bbender
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Posts posted by bbender
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13 minutes ago, numbersnerd said:
things weren't going to change once girls came aboard?
FYI, those plans don't change currently announced Requirements ... and they actually help reflect some of the nuance (and maddening number changes) of the 11/30/16 revisions to requirements, so they're a bit more in sync with "current" than what's in the Guides.
Of course, as The Latin Scot notes, one need not use the Guides at all, and that's cool.
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16 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:
3 den meetings a month is not that hard. Been there, done that.
True that, and this optional resource doesn't mean a den can't do the three meetings in the Guide or more.
That said, for some busy families, the options of either (a) do the three meetings in the guide, or (b) pick up the 2017 addenda and use the Handbooks to make up a meeting or activity, are, for some, challenging.
FYI, that site has options: on that site are also annotated versions of the plans that "tag" the Guide's three meetings to (1) flag what's changed as of 11/30/16, and (2) confirm (where not evident) what you can do if you want if you don't want to do the Guide activity. Because some people do think "if it's in the Guide, I have to do it"!
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Super ideas and observations there ...
16 minutes ago, The Latin Scot said:does any body really use them that much? I will occasionally glance through them for ideas, but I don't base my meetings off of them.
On that, yeah, if you don't use the Leader Guides to guide how to do meetings for the Adventures, you're probably not going to need to look at this either.
But, if the reason why you don't use the Guide is either that there too much fluff and filler (and you know how to add your own) or they are out of sync with the revised requirements, then this might be useful.
20 minutes ago, The Latin Scot said:just fly through them one by one with only a meeting per topic. Boys need to be more invested in the subject matter, at least if your focus is on learning
Again, the primary emphasis of this is for a model to have extended time on weekends, an afternoon/evening for Cub Family experience, not "get it done in an hour".
And the reasons for only the Required Adventures are not nefarious, but include: (1) everyone (that tries to complete the Rank) does the Required ones, (2) usually, a reason to select an elective is there is likely a leader, parent or other resource who is already knowledgeable about it, and can deliver it in a meaningful way, and (3) fewer changes were made to elective requirements in the 11/30/16 changes, so the Guides are not as out of sync.
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Thanks for your note ... because this is really geared to working in Adventure advancement work when a Den gets out and about (camping, hiking, field trips with family), my belief is that it isn't "check the box", but it is a way to get the Advancement method done with more fun and with greater clarity than the current "three meeting model" of the Guides -- guides that had extra items already, and are out of sync with current requirements.
- And what I've heard from Dens who have come up with this on their own is that this sort of program works for them, is more fun, more memorable to Scouts, enjoyed more by families.
- Because when we get Cub families out and about doing camping, hiking, field trips, hands on stuff ... they get more out of it.
And if you eyeball the individual plans and the comments on changes made, you'll see that the advice and structure is not to go for the minimum in the Advancement requirements -- the plans don't "hide the ball" or make up extra steps, but encourage the active, hands on, outdoors options.
- For example, in Wolf "Call of the Wild", it doesn't say "hey, great news, now you can just 'attend an outdoor activity', and it doesn't tell you how long you have to be outdoors!".
- Instead, it pitches that the best option is that Scouts participate in a pack camp out.
- The comments to the 11/30/16 changes in that Plan includes the plea "Please don’t fail to do camping!"
- (I've previously posted on that change, and it's been sent as a suggestion to Irving.)
And, hey, if someone just looks at the 11/30/16 requirements, and nothing more, they can "check the box" pretty easy in Wolf "Call of the Wild" without the extras in any Adventure plan, even this Streamlined guide: "hey kids, go outdoors for a few minutes and play as your 'outdoor activity' (1), and after that, come in and we'll talk about weather stuff (2), recite the Outdoor Code and talk about LNT and fire (3), talk about natural disaster and germs (4), plus tie a couple knows (5), and then the badge is done".
Like you, I hope they don't do it that way. But I don't think the "three meeting model" is essential to delivery of quality program.
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Long months since last post, but let me share something that might be useful for for the following Packs:
(1) those that are Early Adopters for girl packs and dens this spring, but struggle when they look at doing 18 to 20 Den Leader Guide meetings between now and the end of the school year (program year) to earn a Rank – including some fired up dens who are probably willing to get together on weekends, but will find the “three meeting model” of the Guides hard to adapt; and
(2) other dens that are just struggling to earn a Rank this year, whether due to late start or the normal struggles of overworked millennial parents trying to do den program and Advancement; and
(3) those den leaders that want a more streamlined, helpful and efficient plan to deliver Cub Scout advancement Adventures without using the “three meeting model” in the Den Leader Guides – Guides that still references out of date requirements.
See the "Streamlined" Cub Scout Adventure Plans at www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3797 where the Tiger, Wolf and Bear plans are attached (Webelos and Arrow of Light to follow).
These new "Streamlined" Adventure Plans take the essential elements of the Adventure Plans for Required Adventures in the Guide (other than family faith adventures, which are most often done at home), and simplify the delivery of Adventures in these ways:
- convert the "three meeting model" of the official Den Leader Guides (which is too many meetings), and show how to get it all done in one (somewhat longer) session-- an easy way to do the Adventure in a session that is ideal for weekend activity (tips are included about how to stretch to two sessions if you choose to have short after school or evening meetings),
- reflect the changed requirements announced on 11/30/16, which dropped (or made optional) many requirements, and changed them around, and
- excise the excess! In the official Den Leader Guides there's lots of filler activities to fill three meetings per Adventure, but you don't need to do all of those to complete the Adventure. Note: don't get me wrong ... lots of those extra activities are great and fun and impart important ideas, but because they aren't essential to Advancement, these Streamlined plans don't mandate those specifics in program delivery -- Den Leaders and helpers should use their resources (including the Guides, but also what is available where you do your Adventures) to mix in fun as they know best.
These new "Streamlined" Adventure Plans should help Dens deliver Handbook Adventures at campouts and other weekend activities – and get more parent participation. Plus allow Dens that got a late start to "catch up" in an easier way.
If you like, please use and share. If not, would love the feedback, or just ignore this like other idle campfire chatter ...
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My Plan Outline:
3. KISMIF becomes are watchword, our benchmark for all decisions for the foreseeable future. If it's not going to be fun for scouts, families, and leaders, we don't do it. If it's not simple enough to hand off to a few parents, or to convince a few parents they can put it together, we don't do it. If we can't get parents to sign up for cleanup duty after a B&G banquet, we don't do it.
Whether I posted it here or just on Scouts-L, I've long decried the fact that KISMIF seems to be given lip service, while KICMEH (Keep It Complicated, Make Everything Hard), pronounced "Kick Me", becomes the way the program is handed down to be run.
To that end, because I'm always concerned when I witness how hard it is to get leaders, but then I get more concerned when I hear the District Exec or Pack Leader or Commissioner (or BSA materials) say to a new recruit that dens meet every week, packs meet once a month, plus you have a pack planning meeting and an activity and don't forget roundtable and take time for training and prepare for your weekly meetings plus pack meeting ... whew, that's a lot for your new den leader ... I've put together two pieces to help re-think what we ask leaders to do.
See this "Lighten Leader Loads" piece at http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3596, mostly focused on the Den Leader. That if you increase the ratio of fun to activities (meetings), you're better off than having more meetings that are less fun. PDF with images is here.
The more radical idea -- but one whose time may be here -- is this "Why Pack Meetings?" piece at http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3597, which asks: if Pack Meetings are boring and hard to put on successfully, why are we doing them? Or "why are pack meetings still a thing?" PDF with images including Dilbert is here.
Now, for those who have just awesome bang up well done Cub Scouting's Got Talent! standing ovation Pack Meetings ... good on ya! Keep it up.
But ... if it is easier and funner to go fun places and do fun things ... do that!
My $0.02. YMMV.
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My view is that RT is an anachronism ... a throwback to olden days when announcements had to be made in person or with handouts, since nobody wanted to put fliers in the mail. I see it as an agrarian model, where everyone came to market once a month to get the news, swap stories and then go back out to the farm.
When I came along, RT was usually just a flyer dump and platform announcement du jour for DEs, sometimes with a Cub RT persons saying "this is what you need to do next month because it's in the 'Program Helps' book". (Me: "no, thanks, I've got a plan already"). What I still find funny is that when someone on the Council staff tells the DE to let the District know about something, they don't say "get the word out to your District", but "announce this at Roundtable", as if that's the only way to get the word out. ("Communication" is not a function of a District, BTW).
During my accidental tour of duty as a District Commissioner in a District with no roundtable commissioner, we ultimately came up with some different "types" of RT nights:
1. “Program Roundtables†with a specific program that is planned, promoted and produced that is (hopefully) interesting, hands on and desired by leaders -- or if leaders, on hearing of what the program is, don’t want it, they can stay home … if the DE wanted to have a program mainly on popcorn sales, fine ... advertised as such, those not involved didn't feel a need to show up.
Even when programs were put on based on perceived "demand" (like "we need a live YPT class") attendance was spotty.
If we got no volunteer to do a Program, then we held what we advertised as:
2. “Casual Open Question Time Roundtableâ€, advertised as such on the calendar for those who want/need to get information face to face in a "shoot the breeze" type format.
A few of those were good ... but most were not widely attended.
3. We never got around to doing it (nobody volunteered), but we also suggested “On the Road Roundtableâ€, where a Unit invites a Roundtable to visit their Pack or Troop Meeting and observe. … to actually “see how the game is playedâ€, which might be better than “hearing how the game is playedâ€.
Bottom Line: except for maybe two die hard true believers (one of whom might be told to attend by his church) and District volunteers (like the Day Camp director who was told by his Day Camp Camp School to go "announce at Roundtable"), very few young leaders attend, leaving RT to a generation older than me ... young leaders get their information from other sources. Granted, if we shut down the weekly District News eBlasts from our Website and changed it to "announcements will only be at RT" we might get more attendance, but that just seems backwards to me ... if RT is a "unit service" function and part of providing information of use to units, I'd rather find effective ways to provide information and be of service.
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Post Away Sherry ... and credit goes to people like you and posters here and elsewhere, 'cause I just gather ideas along the trail ...
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Uh, on "is it a rank" or "is it an award" ... well, uh, actually: it is a Rank. Though "generically" a "Rank" is also an "award" ... but it is a Rank.
To support that, see this page: https://cubscouts.org/library/welcome-to-bear-cub-scouting/, which sadly also has a stray reference to "Wolf" at "a Bear must first earn his Bobcat rank. After completing the requirements for Bobcat he may go on to complete the requirements for the Wolf rank and the many electives that are offered for his rank", likely copied, and missed by the proofreaders.
And when a Bear level Scout opens up the Bear Handbook, Ethan is there to say, among other things: "... As you work on your Bear rank, ... "
See also https://cubscouts.org/library/cub-scout-ages-and-ranks/, and https://cubscouts.org/library/advancement/.
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My $0.02:
On "1. Would the new scout be expected to complete all of the past requirements in order to earn the rank badge?" === > To earn the rank badge, yeah, gotta complete the requirements. Either the handbook ones or the 11/30/16 version, or mix and match as ya like. The 11/30/16 versions will be easier, mostly.
- Of course, advancement is just a "method", not a requirement.
- He can still be a Cub Scout and just have fun / do activities / get loops.
- No need for anxiety here.
On "2. If yes, who's responsibility is it to catch the scout up? the parent? the den leader?" === > Parent.
- You signed up for Den Leader to lead the Bear activities once ... your job is not to repeat it every time someone comes through.
- You can if you want to, or for part of it.
- I mean, sometimes activities you may already be doing (spring camping, hikes, field trips) might easily tie into ways you can help ...
- ... if you want.
- If the Parent is really keen on doing all the "catch up" activities ... they can do them all on their own, on Pack campouts / day events, etc.
- But they can also chill out and not stress about it ... have fun, get some loops, have some laughs.
On "3. If he just did the remainder of the requirements that we have left with us, would he be eligible for the Bear Rank Badge?" === > Nope. If he didn't all all Six Required (whichever ones ... recall that the 11/30/16 version made Grin & Bear It an elective (but you can mix and match, it's OK) plus one elective, he didn't "earn the rank".
- But he gets all the loops!
On "4. Would it be best for him to just concentrate on earning his Bobcat and then be ready to go as a Weblos I?" === > Nope, but it isn't an "either 'go bust it for bear' or 'just wait fer Webelos'" type of situation here: the best situation would be have him earn Bobcat (easy peasy, really ...) .. and do your Bear activities.
- so he gets a Rank Patch for Bobcat,
- and let him load up on whatever loops you're doing for the rest of the year ...
- ... any any other awards you might start that he can finish.
Hope that helps!
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On "How well have 'meet the teacher' events worked", the answers are: sometimes great, sometimes so so, sort of like all methods.
Factors that make it great are:
- it's the very first day of the school year, so you're more likely not to have parents already committed to other after school signups.
- you can do "one on one" chats with parents, so that you connect with what they care about (e.g., if you get the sense the parent or kid is into the outdoors, play up those parts of your program; if they seem to be worried about that, play up less worrisome activities, like museum trips or pinewood derby).
- I noted kids ... since in our neck of the woods, usually kids are in tow ... so you can recruit them at the same time, by playing up what they like. We usually get a sense of what kids are like in a few seconds, so that the wild child is one you're probably seeing on being out in the woods and staying up late around a campfire, but the kid clinging to mom or dad you'll probably sell on doing things with mom and dad and sisters and brothers that are not scary.
- in doing "one on one", you can get a sense of who might be a leader or assistant.
- it's easy to do ... any parent who "likes the program" can "sell it" to other parents coming to meet and greet.
- Yeah, if your school is up for it, you can set up promo items, starting with photos/videos, all the way up to hands on stuff to do like Pinewood Derby tracks, or a tent, or even an outside portable campfire pit for s'mores ... if you don't ask, they can't say "yes". And if you've already cut a deal to make the School Admin's life better, they might say yes more (e.g., "our guys can raise and lower your flag every day" was a selling point, and a "win/win" for kids and admins).
I know of two of our most successful packs that have in several years picked up most of their new members on the meet and greet days using that method ... one of which doesn't even have a cattle call sign up event at all ...
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I agree with the DuctTape advice of "Focus on your den", since the kids there are the number one priority.
If you are ambitious and want to change the Pack leadership, yes, there are ways, but ... you will be taking on more. Sometimes it's really worth it ... as to whether it is, the question would probably include whether you have a group of other families shut out who want to engage in a shared leadership open pack. If so, there are ways to look into it, though it might or might not be:
- Roundtable (depends on quality and approach of participants -- some might have a "stay in your lane" approach, others might have a "why can't we all get along" approach),
- Unit Commissioner (depends on if you have one, and the same quality approach as above),
- District Executive (can at least tell you who the Chartered Org Rep is)
- Search the https://beascout.scouting.org/ site: it might reveal who your Chartered Org Rep is ... and neighboring packs.
It is super sad that folks get like this. Sometimes I use this book to help understand that narrow controlling mindset. Years ago we had a controlling person like that for whom I wanted to acquire a First Edition of the book to present as a "retirement present" to help exit the person from a role, but we decided to just use the tried and true "plaque 'em and sack 'em" approach instead.
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Since this popped up, I'll share our Recruiting Tools page, at www.southfultonscouting.com/node/2518, which has a page on Sign Up Events. And then I'll circle back to harvest ideas from this thread ...
Over time I'd seen the huge emphasis on Sign Up Nights as (in the minds of some) the alpha and omega (beginning and end) of Recruiting, and I've tried to put that event into context ...
As noted on that main page, "Recruiting Needs to be Much More than School Sign Up Nights and Buzz Ups. Successful and Sustainable Recruiting is a Process ... the Pack Leader's Guide to Recruiting describes these six steps:
- Make a Calendar of Fun Activities that families like
- Recruit More Leaders and Helpers - one by one, find folks who can help your unit out
- Let People Know! Let Families and Organizations Know your Pack Fun Event Plan. (Families join Packs that do things ... Boys join Troops that Go Places ... let them know what you're doing ... there are many ways)
- School and Community Events -- Show your School and Community the Fun of Cub Scouting.
- Once you've laid that foundation, have Sign Up Events: School Sign Up Night and Fun Events Too!
- More Fun Events. Keep expanding and extending your Calendar of Fun Events … that’s what makes families join!
Hope this helps.
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In another thread about Lightening Leader Loads and (essentially) asking "Pack Meetings? How is this still a Thing?", SSScout noted some issues in recruiting help, which is right on point with an RT presentation I'm making tonight.
Fifty Ways to Lure a Leader (apologies to Paul Simon)
There must be fifty ways
To lure a leader
You ask the whole Pack, Jack
Every woman and man, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Not just one, two or three …
Every new one’s a plus, Gus
At Pack meetings, don’t discuss much
Do a â€one on one†plea, Lee
Every new leader is keyI've attached the piece below, but it stems from a page I have called "Nuts and Bolts of Leader Organizing and Recruiting", which is a sub-topic of "Recruiting Leaders -- Turning Parents into Helpers, and Helpers into Leaders".
Lots of resources there, but I've attached a pdf of the Fifty Ways to Lure a Leader piece here too.
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Interestingly, SSScout, you've hit on a bunch of items I've got in a piece I'm performing tonight called "Fifty Ways to Lure a Leader" ... but I'll post that in another thread here.
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As part of some notes sent and posted in December, about improving Cub Scouting through “Bobcat Activity Plansâ€, “Put All Den Adventure Plans Back Online for Freeâ€, and “Restore Camping Activity to the Requirementsâ€, I’ve been thinking with others about the elephant in the room, the problem no one function of a Council or District can solve:
We Can’t Get Enough People To Be Leaders.
Everyone “does their best†in their lanes or functions: Membership mentions it. Training wants to train, but isn’t tasked to recruit. Same with Commissioners.
The problem in part is that the way the BSA describes “what Cub Scouting is†-- a result of which is that being a Den Leader or a Cubmaster is an enormous job description.
Like a Den Leader is told about “weekly†den meetings and monthly pack meetings and monthly roundtables and monthly pack leader meetings and then probably another activity and training and prepare for your “weekly†meetings … that’s a lot.
-- So of course few people want to do all that …
-- … or if you don’t deliver as described by your DE you feel like you’re letting kids, families and the BSA itself down.
But I think we can make progress by changing how we describe “what Cub Scouting is†in our Websites, parent handouts, training, etc., by paring down that description … to make it clear that:
-- If you don’t meet every week, you’ll be fine … do fun activities.
-- If you don’t have Pack Meetings, you’ll be fine … do fun activities instead.
-- (Pack Meeting Fans: Not that Pack meetings are banned or bad … but if it’s not fun in your Pack, why do it?)
So I’ve put together two thought pieces on this struggle with suggested website changes, to help us re-think how we describe “what cub scouting isâ€:
one about “Lighten Leader Loadsâ€, focused on the Den Leader, and how we might help them, at:
http://www.southfultonscouting.com/system/files/ImproveCubScoutingLightenLeaderLoads.pdf
also posted with hyperlinks at Lighten Leader Loads
the other is about “Why Pack Meetings†or “Minimize Meetings, Accentuate Activitiesâ€, at:
also posted with hyperlinks at Why Pack Meetings?
Now, I’ll grant that sometimes the ideal model works, usually in the perfect pack in the unicorn district of utopia council where everyone volunteers and follows through. But that’s rare.
Thoughts?
Improve Cub Scouting - Lighten Leader Loads.pdf
Improve Cub Scouting - Minimize Meetings, Accentuate Activities.pdf
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Let me spin out another idea about how to improve Cub Scouting, about the camping elements in the Cub Scout advancement modifications released on 11/30/16. A major emphasis of the new Cub Scout program unveiled in the June 30, 2015 handbooks is increased outdoor activity, including camping. Campout activities in the required Adventures in Wolf, Bear and Arrow of Light, though there are additional optional and elective camping activities as well. In those Handbooks, this alternative: "If your chartered organization does not permit Cub Scout camping, you may substitute a family campout or a daylong outdoor activity with your den or pack", so those Chartered Organizations could still see all of their Scouts advance with that family campout or a daylong outdoor activity in lieu of camping.
The advancement modifications released on 11/30/16 allow, in lieu of camping, just attending "an outdoor activity with your den or pack".
Whatever the concerns about camping that lead to making it an element that can be ignored and replaced by just "an outdoor activity", based on the intended approach to "maintain the integrity of the engaging, mission-driven, and user-friendly new Cub Scouting program", the choice need not be a binary choice between (a) camping and (b) not camping (just "an outdoor activity").
For more, see http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3564, where I offer a middle ground to maintain that program integrity while addressing local weather and other concerns. I may also say “C’mon Man†a few times.
If you like the ideas, share it with your friends. If you don’t, consider this idle campfire chatter and ignore it! Or give some feedback to make this resource better.
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Let me split this idea off the “Improve the Cub Scout Program†thread. With the note about the Cub Scout advancement modifications released 11/30/16, and the general concerns circling around that announcement about Cub Scout advancement, I thought that on this first day (after) Christmas I’d circulate something that might be useful next year to help dens get going, and get advancement off to a better start.
One idea is something missing from the den leader guides … some adventure plans for getting the Bobcat Rank. (Yeah, while maybe late for this year, call this “early†for next year.) Those Adventure Plans are at a page called “Getting Started: Plans for First Meetings + Bobcat Rankâ€.
See http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3405
This builds off the idea that a key way to ‘hook’ new families into Cub Scouting is to have the boy earn that first Advancement award and be recognized. So these two Bobcat/First Meeting Adventure Plans are offered to help Dens get going, since (1) every Tiger Den has got to get Bobcat done, and (2) lots of dens get started with new kids who need Bobcat (and a refresher would be good for the returning Scouts).
If you like the ideas, share it with your friends. If you don’t, consider this idle campfire chatter and ignore it! Or give some feedback to make this better and work on improving the Cub Scouting program.
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Digital versions of the Den Leader Guides returned to the BSA's site months ago: https://cubscouts.org/learning-library/
I think that they did post the actual Den Adventure activity plans from the Den Leader Guides over a year ago, and they didn't sometime around a year ago (except for a few ... see the notes below), but there is a "back door" to the plans (that may have been an oversight when most of the Den Adventure activity plans were taken down about a year ago).
When you go to that page linked in your message, and then follow the "Choose your Rank" choice, you get to a page like this:
https://cubscouts.org/library/welcome-to-tiger-cub-scouting/
Currently, when you click there, you get a left hand menu of "Den Meeting Basics" (which has intro parts of the leader guides), then "Getting Started" (which has three Den Adventure activity plans as they appear in the den leader guide), and then "Additional Required Adventures" and "Elective Adventures". Each rank has three plans, including the family faith adventure.
But for the "Additional Required Adventures" and "Elective Adventures", the page you click to doesn't have the actual Den Adventure activity plans from the Den Leader Guides. What it has are the intro parts from the Guide: the "rationale", the "takeaways" and the "requirements", plus any "notes" for den leaders. For Meeting Plans, it says: "To get you started in delivering fun and engaging meetings, complete Den Meeting Plans are available here on the Learning Library for the Backyard Jungle and Games Tigers Play adventures. To obtain Den Meeting Plans for all other adventures, Den Leader Guides are available at your local Scout Shop, online at scoutstuff.org, or as an eBook through Amazon." Again, that is a change: at the outset of the 2015-16 program year, all Required and Elective Adventures also had the full Den Adventure activity plans when you clicked on the page for the Adventure.
Now, it turns out that there is at this time a "back door" to the actual Den Adventure activity plans, because at the top of an adventure like that there are two buttons: "download this page" and "print this page".
- If you click "print this page", you get a print view of the page, including the "eBook through Amazon" note.
- But if you click "download this page", it actually doesn't download the page, it downloads the activity plan (or, technically, it downloads what used to be the page at the outset of the 2015-16 program year, those Adventures also had the full Den Adventure activity plans.
I suspect this was an IT oversight, but I guess we'll see what the BSA does ... do they put the plans back (they are sitting there in "download this page", so it shouldn't be hard), or do they wipe out the plans from "download this page".
Minn: if there is a different route to those plans from the learning library page, I'd be curious, so let us know!
Minn: if there is a different route to the plans,
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Wouldn't the "One Committee" concept place greater limits on the Chartered Organization's ability to organize the committee(s) the way it wants?
Hi David CO:
In what I added earlier today, I added a note that the change can be "operationally" neutral to functioning committees, as they may choose to operate as separate subcommittees for Pack and Troop (and Crew), just cooperating on Charter matters -- effectively for them the impact would be the paperwork reduction of avoiding multiple recharter packages, new applications as youth members move from Pack to Troop, new adult applications as Pack leaders move into Troop roles (and vice versa). So if a Troop Committee doesn't want committee coordination with any Pack operations (other than any designated liaison), then keep on with that approach: have your Committee keep separate Subcommittees for Pack and Troop (and Crew) that operate separately.
I think the earlier notes included the idea that for the really good Troops and Packs that have Committees that are separate and know when to work together ... they can continue to operate as they do now. If the single Committee decides to have a Pack Subcommittee and Troop Subcommittee just like now, go for it. Nothing in the Charter structure requires any given set of meeting schedules / attendance requirements / or other operating details. All that is set locally.
So if there were a one overall committee structural change, intended to create an environment that might in some cases help Units of a Chartered Organization do a better job of planning, coordinating, recruiting and helping each other, and reduce paperwork, the separate committees would be under the overall BSA Unit Committee for that CO.
Magic bullet? No. Maybe help? I think so. Less Paperwork? Yes!
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Thanks for the feedback ... since the One CO/One Committee concept floated at http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3563 already had pros and cons like the comments above (like if everything is hunky dory and you've got liaisons, keep on keeping on like you're doing now), I've elaborated on the "cons" noted above in that page.
That said, even if a Chartered Org has vibrant, functioning, cross-unit cooperating Committees, having the paperwork reduction of (1) avoiding new applications as youth members move from Pack to Troop (if the BSA went to this, I'm assuming we could designate 5th Grade recharters as "crossing over" into the Troop with a button push in the spring through Member Manager), and (2) avoiding new adult applications as Pack leaders move into Troop roles (and vice versa), would be a time saver (yes yes yes, there are workarounds for the paperwork hassle, like keep copies of applications to be re-signed later, find a paperwork person, etc., but gosh if it was a button click at recharter and/or crossover, how helpful would that be).
How about the other issues ... like restoring the Cub Scout camping requirements, but with some alternates for issues like weather? See http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3564
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With the announcement on 11/30/16 about Cub Scout Requirement alternatives, the BSA wants to make the Cub Scout program better. So to build on that, I'm assembling a series of concepts to Improve the Cub Scout Program at http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3558.
Many of these would help achieve the stated goals of the 11/30/16 alternative requirements but without just reducing the requirements and lowering the quality of program experience. Some are fairly easy to implement. Ideas include:
Restoring the camping requirements, but with some alternates for issues like weather. See http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3564
Give Den Leaders plans to help earn Bobcat, currently missing from the Leader Guides. See http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3405
Speaking of Den Leader Guides, put them all back online, for free. See http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3556
If Camping is a hurdle, make safe camping more accessible by two slight adjustments to the Guide to Safe Scouting. See http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3562
Not just a Cub Scout help, but something that could make life easier for any Chartered Organization with more than one unit: move to a One Chartered Organization equals One Committee structure to help the different levels of Scouting help each other more. See http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3563
And, yes, the 11/30/16 revised requirements have some significant opportunity to be revisited, certainly before any of those changes get baked into a new investment in Handbooks and Leader guides. See http://www.southfult...g.com/node/3565 for comments, including Adventure by Adventure ideas.
What do you think about how to make Cub Scouting better?
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Having finished several deep dives through the requirements changes, I've updated the page at http://www.southfultonscouting.com/node/3557 to not only show exactly what got changed and what didn't change, but now also add comments intended to be a practical guide to whether you need to look at the new 11/30/16 language, and whether when those might be a useful alternative.
Some of the comments after each Adventure encourage (sometimes plead) that dens avoid the “easy button†approach. Doing the June 1, 2015 handbook elements will often result in the best outcomes and experience in Cub Scouting.
There appear to be unanswered questions about why these changes came down, and more will be known, I am sure. For me, I want to make the program better, because Scouting is a good program that we need to help remain strong, so the ideas in that page and related pages are all about helping kids and families and making the program better in light of all this.
If you like it, share with your friends, if you don’t, let me know how to make it better!
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My answer here is sheer speculation: perhaps because it was an American animal, and smaller than Wolves and (most) Bears and Lions.
I don't think that the Bob Cat pin was used in England, where the Kipling lore came from.
Just a hunch.
Why was Bagheera not used? A black panther? Or "melanistic Indian leopard" (as wikipedia says)? I have no idea! But I can guess ...
Side note ... during the 411 process as the whole advancement program was up in the air for any kind of revision, I floated the idea of retiring the "Webelos" name as a rank (since "we blows" is really a weird thing to say when you're recruiting new kids), and replacing it with Lion, which would actually be more "restoring" Lion. Some folks said "but that's a Kindergarten Pilot" and I said fine, when it becomes permanent, they can pick a new name. But it just seemed weird to start at the King of Beasts, and then work ... down?
My suggestion was that the levels go from Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos to Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Lion. With the name Bobcat held in reserve as the K level someday, since it's the littlest cat.
And as the "joining badge" for any of those levels in Cub Scouts, I suggested the "Cub" badge, since all of those critters describe their newest as "cubs".
Exciting Pack Programs
in Cub Scouts
Posted
I think that's the key, and for those Packs without a current production staff able to put on really super pack meetings that families really like, I wonder: why struggle to put on pack meetings when you get more fun (for less production effort) out of hands on fun activities with families -- maybe even just weekend activities that more family can attend. More thoughts about that are in this thought piece posted at a page called "Why Pack Meetings?", or "Minimize Meetings, Accentuate Activities".
Now, for those who say "but we do pack meetings and everyone likes them", that's great! Keep doing what works for you.
As noted in the piece, it’s not a binary choice between “do monthly pack meetings” or “no more pack meetings ever”.
But I do see a lot of pack leaders struggle to put on pack meeting program because they think it's required when ... there is a better way.