PatrickMN

Debi, it sounds like you need a committee - have floks in charge of each track. Boy scout Venture Cubs....

If anyone is interested, I am building an ACCESS dB to try to fulfill these requirements. It's too late for this year but should have it for next year.

While this may be after the fact, I want to thank Paul for including the link to the Viking Council University of Scouting in his reply. I am helping with the event this year and had a firm foundation of courses from which to work. We discussed the course selection in our committee meetings and decided we wanted to include courses that stress what we are about, what we are trying to accomplish, and offer courses that will make the students' jobs easier in their units.

To that end, remembering this is supplemental training, we always include at least one course on working with ADD and ADHD children. This year since we are a University of Scouting we are offering a course on camping with these youngsters.

The purpose of the training event is to reach more boys through scouting. Better training leads to better program. Better program leads to easier recruitment and stronger retention. Recruitment and retention helps us reach more boys.

So - We are including new topics on sports vs scouting (they are compatible), we are offering Baloo at "Pow wow" for the first time as an option, (we had our last Baloo session on Scouting for food collection day), we are offering courses taught by the DNR that have been wildly popular for us (Project Wild and Project aquatics).

To address a need from the Day camp staffs and to help promote the shooting sports initiative in our council, I hoped to offer range trainig at Pow wow but could not work that our with the school site restrictions - I offer this as an alternative for you.

Bottom line for me - we need to be sneaky with this training. If we want these leaders back next year we need to make sure they get what they came for, interact with each other and the faculty, and have plenty of fun in the process. This means trying to give them something they will use in every class. It means getting them DOING something in every class.

Debi, please let me know if you'd like some ideas for courses. If you wait a week or so our event will be behind us and i can share some learnings.

Yours in Scouting,

Patrick

I have a challenge. I am in charge of ("Dean") the CS leader Pow Wow this year as part of a university of scouting.

We need a simple and effective method of handling walk-in registrations. The classes are of fixed length and offered at specific times. Students choose the classes they will attend. We are closing class sessions once they reach 30 participants.

We used a card system last year with students building their schedules by pulling cards representing available slots. It was chaotic and it took a long time.

I am thinking of trying a system whereby the people processing the registrations will pull the cards to try to simplify things but this will be challenging when classes close out and students have to use alternates.

A software solution would be ideal if it can be had for free and deployed at the university.

Please let me know your input and your advice.

Best regards,

Patrickmn

Hello Cajun,

The current cubmaster is probably very happy to have an eager assistant, so don't tread too lightly.

The one thing I did not see mentioned in the message thread and I think it may be helpful, is the availability of Fast Start Training for the Cubmaster position. Many sites have links to Fast Start training and I would guess your council has the links as well. If not try USScouts.org or the national council website...

You can be a positive force - most of this info should have been readily available to you from folks in your pack - den leaders, the committee, etc. Once you have the info make sure you share it with the others in your pack. Go to roundtable as discussed above and bring some other leaders with you.

When your council has a Pow Wow or University of Scouting, be sure to attend as supplemental training.

Let me step back a little. The training continuum in BSA starts with Fast start training for your position and youth Protection training, both of which can be accessed on line.

The next training is Cub Scout leader basic training, usually 3 hours or so. This can be delivered one on one or in a group setting. BSA has been trying to encourage units to have their own trainers so the training is available when it is needed.

Once you have the basic training you will have access to position specific training - Cubmaster in your case - which is another several hours.

Beyond that, councils usually offer Baloo training (required for pack camping) and Outdoor Webelos leader training, (similar in content and purpose).

Every month districts offer supplemental training in the form of a leader roundtable. This tends to be very concrete and valuable information specific to the cub Scout themes for the next month.

This is also where units receive most of their communication from the DE as well as information about fundraising, scouting for food, camps and other activities.

Every fall many Councils offer a huge supplemental all day training event called a leader Pow Wow. Sometimes councils can go a step further and conduct simultaneous training for Venture Crew leaders, Bous Scout leaders and cub scout leaders. This is typically called a University of Scouting.

Wood Badge is the peak of the training pyramid offered by the Council and it is advanced leadership training.

Beyond that the National Council conducts training seminars every summer at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.

I hope the Fast Start training is something you and your Webelos leader friend look inot right away.

Yours in Scouting,

PatrickMN

I have a challenge. I am in charge of ("Dean") the CS leader Pow Wow this year as part of a university of scouting.

We need a simple and effective method of handling walk-in registrations. The classes are of fixed length and offered at specific times. Students choose the classes they will attend. We are closing class sessions once they reach 30 participants.

We used a card system last year with students building their schedules by pulling cards representing available slots. It was chaotic and it took a long time.

I am thinking of trying a system whereby the people processing the registrations will pull the cards to try to simplify things but this will be challenging when classes close out and students have to use alternates.

A software solution would be ideal if it can be had for free and deployed at the university.

Please let me know your input and your advice.

Best regards,

Patrickmn

I used the following as a warm - up to our Pack's Blue and Gold Banquet. I am not the author of these words - they are a hybrid of several stories.

The Cub Scouts love it when we use dry ice and thisis no exception.

As preparation, fill two wine carafes with water (hotter is better) and add yellow food coloring to one and blue to the other. Use enough so the color is bright and not washed out.

Use a pot of some kind (I used an old flowerpot with a can inside for the dry ice) and place a quantity of dry ice in the pot ahead of time. Also place a wolf neckerchief in the pot where it will be protected from the water. Keep the pot with the dry ice safe from curious eyes.

Our scouting movement has been changing the lives of boys and men for nearly 100 years! Tonight we celebrate that acheivement with a Fiesta!

But why are the CubScout colors Blue and Gold? I'd like to share a story with you to help explain it.

"Akela the Chief was searching for a way to make his tribe the best of all tribes. He asked his friend the Great Eagle to fly to thesun to bring back a piece of the Golden orb.

Next he traveled to the great Forest where he met his friend the Wood finch who he asked to fly as high as he could and bring back a piece of the sky.

Akela was not sure his friends could do these things but he knew they would do their best. The next morning he was suprised to find his friends waiting for him with a piece of the sun and a piece of the sky, which he place in containers to keep them safe. (Hold up each carafe high as you say a piece of the sun...and a piece of the sky)

Akela went to his Sacred mixing pot and poured in a bit of the sky (hold up and pour on ice - smoke should billow forth) and declared that from then on the color blue would stand fortruth and loyalty. Then he poured in a bit of the sun, declaring that from then on The golden color of the sun would stand for happiness and freindship.

Pause. Pull out the hidden neckerchief from inside the smoking pot. "And that is why the cub Scout colors are blue and Gold."