SeattlePioneer

I recently had boys make catapults for our Tiger Den.  We used paint stirring sticks.

Boys cut a 3" piece of half inch PVC pipe to put under and perpendicular to the paint stirring stick,  and used a rubber band to hold the pipe in place.

A half inch piece of the PVC pipe was cut off and hot melt glued to the end of the paint stirring stick.

Boys put miniature marshmallows in the short piece of pipe and then hiot the other end to launch the marshmallow towardes various targets.

Simple and cheap.

For a subsequent pack meeting,  the Cubmaster provided pieces of 1/2" PVC pipe the boys could use to make blow guns to launch miniatrure marshmallows towards each other in a marshmallow war.

Personally I started as an AS with a Troop in 1981.  I have no children.

I've served in many positions since then,  including SM and CM.  My present registered position is Chartered Organization Rep,  and I'm serving as Cub Scout Day Camp Program Director along with another person.

Why?  Well,  the Scout oath and Cub Scout Promise talk about HELPING OTHER PEOPLE. 

And it's an important social outlet for me.

I would expect that people scrutinize my motives,  and everyone seems pretty satisfied when they do so,  apparently.

Anyone have ideas for a map reading or making project for Cub Scout Day Camp?

I'm thinking about a map making project that would give dens a "map"  with two objects on it,  and asking them to locate additional locations on the map based on the map those two original objects define.

Boys might then swap maps they have made and identify the newly mapped objects.

Other ideas would be welcome.

We had a Cub Scout Day Camp planning meeting last night that went very well.

I brought my example of a shield for boys to make as a craft project,  and then to use for things like defending their den from being cannonaded with tennis balls or whatever.

A jousting event using a "quintain" seems to have received approval,  and I'm looking for designs for a sword that can be safely used in mock combat with the shield boys will be making.

Our Daycamp Director has taken this training,  but those who will be doing the Program Director role are not taking it.

We had the first very good day camp planning meeting last night and I think we are getting the show on the road.

In any case --- in Cub Scouts,  we "do our best."

Our council encourages recruiting among Kindergarteners in the Spring.

That means we will have boys who will be in first grade in the fall who would like to have some kind of summer day camp experience.

Some districts in our council have those new tigers do the full day day camp experience.  Others do a shorter version of day camp,  often doing an evening program.

I've run our District's Tiger Twilight Camp for three years.  We do an evening program Wednesday and hursday evening from 6:30-8:30 when only the Tigers and their partners are in camp  ---after the regular day camp is out.

On Friday we do a half day program with the regular Day Camp,  so that the Tigers get to do Archery, BB guns and other final day blowout experiences.

My aim with the Tiger Twilight Camp has been to give newly recruited Tigers and their newly recruitied parents the experience of a high quality Tiger Scout program that they can use as a yardstick when they start their new Tiger dens in the fall.

Currently I'm recruiting someone else to take my place in conducting the Tiger Twilight Camp for the district.  I have one likely prospect ---the Cubmaster for my pack,  and I'm looking for a second person to share the job with him.

So----

How does your district or council provide for newly recruited Tigers and their parents for summer camp?

Another Den Leader and I are considering sharing the Program Director job.

Unfortunately,  the Camp Director has done pretty much nothing so far,  and volunteer resources from previous years are minimal.

So we are aiming at salvaging a weak program.

Fortunately,  new and vigorous District leadership offers some support. 

My philosophy:  In Cub Scouts,  we Do Our Best. 

The Day Camp School is scheduled for April 10-12  ---this weekend.  I wont be able to attend and whether the other Den Leadwer will be able to do so I don't know.  We may wind up with no trained Program Director.

The other leader is an engineer and Den Leader and excellent at planning.  My own strengths are a decade of in depth experience with Cub Scouts and a good sense of how to present program.

Does this sound promising --- or something we should avoid?

There are no other leader prospects stepping forward to be Program Director,  although you never know.

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And, DO NOT take on any other Scout responsibility until Camp is over.   Believe me in this. >>

I guess I should resign before starting,  then.

I figure using paint stirring sticks as swords should be safe.  They are very easily broken.  But I'd welcome other opinions ---and I'm sure I'll get opinions from district volunteers.

I was going to look for beanbags to connonade the shield wall and tortoise formation,  but now I'm thinking a collection of balls of various sizes from tennis balls to basketballs might be good.

My first try at a quintain wasn't especially good when I tested it at a den meeting last night.  A simpler design would be easier and stronger.   I'm digging a hole for a 4x4 post for the upright,  and am now thinking about a long 1/4" lag screw through a 2x4 on top of the post.  Targets would be screwed into each end of the 2x4.

So when a tafget is hit with a lance,  the 2x4 would rotate around the lag screw.

Padding the back of the targets helps prevent getting clouted when the arms rotates around!

Looks like I may wind up being a Cub Scout Day Camp Program Director.

I'm told you must take the National Day Camp training to fill the Camp Director or Program Director position,  and need to retake it after five years.

I'm told that takes three days!  Which seems like a huge time  commitment to expect from volunteers. April 10th-12 at a camp outside of Olympia,  Wa around here.

I'd be interested in the experiences anyone has had with this training.

Excellent comments so far.

I'm Chartered Organization Rep and Treasurer for the pack I volunteer with. Also Tiger Den Leader, Membership Chair and what have you.

I take expense reports from everyone else and pay expenses.  When I have expenses,  I give them to the Committee Chair who reviews them and writes a check I give him for whatever amount he deems to be appropriate.

I also give the Committee Chair the monthly checking account statement which includes images of all checks written.  When the CC reviews the checking account statement,  the only check made out to my name he should see is one he has written himself,  for my expenses.

I print off a monthly financial report for the Pack Committee meeting,  which may be year to date revenues and expenses,  or revenue and expenses for the past month.

This seems to keep everyone pretty happy and reasonably well informed.

Looks like I'll be assisting planning the day camp program for this July for the district.

I've put together a length list of possible activities which we can add to and choose among. 

I built a shield  that boys could build.  Not only build as a woodworking activity,  but decorate and use to display their name,  den and stickers for activities they and their den have been winners at doing.

I'm think of practicing "shield walls" and also the Roman "tortoise formation"  for protection against incoming missiles,  arrows ----and Cub Scout beanbag assaults.

I'm thinking of dens having a face paint decoration for their face and shield  --- not only fun to do,  but would help den leaders keep track of their charges!

I built a "quintain"  for jousting practice.  I'm going to try that out at the Tiger Cub Den Meeting tonight and see how it works.

Other ideas invited for those who may have done this kind of activity.

My district holds a "Tiger Twilight Camp" in conjunction with Cub Scout Day Camp.

This is aimed at boys whop joined Cub Scouts as Kindergarteners during spring recruiting and will be Tigers in the Fall.

The program consists of two 6:30-8:30 "den meetings"  and participation in the Friday afternoon Cub Scout Day Camp beginning at noon.  On Friday boys shoot BB guns,  bows and arrows and do other day camp activities.

The aim is to show new boys and parents what a quality Tiger program should look like and feel like.

The upshot of this campaign to have a Nominating Committee appointed-----

Last November a Nominating Committee of district volunteers was appointed.

They found an excellent new District Commissioner who has been doing outstanding work for several months,  and a new District Chair who is just getting started at that position.  He conducted the best District monthly meeting we've had in ten years.

And the Nominating Committee has been combing unit leadership and other sources of leadership to fill vacant positions.

This replaced the previous District Chair and Commissioner who were good people but just worn out and ineffective.

Instead of spiraling down as the district has been doing for years,  we are suddenly spiraling UP.

Big improvement,  but it will take time to dig us out of a hole.

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Thirty years ago the Troop Committee I was part of got the same advice from a lawyer who was on the committee.

The lawyer then drew up a CONTRACT in which the troop agreed to take the youth on a specific outing IN EXCHANGE FOR the parents, child and family waiving liability should an injury or death occur. The family was notified that the outing might result in death or serious injury by drowning, falls, and a list of other hazards.

So that wasn't just a permission slip. Presumably that offered a lot more protection than a simple permission slip.

How valid that approach might be today, I don;t know.

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Never noticed this myself.

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As others have noted ----why not leave it up to the Scouts?

I would also say it depends a lot on the program offered by the troop and the opportunities a boy has to complete requirements.

Personally, I'd tend toward being pretty slack on interpreting this requirement!

Well, if your Committee Chair and Chartered Organization Rep sign off on the application, they can be registered Scout leaders upon paying the membership fee. Does your troop pay the adult leader membership fee, or are these people paying themselves?

They don't have to be registered Scouters in order to attend campouts.

Your troop can decide who to award service stars.

<< I know of a couple of parents strictly signed up so they may attend campouts and that is perfectly fine...but they aren't considered a leader of any sort, correct?>>

Again, that's really up to troop leaders to decide.

Quite a few people will do stuff if you ask them. I'd make a point of asking these folks to do a small task now and then, and perhaps they will work themselves into being real troop leaders. It's not unusual for people to feel neglected because they would like to serve, but aren't asked.

The pack I work with is on the edge of a neighboring school district that has two elementary schools with no nearby Cub Packs and where no Cub Pack has existed for many years, if ever.

I'm thinking about extending the geographic range of our Cub Pack into this area in the fall. I'd find a place suitable for holding den and pack meetings that we could use. Then, on Mondays we'd have our regular pack recruiting and den meetings, and on Wednesday do the same activities at the additional location. See who shows up and joins.

The existing pack would provide pack meetings, the formal organization of the pack and pack activities.

If the membership in the new area grew to an appropriate size, a new pack could be formed at that time.

It seems to me that existing Cub Packs might be encouraged to look for ways to extend Cub Scouting into new areas using their existing organization like this.

Any comments would be welcome...

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Unfortunately, it sounds like there was a good deal of justice in doing that...

Texas probably needs to act fast before some other state locks up cow pies.

(Bump Bump Bump Bump ----Deep in the heart....of Texas!)

<<. She does not like "council" and does things her way. Which is one of the reasons she was removed as day camp director: she refused to go to the council day camp meetings when the NCAP program was being reviewed. We found folks willing to take charge of day camp, and when told about the leadership changes, she hung up on the person.>>

And she is entitled to that opinion. There are plenty of nutty council policies they can try to impose on districts. I get tired of them muself, often enough. Likely as not the reason I leave Scouting will be council or district policies I don;t like but which they want to impose.

Personally I would be taking a careful look at whether that person was doing a competent job at the task before forcing them out.

A year ago I resigned as a Unit Commissioner after ten years of service in that position because I was tiered of not being able to sign on to make on line reports, and had quit doing so. The Assistant District Commissioner badgered me about that repeatedly at the Diastrict Committee meeting and again at the District Commissioner meeting the next week (where I was the only UC to attend). After being again repeatedly badgered about that, I resigned and walked out.

Volunteers should be treated with respect and not bullied by district or council people.

Governor Scott Walker?

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1. In the district, all Cub Scout activities except Day Camp and Webeloree are run by one person. And she tends to run people who want to help off. “New†district Cub Scout leadership will mean more people volunteering on the Cub Scout side in the long term. Short term may take some time for current Cub leader to volunteer on the district level because of the negative past expereinces with the present chair. But again long term I think it will work out fine.
   

1. More activities for Cub Scouts to do beyond the pack level. Currently 2 district Cub Scout events, and a third specifically for Webelos. While some activities will merge, Pine Wood Derby comes to mind, activities that only one district has, i.e. Cub Spring camp out, Cubmobile, Webeloree,etc, would enhance program.>
   

Frankly, I'd guess that rehashing districts for reason like this would be ineffective.

You run a big risk of losing the friendships and associations which keep districts functioning, and you probably aren;t going to EXPAND the number of activities.

From this description, I'd say you need some new district leadership. If you Google "Boy Scout Nominating Committee" you will find a procedure that should be followed annually by which district leadership can be evaluated and replaced by an appointed committee of district leaders. The Committee should also be looking at finding new leadership both in existing units and in the wider community.

My district has just gone through this procedure, and has found new and excellent leadership that was waiting to be called to duty all the time, but wasn't asked. The nominating committee is continuing to scour units and the community to develope new leadership for the district level.

In my view, more districts ought to be taking advantage of this method every year to have an independent assessment of when new district leaders are needed ----and find them!

Read your Machiavelli.

Here's a link you can read the short version:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli