Woodward

Is this a problem for you ? What other areas do you want to take over ? Preparing a good pack meeting and setting up the Packs program are important and time consuming responsibilities. I assume "the packs program" involves interacting with the other den leaders to help guide their program. Here is the long list of Cubmaster responsibilities. What is the Committee not allowing you to do ? http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/About/ThePack/cmast.aspx

ScoutNut, I appreciate your input. The link KDD provided is a washed down version of whats in the Cub Scout Leader Book. I may be reading more into this than needed, that is why I came to youall. What is the norm in most Packs? I want to be an active Cubmaster. I did not volunteer for the position, but it was not forced on me.

Committee Chair and Advancement Chair, I'm guessing he also did Activities Chair, Fundraising Chair, Membership Chair, and all that other bullwork. None of which was the Cubmaster's responsibility, of course. And I'm guessing the real problem is everyone else thinks you are going to be doing everything now that you are "in charge".

 

Start by breaking down the list of responsibilities. Then ask persons to step into defined roles. Don't "broadcast ask" for help, you will get none. Pull someone aside, ask them to do a specific job, with specific duties.

 

Or is the problem what KDD mentions, that you actually have the role/duties of Cubmaster, but you don't quite get what those duties are supposed to be. From the description you gave, Pack Meetings and scouting program, that's what you should be doing.

Your definition of scouting program must be different than ours has more to do with scheduling. The Committee Chair is "in charge" of the Pack

What you describe sounds pretty much like the optimal Cubmaster role...just being the "program guy" and MC of meetings. Usually the complaint runs the other way around--the Cubmaster is expected to run the pack like a one-man show. I say be happy.

This would be great if someone else took on the other responsibilities. When I brought the subject up of who will handle the other responsibilities the answer was a question Why?

Is this a problem for you ? What other areas do you want to take over ? Preparing a good pack meeting and setting up the Packs program are important and time consuming responsibilities. I assume "the packs program" involves interacting with the other den leaders to help guide their program. Here is the long list of Cubmaster responsibilities. What is the Committee not allowing you to do ? http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders/About/ThePack/cmast.aspx

Interacting with other Den leaders. When I mentioned monitoring the Den programs they got very defensive. Tracking the Pack activities and Scout participation. working with the Advancement chair to be certain Scouts are getting their recognition. I can keep going

I am a new Cubmaster. I have been with the Pack for 2 years in a leadership role, in that time I have done my required training and then some, I also have done a quite a bit of research, learned a lot from you folks. Thank You. My issue, a Leader in the Pack who has crossed over to Boy Scouts was the Committee Chair and Advancement Chair for 5 years and had assumed a majority of the Cubmasters responsibilities, leaving the Cubmaster to run the Pack meeting and set up the Packs Scouting program, with his approval of course. Now he is gone and I am the second Cubmaster since his crossing. Our Committee is stuck in a status quot, that I am only to be responsible for the 2 areas I mentioned above. I would appreciate youalls input on wich derection should take.

The Summer Time Awards has no bearing on rank advancement. Whatever your Pack wants to base it on. just be consistant Since we haven't recruited in the Spring, most of our Scouts signed on in the fall, we award them at the previous rank going into the Summer

Lewis and Clark council is offering Baloo training September 21st......

 

That is pretty close to your location.

KDD, I took the LOE at Beaumont a couple of years ago and we had a lot of fun, at 20 bucks it's not a bank breaker.

You do not "encourage" following G2SS during any Pack function. You follow it or you go home. End of story.

 

Before any Pack camp out, the CC and CM need to send out a Do's and Don'ts list to every family and remind everyone that this is not a private camp out but a PACK event following G2SS. Those unable or unwilling to follow the rules should reconsider their participation. Those who can not follow the rules while in camp will be asked to leave. And you have to back that promise with action.

We do a Fall and Spring Pack campout. I had brought up the this subject at our last Committee meeting, our Fall campout is held on property that has not been approved by council and the response I got was " we have never followed The Guidelines for our Fall campout and we don't want to." This past year we had our first Spring campout and on Council property. I insisted that we follow G2SS and out of 20 Families we had all 5 families from my Den and the Cubmasters. We still had a blast, even in the rain.

Unless you split a large Den up. Each Den needs its own designation, 28 is a lot for one Den. You may want to look into the benefits of splitting into smaller Dens and each Den would have a seperate Den Leader and their own number they would keep till they cross over.

So I guess the bigger question might be: Why do you care about the terminology, Woodward? Just get those boys out camping, whether it be with family or with den!

Age Guidelines

 

The Boy Scouts of America has established the following guidelines for its members’ participation in camping activities:

 

Overnight camping by Tiger Cub, Wolf, and Bear Cub Scout dens as dens is not approved, and certificates of liability insurance will not be provided by the Boy Scouts of America.

Tiger Cubs may participate in boy-parent excursions, day camps, pack overnighters, or council-organized family camping.

Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts may participate in a resident overnight camping program operating under BSA National Camping School– trained leadership and managed by the council.

A Webelos Scout may participate in overnight den camping when supervised by an adult. In most cases, the Webelos Scout will be under the supervision of his parent or guardian. It is essential that each Webelos Scout be under the supervision of a parent-approved adult. Joint Webelos den/troop campouts including the parents of the Webelos Scouts are encouraged to strengthen ties between the pack and troop. Den leaders, pack leaders, and parents are expected to accompany the boys on approved trips.

So I guess the bigger question might be: Why do you care about the terminology, Woodward? Just get those boys out camping, whether it be with family or with den!

it is all in how someone interprets age appropriate activities. you can always call it Family camping.

So I guess the bigger question might be: Why do you care about the terminology, Woodward? Just get those boys out camping, whether it be with family or with den!

I incourage camping whole heartedly. Families can do as they please on their own time. Only Webelos can camp as a Den

Terminology has nothing to do with it. Definition and how someone interprets G2SS. Based on the response, and I want thank all who have chimed in. It sounds like others also have issues with members of a Pack treating a Pack organized camp out (overnighter) as recreation Family camping and since Cub Scouts is Family oriented, all Pack activities include Families. My question is how far do we go to encourage following G2SS guidelines and our BALOO training to insure the safety of all attending pack activities and what are the ramifications should a serious incident be relayed to Council and they discover that the Pack could not help these families understand the importance of the guidelines.

I am a little confused and would like some clarification.

Thanks

(Man how things have changed..I was sleeping in Tents alone at 7

No wonder so many people consider scouts sissies..make sure to pack night lights)

 

Not helpful.

 

 

With our CO, local council and even national demanding strict adherence to YP and safety, how can you justify letting a 7 year old sleep alone in a tent next to a rolling river, a busy road in a public park.

 

This was family camp, not invite you boyfriend for a roll in the sack and stick your kid in a separate tent camp. All other Scouts were sleeping with parents or in a tent with older sibs next to the parents tent.

 

(Our pack is going to invest in some larger tents specifically for WEB use so that they and their parents start to get the idea that boys should tent with boys.)

 

I agree as Webelos, during Webelos camping events, definitely.

 

I volunteer and was trained with a search and rescue team through a fire department. To often we get called out on a search, to pull a child out of a river, lost in the woods or issue an abduction alert. Just for the lack of parental common sense.

 

We had our Pack family camp and over all, from the initial response it was a huge success. I hoped for the best and prepared for the worst and I think we ended up on the better side.

We camped at a rural city park, on a stretch of river bottom with a river on one side and a fairly busy road on the other. Over all it was a pleasant area.

 

I was able to get the Pack Committee to agree on a few areas I had concerns. No individual campfires. We had a common campfire and the Magic Campfire was a little further from the camping area on a bend of the river hidden from the road. We had a centralized area for cooking, minimized the use of pressurized fuels(no Lanterns), Dens cooked as a group ( our Den was the only ones doing all dutch oven, from dump cake, cobbler and biscuits to scrambled eggs, Spaghetti and stews. Others in the Pack were impressed) Some of the Webelos families resisted this format, four to five years of camping free for all habit is hard to break.

 

Besides a thrown punch, a knot on the head from a thrown rock, scratches, bruises and some hurt feelings, no major injuries.

 

I did have an issue with a single mom and a boyfriend wanting to put her wolf scout in a separate tent by himself.

 

I would like your thoughts on scouts sleeping in tents alone. Sleeping in tents with siblings. With the conditions shared above or on council ground.

 

We have a spring Fam. Camp scheduled on Council ground, first time on Council ground in several years.

 

Thanks

WW

 

Yes, I do have the training through Council, though it is called Leader outdoor experience, it combines BALOO and the Weblos camp training in one. The don't go into detail of a pack camp out.

 

We will have between 10 and 15 families attending.

We have the location for the camp (not exactly what we planned on) I also have alternate locations.

I have a camping agenda, activities and games in mind (still need approval from the committee)

The cooking arrangements, I have no idea. I will propose that cooking will be done in Den's.

I'm just hoping that all will workout and with all your input I have some questions and proposals to take to the committee meeting.

 

Thanks all

I want to thank all of you, for your input. It pretty much reinforces my thoughts on how a camp out should go.

 

We only do one family camp a year. Would like to see more. I guess I need to put together a SOP For family camp.

 

I am also the Outing Chair and I'm a little vague on exactly what that chair full responsibility's are, but I believe this falls somewhere in it's domain.

 

Thanks

WW

Hello all, First time poster, long time reader.

 

I am looking for input on the SOP of a pack family camp. Ive only been with the pack for a year, as well as being a transplant in a small community. I took on the chair to organize the family camp and have run into some quirks.

 

I missed last years camp out, because it is usually the last weekend of September and it wasn't announced until that months pack meeting. I only have second hand info, I do know they had to relocate the camp because a wild party move into a camping area adjacent to ours. They moved to a local park and everything went as planned other than everyone driving their vehicles as close to where they were setting up their tents in the rain and mud.

 

Here is my current situation; We are scheduled to camp on our C.O. Church grounds, around the perimeter of the ball field. We wanted to camp on the field but the church doesn't want the field burned with a bunch of campfires. We have an awesome Counsel camp 15 miles away that caters to Cubs, but are resistant to using it.

 

one of the Den leaders that I talked to described the past family camps as a free for all and that is my biggest concern. I would like to hear how other packs handle the issues of,

Food

Camp fires

cooking

siblings

BSA guidelines

activities

and the veteran deer camp participant.

or any other areas that may needed to be addressed.

Thanks