fotoscout

I am not sure that you can identify a favorite. Each boy will have different likes and dislikes. My thoughts are that their favorite is either home a drawer for safekeeping, or, the one they most recently lost!

My suggestion is that you just keep making them. They are fun, and cheap to make. Many can be tied to the achievement that the boys are working on or the nearest holiday.

My favorite for the boys is the square knot slide. Instant gratification, Tadaaaaaaa. !!!

Yes youre right, that is one way to control it.

My point here is that the danger here must be recognized from the very beginning. If possible set the tone before the campout ever happens. Mention this in your paperwork, and talk about it in Den Meeting and Pack Meetings.

You are going to be in trouble if you neglect this, and then try to bring it under control after its already gotten out of control. Make the marshmallow thing part of your planning discussions.

If you do a March recruiting the new boys would probably start in April. That gives you 3 months of the school year and two months of the summer to bring these new boys up to speed. The existing boys can go either way for the summer. There is no hard an fast rule about where the boys fall for the summer months with respect to their ranks. Use that to your advantage!!! There is no reason why the new boys cannot earn their rank badges for this year, even if the dont get started until April.

Your bigger problem will be integrating the new boys into the program mid year. Youll have to be very on the ball to keep everyone excited and interested. Working on Bobcat material is a good idea, but youll also have to do some advancement work with the new boys. The existing boys should be OK with some repeats, IF, you can present the material in a different manner than the first time they saw it. They are young, as long as these are engaged in something thats fun, they will be happy. If you have additional adult help, you could even break the boys off into groups, with one group doing advancement work and the other working on arrow points.

Good Luck.

This is a great thing to do and B&G is a great place to do it!

How you do it depends on how well you know the person. Some people really dont want a plaque or something like that. They would be happier with a special award that was hand crafted and had some humor behind it.

On the other hand, if this person is with the outgoing Webelos, and has been very active since Tigers or Wolves, the pack really does have an obligation to recognize this person with something more formal. There are always plaques and certificates. They are available thru your Scout Shop or the Supply System catalog. Also local vendors will have these things.

A nicer memento would be a photo album with pictures of the activities that this person had a hand in making happen. Add to it some comments and thank you notes from the boys and other parents..and you have really nice gift for this person.

Please note that gifts like this one keeps on giving long after the person is gone. For the boys, when they become men, these are the types of things that our memories are excited by.

Dont take the easy way out.

You gotta love this hat stuff ! ! !

I bought one on ebay. It is almost 50 years old and in great condition. All I had to do was brush off the dust and condition the leather hat band. It even came with some history.

I think I paid $42.00 + shipping.

Hello and Welcome,

Don't stress over this! Many of the cars will be made entirely by the boys, yours will not be the only one that does not look like it came from a custom body shop.

Yes it's true that some, not many, of the dad's obsess over the cars. My guess is that less than 15% of the cars will be "Dad" cars. MOST will be done as a team effort by the parent and child. Most of the cars will look like the kids did them with some help. Some will look like the kid did it all by himself! Your son will be very proud of his car.

As for the other adults watching the derby, we can't help but take note of which kids participated in the creation of their car, vs, which kids were bystanders. It's always nice to see that the boy had a hand in making his car.

So don't stress over this just have fun.

There is a lot that will go on here. If you merge you may have 10 boys! Thats a lot to handle. Then what happens next year, do you lose some or gain some?

The two dens probably dont meet on the same day at the same time. If the meeting day, time and location change you may ultimately lose someone from the other den.

Then there is the other den leader, how does he feel about this?

Its admirable to want to help the other den. I am sure that you can do some things to help them without merging. Talk it over with the other den leader before you take any action.

Eagledad's right about a Scouts Own. Here is a resouce for the material you will need.

http://www.dacbsa.org/CC_RR/forms-RR/ScoutWorshipServices1999-PeteMetzloff.pdf

Caution this is a big file, it falls under the heading of everything you ever wanted to know!

The service does not have to be on Sunday morning, you can have it on Saturday night or even on Saturday morning.

Ok, here it comes again, Foto on Foto and marshmallows..

Nothing scares me more than kids, lots of kids and marshmallows and sticks around a flaming campfire. Dozens of little flame throwers, parents that dont and wont take control of their kids, and kids who are obsessed with fire. Each one wound up tighter than an eight day clock, and having consumed copious quantities of soda and candy, plus lord knows how many marshmallows before ever making their way to the campfire.

Then there are the leaders who sit back and enjoy the campfire without showing leadership.

If youre going to roast marshmallows around a campfire on a Pack camping trip, make sure you have leaders with the stones to keep it safe. And if it gets out of hand, have the strength to cancel the marshmallows.

Sure marshmallows and somoras are a ritualistic part of a campfire. But if you allow it, this must be done with utmost care. Nothing we do with Cub Scouts compares to the very real and immediate potential for VERY SERIOUS INJURY to the boys and younger family members, than does the roasted marshmallow routine at a pack camping trip.

Always remember, this is not your family camping trip.

After rereading your post I had a rhetorical question

Is the intent to have a Cub Scout Program based Pack Camping Trip, OR, is the intent to set up an opportunity for the pack families to all go camping together??

You seem to be fearful that a structured campout may not be received very well, that thought leads me to believe that the pack has not been doing a Pack Camping Trip but rather a Family and Friends of Pack XXX Camping Trip. I am sure you realize that there is a big difference.

Plan everything you mentioned, and then be flexible.

Remember that there are only so many hours in a day, and groups like this dont transition from one activity to the next very well. Some activities may be a bust and youll have to do something else. For instance, the fish may have all gone on vacation. You cant give the kids fishing poles and keep them at the lake it the fish are not biting. This would be a recipe for disaster.

Some things youll have to decide on..

- Swimming is there a lifeguard, dont forget about BSA Safe Swim Defense

- How will meals be prepared and served as a Pack or by Den

- Marshmallows Every in this forum knows my thoughts about marshmallow youll have to make your own decisions. Safety First !!!

- Hiking how much time do you want to assign to this activity, the boys wont go as far as you think, and theyll useless for a some time after a longer hike.

- Leadership, will each den have a den leader present, if not who will be responsible for the den. How about you own Den. You will be stretched very thin to manage your Den and manage the Pack. Will the den leaders get on board an prepare for their dens?

- Expectations, make sure that everyone knows what the expectation are of them for the trip.

Has anyone ever heard of this???????????

foto

Moving targets.....

Thats how it was explained to me. Your destination, date, and adult leadership should not be a moving target. Therefore these should be firm and not require that you update your TP before the trip. If one of those things does change you will have to update the TP.

Drivers, vehicles, number of participants are all moving targets. You should do your best in the original TP submission, but our Council allows these items to be updated after the trip has been completed.

JD,

Before I get into this, let me say that I am not a child psychologist and some of what happens here is beyond my ability to fully comprehend and explain. But I take it on face value and I find that it is true.

I think your question was, how do we get the younger boys to look up to the older boys? Most of it is Mother Nature taking its normal course with young boys. Some of it is choreography and manipulation on our part.

First, we dont overexpose the younger boys to the older boys. Our dens meetings are totally separate; the only time the kids are together is at Pack events, and by default we have far fewer Pack events then Den activities. So the exposure of the younger boys to the older boys is limited.

Next is the progression of activities. Let the younger boys look forward to the more advanced and demanding activities that are appropriate for Webelos, dont let the younger boys do the same task and expect less. They will then look forward to doing this task as older boys. Associated with this, and this may be the most important single issue, TALK about the more advance things that the older boys are able to do (or will do). Dont be afraid to say, When youre a Bear, youll be able to do that.

Then there is behavior. We always tell all the older boys that they have to set the example for the younger boys. This applies to all of the older boys, Wolves, Bears, Webelos setting the example for all the younger boys. Although this doesnt always work out the way wed like it too, it causes the boys to look up to the older boys for the example. Kids are smart like that, dont underestimate them.

Now we get the overall appearance of the den. In theory, the older dens should make a much better Scout Like Appearance than the younger dens. Believe it or not the boys want to be associated with a spit and polish den that looks like it has its act together. Young boys like that kind of stuff! The older dens should be better uniformed, and present themselves in a much more mature manner. The younger boys will take notice of this. I am not advocating military like bearing, but I am saying that it is important for the young boys to see the older boys presenting themselves in a Scout Like manner.

The younger kids are very visual, use that to your advantage. The uniforms are the key to boys visual reality and aspirations.

After the weigh-in we dont let the boys touch the cars except to lube them before each set of races.

This year the weigh-in was on Thursday before the race on Saturday. Final adjustments were allowed; the car was assigned a number and weighed. Then the car goes into a box and the leaders are now responsible for the cars. We urge and encourage everyone to weigh-on on the Weigh-in Day! Of course some dont and wont. In a pack of 60 boys that amounted to only 4 kids this year. On Saturday at race day, we will allow them to weigh-in, but when the race is scheduled to begin we will give no leeway. The late comers are either ready to race or they are out of it.

Leaders place the cars at the starting gate. We get some Boy Scouts to handle the cars at the finish line and return the car to the top of the track. For us this works very well. With the electronic timer and associated computer cables we do not want the boys within striking distance of the finish line. This keeps the all the cars in running order until the boys time on the track is over.

I can only imagine the damage if we let the boys handle the cars during each run. Not to mention the time factor.

This is perhaps the simplest question and easiest answer ever to be posted.

The answer is .. So the boys have something very visible to aspire to. Tigers look up to the Wolves, Wolves look up to the Bears, and Bears look up to the Webelos. By time the boys are Webelos they have grown up quite a bit and no longer need to be a part of this type of very visual recognition. Neckerchiefs and hats are the very visual recognition that the young boys see.

Remember that the CS program is a goal oriented program, with immediate recognition items and longer term recognition items. The beads are of course the immediate recognition item, and for the younger ones the new neckerchiefs, hats and slides, along with the badge are the longer term recognition items.

And remember one other thing, not all boys earn there rank badge. Some because they just didnt do the work, and some because of when they entered the program. These boys need some visual way of being associated with their den.

Why do all of the MLB teams have different uniforms? Its all about association and recognition.

If your question is about moving the Webelos to the tan and green, the answer is a little different. My take on why this was done goes like this: by the time the boys are Webelos most are ready to outgrow their Blue uniform. Parents had a decision to make; do I buy another blue uniform or simply forget about the uniform and send him to meeting in whatever clothes he is wearing. National steps in and says, Webelos can now wear the Boy Scout Uniform. The parents are elated and go out to be buy the BS uniform instead of procrastinating over buying another blue uniform.

I did not (and do not) like the way National presented the new Webelos uniform to the membership, however it has kept the boys in uniform and made the first transition step for the boys a little easier.

We were told that we could wear the neckerchief at any time. The choice was ours.

Many people here chose to wear it until they've completed their tickets. Then they go back to wearing their unit neckerchiefs.

I think it falls somewhere in between a freshman beanie and a billboard. Anyway you look at it, it did serve as a great conversation starter, and many of those conversations were great fun.

EagleInKY, as I wrote that line I was sure that someone would disagree. The Derby is a marquee event in Cub Scouting. It is certainly a memory that both the boys and there parents carry with them long after Cub Scouts. But its the car that makes it personal, not the race itself.

I am not a person driven by competition. In fact I am not a fan of the competitive nature of the Derby. Our kids today have enough competition in their lives. To me, this is about building the car. Either alone or with Mom or Dad, or even with Grandpa or Grandma. Its about spending time with an adult and creating something. Sure its nice if the boy gets to participate in the derby, but I believe that its about the car first, and then the Derby.

Every school system has its own set of rules governing the distribution of flyers within the schools. Check with your Principal, and/or the District Superintendent.

Once youve received approval, contact you Council office and they should be able to make up recruiting flyers for you. Most can be customized for you.

But before you embark on this effort, I would take look at the potential impact on your program. First and foremost, what will happen to the other boys if you breakaway and start your own den? You cant just walk away from them mid-year. Then what will happen to them in the next year, will there be leadership?

Next, recruiting mid-year can put an enormous strain on your resources. If you recruit now, you have an obligation to complete this years program with these new boys. Essentially, you might have two programs running in parallel or at least some variation of that. Its February now and I suspect that your Bears are almost ready to receive their Bear Badge. You might have to go back and start all over again with the new boys, while at the same time, running a program for your existing Bears.

As for having boys from different schools in the same den, it has one very distinct advantage. The boys circle of friends gets larger!!! Dont be too quick to discount this benefit to the boys.

But something tells me that there is more to this story.......

Technically, if the boy is registered, he is entitled to participate. However, it appears that Little Johnnys parents need to be spoken too. CS is about more than one mid-winter activity which allows the child to participate in without actually being present.

We do not require the boys to be present to participate in the race. If for some reason, they cannot attend the Derby, we will run the car. This is simply the right thing to do. After all, the idea is not to race the car, but to build it. Our Derby runs for some 5 hours on a Saturday, people do have other things that must get done and we have to respect that. We dont have to like it, but we must respect it. The reality is that last year we ran one car, and this year, everyone came to run their own car. We did not have to run any cars.

I am curious about this boys advancement. Does he attend anything?

Yesterday we ran our Pinewood Derby. Again, it was a great success. Bless that software!!!!

The Pack is now ready to add a Siblings and Friends race and, an Unlimited category to the agenda for next year. We anticipate running the Sibs & Friends race under the same set of rules that we use for the Scouts.

The Unlimited Category needs some thought. It would be nice to allow it to be truly unlimited, but we dont think thats this would be in anyones best interest. Does anyone have a set of rules that they have used for this type of race?

The only thing we have agreed on so far is that there should be no propulsion device. Daaaaa! Weight and length seem to be what we are stuck on.

Thanks,

Foto.

As an Eagle Scout and an accomplished professional (even though hes a lawyer), I would find a way to involve him with the boys. On the surface this type of person is a great role model for the boys and someone whose presence can only benefit the troop. I would not want to see him hidden away in the obscure recesses of District and Council Committees.

We will be offering Bridge Camp this Summer for new Scouts. I am wondering if anyone else does this, and if so what issues have come up in the process??

The boys will participate in our Brownsea program but will be "segregated" as a group of newly bridged Webelos. The target audience is new scouts before they go off with the troop to summer camp, and, scouts who have not yet started with a troop. New scouts looking for an extra week of camp are also welcome.

I think this is very conceivable.

With over zealous volunteers and over zealous professionals all looking for awards, promotions, and yes higher salaries, this type of thing is almost inevitable. I do think that it would be very difficult to sustain over some number of years and therefore I also think that the 30%-40% numbers cited in the article is greatly exaggerated.

Last year we had a thread about a DE or SE that wanted to go into some High School and sign up the entire school as a venture crew. Although this would not be an identical situation, it is certainly driven by the same through process. The only people registered in Scouting should be those who have an honest interest in the participating in the program.

Doing this type of thing is unconscionable, and fraudulent. No good can come of it. My congratulations to the gentlemen who brought this problem to light. We should all be so vigilant in carrying out our responsibilities.

Try these guys, the prices aren't too bad. And the web site is Great!!

http://www.scoutbugle.com/HOMEBUGLE.htm