WarrenW

Thanks for everyone's input. I liked the idea of splitting them up and have two den meetings which I may still do. My only problem with that is my other son is joining next year as a Tiger and I want to be there for his den meetings. So that means I would have three nights of scouts to go to. Hmmm, my wife supports the scouts too but I may be pushing that to the limit!

I'm gonna have a talk with our cubmaster again. His excuse is that only 12 or 13 kids show up per meeting at times but even that many is alot. I liked having about 8 kids at the beginning as a Wolf den leader. I just want to prevent any conflict and keep harmony within the pack. And maybe I'll work on some parents to see if I can work them in some this year for the last few meetings and get them to take half of the kids at times next year.

I don't want to consider anything like pulling rank on anyone in the committee - I have always said that everyone has an equal say in everything. And we've never had to vote cause everything usually goes smooth.

I'll keep you posted!

Hi Everyone,

Last year I started as a Wolf den leader and we had two of these dens with about 8 kids each which was perfect. Sometimes we did things together as one whole den and it turned out the parents of the other den really liked the den activities i was doing. So they kept pushing to be together. Then the other den leader took advantage of it and I ended up doing both dens together.

Then this year started as Bears and the cubmaster wanted us all together cause it would make the parents and kids more happy. There are 17 kids in my den!! And I now have no assistants either. So I tend to get overwhelmed alot. Plus, I am the committee chairman for the pack now along with doing the web site, newsletters and more.

I don't want any conflict with my cubmaster and parents but this is just too many kids in one den. Don't you agree? None of the other parents will be a den leader. And last years den leader who is/was my assistant this year has too many issues to help. Its all on me and its too much for den meetings. Your supposed to have around 6-8 boys per den. Even if it was 10 or 11 that would be fine. But when everyone comes, it gets too hectic and out of control. I can't get everyone's attention at once on what we are doing.

Any suggestions??

Thanks

Well, it turns out the diversity of getting parents more involved in the pack was not a true diversity item. I didn't think so anyways.

I was told Diversity as in regards to race, culture, religion, gender, language,family status, economic status, physical and cognitive ability. So I've got to think by tomorrow of what to do.

I could probably setup an event and invite another pack of a different religion to visit our pack together. Our existing pack does not include any different race, minorites or cultures in it which I wish it did. The other local school near us does but they have their own pack. I was going to promote scouting at their school this Fall but I would be stepping on that other pack's feet and I don't want to do that.

It just came to me... I forgot about them. We have three packs here on Wilmington Island - one is a different religion and the other includes different minorities I think. I could do some event with all three together. How about that?

Warren

Sorry, thats what I meant to say. I'm going to do it that way as you showed. The 4th ticket item will be the newsletter I am going to start for the pack for better communication.

The fifth one will be the video to use for Scout Night. Tonight I'll start writing them out with the info for each, my vision on how they help, etc.

I've thought of completely different tickets that I could do but I really wanted to have an impact on helping the pack run smooth with existing and new leaders and scouts. I've got 5 more years with the pack anyways - my other son is joining as a Tiger next year.

Thanks

Warren

Thanks alot for your answers and explanations! I am the committee chairman for my Cub Scout pack. I am also a Bear den leader. I've put alot of thought into this and really want the whole pack to benefit from my ticket. And like you said Darren, we were told at our first course not to make our ticket where we had to rely on others. I made that my personal goal when becoming committee chairman to get the pack 100% trained which we did and earned the Quality Unit Award for this year. That made me feel good!

I've taken my last couple years experience to see what we need and I always hear from leaders that they don't have a direction when they start each year. So I am create a resource of information for each den. It will contain all of the den meeting activities that the previous den leader did for that year. And each year it will be added to. So when a Tiger den leader becomes a Wolf den leader, he/she can look at what the previous leaders as Wolves did and can use those resources. I already have the leaders giving me this info so I do already have this stuff.

The other part of my ticket is to help new parents and scouts when joining understand how everything works. So I'm going to create a easy to understand handbook for them that answers all of the FAQs I have heard the past couple years from new parents.

I'm also creating a video to play at scout night that will show all about Cub Scouts, our pack ,etc.

And last, for the diversity goal, I need to find a way to get parents more involved in scouting. I was hoping this would work for diversity. Kind of mix stuff up and get parents involved in the den meetings, activities, unit committee, etc. Parents seem to stand on the sideline like at sports "watching" their son instead of helping. Every leader complains of this. So I need to concentrate on how to improve this.

So my ticket is all about creating resources for new and existing den leaders. And it is about improving communication for new parents and scouts. I'm gonna do a newsletter also to help with the communication part.

I just need to figure how to title the ticket with the two parts together being the den leader resource and the new scout info. Any thoughts? I really hope this helps everyone in my unit!

Warren

Hi,

I have the second part of my wood badge course this weekend and while at work I'm trying to write up a draft of my ticket. I left my WB papers at home. So I have a question anyways. For the five goals for my ticket, are they specific goals for each? I do know one of them is Diversity. Are the other four goals just my personal goals to accomplishing the ticket? I tried doing a search online and could not find a specific answer.

Thanks

Warren

What candle setup does everyone else do for the rank advancement? Actually I think we only used three candles last year.

Warren

Thanks. This is for our rank ceremonies when the scouts get their badges (Tiger, Wolf, etc.).

Hi Everyone,

Last year when we had our rank ceremony, our cubmaster came in with thin candles stuck into a 2x4 holder just to get by. So this year I want to build a nice candle holder with logs. I remember seeing a nice one at our baloo training and my first course of wood badge last weekend.

They had one big horizontal log and then had smaller ones on the top that held the candles. They also had the scout den pictures on each candle.

My question is I cannot remember how many candles it needs. And also which den pictures (Tiger, Wolf, etc.) are used on this? And last, the colors? I want to make a nice one for my pack.

So if anyone can help me with what I need to include for it, that would be great!

Thanks

Warren

I'll definately talk to him about this. I also did what Lisa said - I sent an email to all of my den leaders to see what they suggested about our pack, what could be improved, etc. I got three immediate replies and they were all about the same. We do not have any kind of resource for new leaders to learn from when they are recruited. Alot of us were just thrown into the positions and give a couple books to read. We need something to help guide each den leader according to their rank. Also, we need lesson plans saved for den meetings. I could have been a much better Wolf den leader last year if I had something to go by. The books out there were not too much help really.

Another leader also suggested something like a "welcome kit" for new scouts and parents. I have parents so confused about den and pack meetings. What are belt loops and pins... So something to help them out at the beginning.

If we can get new leaders headed in the right direction and also keep the scouts and parents interested, then it will be more fun for everyone. I also want to find a way to get the parents more involved with their boys in scouting. I don't want it to be something like soccer where they just stand on the sidelines and watch but not get involved.

All of this was in the back of my mind but was not sure how to approach it for my ticket. Its all starting to come together and I'm feeling really good about this. If it can improve both the scouts and the leaders experience with scouting, then I will have made a difference.

Building a knot table or log candle holder is nice which I'll still do but it wasn't that special thing I really wanted to do. I'm going to talk to my patrol guide about this tonight and see what he says. But like everyone kept saying, just wait and put more thought into it and it will come together. I'm hoping it has.

Thanks

Warren

Thanks. I really didn't feel the district web site was an appropriate item after thinking more. I just keep drawing blanks. I spoke with my guide before I left and he was the one that came up with the knot board. Thats when I thought it was five projects.

I'm really trying to think on this cause its not something I just want to get by on. I want to be proud of it. I'll keep thinking...

Warren

Thanks for the tips. The senior scoutmaster told us that we really need to have out ticket outlined when we return. He said no one will go home until the tickets have been completed and approved by the second part of the course. So thats why I'm working on it.

Since taking over committee chairman, I had already worked so hard on the unit. I got all of the leaders trained, created a web site for our pack, organized more events for the boys, awarded the leaders awards for recognition, chairman for the scouting for food drive, etc.

So I did alot that I wanted our pack to be at already. Now I need to find a way to improve something I have already improved.

I had thought we needed to do five projects. If that had been the case, I was going to make a knot board for teaching the boys knots for all the dens, start a newsletter for our pack, create a web site for the district to help bring many of our units together more and include the scout outreach program with it, build a rank advancementcandle log holder for ceremonies, etc.

I have tried to think of a ticket thast I could include these projects that is aimed at improving our unit. In return, they all help the boys also.

Thanks

Warren

Hi,

I've been thinking hard the last couple days about what to do for my ticket since I came home from the first part of the wood badge course. Our pack has everything we need just about. And from what I have read here, it should be something I can do myself that would help my unit.

Well, I have already done a web site for our pack (www.Pack26.com) but we need a web site for our district which does not have one. It would be a great way of bringing alot of local packs together also. And I need to start doing a newsletter for our pack. Alot of people do not seem to read their emails. But if they have a newsletter with the calendar of events it would help.

So would doing a district web site and the newsletter be a woodbadge ticket item? My district exec said the web site would be great and if I added the scout outreach program on the site that it would help with the diversity goal.

Also, I am the committee chairman and a Bear den leader in our Cub Scout pack. I am also the district chairman for the Scouting For Food drive we will be having in March. I can't count that cause it will be done before I even finish the woodbadge course. But because I work with the district some, my position allows me to do things district level such as the web site.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

Warren

Thanks Crew21, they already gave us the papers for writing our tickets. they strongly suggested we pretty much have this done when we return. No one can go home till they approve everyone's ticket the next weekend.

I'm a Bear den leader and the committee chairman. I'm just trying to figure how to create a ticket by what we need. I had stated above we need a few items I can create. I'm already doing the newsletter now. We definately need some sort of training guide for new leaders. When I joined as the Wolf den leader, I was just handed some notebooks of info and no one sat down with me to explain it. So a better type of training info with den meeting examples, etc. could be used. Or create this and create a training person in the committee may be good. I just want to make sure my ticket is something that really helps.

Warren

Hi,

I do know our pack does not do this with the Webelos 1 to 2. I understand wanting to give them recognition for their hard work. Maybe after everyone does their rank advancement, you could do something special for Webelos 1. Maybe something to present them in front of everyone. I like giving boys badges for anything. They love it!

Warren

Thanks everyone! I was not assigned a guide yet - they said I would get that before we leave the second part. I do have a troop guide (GO BEAVERS!) and will email him. I definately want to make an impact with my ticket item. I heard some people making comments of what they can just do to get by for their beads. Thats not what its all about to me anyways. I was not one of those parents that got "recruited" - I was the first to raise my hand and volunteer and have been doing so ever since.

I will give him a call tonight to get a better view of this so I can see where I need to go with this. And yes, diversity does need to be one of the items. I'll keep everyone posted!

Thanks

Warren

Hi Everyone,

I just got home from my first weekend of the wood badge course last night. I had a GREAT time!!! I am a Bear den leader and the committer chairman for our Cub Scout pack. I definately do not expect anyone to tell me what to do for my ticket but I was confused a little about the process. I had thought (like many there) that we did five different projects. But right before I left there and after reading on here, it seems to be one ticket with 5 parts to it.

If it was five projects, I was set cause our pack needs a few things done. For example, I was going to make a board with knots on it for meetings to use. We also do not have a candle set or log for rank advancement. I was going to make one of those. And I was going to do a web site for our district. Also, we have no training guides for new den leaders. I was going to create something to help guide a new den leader into the Cub Scouts. So I had four things so far on my list to do.

So now do I just come up with one project with five parts (goals) to it? Is there anyway I can incorporate doing a det of these types of things for my pack as my ticket item? I guess I just need a little direction and hopefully I can go from there.

Thanks for your help!

Warren

Pack 26 Savannah, GA