SSScout

Her's another: Troop organizes around putting on a play or variety show. Sell adds in the program (which also details the history of the Troop and it's activities!). Work on Drama MB, while you're at it. Publicity! Sell refreshments! Work with local theater group or theater!

Indeed, "what is the rush?" Waaaay back in paleolithic Scouting, (my son's term) when I was a Scout, I didn't know any better than what my Troop taught. We had "classes" during Troop meetings on the skills: Wigwag practice for Morse code, knot tying and lashing practice and speed games, compass and map reading (compass course around the church property), leafs and bark brought in for IDing. These were led/taught by older boys to us younger ones, OR by a dad who was especially knowledgeable. A volunteer fireman taught us first aid (could not earn MBs until FC!) as appropriate to the rank required. Neckerchiefs form bandages and slings. When we went hiking or camping, there would always be a morning or afternoon session to "test" our skills. One Patrol might hike ahead across the valley and then we would wigwag to each other about what to have for dinner or which trail to take to get to where they were. First aid "accidents" along the trail. Cast animal tracks to ID. Lashings to do to "save" a valuable artifact. The older Scouts set these "tests" up. Again, the "tests" were done on the outings and the teaching was done during the meetings. The testing AND the teaching were all fun. The challenge was the fun. Yes, every month we had at least one Troop activity (usually an overnight) and the Patrols were expected to have their own activity: a hike, visit to some special place, service project for the church CO, even a movie night. One of the inducements for the Patrols to get their own act together was a yearly contest: Each Patrol reported to the Troop what they had done the previous month, advancement was added up, uniform inspections were held, participation in Troop things was counted. Points were added up. Each year, the winning Patrol was given an all expense paid trip (camping trip, natch) to a special place, usually Assateague Island or Gathland State Park (the beach or the mountains?). The Troop dads put the trip together and did the cooking(!), the Scouts did the fun stuff. First Class seemed to just happen, it was not choreographed or scheduled . Well, maybe it was, but us Scouts didn't notice. I don't remember being told " here's where you must earn your cooking requirement!" It was not rushed. We were not pushed, it just sort of happened. I didn't make FC til after my second year. The activities and campouts were so often that there was always an opportunity to build the fire or cook a meal. Yes, we were often reminded of rank requirements when the SM or PL signed off on a requirement card, but it was up to us to ASK if someone would pass on our requirement. I remember a long rainy afternoon in the backyard of a friend, where Eagle and Beaver Patrols helped each other build fires. Finding dry tinder was a problem! One of our ASMs was the dad in charge. I seem to remember that us Scouts had gotten together to ask if we could come by his house to practice building fires, not expecting it to rain that Saturday. Cooperation (one Scout holds his poncho over the fire area while his buddy starts a fire), knowledge (dry wood can be found inside a log), skill(get it all set first, then light it), trust (I helped him, he'll help me), scheduling (okay, Mr. D? Great!), perserverence (almost took that time...), alot of things were learned and practiced that day. Make the opportunities, the ranks will take care of themselves.

Totin' Chip: From "Boy Scout Requirements" #33215A, pg.228: (below the first 6 "requirements", it sez): "The Scout's 'Totin' Rights' can be taken from him if he fails in his responsibility". What it DOESN'T say is how that failure is to be judged. The corner clipping is a "tradition" of some units I have seen/heard of. How egregious the failure that is observed (by a Scouter?) could lead to one to four corners at any single time. Or, one event could be enough for the SM (who is usually the In Loco Parentis that makes the judgement) to remove the privilege. Then the Scout must RE-EARN the privilege. This re-earning is implied, but nowhere mentioned in "official" form. Unit "tradition" again. As is the tradition of making a tentpeg to demonstrate one's skill and safe technique in using an axe/hatchet/pocket knife. I watched one Scout present his 2 foot long tent peg, be encouraged to make it better, and eventuallyend up with a very pretty 6inch tent peg. The same discussion can be made about "Whittlin' Chip" for Cub Scouts. But not today...

I'm sorry, my emoticons don't work and I was only following jerseyscout's lead. I do like "1776".

Come on, people, we're talking about "heritage" movies, not "good" movies, or only military history (both worthy listings otherwise). Kentucky Fried Movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes "...and THIS, may God have mercy on us, is a CHERRY TOMATO !!!"

Here is what we give out at IOLS : Whitlin Chip Curriculum Suggestions for Scouts and Scouters instructing Cubs for Whitlin Chip. ** The watch words here are: **Ask, Require, Watch, Practice, Correct** ****NEVER let a Cub within your sight handle a sharp implement incorrectly or unsafely. Gently correct them and ALLOW them the pride of good tool useage.**** **Bear, Webelos Cub Scouts. (see Bear achievement #19) **Folding pocket knife use only. No sheath knives. No axe or hatchet. No saw. But their safe use can be mentioned. As a Boy Scout, Totin Chip badge will cover these other sharp implements. **Whitlin Chip and parent permission allows a Cub Scout to carry and use a folding pocket knife in a safe manner at Cub Scout events. If the Cub willfully fails to follow safe techniques, he may be asked to give up his Whitlin Chip rights, hand over his Whitlin Chip card and his pocket knife may be taken from him. The card and knife should be given to his parents and the situation explained. The Cub may later re-earn the Whitlin chip. Explain all this to the Cub. (serious business!) 1. Tool not a toy. Respect the tool. Do not use it for that which it was not intended. Respect the edge. Cut wood, rope, paper, not metal or wire. Do not dig in the dirt. Do not cut living wood (trees, shrubs, etc.) needlessly. Its a knife, not a screwdriver or can opener. Place knife down on safe surface, or fold up and place in pocket. Keep the knife clean, oiled, and sharp. A dull edge is more dangerous than a sharp one. 2. Parts of the Knife: Show and discuss the parts: the handle, blade, back of blade, edge, face of blade, point, case, hinge, spring, hanger. Talk about the different types of steel: stainless, high carbon, alloys; how some will rust easier than others, some will take and hold a sharp edge better than others, some are harder, some are softer, some more brittle. This knowledge comes with experience, the Cub needs to know safe handling and good care. 3. Handling: IT IS SHARP. IT CAN HURT YOU OR OTHERS. Demonstrate how to open and close the knife. Close with FLAT of hand, fingers away from the box opening. No fists. Note that some clasp knives have a lock (lock back), and show the lock catch. Close and open carefully. No one-handed leg closing! Or whip opening. These will hurt someone. Will it be you? Passing a knife: Close it, and pass it to the other person closed. When he has hold of the knife, he will say THANK YOU. This is not just polite, it means he has a safe hold of the tool and will not drop it. DO NOT LET GO UNTIL YOU HEAR Thank You. This is a good rule for any passing of any implement. Steel workers use it in foundries. Mechanics use it in garages. Practice this. Why is it important the other person not drop the knife? If it is an open or straight knife (like your moms kitchen knife), hold it in your hand by the blade, edge away from your palm, handle toward the recipient. He grasps the handle carefully, says thank you, and you let go. Why this method? Practice this. Place the knife down on a safe surface. Surface is flat, not slippery or wet, dont stab the knife into something to hold it. Fold it up when not in use. 4. Sharpening: Show different stones: Dry, Oil, Show hones, steel, ceramic, etc. Demonstrate holding edge to the light to see reflection of condition. Rotate edge to see reflection of edges, etc. Oil stone. Hold blade flat to stone, raise up about 7-8 degrees. Rub lightly in a circular motion, move blade up to do the curved area too. Do other side the same. Listen for the change in sound as the blade gets sharp, the whistle. Show honing to a razor edge on diamond hone and steel. Clean debris off blade. Feel with thumb sideways. 5. Using the knife: demonstrate and help the Cubs determine the blood circle (safe circle). Even at a table. Carve away from the body. Use thumb on BACK of blade to push. Use both hands. Make sure you have a safe area to carve. Beware the soft hinge that will bend if the blade gets stuck. Work carefully and slowly. Be patient. Give Cubs soap bars and let them make something. Go around. Help them. 5. When YOU are satisfied that the Cub has learned what you can teach them (ask, require, watch, practice, correct), fillout the W/C slip and hand it to the Cub. **Remind him: >>that he must arrange with his Scout Leader to demonstrate his new skill and they will sign the Whittlin Chip card and make the award; >>that this is a privilege he has earned, and if he is not true to this trust, the privilege can be removed; >>that it is only good for Cub Scout events and he should never take his knife to school or other places without his parents permission. Indeed, a knife in a students possession on school grounds is nowadays generally automatic grounds for suspension. Shake his hand and wish him well.

Efete nattering nabobs...

How far we have come... As noted in "Matching Mountains with the Boy Scout Uniform" by Edward F. Reimer, c.1929:: ""(from the label sewed into the uniform shirt, pant and short: "This garment is purchased with the understanding that it is for the use of (name) a duly enrolled member ( ..) patrol of Troop No. (...) of (...) of the Boy Scouts of America. Any other use of it will violate the rules of the Boy Scouts of America and the contract of the merchant under which it is possible to sell the garment at its present low price. No one who believes in fair play will attempt to violate this agreement. Any other boy than a Boy Scout who attempts to purchase or wear this uniform will be regarded by other boys and the officers of the Boy Scouts of America as an imposter. /s/ Boy Scouts of America, Two Park Ave. New York City /s/ Sigmund Eisner Co., Official National Outfitter, Red Bank, N.J." And...(pg.153) "No matter whether the boy is poor or well-to-do, he should earn his own uniform and equipment by doing work at a reasonable wage, and it should be impressed upon him that he must work fairly and honestly - that he should not do some very small thing and receive a high rate of pay from parent or guardian... if each boy pays for his uniform... the problem will be largely solved whether the boys are rich or poor." "We have noticed, too, that an earned uniform lasts better than more expensive clothes..." (pg.58) "So he reads about Scouting, he dreams about Scouting, and he waits for his birthday clock to strike twelve (Ed: TWELVE!!) for then he can at last put on the cherished khaki uniform (this in acordance with the unwavering rule that the boy must be twelve years old and be a registered Scout before he can secure and wear his Scout Uniform)." (pg.59) " Chief Scout Executive James E. West says " Remember the uniform you wear cries aloud 'I am a Scout'. As I have said so often, it is not necessary to wear the uniform to be a Scout. It is much more important that you live Scouting in your daily life... If you do get a uniform, see that it is correctly worn... for in the uniform, you stand for the Boy Scouts of America". Umm,mmm, MMM! 1929...

How far we have come... As noted in "Matching Mountains with the Boy Scout Uniform" by Edward F. Reimer, c.1929:: ""(from the label sewed into the uniform shirt, pant and short: "This garment is purchased with the understanding that it is for the use of (name) a duly enrolled member ( ..) patrol of Troop No. (...) of (...) of the Boy Scouts of America. Any other use of it will violate the rules of the Boy Scouts of America and the contract of the merchant under which it is possible to sell the garment at its present low price. No one who believes in fair play will attempt to violate this agreement. Any other boy than a Boy Scout who attempts to purchase or wear this uniform will be regarded by other boys and the officers of the Boy Scouts of America as an imposter. /s/ Boy Scouts of America, Two Park Ave. New York City /s/ Sigmund Eisner Co., Official National Outfitter, Red Bank, N.J." And...(pg.153) "No matter whether the boy is poor or well-to-do, he should earn his own uniform and equipment by doing work at a reasonable wage, and it should be impressed upon him that he must work fairly and honestly - that he should not do some very small thing and receive a high rate of pay from parent or guardian... if each boy pays for his uniform... the problem will be largely solved whether the boys are rich or poor." "We have noticed, too, that an earned uniform lasts better than more expensive clothes..." (pg.58) "So he reads about Scouting, he dreams about Scouting, and he waits for his birthday clock to strike twelve (Ed: TWELVE!!) for then he can at last put on the cherished khaki uniform (this in acordance with the unwavering rule that the boy must be twelve years old and be a registered Scout before he can secure and wear his Scout Uniform)." (pg.59) " Chief Scout Executive James E. West says " Remember the uniform you wear cries aloud 'I am a Scout'. As I have said so often, it is not necessary to wear the uniform to be a Scout. It is much more important that you live Scouting in your daily life... If you do get a uniform, see that it is correctly worn... for in the uniform, you stand for the Boy Scouts of America". Umm,mmm, MMM! 1929...

Thome gods are myths, thom are mythsterth. Thome are both.............

Lewis and Clark is (I think 5 episodes. Each can stand alone, but I don't remember the exact progress of each. Most anything by Burns is worthwhile, right? I especially liked the Statue of Liberty (singleton) . Check the PBS site and you will see which are single episodes and which are multi and how long. I dare say your library or video store would have some of them, and you can always check Netflix. Moviesunlimited.com can order almost anything ever recorded on celluloid (or nitrate) or mylar. YiS Oh yes, nothing like a movie night when the cabin walls start to close in in the dead of winter, when the wind hooowwwwls outside the frosted windows and the snow drifts up to blockade the door and the beans and ham is runnin' low....

Friendly Persuasion ::: Unfortunately, 2 hrs. ANY of Ken Burns documentaries. All are formatted for tv, so are one and two hour episodes. Jazz, baseball, Civil War, National Parks,you name it::: Brooklyn Bridge (1981) The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) The Statue of Liberty (1985) Huey Long (1985) The Congress (1988) Thomas Hart Benton (1988) The Civil War (1990) Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) Baseball Innings 1-9 (1994), 10th Inning (2010) Thomas Jefferson (1997) Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) Not For Ourselves Alone: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (1999) Jazz (2001) Mark Twain (2001) Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (2003) Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005) The War (2007) The National Parks (2009) All are available from www.shoppbs.org - Have fun. (This message has been edited by SSScout)

Yep. First and only event of it's kind in his life? Umpteen years ago?That's one thing. One of several? Something else. Sister in law needs help? OMH, "Member Closed Account", are you there? Anything else to say?

As you can see, there are many choices. Depends on how big the flag(s) is/are. Depends how rustic you want to be. New pole that screws together in the middle, makes a 8' pole into a 4' package. Lash some poles as tall as you like, brace and guy the pole with 3 or 4 guy ropes. But this is a Cub Pack, yes? How grand do you want your camp flag to be? How portable? We collected a 15' tall straight poplar pole (the young tree was in the wrong place) and use it every year for the Cub Scout Day Camp and other events. It has a pulley and halyard lashed to the top. The pole has been lashed to the side of a picnic shelter, lashed to another pole to make a 25 foot tall flag pole, been braced with three ropes (which one Den Leader marveled at, spent a long time studying the arrangement, for some reason couldn't fathom how the pole stood so straight and stable). When not in use, it lays on our fence top rack, next to our canoe. The halyard is color coded, blue end (a small blue carabiner) is the UP end (think Blue Union), the DOWN end is a red carabiner (Red stripes) to help Cubs in their flag ceremonies. Do you only need ONE pole? US flag? Pack flag? State flag? How fancy a camp will this be? Maybe only a rope thrown over a tree limb would do, if in the right place. KiSMiF, after all.

Ditto the previous... So many worms, so few cans... I would note that it is also not so much what has been done, but what have you done lately? We would hope your present reputation is worthy of your desire to do good. Go for it.

Scoutson wanted to do Farm Mechanics MB. In dealing with the cars and tractors on our "farmette", I knew he'd have no difficulty, but who and where is the MBC? Beat the District bushes, and could find no one. So I upped and made application to be the FM-MBC. Then, I put an item in our District newsletter: "Anyone wanting to do the Farm Mechanics Merit Badge, contact Mr. SSScout ..." Had 6 Scouts call, two from across the River (Hal?). Set up pre- requirements. We made appointment, met with parents and tools on our deck, visited the largest farm implement dealer in MD (owner very supportive when I called. Personally gave us the tour! Talked about then and now...). Second saturday, all came out and serviced our tractor, Went across the street and visited a BIG serious tractor and equipment, went back to deck and finished up official requirements. We'll do it again in the spring. My only question is: How come the FM-MB book only mentions diesel power? (!) We saw gasoline powered equipment, and one boy spoke of his Canadian Gdads ELECTRIC powered tractor! (which he helped maintain). And a good time was had by all.

Welcome to the forums. We hope you can find some help and sympathy here. Questions: Do you have any active Scouts? Who is your sponsoring charter organization? Have you contacted your Charter Org Representative? Do you have an active Troop Committee? Have you spoken with your District Commissioner and/or District Executive? Do you have a dictionary and know how to proof read before hitting "send"?

Did the pipeline ever get built?

A couple of things to try and some personal stories. I had a Cub in our Den that wore his uniform shirt unbuttoned. His mom said he "just didn't like buttons". One day, before the Pack meeting, while his mom watched, I knelt down by him and said to him, "gee, Frank, let me help you with your shirt. I know these buttons can be a hassle" and I started buttoning up his shirt. He did not protest, let me button everything up and then tucked his shirt in. He came to meetings all buttoned up after that. Never did get his neckerchief on, tho. Many Scout groups around the world do not use a "full" uniform like we do. Economics, style, etc. all come in to play. But they all have one thing in common: the neckerchief. Along with your conversations with the parents, ask for their cooperation on this: You might make a big deal out of a special Den Tshirt and the neckerchief.ONLY. If all the boys do it, maybe the odd boy out will pick up on it. Maybe the Denleader can do what mom can't: help the boy to want to wear a uniform. And don't forget to KiSMiF... My button boy stayed in Scouts up to Webelos, then dropped.

Frederick News-Post, Tues. Sept. 22, 2009 pg.A1 "Marine Charged With Faking War Wounds For Gain" http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=95546 *sigh*

What Wingnut said. Some of the "fee" will be allotted to a) Registration fee (local council and national council, recently changed...maybe $15.) b) Boys' Life subscription (it's changed. ?$12.?) c) Troop dues. The Troop dues pays for the program. Possible expenses: space rental, camp fees, equipment purchase, camperships, awards purchases, books purchases, ). Troop can say everyone pays a share, or Troop can have fundraiser events to halp with expenses (see popcorn), or a combination. Still a bargain. Now about adult registration...

In teaching knots to Cubs, don't forget to include the parent/partners. Often, they don't know a bowline from a shoelace either. I teach at CSDC and usually end up on my back on the picnic table, tying the knot up in the air. That way, my right hand is on the same side as the Cubs right hand. If I FACE them, they have to transpose my right hand (on their left) to their right hand (assuming they know R from L!). I like Eamons idea of "robotic hands", having the boy tell one how to tie the knot. I could see a game made out of this, say, one boy is blindfolded, and the other boy tells the first how to tie the knot, if he doesn't know already! Knot relay:: Scouts stand in a line, side by side. Each Scout has a length of rope, about 4 feet long. On start, each Scout ties his rope to his nieghbor's with a particular knot, called out by the Leader. Object is to be the first Den/Patrol to get all their ropes together to do a given task: Rescue the Cubmaster, lasso a box, throw rope over a limb and "bear rope" a bag of "food", etc. Joining knots:: Square, two bowlines, two tautlines, two two halfhitches, sheetbend.

Oh, you can do alot of google search for neat, pithy stuff from Baden-Powell or Seton or Yogi Berra (or Bear!). But ultimately any quote needs to take root from the experience of the receiver. Tiger Cubs aren't going to hear and take in the same idea as a 14 year old Star Scout or a dad or mom. Wait your time. Pick the quote to match the activity or such. Blue and Gold? Find a good American Native story or blessing about food and thankfulness. Bike ride? Hike? Tell'em a story about going somewhere and perservering. Boils down to Apache's comment, but make it Cub friendly and therefore rememberable (just invented that word). Try this>> With great bravado, divide the group into three parts: "Okay! What noise does a big meat clever make chopping some ribs into pieces? Let's hear it while I dee-vide you into three parts... WHUP! and WHUP!" Now, tell each part to yell that's YELL >>>DO... and YOUR... and BEST! Make'm do it in turn, direct them like an orchestra, Let the next town hear you! Several times... Include the parents, as they sit . DO, YOUR, BEST, DO (wait for it...)DO, DO, DO, YOUR, DO, YOUR BEEESSSTTT. Have fun with it, yes? Not so nuch remember someone else's quote, let them create their own to remember.

Aha... the Soccer Syndrome... I can drop my kid (not son, not boy..."kid") off at soccer practice and be free for two hours...The coach will teach'em good sportsmanship, skills and the rules. And I don't have to. How sad. The boys see the fun ahead, like being Cubs, but the parents don't see the need to be part of the Pack. While it is true that not every parent needs to be the Committee Chair or Cub Master, the boys do better if his parents have some role. I like to say that there is an "invisible" last line in the Law of the Pack: "The Parents also help the Pack GO." The talk I have given new Scout parents includes the following points: * This is the only time your boy will be 7. Or 8, or nine, or ten. TRUST ME, the connection you make with him now will define your connection with him when he is 14 and 15 and 16. Make that connection the best you can NOW, with the values and fun of Scouting. ** And the fun includes (dare I say it?) "education". The Scouting program will show and teach your son so many things that regular school can't or won't teach him. History. Confidence. Skills. Cooperation. Satisfaction. Self confidence. Maybe even Right and Wrong. ***I see lots of news about boys in "gangs". Mostly bad news. All boys want to belong to "the gang". I know I did. How 'bout we make it easy for our sons to belong to a "gang" that will do some good in his life and the life of our families and communities and nation? All you have to do is be there and help point them in the right direction. ****And who do you want doing that pointing? Who better than your boy's mom and dad? Your boy will believe what he sees and if he sees his mom and dad doing the pointing, won't he want to be there all the more? If the Cub sees that it is important to the parent, it will be more important to the Cub. ***** " I don't have enough time for everything now. I don't know anything about this Scout stuff. I know Mr. XYZ can do a better job than me. Isn't there someone else you can ask?" No one else can say what's important for you. No one else can tell you what is possible for you. But the folks that support their boy in Cub Scouts will tell you about their boy's success. And they will tell you that the grass can get cut next week, the boss will understand when you go and speak to him honestly about your Scouting time. And I've met many, many folks that have NO Scouting experience and pick things up easily because of the training and help available. Eagle? No guarantee of a good Scout leader, but a good start. Can't be Den Leader? Howbout one meeting a month? One project and that's all? Lead one hike, one tour of the fire station, one Belt Loop class? All you can do is ask. Like the previous posters have suggested, get the parents and Cubs out to a picnic. Have someone (Commissioner? Neighboring Cub leaders?) take the boys aside for a hike, a ball game, some fun thing. You and the CCh and the DE (maybe) sit down with the other parents and lay it out plain. Have training days scheduled. A Cub Pack needs X,Y, and Q to operate. You are willing and ready to be CM and CCh, but if we don't have this, it may not happen, and our boys will not have a Cub Pack. I Commissioned with a struggling Cub Pack. A Scouter I respected counseled me to tell the parents all the above, give a pen and pad of paper to the nearest adult and tell them I'll be down the hall. Come to me when you've decided whether or not your boys will have a Cub Pack or not, and then you will tell your boys. The Pack I was helping never came to that, (came together finally and thriving!) but it would have been a last resort, I quess. I totally agree that you can not do this all yourself as CM. But you can rally the others to make it happen for your boys. YOUR boys. Will you turn it around? Pray about it and "Do Your Best". That's all one can ask. Good luck and God speed.

Aha... the Soccer Syndrome... I can drop my kid (not son, not boy..."kid") off at soccer practice and be free for two hours...The coach will teach'em good sportsmanship, skills and the rules. And I don't have to. How sad. The boys see the fun ahead, like being Cubs, but the parents don't see the need to be part of the Pack. While it is true that not every parent needs to be the Committee Chair or Cub Master, the boys do better if his parents have some role. I like to say that there is an "invisible" last line in the Law of the Pack: "The Parents also help the Pack GO." The talk I have given new Scout parents includes the following points: * This is the only time your boy will be 7. Or 8, or nine, or ten. TRUST ME, the connection you make with him now will define your connection with him when he is 14 and 15 and 16. Make that connection the best you can NOW, with the values and fun of Scouting. ** And the fun includes (dare I say it?) "education". The Scouting program will show and teach your son so many things that regular school can't or won't teach him. History. Confidence. Skills. Cooperation. Satisfaction. Self confidence. Maybe even Right and Wrong. ***I see lots of news about boys in "gangs". Mostly bad news. All boys want to belong to "the gang". I know I did. How 'bout we make it easy for our sons to belong to a "gang" that will do some good in his life and the life of our families and communities and nation? All you have to do is be there and help point them in the right direction. ****And who do you want doing that pointing? Who better than your boy's mom and dad? Your boy will believe what he sees and if he sees his mom and dad doing the pointing, won't he want to be there all the more? If the Cub sees that it is important to the parent, it will be more important to the Cub. ***** " I don't have enough time for everything now. I don't know anything about this Scout stuff. I know Mr. XYZ can do a better job than me. Isn't there someone else you can ask?" No one else can say what's important for you. No one else can tell you what is possible for you. But the folks that support their boy in Cub Scouts will tell you about their boy's success. And they will tell you that the grass can get cut next week, the boss will understand when you go and speak to him honestly about your Scouting time. And I've met many, many folks that have NO Scouting experience and pick things up easily because of the training and help available. Eagle? No guarantee of a good Scout leader, but a good start. Can't be Den Leader? Howbout one meeting a month? One project and that's all? Lead one hike, one tour of the fire station, one Belt Loop class? All you can do is ask. Like the previous posters have suggested, get the parents and Cubs out to a picnic. Have someone (Commissioner? Neighboring Cub leaders?) take the boys aside for a hike, a ball game, some fun thing. You and the CCh and the DE (maybe) sit down with the other parents and lay it out plain. Have training days scheduled. A Cub Pack needs X,Y, and Q to operate. You are willing and ready to be CM and CCh, but if we don't have this, it may not happen, and our boys will not have a Cub Pack. I Commissioned with a struggling Cub Pack. A Scouter I respected counseled me to tell the parents all the above, give a pen and pad of paper to the nearest adult and tell them I'll be down the hall. Come to me when you've decided whether or not your boys will have a Cub Pack or not, and then you will tell your boys. The Pack I was helping never came to that, (came together finally and thriving!) but it would have been a last resort, I quess. I totally agree that you can not do this all yourself as CM. But you can rally the others to make it happen for your boys. YOUR boys. Will you turn it around? Pray about it and "Do Your Best". That's all one can ask. Good luck and God speed.