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Although I agree that you can not earn an award that wasn't existence, as this is a Pack defined award I personally would file this one under "battles not worth fighting" and give them their pin.

Not counting popcorn sales events (yech), we do two Pack events a month. During the school year, one of those is a Friday evening Pack meeting. Becuase we set out calendar in early August, we expect Dens not to book events on the same day as a Pack event.

Wish I had the ability to pull this off. I think it would eliminate 90% of the problems with parent built cars: Packs should impound all axels and wheels when the kits are handed out. The night before the Derby, when the cars are to be registered, you hand out a random set of four wheels and axels to each Scout. Have the DL's teach the Scouts how to set the axels and lube the wheels for themselves. Yeah, some of the parent built cars would look nice and shinny but the Scouts who built their own would be the ones responsible for much of the performance.

Had a Tiger (or more likely his mom) come up with a fun idea last year. Most of the temporary patches come with the loops for hanging from the pocket buttons. She added a loop to the rest (hot glue gun makes fast work of that). He wears them all on thick necklace - he's already got close to a couple dozen patches as he picked up some when his older brother was in the Pack. He's the only Scout in the Pack who has an easy way to show of his collection. Looks cool too.

I summer I half-seriously threatened to do this for this year's PwD. I swear, one father turned purple and nearly passed out.

I spent 3+ years as a Webelos Den Leader. After my first year with my older sons Den, I made it clear that I had to approve all of the badges myself to my younger sons Den. I only delegated Family Member Activity Badge to the Parents that was the only Activity Badge I allowed them to sign the Handbook for. If a Scout missed doing all or part of the activity badge in a Den meeting, they had to complete the missing requirements, in writing, in the workbooks available on the US Scouting Service project site. When the Scouts turned them in, I spent a few minutes with the Scout discussing the requ

No level requiement. If a Tiger Den is following the proscribed host family rotation method, the Tiger from the host family would in fact make an ideal Denner.

Side comment: if neither your CM or your CC are willing to make sure recruiting takes place it's time to replace them. Recruiting is the third bullet point on almost any CM position discription I've seen, after "be trained" and "plan and lead the Pack meetings." If neither of these people is willing to step up and see that recuiting is taking place, then it would seem to me that neither of them cares what happens when the CM moves on at the end of his/her term.

Buffalo, I like your solution. I think pushing the Scouts back down to the Pack level at this point will cause retention issues. One thing SM214 should do quickly is reach an agreement with the parents and the wayward DE is if these Scouts will be attending the Troop's weekend camp-outs under Boy Scout rules or if they will be adhering to the Cub Scout rules which require a parent or guardian to be present. I know those rules are interpreted differently by different units and districts, but I could see that as a potential sticking point early on. Whatever you agree to, put it in writing

Melgamatic, I can see an established Pack with an expierenced Popcorn Kernal raising $70 per Scout. I think a new Pack without any popcorn expience will be inviting trouble if they rely heavily on fundraising during year one.

pixiewife, Has you Pack submitted a unit money-earning application yet? See question 3 on the back of that form. I know the item you're talking about doesn't have prizes, but still the scratch-off feature of it does have a "game of chance" feel to it and I'd be curious if the Council has approved this type of fund-raiser.

A couple things to consider: Cost of awards - becuase of the cost of belt loops and Webelos activity badges I budget $20 / Scout a year. PWD kits are not the all-in costs to build cars. With trophies, wieghts and incidentals, we budget $10 / Scout. Do you have a place to run your Derby? Even if the track is free many tracks require a flat, indoor location to work properly. How much do you need for Blue and Gold decorations? Have you budgeted for a US and Pack flags and stands? Do you have a place to meet that doesn't charge? Our basic costs is $95, before Den dues.

While I agree Scouting is worth every penny, I think you deserve a better answer as to what Scouting really costs. Most of the costs I'm mentionion don't need to be paid on day one, but they will likely be paid out of your and his pocket in the next year. While every Troop handles costs differently, here is some of what you should expect in your first year: The $15 annual registration is a small part of the cost of participating in Scouting. Unless you find a Troop with a uniform bank, you will likely need to spend upwards of $75 on a full uniform and patches. The upside is that is not

One suggestion: Call the DE and require that he/she assign you a qualified unit commissioner immediately. This should be someone who has been a Cubmaster in recent history. I would make this a deal breaker. This UC should be available to come to every Pack meeting and monthly leadership committee meeting and act as a mentor to help you get things rolling. Even if your monthly leadership meetings consist of just the two of you sitting down at Starbucks for 90 minutes, it will really help a lot. It doesn't need to be long term arrangement once you get past the annual recharter, you should

According to the Troop Committee Guidebook (mine might be dated): "The PLC puts together the annual program calendar at its annual program planning conference. It then submits the troop's yearly plan to the troop committee for its support. At this time, the troop committee may make alternative suggestions for the patrol leaders' council to consider." Based on that description the TC can't overule the PLC, only make suggestions. So technically, yes, the TC overstepped their bounds. I will say though, if those "minor" holidays are also school holidays, I would consider these to be valid su

I'm surprised your DE hasn't approached you on spliting yet. I know last year a significant part of their personal evaluations was how many new units were created in their district so stay on high alert You do need to break apart the 20 boy Den. Take tohe DL out fro Coffee and explain to them that having a super Den does a disservice to the rest of the Bears. He should ask his or her ADL (or best helper if they don;t have an ADL) to form a new Den. With 26 Bears, you should have four Dens anyway. Then tell the parents there is a new Pack policy capping Dens at 8 Scouts per Den. Let the

My 2 cents worth. Remember, the money belongs to your chartering organization ("CO"), NOT to the Pack. Unless you have a "parents of Pack ###" type CO (which would likely be impotent), I would contact your chartering organization representative and have them help step in. I do think pulling out $333 per graduating Webelos is going to cause the Pack stress, especially when next years graduates ask for their cut. Unless there was a widely publicized incentive program in advance of the last fund raiser which created these Scout accounts, there is something very seriously wrong here.

From the concepts and guidelines in the requirement book (also on the page referenced above) Participation may take place at home, with the family, or within a den, a pack, or the community. Each Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Webelos Scout will be presented with the appropriate recognition item for completing the requirements, whether he does so as an individual Scout, with his family, with his den or pack, or in his school or community. The only exception to those guidelines rule is the shooting sports loops and pins which must be earned at a council/district day camp, resident c

I have two personal rules for Den management. 1. Scouts and parents are free to choose which Den they want to join - although suggestions are made, no one is forced to be with any one Den leader. If you force a parent to put a boy into a Den where they don't like the leader or there is a personality conflict betweeen two boys, they will drop from your unit. 2. Den Leaders are free to cap their Den size, so long as they are will to take at least 8 Scouts. I also will not force a Den leader to take more boys than they want, or they too will burn out. Of course if they do insist on a c

Our Council requires advancement forms for Rank badges but not for activity badges. I wish it was otherwise, but so be it. If awards are not listed on ScoutNet, I would suggest that the parent contact his former Pack's CM or CC and ask for replacement cards.

We do a relay race called rescue the baby. Divide the Den into two teams and give the Scouts one or more length of rope each. They'll need to join all the ropes together using sheetbends to reach the baby. Each scout on the team must add at least one rope to the string. Your better knot tiers will invaribly help the slower ones out, which is really the goal here. Have them tie one end of the joined rope off to a pole using a two-half hitch and put a bowline on the other end. Have a leader wear a baby bonnet and have a pacifier. Wear a diaper if you're really brave Have the Scouts standg the

You're closer to the situation than I am, so I suspect youll have a better solutions than I could provide, but one though I had was to divide responsibility a little wider than is usual. Unilaterally appoint the Scout who you groomed as SPL to an ASPL position. Alternatively, if he is 16, you can make him a JASM (which is legitimately a SM appointed position). Redefine the leadership roles in the unit. Explain that the new ASPL / JASM position will be responsible for planning the monthly outing and lead one Troop meeting a month. Use whatever excuse you like - shared responsibility / training

The previous CM in my Pack allowed one of our Scouts younger brother to become a Tiger when he was still in Kindergarten, something I didnt find out until 15 months later when I did the Packs annual recharter. I have been this boys Den leader for four years now, and he has had a very hard time keeping up with his Den mates in the requirement work. For three years the fact that he has had one year less of school has been very apparent and he hasnt really gotten as much as he could out of Scouts as he should. Now the hardest part for this boy is going to come at the end of his second Webe

I am most certainly a supporter of no electronics rules. I don't care if your phone has GPS, is your only timepiece and serves in an emergancy as a flashlight substitute. I don't want to see it. Still, I had to bite my tongue at the last troop meeting. Someone asked the question how high the summit of Half Dome was. No one knew, but one former Scout pulled out his iPhone and had the answer in under a minute.

Although most of Redwood Empire Council is outside of the Bay Area, it does cover Sonoma County, which is also a part of the Bay Area, so make that 8 councils