SeattlePioneer

I'm Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner in my district. For our April Roundtable next Thursday, we are planning a presentation on planning outdoor activities. This would include the summer pack program and activities that would be a part of a Pack overnight camp. Also, an experienced Pack Committee Chair will be describing her methods of having consistently effective and well attended Pack Committee meeting even in a small pack. Our aim is for our Roundtable to last no more than an hour. Any ideas people would like to see their Roundtables discuss in May or June? I'm planning a fall recruiting workshop for our August Cub Scout Roundtable, and that will be my last as Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner. I will have put in two years in that position and I'm FRESH out of quality ideas!

For those who don't have their cards, these can be printed out by unit leaders who do internet advancement on myscouting.org. On the Update Membership Screen, there is an option to "Print Membership Cards." You can print out cards for all the youth and adults in your unit. These aren't the "official" cards produced by the council, but they could serve for the activities I've described above.

Hello AHGnBSAMom, Sounds like you have a great program! A few questions, it sounds like you aren't associated with a Cub Scout Pack. Do you have boys who are tagalongs at meetings and activities, and if so what do you do with them? With BSA, there is a sharp gap and distinction between age groups, the biggest being between Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops. There is usually a gulf between what older and younger boys can do, and usually older boys don't want to associate with younger boys. If older boys do get thrown together with younger boys, it can be hard on the younger boys. It sounds like your girls are a lot more cooperative. Perhaps that's the nature of girls. Do you have a sponsoring organization for your AHG group such as a church? Cub Scout and Boy Scout units have "chartered organizations" such as churches or community groups that provide meeting space and support for the program sometimes.

Hello DLChris71, My guess is that your Cubmaster or Scoutmaster receives the membership cards, but doesn't have the time to use them as a program tool. I was in that position as a Cubmaster recently. This would be an opportunity for you to offer to take charge of the membership cards and to see to it they get distributed. With a little imagination, you could make a fun program activity out of it. For example, Scouts could use Elmer's to glue their membership card to some card stock and then cut it out to make it more durable. You could improve on that by printing up some pack information on some paper. Boys could cut that out and glue it on the other side of the sheet. That way they would have their BSA membership card and a tool they can use to invite their buddies to join Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. The membership cards also have each youth and adult leader's BSA membership number. Each new member receives a membership number in sequence, so you can determine who is registered in sequence. After making the membership cards described above (which provides durability), you could have an activity in which youths and adults line up according to their membership numbers, which would tell you who was registered in sequence. That might be interesting to do. As new youths and adults join the unit, you could have a simple ceremony to give them their membership card and an official welcome as a BSA registered member. These are a few ideas I've had on how to use the membership cards within a unit. I would like to encourage others who might use those cards in their unit program to explain how they are used.

Beavah's description of a unit committee is a good practical guide in my experience. I've developed both troop and pack committees, usually in relatively small units that are struggling to grow and thrive. I've taken units with no history of committee meetings and where unit leaders deny anyone would come and consistently turned them into effective meetings that were well attended. My methods to achieve that are 1) they are parent meetings, with all parents and other volunteers welcome to attend and participate 2) they are scheduled most months as part of our annual plan 3) there are often a couple of months where they aren't needed for planning, and we don't hold them if they aren't needed 4) we promote them with a reminder at a unit meeting or activity and e-mails 5) the meetings last no more than an hour 6) The meetings are well structured to provide effective program planning and program support 7) It's rare to have a formal vote on anything, but we take a vote if needed. Our annual plan lists our meetings and activities for the year. The unit leaders generally have some detailed ideas on what those meetings and activities will be, but parents usually contribute program ideas to flesh out the program, especially things that they would like to do to help make the program a success. For our April Pack Committee meeting at the end of the month, I've suggested to the Committee Chair that we consider using the meeting in part as a reception for parents newly recruited into the pack this month. I'm thinking of giving those parents written invitations to the Committee Meeting and having the early part of the meeting devoted to introducing those new parents to the existing parents in the pack. My theory is that this would help get new parents started right away in becoming friends with other parents and begin habits of supporting the pack program, and give new parents the opportunity to ask questions they have about Cub Scouts and the Pack program.

Look at the people available and interested in doing the job. Pick the best one. Webelos one is a big job if it's done well, as a genuine transition between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with several camping opportunities. If it's done as another year of Cub Scouts that is NOT desirable. In my opinion, Tiger Cubs is the best of the years in Cub Scouts UNLESS someone is doing an excellent job as a Webelos Den Leader as described above. I observed a very busy Pack Committee Chair of a large Pack who took on being the Tiger Cub Den Leader too. Her son recruited twenty of his buddies to be in the den. She was a busy lady that year! If they are only doing an OK job you might not want them in either job.

RIGHT NOW is the prime time to recruit new Boy Scouts, whether from Webelos or not. Wednesday the pack for which I'm Commissioner had a crossover for six Webelos into Boy Scouts. The pack was having an outing at a roller skating rink, so the ceremony was done there. A lot of the Boy Scouts and adult leaders in the troop turned out in uniform, especially boys who came from the pack. About 85 youth and 60 adults. Also, this is a great time to visit elementary schools and invite 5th and 6th graders to a troop joining night. I've been in six schools in the past week or so recruiting Cub Scouts, and I could be inviting 5th and 6th graders to a troop joining night, but when I contact Troops inviting them to do that FEW ARE INTERESTED! It's a shame.

Our council sends out membership cards with each recharter or when new adults or youth register with the unit. I suppose that's done by all councils? Anyone have special ceremonies or ways of using the cards in a Cub Pack or Scout Troop?

Hello skeptic, A transfer to a different unit can be pretty simple. There are only two lines to fill out on the youth application if you have your membership number or membership certificate. I keep the recharter as a computer file so I can look up membership numbers easily.

I was backpacking into a remote part of Yosemite when I met someone coming out, carrying his tattered pack and gear in his arms. I asked him what had happened. He said he had been camping the previous night, with his food tied up in a tree, except for an apple he kept in his tent for a snack. He was asleeep, trussed up in his mummy bag when a bear clawed open his tent, stuck his head in and grabbed the apple in his mouth. Then the bear generally tore up his campsite looking for more food. I believed him.

Hello SSScout, I understand the Merit Badge Counselor there is the distinguished Captain Ahab. Wonder if his YPT is up to date.

Personally, I'd have your OA unit make their own flag. A lot more fun than some stuffy flag from national manufactured in China, I would suppose.

Hello Abel Magwitch, I'm glad to be able to say that lost paperwork hasn't been a problem with my council. Now ME losing paperwork others have given me ---- that can be an issue! I describe my struggles with that weakness on the current thread talking about completing applications.

Hello AHGnBSAMom, Do you prefer the relatively independent relationship between AHG and the Cub Pack you appear to have, or would you prefer a closer relationship? How did your AHG group get started and what things have resulted in growth to it's present size?

Requirement 7: Demonstrate how to use oil rendered from your whale to season a cast iron Dutch Oven. I think we have most of the requirements necessary for this new Merit Badge.

Do other people have a lot of drama getting BSA youth and adult leader applications properly filled out and accepted by the council? I often wind up fighting ferocious battles getting the paperwork completed correctly. Usually with myself. In particular, I don't do well keeping track of little bits of paper. I had a new adult leader who gave me there adult leader application weeks ago, but hadn't taken YPT. So I explained to her how to do that and followed up with an e-mail. She gave me the YPT certificate Monday, which I stuck in my wallet to avoid losing it. The next day I had to spend a couple of hours looking for her completed adult leader application. I finally found the completed application mixed in with blank applications. Then I couldn't find the YPT certificate. I'd just thrown out a bunch of old paperwork and I had to sort through every sheet because I thought the certificate might have gotten mixed in with that. It wasn't. Finally I emptied out my wallet completely and sorted through its contents, and found the certificate. I'm a martyr to completing Scout applications. Poor as I am at it, I don't trust others to do any better, and to me every one is like GOLD! So I have two youth apps and one adult app in my car with YPT certificate, check and everything else fastened together ready to hand the DE at our District Committee Meeting tonight. I figure I am now unable to screw that up. And YES, the background authorization is signed. I'm getting better at not missing those details. I suppose there are people who do this kind of thing effortlessly and accurately... (This message has been edited by seattlepioneer)

Hello AHGnBSAMom, Can you describe your own position(s) in AHG and BSA? As I've noted earlier, I'm interested in offering an AHG program in conjunction with the existing Cub Pack in a unit chartered by a Catholic parish. Do you have experience in how those two programs would work together?

It sounds like you are doing great in making a home for yourself as an adult Scouter. You might want to try visiting your district committee meeting. It's where a good many long time Scouters can be found, helping to put together the nuts and bolts of district Scouting activities. Over a period of time I'm sure you will find a variety of things you are good at doing or that you would like to do. I admire the start you are making.

I was an Assistant Scoutmaster in a Troop 2004-2006. The SPL got a three month extension beyond age 18 to complete his Eagle, and he did in fact complete it. At troop committee meetings several times I wanted to schedule the young man's Eagle Court of Honor, but each time the parents demurred, saying they need to wait until the Grandparents could come. The troop wound up folding without the young man getting his Eagle COH. The Scoutmaster was the young man's father. Well, he IS an Eagle.(This message has been edited by seattlepioneer)

I don't know from light bulbs, but there seems to be a lot involved in changing over from Girl Scouts to American Heritage Girls.

Hello njdrt-rdr I could 'a used more. There are at least twelve schools not too far from where our pack meets. Flyer campaigns aren't especially effective recruiting methods, though. I have a hike and hot dog roast for new boys who form our Bobcat Den in the spring. I'm thinking about another recruiting effort using that as a hook to get more boys signed up.

Congratulations! I took Wood Badge in 1985. After 27 years, the key effect of Wood Badge for me was that it created or deepened a commitment to "work my ticket" for life.

As a District Membership Chair, I'd certainly encourage you to continue your recruiting efforts. I had our pack recruiting night Monday. I'd distributed 1000 flyers to ten different schools, gone to four schools to invite boys in person, and set up a fun egg drop as a parent and son activity for the sign up night. We got ten families to turn out, two of whom signed up and paid membership fees so far. I would have liked to see more. That said, if the Bear Den Leader is willing, I'd put the boy in with them. As others have noted, the Wolf and Bear den programs are quite similar. A tougher issue would be the next year. The Webelos program OUGHT to be a good deal more challenging than a Bear program, and might well not be suitable for a Bear to do. Unfortunately, a lot of Webelos programs are just more Cub Scouts.

Hello desertrat77, In a variety of ways, Scouting has it's own diverse range of culture. Different Scouters value things in different ways, and different unit have various parts of the program they emphasize. So I respect your last post, where you choose to value function over form. In many other things, I follow that value. But in the post before yours, I describe in some detail how I use home made neckerchiefs and slides as part of a ceremony welcoming new boys into Cub Scouts. That has it's own purpose, which is served well by my home made neckerchiefs. But they aren't functional for First Aid material. Of course, putting an arm in a sling is not part of the Tiger Cub program, either. So I would claim that there are a variety of different purposes a Scout neckerchief can serve, and that people and units are entitled to use this uniforming method in ways that serve their program effectively.

The best source of oil to season a Dutch Oven comes from rendering down a nice plump, but aged Scouter who is over the hill for doing outings. I am almost qualified for this final contribution to Scouting.