ladyleader

I''m all for working together with the other 2 packs in our locality. However, the one pack has had leadership problems in the past and the other just doesn''t promote itself. Parents pick our pack because 1. they know our pack is strong compared to the others 2. scout friends want to stay connected with the same pack. and 3. families would rather sign their scout up with a Pack that has some structure.

I think if we decided to split the pack right down the middle, we''d lose families totally b/c they''d rather not be a part of the weaker units in the area. I already know that by adding stronger families to these units, it may strengthen the pack they join. But try and tell them that.

Thanks so much for all the good responses. I especially like scoutldr''s response in that we take them all in and split the recruits down the middle. Our Pack commitee has already discussed holding den meetings on alternating nights. I''m on the district committee and will pull support from the Dist. Commissioner as well.

Another good point that by allowing the boys to enter, we sqwelch the growth of other packs that could feed this area going forward.

I''ll definately bring these issues to our CM and hopefully we''ll all be on the same page with the situation and how to make a positive resolution for it.

Thanks

Hello all,

Our Pack will be holding signup night next week and we are already a moderately large pack for our area. We''ve got 60+ scouts and leaders for 1/2 of the dens, at this point. We anticipate another influx of 25+ scouts joining us next week with all the great promo events in our locality. My question: We''re already too large for our meeting place (a large church with many meeting rooms)and our Scout Executive says that we cannot limit the amount of boys we take in.

There are 2 other packs in our town that aren''t as strong as ours and parents know it, so they sign their kids up with our Pack. We also have trouble getting committed parents to be DLs. Is it in the National Bylaws that you can''t recommend scouts to a nearby pack that is needing more membership?

Thanks

Thanks for the advice, all of you. Each new thread has me thinking of something new about WB. I'm going to do it and I'll take in more outdoor skills training beforehand.

Who actually ends up being your WB counselor to help you with your ticket? Do you choose them or are they selected from the group of WB guides/trainers for you? The reason why I mentioned that I'd contact my Dist. Exec is that he's a friend of mine and has completed the course already.

CJ Rocker hit the nail on the head......WB is not solely about scouting skills; it is about leadership. Although I'm a fairly new DL, I've already implemented positive change in our pack. I've got the drive to be the best leader I can be. I'm not even thinking about "the beads" and the impression they give. My leadership style should leave the impression I want to make.

My council offers the program in Aug. of 2007 and then again in 2010. If I wait until 2010, I'll already be in BS. As someone said earlier, I need to make the most progress at the cub level, where I feel it is needed most.

By the time the program starts next year, I'll be handing over popcorn kernel duties to someone else (already have him signed up!) and my husband will co-lead the Bear den with me next year. So I feel I will be able to focus on my training. I still need to speak with my Dist. Exec. about my ticket items. He tells me that I'm supposed to be registered in all positions that I hold in scouting. So far I'm only registered as DL. So I've got a few things to straighten out, but I think I'm going for it. Heck, I can take some more outdoor skills training while I'm waiting.

Hi all,

I'm supposed to be packing for a road trip to VA for Thanksgiving, BUT I just had to reply to all the wonderful advice.

Eagle Pete has indeed sold me on it. Man, you have a way with words! I want all those things he mentioned. I want to have the knowledge and confidence to facilitate what I've learned. I need the camraderie of being part of a team where they think of others before themselves and "go the distance".

Will has made a good point about ticket items. I wear a few hats in our pack and to be honest, I most enjoy the Advancement hat that I wear. Although I like being a den leader, I get just as much satisfaction out of planning advancement ceremonies and having the knowledge of the advancement process.

I'm definately going to have many hours of pondering time on my way down to VA. I will think about what all of you have said and I'll touch base upon my return. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm actually going to be taking BALOO, so I'll be all set. I've got "outdoor sense" from years of camping as a child and I grew up on a mountain with lots of woods. Our WB course will be held at our cubscout camp, which has leantos! Yeah!

Saw some Scouters last night who told me about their experiences in the WB patrols. I think I'm going to like it. Now I just have to figure out what I will do for my tickets. Any suggestions? How many do I have to complete?

Thanks for the speedy reply. I'll talk to my Dist. Exec. (who has his WB)about signing up. I'm thirsty for training so that I can implement changes with confidence. I don't have my outdoor skills training, however, our unit goes on 2 major campouts per year and I'm usually in charge of some activities for 30+ scouts who attend. What type of outdoor skills should I have for this WB training?

My council is pushing the program to their districts and I was approached to consider attending. I'm wondering if the material covered in this program will help me to motivate others in my unit to "commit" to putting on a better program for our cubs.

You see, this is my 2nd year in scouting. I'm a Wolf den leader, Advancement chair, Popcorn Kernel and on District committee. I'm wearing these hats because other leaders choose not to. Will the program help me to keep a positive attitude about pushing my unit forward without pointing fingers at the "slackers"?

Thanks for any input.

I really enjoyed being a Tiger Den Leader because of the shared leadership!

I usually did the opening (pledge, CSP and short prayer). I set up the 5 achievements into themes for 5 months and had the adult partner teams responsible for the gathering activity, den activity and snack. The den activity almost always met the theme of the month. For example: The Family achievement we did in December where the scouting families went to the movies for a Go See It. We made picture frames with a family photo for the den activity etc.

I had my den agenda set up so that I'd give announcements and talk briefly about the theme of the month as well as let the boys SHARE what they did as their family activity for the past month. We'd do the den activity, have snack and closing ceremony. I also went thru their books during the activity.

Have fun with it, it was a blast for me and my cubs.

WOW! Good for you that your pack is growing. Obviously you're doing the right things and cubs talk.... Our pack, too, has doubled in size this year to over 70 scouts. We are doing most of the things that are needed to manage such a large pack. The reality is that some den leaders end up wearing more than one hat. I, myself, am a Wolf leader, Advancement Chair, Popcorn kernel and District Committee member. It's easy to say "enlist more parents". Reality is that it's hard to sell them on such a time committment. They see what I do and are apprehensive to step up to the plate. Den chiefs are a great idea and I've got one in my den. Our dens are huge (20 Wolf in my den alone) because we can't get parents to step up and lead on their own. We're now busting out of the church where we meet. The other den leaders don't prioritize scouting first in their lives and it shows. Their lack of communication is a detriment. Communication is the key in any group. Parents feel more in the loop when you keep them informed and involved. I've taken on that role of being the liaison. Also, Packmaster, a software program that helps you manage your pack is a godsend. It's got some glitches when working with advancement reports to council, but it's a great database of info that can be used in many ways. I usually communicate by email to my scouts because our leadership team doesn't have the time to call 70 scouts about events etc. Packmaster can email reports, messages to your scouts as well. Just make sure you have uptodate emails.

We, too, put together our Unit calendar early. We encourage our den leaders to put den plans into place as well.

As far as $$ issues. Our pack, in the past, has not collected dues. We make good money on popcorn sales that offsets this. However, this year is a different story. A pack of this size may need to do more than one fundraiser because Blue and Gold, advancements cost big bucks. We also have given out den budgets for their activies, but it's a small amount. That's our challenge....never enough money for activities. Your Unit Commissioner is a great resource for your pack. They are trained in their position and are there to help you with all issues regarding your pack. Draw upon that person frequently.

I'm interested to see how you're pack flourishes. So please post to keep us uptodate.

As a former Tiger Den leader with assistants, I know the issues that are challenging. I had 10 Tigers and my one assistant brought her younger boy to meetings. He was only 3 and would constantly disrupt the meeting. We let him do the activities like the "big" boys and he seemed fine. However, MY scout was the challenge. My husband is a Webelos leader and I've heard from other leaders that their own children are the ones that act up all the time. My Tiger sat next to me at the den meeting and would constantly fiddle with my materials. I'd lose focus sometimes with the constant interruption. So I moved him to the other end of the table and he did much better. I agree with other scouters that leader training is the tool you need. The training gives you resources and knowledge to handle issues, programming, etc. You feel much more confident in running the den after you've completed instruction. You may also want to attend a roundtable or two where you can meet other den leaders to discuss issues. Good luck.

Yup, makes sense to me. Don't I as a den leader have to provide a form to the new unit stating the scout's completed achievements and rank he holds?

Thank you all for the welcome. Yes, CNY still has snow. We are close to Lake Ontario's snow belt and get lots of lake effect squalls etc. We were just dumped on a few days ago after that sneak preview of Spring the Northeast was having.

At the Tiger level, most boys welcome the fun, silly songs to perform for their pack. However, nearing the end of our scouting year, I'm finding that the boys would rather do skits. It takes the pressure off of the performance and the older scouts get a hoot out of seeing the ever-so-familiar "invisible bench" skit performed again and again.

Yes, we have Packmaster. One copy resides on the CM machine, the other on my machine. My CM has been entering info and transferring it to ours. Sounds like a pain but he is moving up and my husband, the pack treasurer, will be maintaining the program. My scout has completed all his achievements and he will receive his badges at the B&G in April. If the rank card that accompanies the badge is sufficient, do I still have to print out his achievement history from Packmaster? Is it overkill to do both? And yes, I will be handing the information to the registering parent.

Our pack has 40 scouts and 6 leaders. Like most packs, some leaders wear more than one hat. Since entering our leader team, the working bond between us has deepened and we get together outside of scouting. My contacting council at this point, would change the group dynamic totally. I'm not risking it. Our CM will be moving up to the BS level and the ACM will take the helm. I don't know what his leadership style is and if I feel that the problem still exists in September( we don't meet in summer), I'll need to revisit the idea of asking for support at the upper level. As I said before, this parent and scout will be moving to another pack. I have no trouble with the other scouts from 2 households - their on a unified front.

Is there an actual transfer form that needs to be filled out and sent to council or does the scout just register with the new pack in September? He will be completing the program in May with his present pack.

I'm new to this forum and already have made so many contacts. This is great!

Welcome from a neighboring New Yorker! The support is endless here...

Wow! John in KC has hit the nail on the head. Since posting on this site, I've found more advice and exchange of ideas than at our local roundtable meetings. I call it my online roundtable.

I'm from a rural area, Central NY and the packs here just don't do everything by the book. Probably because the more they read the book, the more confused they get. My Cubmaster is good at going thru proper channels to run a successful program. However, by going to General Counsel, he might think I'm blowing this all out of proportion.

You see, our town is like living in Mayberry. The low crime rate, one butcher, no child abductions, streets lined with Elms, etc. Get the picture? How do I diplomatically suggest I speak to such counsel?

MarkS, you are absolutely right-I have no right to assume anything. I guess with the ongoing frustration of trying to contact parents, with no success, I cut corners and just passed the info on. Ironically, the unlisted parent does most of the hands-on activities with the scout. i.e. pinewood & space derby vehicle construction. The stuff that mom cares not to delv into.

I joined the scouts and became a den leader because I believe in the program's core values. Most other extracurricular activities advocate winning and competition. Scouting principals advocate teamwork and doing your best. I want to mold these boys into good men. I thought I signed on to do just that. I was naive to think that baggage wouldn't come with the job. Oh well, things will calm down and a new year of cubscouting will start in Sept. p.s. I'm in a two parent household and my husband is a den leader too.

I actually purchased the red patch felt blanket with the universal emblem on it. You could make your own easily. I then machine sew the patches in a halfhazzard fashion all over the blanket. Eventually, it can be hung on the wall or put on the bed. It is extremely hard to sew the patches on by hand. The kids little fingers will hurt trying to get the needle thru the outer rim of the patch. If you want the boys to earn their sewing elective (in Tigers), you could let each sew one patch on with your machine. Or..... I'm actually purchasing the leather coin purse kit where the boys use leather cord to sew the purse together (bigger needle and holes are prepunched).

The privacy thing is a little too far fetched for me. I've decided to inform all parties that were listed on the scouts registration form. I believe there is room for only one primary contact and emergency contacts. I am leaving it up to the primary parent to inform other parties unless the other party ASKS for the information. I would comply unless it is known that the other party does not have rights to the scouts involvement (i.e. restraining order). There is no easy answer here, to many ifs.

I also feel that if I was a male den leader, this mom wouldn't have come forward with such assertion. I am the only female leader in our pack. The other leaders don't seem to have these relation issues.

I do have one cubscout whos parents are united in supporting his scouting journey. I have the utmost respect for these parents who put their scout first.

I do communicate mostly by email and then followup with phone calls when necessary. Some scout parents don't even check their email. The communication has been good thus far, because I eventually hunt them down and am frank with them in regards to their scout's achievements. I've got 8 boys and as of tonight, they will have completed all 5 achievements.

As far as newsletters - I just have trouble putting words to paper. I've got a palm pilot and use it's calendaring system to generate the monthly den calendar and I usually give it to the parents in the beginning of the month. However, the divorced parent that doesn't come to the den meeting, doesn't receive the calendar. A good point well taken that all parties should rcve info on their scout. I'll request emails, addresses and phone numbers of both parents. As stated in another post, I'll need this info especially at the Wolf level and up. Thanks for all your posts. You are all a wealth of info to me.