jens3sons

My oldest son's first year in the pack, dens only performed if they felt like it. This continued 1/2 of his second year when I then became the committee chair. (It took me about 1/2 that year to form a good "working" committee etc.) Boys were dropping like flies because the pack meetings were to "business-like" and not enough fun. Now we set up a rotating schedule for den assignments which include set up, greeters, flag ceremony, song, skit, activity, and clean up. We do try and keep in mind a time schedule for different achievements the boys need to earn (such as Webelos 1 needing to do a flag ceremony to apply towards their Citizenship badge), so the rest of the pack gets scheduled around that. Our pack meetings are so much more fun and interesting, and not so businessy, and our #'s are up about 10 boys since I first started. The program helps are just that...helps...but they sure do know what they are talking about, and there really is no reason to re-invent the wheel. I would recommend Retread78 that you try an incorporate the dens more into each and every pack meeting.

jens3sons

In our pack, B&G has always been in February, and it has always been the focus of the birthday of Cub Scouting. This is the first year we will be handing out advancements, and doing the AOL and crossover at B&G. Our boys always crossed over at the November pack meeting prior to this, but our District and the "powers that be" are now requiring the boys to wait longer to cross over. I think we have come up with a reasonable plan to still keep the focus of B&G and yet have a special time for the boys who have earned their AOL and are crossing over. We are still going to follow the theme "invent a reason to celebrate" and the boys will create a table centerpiece centered around an invention. We will hire a balloon guy (birthday part) to create balloon sculptures while we are eating and taking care of things in the main room. We will then move to the auditorium for the AOL and crossover (changing the theme by changing rooms) and then moving back to the cafeteriea for dessert. Well that's the plan, and I hope it is executed as ideally as it sounds on paper, but I am a little nervous about it just the same as we have never done this before. I don't know about anyone else, but I would be interested in hearing from everyone else what they are planning, and how it ends up working out for them.

jens3sons

Teachers usually don't want their class rooms getting "messed up", however, in our school, the dens have used one of three rooms 1. the art room, 2. the music room, 3. the combined gym/multipurpose room/cafteria. That at least gets you into 3 different spaces, and if the pack was to split nights (say the tigers, wolves, and bears one night and the Webelos 1 and Webelos 2 the second night) that would help cut down on some of the noise. Also, another suggestion would be to have a Troop work with the Webelos 1 & 2 at their facilities. Most recruiting troops will help out webelos earning their different badges, especially if they are in need of more #'s in their own troop. The boys would be more likely to crossover into a troop that they already feel comfortable working with.

Lisabob, and Scoutnut, although you both have agreed you are pretty much on the same "page", I just would like to send a word of caution to Lisabob. I come from a pack that the outgoing CC was trying to recruit a new CM for me prior to me taking over as CC...her was of recruiting was saying to the potential CM that you just need to be a Master of Ceremonies. Basically he just needed to show up. Not the case at all. Programing is a HUGE part of a successful Pack Meeting. The Cub Master really needs to have a handle on what is being discussed for the upcoming pack meeting. My current Cub Master is not that great with yucking it up for the kids, but my Asst. CM is, and the three of us work fantastically together. Each of us has found our "niche" in making the pack "go". (By the way, this was the CM that I Recruited after the one that was recruited for me hardly showed up!) I made it very clear what the expectations of the cub master is, and recruited accordingly.

cajuncody,

If your pack hasn't yet invested in the book, you might want to try and pick one up, called, Ceremonies for Dens and Packs. It is a wealth of information!

Mbscoutmom,

Like I said, I got tired of doing about 6 committee meetings over the phone! I got a bit upset at one pack meeting where I had asked for one parent to volunteer one day, that I didn't know what was required yet, but I would get back to them in the future about it, just please say you could be at my disposal for that day. One mom took up 30 minutes of a pack meeting with endless questions that I didn't have the answer for. Finally in frustration I had said (at that point I was also "acting" cubmaster), "Look my name is in these notes 11 times for questions to please contact me, I have devoted 17 hrs this week to scouting alone, and that isn't even including the hours I need to put in tomorrow as well! I NEED some help!!!" People were a lot more sympathetic after that. Every once in a while I do not have a den in attendance, (like tonight) but now the committee meeting minutes of the meeting are posted on our website, and the leaders can always get the info from there. Like I said, if I can't get them to attend, I ask they send one of their parents in their stead. Tonight was just a bunch of unfortunate circumstances that there was no time to ask one of the parents to attend instead.

FScouter---man do I hear you! I went from taking over a pack that one woman did it ALL...nothing was ever done completely. There are still some positions I am trying to fill, but it sure is a LOT easier than it was! Just wish I could get my parents to understand that I am also "doing my best"! In fact I was about to place another post asking if anyone has a completely "ideal" unit out there...guess this wasn't one of the best committee meetings tonight and feeling a little blue at the moment. Need another "positive" scouting experience to wash away the taste in my mouth after tonight...all because the treasurer didn't show up tonight! Sorry ranted long enough!

I just pulled out my unit renewal application instructions. In it it states for Pack registration: "Packs must have:....Two committee members, or one committe member and one Pack trainer..." These are two positions that a person does NOT hold another position that is stated on the charter.

I do (as CC of my pack) require one den leader from each den to attend the committee meeting, and if they can not attend they need to get one of their parents to attend. Back in the beginning, when I first started as CC, no one would show up, and I found I was doing 6 committee meetings by phone, and it was way too time consuming, and not fair to my family. I found there was too much information each month that each leader would need to know what was going on, and just find it much easier when they attend. By requiring the leaders to attend, we also found out how great we all work together bouncing ideas off of each other, and that we also put on a much better pack meeting each month working together!

Good luck to your unit!

Jens3sons

Lisabob,

Good question about the booster seats, and quite frankly, I don't know the answer to that one, and mentioned it more as something to consider. As far as checking the status of a driver's license, there is no way for us to check that. As it is, I am surprised at how old the computers and programs that we work with are! (But then again, a lot of that is based on that we are working for a non for profit organization.) All I know is, it is my name that is signing off on those applications, and if every "i" is not dotted and every "t" crossed, technically, if there was some sort of accident, I could potentially be sued. We have turned down applications for a # of different reasons. Sometimes it has to do with not enough seats for passengers, but usually it has to do with a person not having the proper training required for a group to go on a trip.

Working in the scout shop, and being one of the persons to approve tour applications, I can tell you, that one adult in each car is fine, but the one seat belt per PERSON is required. We always check the # of adults and # of boys attending, and if the seat belt # 's are not the same as the # of people attending, you can bet your bottom dollar the tour application will not be approved! I have turned down applications for that very reason until they can secure another driver with all the necessary requirements. Have a great trip! (Don't forget, if the cub scout isn't 8 yrs old yet, he still should be in a booster seat too!)

I wasn't going to post anything, because I thought there had already been some great comments on this post, until I read about "assumptions"...I'm sorry, but my opinion is, the man (Seattle) IS the DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP CHAIR...holding a district position, and KNOWING what is going on in his district! If he chooses to use the words "holes" and "weak" it is most likely a trend he is eye-witness to in his district and is most likely the proper words to be using!

I am currently the CC for my sons pack, and always thought eventually I would get to a district position after I was done as CC (I still have 4 yrs left), but I saw a need in district and stepped up to the plate because I know that I am not only touching the lives of every boy in our pack, but what I do on a district level also touches the lives of every other boy in the district! I am now a Cub Roundtable Commisioner, and am LOVING it. Applause to you Seattle for seeing a need and filling it, and then coming up with an awesome idea to hopefully fix it! Applause for caring for each boy in the district and wanting to provide a quality program! Applause for getting on "fire" about scouting and wanting to spread that fire!

Seattle, please don't forget (because it is easy to do, when it is the "trickle down" effect) that you ARE touching each and every one of those boys lives and making a difference!

I hope your district realizes how lucky they are to have YOU in their district! I think you have a great idea, and like some of the others, will be interested in hearing how it goes.

Yours in Scouts,

jens3sons

Mbscoutmom,

Our pack is chartered by the Elk's Lodge (now there was no way we could possibly all fit in the Elk's Lodge for a pack meeting, and now their building is torn down to make a new one) We have always met at the school, and have been chartered by someone else for the longest time. The school (especially if it is the school a good portion of the pack attends) should not deny you usage of the building, however there is a lot of paperwork to fill out usually. I can tell you the PTA ALWAYS gets precidence of usage of the school, so sometimes a different night needs to be figured out, but there is usually a lot of notice before hand and can be worked around. The other benefit is that there is no charge if the school is used on a school day and janitors are already working. My point is, just because the CO is your CO doesn't mean you need to meet where the CO is. If you are determined to stick with meeting where your CO is, maybe it is time to find a new CO. Good Luck!

I know of a dad in our area, who is a LOT more involved in scouting than this father is (has always held a district position as well as positions in the pack/now troop). One of the things I have heard him say was "I don't care how long you choose to do this, but I am going to be in it for the next 20 yrs!" He just really enjoys the scouting program. Many other parents have heard him proclaim this as well.

From my own experience, even if my kids chose not to continue on to Boy Scouts, I think I would still be involved on some level myself, because I really enjoy the program as well. I think sometimes we just need to go straight to the source and flat out ask what the intentions are instead of speculating, and possibly starting rumors. Please let us know what happens.

YiS,

Jens3sons

My3sonz,

I agree, a great meeting will keep your spirits going, and help with not burning out. I am sure each of the 7 boys in your den really appreciate you taking an interest in them and maintaining their den! Just a suggestion; the boy who wanted to quit, and now his father doesn't think he will; I would suggest talking to the father about what wasn't working for the boy and what his suggestion are for the den. It might also be a huge door opening for you to find an assistant den leader ;-) (quite possibly the way you got roped into it...hehe) Good luck, and don't forget to use your sorces out there, and attend your roundtable meetings!

Jens3sons

Maybe have a heat titled "Big Boy, Big Girl"? It would be a heat for the parents to race their own car. Our pack also has a "Little Brother, Little Sister" heat for the siblings of the scout.

If you believed "one hour a week"....then you might be a CS Leader!!!!

Starwolfmom,

Obviously you know the pack needs help, and I commend you on your willingness to step up to the plate! Although the Cubmaster is supposed to decide what direction the pack will "go" and the CC is supposed to help make that happen, it sounds as if the CM doesn't have a clear picture of what way to make the Pack go. When I took over as CC, there really wasn't a working CM. It was primarily "I'll show up and Mcee until you can recruit a new one. It was at that point I had to have a vision of what a CM should be like and recruit accordingly. Once I found a great CM, and actually put together a working committee, the pack has taken off in an entirely different direction! This year alone we have recruited 19 new boys! It almost doubled the size of the pack!!!! I got on fire about scouting, and when people started to see the fire, well, they just fed it more and it grew like wild fire! I had to act as CM a few times initially, and I realized my organization skills, and ability to delegate jobs out, far surpassed my abilities of speaking in front of HUGE crowds, and that CM was NOT a good role for me! I can't tell you which training to go to, or which "hat" to wear, only you know where your abilities are and where they would be most effective. Good Luck to you and your pack, and again, good for you for realizing a need and full filling it!

Jens3sons

ps...don't know about your district's training, but the cub specific training for our's both the CC and CM sit in on the same specific training. Maybe if yours is the same it might help you decide which route to go as well!

Dear Jack,

Three years ago, a boy signed up, and his father was the Tiger cub leader, and they bawked about immediately selling popcorn. I (the CC)I let the situation be, and they didn't sell a dime of popcorn. However the next year, this same man became the Cubmaster! I knew I was going to need to "change his mind". I came up with a great saying! "Everyone knows Girl Scouts sell cookies...we sell popcorn!" Then I go on to tell the parents that I am sorry, but our ONLY fund raiser for the year comes right when they are joining. I ask them to keep it simple, to please go to one table sale (as they WILL need to be part of one next year and it is good to see how it works), and to please sell to family, and maybe a couple close neighbors. It has worked like a charm! Also, I tell the parents that the Tiger cubs sell the best at the table sales, as it is hard for someone to "pass up" those cute little Tigers in their uniforms! Just yesterday, my Tigers sold $330 in just 2 hours! My older son's den sold $140 more, but it took us twice as long! Just remember...Girls Scouts sell cookies, we sell popcorn! ;-)

Its Me....Remember, Webelos is a time to help the boys transition from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting. I believe there are 3 citizen merit badges in Boy Scouts (right now I can only think of Citizenship in the Nation and Citizenship in the World, but I believe there is one more...possibly just Citizenship). I believe some of these are require to earn rank(s) in Boy Scouting (although, I am just really starting to learn about Boy Scouting). But again, just to remind you, it is a time for the boys to start getting an idea of what Boy Scouting is all about.

delearyus, During pinewood derby, we have a # of things going on all at once during the races. We have a bunch of dads that like to get all "techy", and so we have cameras pointed on the track and at the finish line that is shown as live time on huge screens on each side of the track, along with the finish line results. We also set up a station where the boys can make a chocolate car, siblings and boys can watch movies, and along with the movies, we had another station playing The Three Stooges. Last year our committee was also able to find chocolate race cars and popcorn tins that were raffled off in between races. We also play a lot of music that the boys like to get up and dance to etc. You can check out our pinewood derby online @ www.ilpack64.com

Hope this gives you some great ideas!

Jens3sons

As a parent who has a son that has repeated a grade, I can tell you only what we decided to do and why we decided to do it that way. We had him go into scouting along with the rest of his grade. If he had started a year sooner, the boys who were in the same grade would've been questioning why he was a year a head of him in scouting...thus giving us no privacy of the fact that he repeated kindergarten. The only "downfall" point that I have learned regarding him starting a year later with scouting, is that he will have one less year to complete his Eagle rank (which we talk about all the time, and I think he will someday accomplish). Unlike Cub Scouting regarding ranks, the Eagle MUST be earned before the boy's 18th birthday and not before he graduates high school. However, even with having one less year of scouting experience, I have heard that many boys earn the rank of Eagle long before their 18th birthday, so to me it made sense to start him a year later when he would be going through it with his classmates.

YIS,

Jens3sons

Greying Bear....thank you, thank you, thank you for giving the address of where to send donations. My first thought in this was the children have nothing to occupy their time. I wanted my boys to do something for them...as our pack is well known for their service projects on a local level, and yet all the news stations were saying "cash is best". Yet, I wanted something a bit more physical for them to do, and I wanted it to relate to the children, as the boys can relate better. What I needed most was an address as to where to send stuff, and now I have one thanks to your post. I have a committee meeting tomorrow, and I will start putting the plan into action.

Yours in Scouts,

Jens3sons

We do a very small version of regatta, and we don't hand anything out at that pack meeting, because we have it at our "June" pack meeting which is our smallest attended pack meeting because of graduations, 1st communions, baseball, etc. As far as pinewood derby goes, each boy receives a certificate of participation, and a goodie bag. The goodie bags don't cost a dime because we canvas the area for anything having to do with cars for donations (gas stations, car dealers, auto repair shops, auto parts stores, car washes, etc.) We even get the bags donated to us! Free advertising for them, and great things in the bags for the boys. Items businesses have donated? Well, frisbees, cozies, pens, pencils, stickers, hot wheel cars, visors, window scrapers, etc...and for the parents...we have had 1/2 off oil changes, free car washes etc. We then purchase trophies for 1st-3rd on the den level, best craftmanship, most unique, and then 1st-3rd over all, and big boy-big girl (parents) and a sibling trophy. This year we will add an "alumni" trophy, and be asking the boys who cross-over prior to derby if they would like to make a car and race it, and also help out the day of the derby. Happy racing!

I have a # of ideas going through my head to help your financial ituation out. First though, to answer your question of popcorn. We do something similar to what EagleInKY does, but on a smaller scale to motivate our boys. Each year we purchase one boom box. It looks like a "big ticket" item, however is usually inexpensive. For every $25 dollars a boy sells, he gets his name on a piece of paper to be put into a "hat" at the end of popcorn sales. Our Kernnel has figured out a way to also use the time and money earned for boys at show and sells (table sales) to be included in it. At the end of sales, when everyone has been tallied up, she makes out slip of paper for the boys (that way it is all the same) and then we draw one name out of the "hat" and that person gets the boom box. So in another way...the more you sell the more chances you have to win!

Our only other "fund raiser" each year is carrying the banners for the JayCees during the 4th of July parade. This has been a long term thing our pack has done, and how it got started, I haven't a clue, but they pay us really well for the short time we are there. Might be something you want to approach with who ever assembles your parades in your area.

Our pack has become extremely frugal as well. Our monthly pack meeting notes...I have canvased the area and asked businesses with photo copiers, if they wouldn't mind donating the use and paper of the photo copier to print up our notes for that month...that saves the pack btw. 20-30 dollars a month!

At pinewood derby time, we canvas anything to do with cars (gas stations, auto repair shops, car dealers, auto parts stores, etc.) We have one of them donate us small bags, and the rest we ask if they have any promos they can donate. They get the advertising, and we get awesome things to put in the bags! Anywhere from 1/2 off oil changes, free car washes, to cozies, frisbees, pens, stickers, hot wheel cars etc....they are really awesome bags! Then each boy gets one bag, a certificate of participation and then we purchase trophies only for the cars that have placed (usually about 20 trophies).

Another suggestion would be to ask you chartering organization if they can donate something on a small scale that the pack needs. Our CO has purchased for us new flags, and flag carriers for the parade, and a canopy for when we go camping. They are usually willing to spend about $200.00 on the pack each year, but we have never yet asked for that much, but what they have donated to us were things the pack really needed and appreciates at the same time, and yet wasn't just $ that could be spent, but something that would be used for years to come.

We have never had paid entertainment for a pack meeting other than Blue and Gold banquets, and choose to pull from the resources of our parents and their abilities as well as their "connections". I have pulled from district people, and from cubmasters from other packs, just because I had those connections from going to training and roundtables. Just get CREATIVE!!!

Happy Scouting, and good luck with popcorn this year! Hope these ideas can be of use to you!

jens3sons

It is always good to have more than one person with BALOO training at a campout anyways...if your son was to get hurt and need medical attention or came down with a flu and you needed to go home...everyone would need to go home. There always needs to be a BALOO trained person present during a camping session. My suggestion?...Grab a buddy to go with you to the training! ;-) Happy Scouting!

I have to echo both Acco40 and uz2bnowl on sentiments regarding den chiefs. We have had a couple that were no good, and have had them replaced, we have 2 currently that can't imagine not seeing the boys through cross-over and have long since done what is required of them. I have to say, the boys just LOVE their den chief. My son is in a den with one of the better den chiefs, and it has helped on a number of different issues. The boys are more interested in Boy Scouting and are constantly asking him questions about Boy Scouting (thus helping my % numbers of boys crossing over). Two, at times the boys are more interested in following the lead of the den chief than the den leader, thus behavioral issues haven't been an issue =). My son's den chief was his den chief last year (Bear year) and at the end of the year I asked if he planned on seeing my boys through. He said he doesn't understand these kids who just do their requirement and then leaves, he LOVES being their den chief and even though there is another year and a half required before the boys cross over he plans on continuing. I liked how it was said the one has 10 brothers (den brothers)...I always try and tell my son's den that it exactly it...they are brothers helping each other grow up to be fine young men! Sorry, I am a little scattered with my thoughts on this one...but best of luck finding the right fit for you! Maybe try going to the boy scout roundtable to recruit a den chief!

jens3sons