83Eagle

I conceded to the fact that the GSUSA and BSA are different animals. However, girl scouts do not eat their own. You don't have to read too far into these forums, or spend too much time among scouters, to see the disdain by some for the cub scout program. Well respected posters here have wished to bid the program, quote unquote, "good riddance." In this thread wing nut bemoans that with a Lion program there would be "no one moving up to the troop." Ok, fine, let's use the oft-cited-in-these-forums example of baseball then, rather than GSUSA. T-ball starts in preschool here and schools fiel

Duplicate post(This message has been edited by 83eagle)

We had great success with minute to win it games and would do it again. Sock wars was a huge hit and would do it again. We dressed the leaders as turkeys for thanksgiving...that was a riot...I'd probably wait a few years to redo that. Camping expo with different stations for different activities...setting up tents, making s'mores, knots, etc., that worked well. The three derbies. Hmmm...come to think of it maybe it's not so hard after all. I would say by about the third year of the rain gutter regatta they've had enough though.

I've learned here that you can't win against the scouters who don't like cub scouts, period. Either they argue cub scouts put on lame arts and crafts programs that bore boys to tears so everyone drops by the time they reach the age for boy scouts, or they claim that molycoddled boys can't hack it as true scouts and quit when they find out boy scouts is not Webelos III, or they complain packs put on programs that are too active and leave the boys nothing to look forward to in boy scouts so they drop when they get there out of boredom. So if cub scouts in general is a bad idea, it doesn't surpri

Table w/ a placard for "Den displays," comment during the Pack meeting to go check it out.

We traditionally have, it's up to the den assigned to bring them. But I'd like to kill the practice except for special occasions. Seems pointless for a 60 minute meeting that starts at 6:30.

I'm not suggesting anything, just observing. Lots and lots of interesting things to observe.

Girl scouts starts in K with Daisies. [insert obligatory retort about how GSUSA is not like BSA].

Well, it was a waste of time for us. Effectively went 0-for-7 on recruits versus attendees, with only a fraction attending what tend to have in fall. I won't do it again.

Hmmmm...our recently departed webelos leader may be a great choice....thanks for the idea!

I think your pack is also fortunate to have you to take on the permanent TDL-coach role. As CM I have time to build in one get started meeting, but not to coordinate meetings through February. I can't see anyone in our pack agreeing to take on that type of role, although admittedly I haven't asked.

ScoutNut, I'd like to hear more about how you make the transition from you as the permanent TDL to finding a DL. Do you assign meetings/activities at the first meeting? How do you keep the meetings led by adult partners + boys if you are the official-looking/uniformed person? Etc...

We did a spring recuiting where we invited the boys to make stomp rockets and they had a blast, so to speak. I did the pep talk and had everyone jazzed about summer activities, including a BBQ and bonfire program where they'd earn awards in addition to having fun; two different sporting events for local minor league teams where they'd get patches, a summer parade (with a patch), drive in movie (with a patch), and small community service project (with a patch). Got about 6 to show up despite heavy recruiting by the boys and a "bring a friend" night. One paid app who has since decided

Yes, we had zero signups for Tigers in spring and that was the most surprising to me because I thought that boys just leaving kindergarten would be looking for stuff to do, particularly since they're not really in baseball yet. But I didn't realize that the PARENTS were the ones NOT looking for stuff to do. In contrast, a CM friend of mine has had great luck with spring recruiting, running a similar event. Go figure. So, out of a half dozen kids who came to our spring recruiting, most were for my son's den, and were invited by boys in the den. Got two signed apps. One with no

Spring recruiting has been a big bomb for us and I would not do it again, but to each their own. The reason it's hard to get a Tiger leader, beyond the usual volunteer reluctance, is that most people do know know what Scouting is about. So, you ask for a leader, and nobody has a clue. That is a valid point. So, we recruit new tigers but do not ask for a leader at that time. We hold our first Tiger meeting and I run the meeting with my son, displaying the parent-son partnership. I explain to parents that this is how the Tiger program works--parents and sons together. See how easy

Sometimes the Den has to succeed despite the Pack program. Our Pack was an arts and crafts, low-buget program where pack meetings were BOOOOOORING. Our Den started as an outdoor program from day one, where our FIRST Tiger meeting was at a family event at a nature area where we went hiking and found snakes, pressed apple cider, and went on a wagon ride. We were the first Den to ever attend district summer camps. We held Den fundraisers to get us more funds. We bought red vests and had them loaded with patches by the end of our second year. (Looking back, now that I know a little bette

A good Webelos program should look less like Cub Scouts and more like Boy Scouts. Put the boys in charge of the program decision making and have the adults there to help them figure out how to get stuff done that they do not know how to do. They do have to look at the book, assuming they are interested in getting Webelos and AOL, but they should look beyond the book. For instance, I started the Webelos year by asking who played baseball, who played basketball, who played soccer, karate, etc. Lots of hands went up. I then asked them how often they opened a book when they got together for

Dumb question but one I haven't found the answer to...what is "green bar" about? I suffered through a late 70s scouting program on my way to Eagle after which I promptly dropped out due to sheer boredom. Imagine my surprise to reenter the program as a leader later and find out scouting is supposed to be about getting outside.

Generally we cross all the first year webelos over........... So most of our first year Webelos get an AOL and a career arrow. The second year webelos program is just more of the same. I don't understand this. How can you give first year Web's the AOL. There's no way they can qualify.

What is the process--or is there a process--to modify Webelos (or other) CS achievement requirements for "special needs" that are not related to physical disabilility (autism, aspergers, ADD, etc.)

Ours shows up at the blue and gold and is AWOL the rest of the year. Ok, I know you were looking for a helpful answer. ScoutNut has a food answer. But mine is unfortunately true.

Scouter, because the TDL is not expected to stay with tigers for years on end, although some do. Our pack runs a year round program, but tigers start with fall recruiting. Scouts cross over in May to the next rank. Therefore it is only possible for a tiger leader in our pack to serve 9 months AS a TDL. To say that no tiger leader in our pack who meets the other requirements for the award is ineligible because it is impossible makes no sense and in my opinion is not the intent of the requirement.

Unless the TDL quit being a DL in May, I don't see the issue. Just wait until september to submit the paperwork.

Whatever your pack defines as a program year. IMO since tigers are wolves once school is out in our program a tiger leader sticking with the den can only serve 9 months, but that is a full year just like 9 months is a full school year.

I call shenanigans! Show me the rule!