SeattlePioneer

I need more help from parents and Cub Scouts to recruit more boys at recruiting nights. We offer boys the "Recruiter" strip but that doesn't do much. I'm thinking about offering a boy who recruits a new boy a $5 Mcdonalds certificate so both boys can have an ice cream sundae or something. But what do other packs find effective to motivate boys? What can be done to motivate parents to help find and invite new families to recruiting nights? This spring I organized paper airplane making and flying competitions which were fun activities and should have been attractive for boys to invite their friends to attend. We had lots of Cub Scouts and parents attend, but few new boys. What to do?

Boys LIKE and are MOTIVATED by competition. So I like to use competition to motivate boys during pack meetings. That is typically either individual competition of some kind or usually inter den competition. It's not used or intended to be sharp competition with winners and losers. Just as an example, I've had dens make "sleighs" as den activities, then had den relay races at the December pack meeting. One boy in the sleigh gets towed around the race course, and then boys swap out. They make their own competition.

< >> During my term as Scoutmaster from 1982-1987, my emphasis was to offer opportunities for boys to earn Tenderfoot through 1st class. Boys who wanted to do more were welcome to do so, but it wasn't a part of my troop program. I still think the MOST IMPORTANT rank is First Class. We sell the promise of learning to be a competent hiker and camper to attract boys into Boy Scouts, and that's whatFirst class ought to represent.

In my opinion, Wood Badge is fine, but is oversold and over promoted. MOST council assemblies of Scouters will feature an overly long promotion of Wood Badge in my experience, when 90% of the people in the audience have already taken it. I find that WASTE OF TIME to be annoying.

<> My preference would be to organize pack meeting by dens, and generally to have games and activities den oriented as well or as some kind of competition between dens. Too much time spent on awards becomes tedius for boys to sit through. But the awards that are handed out at pack meetings should be as special as possible, to provide meaning for those receiving them and excite the interest of other boys in earning awards themselves. If there are too many awards to hand out, I'd start having some handed out at den meetings. I have a theory that in large packs, it might make sense to have two pack meetings, one for Tiger and Wolves and a second for Bears and Webelos. Each pack meeting could then have more age apprpriate activities. But these are all my own biases, not the official Cub Scout recommendations.

So what are some activities for den meetings, pack meetings or parent meetings that you'd like to try?

<> I heard somewhere recently that the #1 reason families leave Cub Scouts are boring den and pack meetings. What are the keys to exciting pack meetings in your experience? Personally, I'm not big on trying to stuff in the showmanship recommended by Cub Scout program helps. My personal bias is to have a fun competition or activity as a focus for a pack meeting, and then add the awards boys earn as the next activity after that competition. For example, our April pack meeting had each den competing to set up a tent they's never seen before. In October I'm aiming to promote a family pumkin carving activity as part of the pack meeting. In December I've had dens make cardboard "sleighs" and then had sleigh races around a race course with boys taking turns being pulled around by their other den mates. I find the most reliable motivator for boys to be competition. And simple, fun competitions are pretty easy to arrange in Cub Scouts. So my bias is to work those into the program rather than songs, skits, run ons and such. I also have a bias for doing this because it doesn't rely as much on den leaders to be prepared with songs, skits and stuff. I find it takes a lot of preparation to do songs and skits well, and usually they come off pretty poorly. Anyway, I'd be interested in comments.

Our council takes responsibility for collecting on any bad checks, and takes the hit if they aren't able to collect.

So what's the biggest pack that you know about? Any idea how they account for their success and manage their size?

Hello Desert Rat, << If your district does actual things to help scouters at the unit, congratulations. You and your district are rare birds. Truth is, lots of folks at districts around the nation aren't interested in unit level scouting. Nor in new folks joining the district. Nor in anything that is critical of the district. >> Plenty of districts struggle to provide activities and services for units. Some are far gone and barely function. I would classify my district as being in the "struggling" category, but we still provide a lot of services to units from recruiting to Roundtables to district evenmts such as a bowling tournament and marble tournament, Klondike Derby, spring Camporee, Merit Badge Jumboree and so on. We've had three district volunteers receive the Council Silver Beaver each of the past three years, Our district is currently working pretty hard to identify new Scouters who might be interested in volunteering to support district activities. We are having modest success in finding new people. <> I was assigned as a Unit Commissioner nine months ago to a Scout Troop whose adult leaders had that kind of attitude. One of the long time Troop leaders received the Silver Beaver this year. Another long time Scouter has been reconized with the Outstanding Scoutmaster award (or whatever it's called now), and has been motivated to sign up for Wood Badge. Rather than being isolated and feeling neglected, I've been able to encourage the excellent leadership to feel more a part of the district Scouting community and to get them attention they deserve. I think it may be possible to encourage the unit leadership to participate more in district and council activities, and to have a better Scouting experience because of that. So my own experience is that most units that are alienated from the district and council are alienated because that don't feel welcome to participate and don't understand how to make the district and council work for them. If the district and council reach out in a friednly way to that alienated leadership, it should be possible to build bridges and bring those units into participating more in district and council activities.

Here's another Boys Life issue: If the pack requires Boy Life as part of the annual membership, that makes it easy to handle when rechartering. But if families have the OPTION to subscribe to Boys Life, that creates yet another obstacle and burden when rechartering. WHO is going to promote Boys Life subscriptions? Who's going to collect the money and account for it? IF den and pack leaders desired to use Boys Life in their program and the pack therefore wanted to pay for Boys Life subscriptions for everyone, that would make handling subscriptions relatively easy when rechartering or taking new Cub Scout memberships. But no one in this thread has said that they use Boys Life much in their den or pack program, or that they want to do so. That being the case, I don't promote Boys Life subscriptions in my pack.

ParkMan raises some good, and quite common, issues. One thing I'd say is that it's a mistake to limit Pack Committee Meetings to den and pack leaders. We call 'em parent meetings and in five years we've NEVER had a monthly parent meeting flop because of poor attendance. We schedule parent meetings each month as part of our annual den and pack meeting plan. They are usually on the fourth Monday of the month, with th stated aim of planning the den and pack activities for the next month. We usually have meetings at the same place --- currently at a Starbucks store, and at other times at a library meeting room. One of the aims has been to get parents IN THE HABIT of attending. When we have a spring or fall recruiting night, we invite new parents to our committee meeting and treat it as a reception for those new parents, to encourage them to attend and to feel welcome.

I was looking around for a means to upload an avatar image to be associated with my posts, but I don't see any method to do so. Can someone tell me how that can be done?

As pack treasurer, my policy is to reimburse pack expenses when I am given receipts for reasonable expenses. I'm available at den and pack meetings and at monthly pack committee meetings. I make announcements encouraging leaders to turn in receipts fairly often, and most leader have turned in receipts and received a check one or more times. Still, most den and pack leaders seem to prefer to absorb those expenses themselves. We have ample money to pay expenses, and paying den leaders and other leaders for pack expenses is something I WANT to do. If leaders don't turn in receipts, I can't reimburse them. When I ask leaders why they don't turn in receipts, they tell me it's too small an amount to be concerned about or they are happy to make it a contribution to the pack. Should I be satisfied with that or is there more I should do?

<> Smart unit leader DO take an interest in district meetings and activities. If district leaders could be plucked off a handy tree whenever they were needed, your approach might be valid. But most district leaders come from units and participate in district meetings and activities because they see the need and are willing to help out. My district just started doing a monthly meeting for Commissioners before our monthly Roundtable. Withing the past couple of weeks I found a former Cubmaster interested in becoming a UC for his old pack. I'm currently working to use our district recognition program as a way of identifying and encouraging unit leaders to take an interest in district activities and perhaps take positions as district leaders. In my experience, the Commissioner program CAN work if you have leaders working to MAKE it work and to be on the look out for capable and experienced people that can be recruited to do the various tasks that need to be done. My district had a period of several years when things were slowly going to pot because district leaders weren't doing that job. The past year or so, district leaders have been working pretty hard and have reversed that trend line so that things are definitely improving. That suggests that things CAN go to pot and fail, or can improve and get better.

Well, I'm planting pumkins in several different locations. I'll be interested to see what grows. I've picked a couple of street ends that have mostly grown weeds and brush to see what they might turn up. Just call me Johnny Pumpkin Seed!

Hello Chris, Oh, my aim would be to have a pumkin for at least eaxch family to carve --- preferably a pumpkin for each child to carve with a parent, Cub Scout or not. I think it would be good to invite families to bring in as many of the pumkins that they have grown as they wish to minimize the cost to the pack, and to givwe those growing pumkins some recognition. It sounds like your pack activity is best described as a Halloween party. A pack for which I'm Commissioner does a Halloween Party each year with various activities. I like the structure for the party that you suggest. Our pack hasn't done a Halloween Party. This might be the start of that kind of activity, which could grow and develope over a period of years. Thanks for the good ideas!

Unfortunately, it appears that your camp master exceeded his authority by taking this action. As Committee Chair, I'd consider what he might have done and should have done and have a tactful chat with your volunteer. I would consider it desireable to inform parents EARLY of the availability of camperships from your council or troop for families with financial issues, and encourage them to apply for such aid early. Just guessing, but perhaps that's what your campmaster should have done when the difficulties of this Scout became know to him late. Perhaps by making a phone call to the right person, he could have gotten support for this Scout even at a late date. Even if that wouldn't work, he could have referred this issue to the Scoutmaster, Commiittee Chair and Treasurer to decide. Personally, I wouldn't feel bound by a promiose made by mistajke by someone without the authority to make such a promise. I would start right away to call your Council camping department to ask about getting a campership for this Scout, and go from there.

While looking around at the local dollar store, I found votive style candles available for saale for $1. I used Word and a color printer at the local library to make up a customized label for the candle glass, which I then glued in place. 2013 "Extra Mile Award" Aquila District Chief Seattle Council Boy Scouts of America Jon Doe "Thank You For Helping To Keep The Light Of Scout Lit" That seems to have met with a favorable response at our district awards committee meeting and District Committee Meeting.

You might want to keep up with the aqctivities of your district. Their Web page is at:[url=https://www.facebook.com/ChinookDistrictCPC]https://www.facebook.com/ChinookDistrictCPC[/url=https://www.facebook.com/ChinookDistrictCPC] The District Commissioners will be having their monthly meeting May16th 7-8:30 PM in Longview. I'm sure you would be welcome to attend. A casual look at you diur district web page suggests that you have a district which is organizing some nice activities, but probably needs more volunteers to do the things they would like to do.

One thing I would do would be to plan to have a common program across the dens. That would allow one person to design the program for the den for a week or more, and then for multiple den leaders to opre3sent more or less the same program to each den. In general, I think it takes more skill and experience to come up with a quality meeting or outing plan than it does to present a qual;ity plan to a den.

Do you schedule den or pack activities for Sundays? I have had good results occasionally schduling den or pack hikes or other familiy oriented activities for Sunday afternoons. My theory is that that avoids conflicts with Little League and such activities, gives families a nice activity to do together in a relaxed situation. For example, I recently did a Bobcat Den hike for newly recruited boys and families that started at a museum, continued as a beach hike that went past the Alki Point Lighthouse and concluded with a hot dog roast at a city park.

<< Baloney yourself, SP. The supreme court has hardly been promoting atheism all these decades. They've been pretty good at promoting religious neutrality, which some people just can't accept. >> The Supreme Court has busily vacuumed religion out of the public square, but leaves atheism, environmentalism, socialism, science and other philosophical schools free reign in the public square. THAT is abusive. The Supreme Court and all the littler courts have written their own political biases into the constitution. Nothing new about that, of course. The Supreme Court is the oligarchy that displaced government of the people, by the people, whenever it chooses to do so.

How many den and pack meeting do you schedule? We've done two meetings per month in the past --- two den meetings or a den meeting and a pack meeting. There was a den or pack out or other activity in addition to that. That seemed a bit thin, and somewhat hard to maintain continuity. A year or so ago, we went to having two den meetings per month and a pack meeting every other month. Plus the den or pack outing described earlier. That seems about right to many parents.... and den leaders. Opinions on this and the practices of other packs are welcome.

Hello TSS Chris, Thanks for your cautionary tail. It supports the idea of encouraging multiple families to grow pumpkins. Even if the experience produces few pumpkins, I think it could be a fun Cub Scout experience! I like the idea of doing a recruiting night as part of your Halloween activities. Can you describe in more detail how you promote this activity and what things you do during your meeting? How do parents respond and what percentage of new boys wind up joining the pack?