District Executive (DE). I hope that you
get lots more information that you can sift through and decide on which you
can use....that's why we're all here!
Happy Holidays and congrats, Beth...you'll do GREAT!!
Settummanque!
(c) 1997 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502) 827-9201
(settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle
241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net
kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil
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