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Sparkie

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Posts posted by Sparkie

  1. Hi DLW73078,

     

    First off, i'm glad your looking at all your options. I used to be a Cubmaster for a pack your size for about 4 years.

     

    One item i used quite successfully was "the Wall of Shame".. ok, so i only used that term to myself. I took a large display type poster board that folded in half so i could prop it up on a table (like a book). I made a bunch of fleur de leis with each family name on it. One half of the board was titled something like "Helping the Pack Go!" families fleur de leis who were already helping the pack were placed with their function below their name on that half of the board. The other half of the board had fleur de leis with open jobs for people to do (no job is to small!).

     

    After my little speech one pack meeting i filled many positions, and more importantly (i think) got parents involved. Parents came forward to take the easiest job available before they were taken. The thing is, most jobs are easy broken down the right way (i.e Blue and Gold clean-up NOT Blue and Gold chmn.)

     

    Hang in there, and educate your volunteers gently... sounds like you have some untraining and re-training to do. Remember, you catch more flies with honey ;)

     

    • Like 1
  2. Our Council changed the name from Pow-Wow to Scoutfest a couple years ago. I was informed it was due to the fact that "Pow-Wow" referred only to cub scouts (?). So, they changed the name. In addition to the break out sessions, they have all the one-day training classes scouting offers, and there is a midway (of course) for purchasing all sorts of stuff. I also heard they started allowing about 1/2 hour down time around lunch so leaders could socalize.

     

    Sparkie

     

     

  3. First of all i'd like to welcome you to the forums! glad to have you here. I too think your agenda looks good. Being cubmaster for 6 years i've had my fair share of B&G's. Our B&G is held on a Friday night. Our agenda does not includ a review or announcements. My review is more in the form of thanking all the individuals that ran programs; basically, anyone that volunteered. The only announcements made are for those activities happening prior to the next pack meeting.

     

    I guess i have a different take on the B&G. I see it as a social occassion to honor scouting, and a great forum for recognizing individuals who give of their time. We have entertainment, and i've had a skit or two if a den has requested to do one (how can you turn them down?). Of course you want everyone to have fun. But you want it to be something more than a regular pack meeting where games and skits are the norm. I try to impress upon the scouts that this is not a pack meeting (although it takes the place of one), they are to be on their best behavior because we are saying good-bye to our Webelos crossing over, and have guests from the Troop(s).

     

    Our awards ceremony and crossover are held prior to the entertainment. The first couple years I never seemed to get the colors retired properly due to families leaving early. So now they are retired prior to the entertainment. Our outgoing Webelos II always present the colors (for the last time), and our new sr. group of scouts, the Webelos I, retire the colors for the evening.

     

  4. To answer question #1, i would have to ask what shirt they are wearing. The yellow womens shirt may be worn inside or out (notice it's sewn straight across the bottom). The mens tan shirts (with a mens shirt cut on the bottom), in my opinion should ALWAYS be tucked in. Now that's not to say that a women cannot wear the tan shirt, in fact, all the women in my pack wore the tan shirt. JMO

     

    Sparkie

  5. I second that!! Alot of great ideas. Back when i was cubmaster, we would go out after Pack meetings to a local hot dog joint that had a game room for the kids, and they also served beer... for the adults. Since i never had time for dinner, we usually always went there after the meetings to eat... ok, and do a little drinking. A second shirt attire was always necessary. But i started calling it Pub Scouts (instead of Cub Scouts), needless to say i laughed when i saw the Beer MB!

     

    Sparkie

  6. When i was Cubmaster we gave them the Super Achiever patch.

     

    The first time it happened, I asked the committee to approve giving the scout a brand new Boy Scout handbook (I presented it at our B&G). It wasn't going to break our bank, and i thought it was an appropriate gesture on behalf of the pack. The following year we had 2 scouts accomplish this feat!

  7. Hi Encourager, Okpik is the Inuit (Eskimo) name for the Arctic or snowy owl. It's the BSA's cold-weather camping program started at Northern Tier National Adventure Base in Ely, Minn. Here's a link if interested... www.ntier.org/okpik.html. My significant other is on staff at our council.

     

     

     

  8. Welcome! Alot of us started out the same way ;) Don't expect to know everything at once... it's a process. If you're having fun, and they're having fun, your doing great! It's when all that stops you should worry. I'd like to recommend any training you can get (packs usually pay for it). I've done all training except for Okpik and Woodbadge. Enjoy the scouting trail with your son... you won't regret it!!!

  9. First, i must admit i was not aware that popcorn is part of Quality District requirement, and I'm the council popcorn chairman.

     

    I am happy with any sales a unit does, even $100. Every scout has someone they can sell to, everyone has a family, everyone has one special neighbor. Two items per scout is not an unreasonable request, every little bit helps.

     

    Also, it doesn't sound like a crime if $30 of $100 leaves the scouting community... 70% stayed!

     

    Since i became popcorn chairman, i find it amazing how many units in my council do not support popcorn, wreaths or FOS, that in my mind is a true crime. Participation in one of those 3 events should be required to support council. JMO

     

    Sparkie

     

  10. SemperParatus, I thought that knot had to come off until they earned their Ad Altari Dei. I realize the religious knot is exactly the same for cub scouts as for boy scouts, but i thought it had to be removed until the boy scout religious award was earned. Yeeesh, and i'm a religious counselor!

     

    Isn't the AOL the only cubscout award that can remain on the uniform?

     

    Thanks in advance for the clarification!

     

    Sparkie

  11. Our Council used the Theme "Knights of the Round Table" one year. At the end of the week, all the scouts were "knighted". Each units leaders were asked for a knight name for each of their scouts near the end of the week. I tried to pick each boys strength that week and tied it into his name. The boys played marbles, chess, made donuts out of biscuits (watch out for peanut allergies!), we had archery, wall climbing, water sports, leatherwork and a "slay the dragon" obstacle course (knock down the dragon with a beanbag, shoot the dragon with a nerf-shooter... ok not so medieval

    slay the dragon with a sword, and shoot the dragon with a water gun), and Koob (see getkoob.com, they even have a scouting section) to name a few.

     

    This was a couple years ago, so if i think of anything else i'll come back.

     

    Good luck!

     

    Sparkie

     

  12. OmegaEagle, I must echo SemperParatus' concerns. Please do not pull him away from his buddies, this is not a contest. Cub scouts should be FUN, if you rush him thru, it will not be fun. Please trust me on this i've seen it happen. Have you asked your son what he wants? Sounds silly, but a great way to open a line of communication.

     

    One of my sons is 16 (the other is 12), i constantly had his back covered, i.e. "do you have what you need for the meeting?, did you do this, did you do that?". Unfortunately, all it did was make him more dependent on me. Almost every time he asks me a question now i ask "what do you think?" or "what would you do?". Most of the time, he didn't have to ask the question at all! Sometimes, we need to step-back in order to instill those independence and confident skills. This is NOT an easy task!

     

    If you and your son both choose to go to a troop (other than the one the rest of the den is going to) i would hope that your committee is ALSO inviting that troop to the crossover. If they are not, i would suggest it.

     

    I too wish you and your son good luck.

     

    Sparkie

  13. We've had "Scoutreach" at our council for a couple years (before 2004). It's pretty draining on the funds. :( I have also been told it teaches nothing about scouting, just kids getting together to play soccer (i.e. theres no camping program). I think this is a great idea if it combines the 2 activities, unfortunately i do not see my council doing this. There are no "troops", they do not get involved with the popcorn sale or other council activities.

     

    I think i might educate myself a little more the next time i go to council. I'll let you know more specifics, instead of heresay. ;)

     

    YiS

    Sparkie

  14. Eamonn, i would venture to say it's a phase. My little twerp turns 16 on the 16th :). He is a sophmore, and almost always takes a nap when he gets home from school (and the sleeping 'til noon... ditto). I find it difficult to fault him since he's getting up at 5:30am to catch his bus at 6:30am. I'm just afraid he'll get his days and nights mixed up like when he was a baby. He also spends alot of time in his room (i did too).

     

    Don't let it bug you, if this is our biggest complaint about our kids... we got it made! :)

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