Momleader

Our council posted photos from one of the District on the council Facebook page. Den of happy arrow of light age girls.

Then a photo of them with the flag. 

All in uniform - wearing shorts. No big deal right. Except 1 young girl had her shirt untucked (my pet peeve) bit it didn’t even cover her shorts. So it looks like she was only wearing a shirt and sneakers.   I get it, Scout shorts aren’t inexpensive and maybe they were out of her size or uncomfortable but at least wear something longer on the bottom than the hem of the shirt (it liked like a 60s micromini dress). I can’t believe no one caught that at council before posting it. If it were my kid I would call it have it taken down. There are some sick/weird/unsavory types that would enjoy that kind of photo of children in the world. 

Hi. Our pack has a recycled uniform program. It’s worked pretty well too. I’m sure the council store hates it but I would rather have a child join and stay and get a cheaper uniform from our recycled ones than not be able to afford the whole dues, joining fees and uniform so they don’t do it at all. 

So now National has made the wolf cap and neckerchief red. I have a stack of yellow for wolf.   

Is there anything wrong with our pack using the yellow if the whole den is outfitted the same?  

We wanted to do a pack cap and neckerchief because parents were unhappy with having to buy new every year. And the necker wouldnhave an addition made to it at the end of the year awards.  When our DE got wind of it she shut it down hard - like with council exec Involvement. (No longer the DE - which is a good thing she wasn’t very nice to the volunteers, emails were not polite)

Seriously? This is really happening? Have they redesigned the program to fit the needs of girls? How will young men and boys not be left behind - much like they are school - they learn differently! So many studies prove this.

Think of the implications of summer camp or troop camp outs. “They’re peeping in my tent!†Or the parents who quip back with “what do you mean she can’t wear a bikini to waterfront - don’t body shame her!†So you have a co-ed Troop. Just like venturing for 2 Deep Leadership (minimum 1 leader each gender) What happens on the first campout where you have a leader drop out last minute - if you had 3 adults (2M & 1 F or 2F & 1-M). Does that mean that one gender doesn’t get to go? Or do you cancel for everyone?

Just like the increase in fees - no heads up from council before it’s announced nationally. as to how leaders are to respond to the questions we will all get from parents in the next few weeks/months. I guess it’s weird to think they would get info to the volunteers that essentially run the program - because other than give us some flyers for recruitment and process paperwork we fill out - our council doesn’t do much for us.

Wondering how other troops/packs handle this?

Fee to join our pack is $XX year per scout (boys life extra)

That includes, national fees + insurance + council fees + pack Dues.

Pack dues just pays for car kit and awards earned plus we don't charge leaders for thier fees to be leaders (they pay for thier son though). If/when Cubs earn more than the required it throws our budget into a tizzy.

We had a family ask about a sibling discount (more than 2 sons). Would love to offer one but the pack dues barely cover the awards and derby car. Which is why the popcorn sale is so important.

Our council only offers discount/scholarship if boys get free lunch at school (not reduced)

Other than upping the fees - anyone have an idea?

Are we bad for not offering a discount?

I think you could turn this into a teachable moment before the next campout.

Using the Scout Law. If you need to ask a boy more than 3 times to stop doing an off limits behavior they aren't being very Courteous or Obedient. Tigers have a tough time with those words sometimes.

Do you remember the cartoon in Highlights Magazine Goofus & Gallant? You could do something like that - if there is a den chief or 2 or even a few Boy Scouts (say 6th-7th graders) see if they could come do a little skit - maybe the cubs will have the lightbulb moment.

We are a grade level pack. With the only exceptions when a cub is held back in school. If they have met the Cub Scout rank requirements and kept up in scouting by doing their best they advance on. Provides them with a success in life.

In the case of this tiger & mom, maybe a gentle reminder to all kids about the good things from the campout and some areas the leaders need to see improvement on at the next would be good to deliver soon to all the boys.

"Great job keeping the campsite clean and cooperating at games/skills, as a group we need all of you scouts to keep up that good work and work on listening to the leaders and following the rules of the camp, so we can continue to go back"

I would also invite all tiger parents to attend the next baloo training so they can gain the knowledge of why Cub Scout camping is different from family camping.

We lost 3 Webelos II boys because their travel soccer coach told the parents if the boys miss practices because of other activities they don't play on the weekend. If the boys miss a day of games because of a campout they miss the next weekend of games too.

It's a coaching group and they told the kids & parent 'now is the time to get serious if they want to be an elite player, soccer should be the main activity focus'. 2 of those same boys also are not participating in after school band at school because of the new focus.

How are kids supposed to become well rounded individuals when adults are bullying 5th graders into making choices like that. Since the parents pay loads of cash for this opportunity to play with this team they want to be sure their kid isn't benched - I get that, sort of.

Scouts is a bargain! And if you can't make it to a meeting we don't "bench" you from a campout.

Paper airplane design time & test flights - stemy activity....kids at out flight camps had fun (cheap too paper reams on sale) nice for rainy day.

Conservation projects for older scouts - leave no trace principles can apply here - natural science.

Building bat boxes

It can be integrated into a good camp - my boys went to a Phineas & Ferb theme CS Residence week and had a ball! Roll with it and gave fun!

What a load of bunk! Why should the Girl Scouts have less stringent health requirements than BSA to use their facility? Girls that were in Venture Crews proved they could handle it at Jambo and they did just fine. As a woman I'm kinda offended that this was even done - did they provide hot showers and electricity for hair dryers too? There is no reason that women and girls can't learn to toughen up and still have fun. Heck, our pioneer grandmothers could handle it - and more.

When I took Webelos to resident camp, the parents chipped in and bought me a dunkin donuts cold cup - inside was a $25 gift card for Dunkin a Donuts. There was one between camp and the highway home. Best tasting iced coffee ever! 4years later I still use the cup. Simple and personalized. Made me smile & they know how much I love/need my iced coffees

@ SeattlePioneer, when the committee chair asked at the council for the name of the manufacturer of the neckerchiefs, they asked why - he told them of our plan - they (old guard guys) went heavy handed with the " violations of official uniform guidelines!" I think they scared the crayola out of him - so at the next leaders meeting it was relayed back to us and of course the COR was at that meeting. So our idea of pack neckerchiefs was shot down fast.

I'm finding that unless it's a health and safety or legal issue it's better to ask forgiveness rather than permission - ha ha ha

I had already done the legwork (email request) and had the pricing....committee chair was just looking for cheaper price. He's not with us now.

Troop $65/year. Suggested each boy sell $250 of popcorn, no monthly dues, campout fees and summer camp fees each family must pay - this includes boys life and fees to national

Pack $85/year. Suggested each family sell $250 of popcorn to help w expenses for pack. Includes, all awards earned, derby car kit, regatta kit, food for a Blue & Gold and end of the year burgers at picnic, rocket making materials for spring event, boys life subscription and fees to national. Special event sleepovers and summer camp are for the parents to pay

The book is helpful for kids that are self motivated learners or have parents that get involved with them learning on days off from school, etc.

We don't require the uniform neckerchief slide - if parents want to buy it that's fine. Each den makes a new one in the first couple meetings for the year. The kids make it and the parents man the Hot hot glue gun.

We wanted to do Pack neckerchiefs like the Troop in town does but were told NO WAY when the council found out (I asked here, but the committee chair asked the office). Was a shame because we were going to do a nice blue with gold embroidery on it ($15 each - but you get to wear it for all 4.5 years).

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the price was steep.

National likes making it tough for us with this one. The Boy Scout handbook is the same price and in theory boys use it for many years (if they don't lose or destroy it),

They should have made the den leader book $20 and put pages to copy in for the kids (workbook style) then packs would just need to copy for boys and buy some binders at Walmart or staples in the back to school super sales. Orange, yellow, blue, green by rank. Would have been less expensive

Already can see the questions coming, we are in one of the councils that will roll it out this fall):

If my elementary age son & daughter can both be a STEM Scout does why can't my daughter can now join the pack with her brother? (Answer is it's a co-Ed program, cub packs are gender specific). I know several families that will ask loudly though.

I give up!

Also might have been nice to hear about thus from the council and what their plans are for rolling it out rather than seeing it on Bryan first.

Has anyone ever been told that a district event gas to make a profit and been given a dollar figure to aim for?

This is a challenging case. We had a similar problem when I was a Wolf & Bear leader. Funny how a kid who missed close to 50% of den meetings & parents griped constantly about snacks, popcorn, & hikes, and didn't like us telling little Jonny to sit still when it was time. He managed to get signed off on more electives than everyone who came to meetings & outdoor activitys. A Scout is Trustworthy? mom didn't like us asking too many questions about if he had fun and did his best on the electives. We had a come to Jesus meeting the first Webelos meeting. Den chiefs players a game with the boys and leaders met with the parents. We explained that Webelos was getting the boys ready to be Boy Scouts. Just as a merit badge has several tasks that need to be learned and signed off on so did the Webelos pins & these were the pins that we as leaders would like the kids to work on at home with their parents and we would hold a 'mini meeting' with the boy to discuss what they did to complete the pin at home - sort of a practice session for meeting with merit badge counselors. It actually worked well. And we raked the parents to sign up and teach Webelos pins they have skill in. Our CO requested that aquanaut be done at cub camp (a child drowned ages - 40+ yrs - ago at a church outing at the nearby lake) we honored that request, some didn't earn it but they were given the opportunity including once during April school break. Our Jonny Earn-It-All struggled at first but came back and completed his AOL.

I agree with KDD - Our district only charges $25 for those training and you are given printed materials and fed lunch, coffee & snacks. Not a money maker (usually any left over $ goes as a donation to whatever church or scout hall hosts the training)

Our pack uses them. The lacing that comes with them is too short in my opinion. I donated a roll of black gimp lacing (ac Moore & michaels & Joann's has it). You can get it with a coupon for a couple bucks. And one roll lasts a long time. The kids like having the bling

Our Pack will be serving as color guard for the school's Veterans Day program. Webelos dens will present the new flag yo the school to fly outside. There are some Boy Scouts in the school too. Since our Troop in town will be having a flag retirement ceremony the weekend before the boys have been collecting them all fall around town. I have 2 questions.... 1. What should the boys do with the flag ashes once they are cool - is there a proper disposal method? 2. Have any of you heard of taking the grommets afterwards, cleaning them off of ash and presenting to the local VFW ? Trying to include as many boys as possible

When I was the Tiger leader, we had a boy in the pack who washeld back in school after he had finished the Tiger requirements. School and parents made the decision together over the summer break. That boy was advanced to wolf as 1st graders, as he had met the scouting requirements to advance. This was done after I spoke with the council about the issue. The following year we had a 2nd grader who needed to repeat that grade, again though he had kept up with the wolf program and completed the requirements with the den. Council again was called and they agreed that he should advance on to bear, since he had done his best and finished the requirements. These kids were allowed to cross over to Boy Scouts after they completed their AOL as Webelos and are doing well in Boy Scouts. They were a year older than their classmates but same age as their Scout-mates. Keeping a boy with his peer group is important but it must be looked at as only a part of the picture. While there is as academic portion of scouting - a boy who excels in scouting might have other academic difficulties that cause him not to do well in school.pl

Tnff - I was at school promoting cub joining night and one kid told me he wanted to come back to cub scouts then told me his dad didn't have fun at the tiger meetings so they quit. I've heard that before - from the parents: not thinking the program was fun - but seen a room full of tigers laughing or playing a game or building something - makes me want to say 'sorry that seeing your son have a good time, or learn something new isn't 'fun' for you because it looks like HE is having fun to me". I get parents are busy but in our towns tigers meet 2x/ month. Those parents are too busy to spend 2 hours a month doing an activity with their son? I get that they paid the fee to sign up, but just because they did wouldn't they be interested in seeing what that fee gets them in terns of how their son grows? No wonder we could be a doomed society.

I thought all BSA summer camps provided tents. Those canvas wall tents with no floors or screens on platforms with outriggers....no?

I wish BSA would team up with Dickies to make uniforms. Dickies makes a tough wearing olive canvas work pant sold at Walmart for under $30/pair in the men's department. Our troop has lots of boys wear them in the fall-early spring. Cheaper than about pants and wear well and fit well (no saggy bottoms). BSA has several vendors make their uniform shorts so there is variation in size & pattern...found this out when shopping for my son's Jambo shorts last year. Ordered 4 pair of men's medium for him from scoutstuff.org - 2 pairs measured 34" waist, 1 was a 33" waist and one was a 38" waist. Hello, quality controll- seriously? Costed me $ to have them shipped when I ordered them and returned them. That was a drag. Hubby wears the dickies for work (brown), I go and pick up the same size number and they are right - one of the few things Walmart has done well!