Sakitama

As a mom to 2 kids with autism, I say talk to the parents. Find out what strategies work at home. Create a Den Code of Conduct with the boys input and guide them to some of the specific concerns you have. Have each of the boys sign it and hang it prominently in your meeting space each week. Provide structure (boys choose a card telling them what charade out). Provide a visual schedule of den meeting events (I do a Gathering time, opening ceremony, den activity 1, 2, 3 (2 is usually an active game or craft while the others may be more discussion/academic time), closing. Avoid sometimes having snacks and other times not. If you have a food project, make it clear it is a project, not a normal occurrence. Be consistent and stick to a routine.

I agree with Basementdweller, have the kids demonstrate what they learned. Perhaps have boys work together to present during Pack Meeting some of the things they learned during Summer Camp (you can even help guide them to do this). Whittling Chip is a big deal to cubs so include some Knife Safety tips (which can be helpful to remind a Tiger who may be watching an older scout use their knife to keep a safe distance). This may also help promote summer camp participation next year as well and kinda cement in the safety aspects of working with knives.

KDD, could you please reveal the state that this cave is in? Just curious.

Wow, sounds like fun. Wish I could take the Bears and Weblos. Bunks could mean they provide a cot to prevent folks sleeping gear from getting too damp which leads to cold cranky campers. Even if its not camping, it could be a fun, educational, uniques experience type trip.

KDD, could you please reveal the state that this cave is in? Just curious.

Wow, sounds like fun. Wish I could take the Bears and Weblos. Bunks could mean they provide a cot to prevent folks sleeping gear from getting too damp which leads to cold cranky campers. Even if its not camping, it could be a fun, educational, uniques experience type trip.

Super Sewing Grandma, been a Scoutmom for 2 generations and still happily whips out her trusty sewing machine and thread to hem trousers and sew patches on everyone's stuff.

Let the boys carry their den number through their Cub Scout life. Let the boys make a Den Flag to carry to events for the next several years too. I have the boys decorate a sheet of navy blue fabric with a felt cut out of their hand, the sheet cut to size to sew to a Den flag and when we get new people in the den we 'add' them to the flag when their earn their Bobcat. I plan to use the handprints in plaques for the boys when they crossover.

If we jump through all the hoops, cross all the 'T's and dot all the 'i's, we can get up to 40% in my council. Base is 32% I think

Personally, having camped in caves, I would count it as it provides a somewhat different set of challenges and considerations. How do you stay dry and warm in a cave overnight? What concerns do we have about cooking in the cave and the potential for disturbing other wildlife in the cave (i.e. bats) or the environment (smoke clinging to the roof of the cave)? The point/spirit of camping is to NOT 'camp' in a hotel room and to get outside and enjoy nature

My understanding is similiar to dc's.

 

I taught a camping/overnighter course at our U of S last year and this is how I seperated things and much more experienced scouters than I agreed. It still may not be the "legal" terms but they work.

 

Day trips: contained in one day no sleeping at the site

Overnighter: A specific program that is run by a third party for the scouts. e.g. sleep over at NASA. 1:1 parent and child, extra attendance rules may be imposed by the site, like age limits and attendance limits. All programming planning is done by the third party. Hardest problems I've had are alchohol. e.g. campout at the baseball stadium and dad's drinking beer. Rules say no, I agree with those rules but the dad's aren't happy with me.

Campout: Sleeping at a location either indoor or outdoor, all programming and planning is done by the pack. Campouts are open to entire families of scouters assuming the BSA rules are followed. e.g. No sleeping in tents with children not your own

We had a similar issue (drinking at Scout Night Baseball) and it seems to me, the DE waved it off as a grey area cause the facility allows drinking and it was their event. I'm like this though, if you're going to go to an event with scouts and interact with scouts, don't drink. Scout leaders, don't 'hang out' with folks who are drinking. Saw multiple times that night, a man carrying a beer in one hand running back and forth to the stands to hand popcorn, hotdogs, etc to a Cub. I'm assuming the man was his father or granddad, but as I said, it should be a Zero Tolerance policy. No drinking when you're out with the Cub Pack.

I have signed up for a NFAA Basic Archery Instructor class. I am wondering what amount of experience one needs for this class. Basically, my experience amounts to "I did a little archery at summer camps as a kid and find it cool." The few materials I find doesn't imply what will be covered will be very advanced. All I'm looking for is training to allow me to assist at the range for Cub Scout activities (especially since I learned the guy who had been running the archery has let his certification slip) and perhaps a little knowledge as I contemplate doing some archery at home just for fun.

 

So, in a nutshell, anyone take this class and have any insight into what level of experience they are really looking for in students?

The basic prizes this year in our council are all from the scout shop, so they all do have some relationship to scouting and most are outdoor-oriented. The Trails End rep at training said that they have left the prize business entirely as it wasn't a strength for them so National is in charge of prize fulfillment, something like that. The special prizes are all experiences, tickets to sports games and things like that, which I also like over more trinkets. The hokiest prize is a plastic crossbow as a bonus prize.

Actually, if the prize was a gift certificate to the Scout Shop or Scoutstuff.com; I think that would be excellent as there is a wide variety of things for almost every scouter. What Boy Scout couldn't use at least Merit Badge book and I know Cub Scouts need new things every year for uniform, handbook, etc.

I'll be leading the Wolf Den this year. Parents always have a 100 reasons why they can't lead a Den. This year, we'll be starting a Denner program in my den and I plan to tell parents that the Denner is rotational and when their son is the Denner, they are expected to attend and assist at that meeting. Hopefully, that will mean no more than perhaps 2 meetings a year they are required to assist. I think that is a small commitment to ensure quality guidance to the kids.

Many youth (and leaders) wear Jeans with their shirts, I have no problem with that. I am curious to hear other Scouter's opinion on this though.

 

A Scout from a low income family can only afford a neckerchief and slide (or perhaps their unit gives them out at the end of a year of Scouting as the Cubs earn their rank). Any thoughts on this kid wearing his neckerchief and slide with a polo, dress, or even a Pack Class B uniform?

 

I like uniforms, I think they add to unit camaraderie and helps in putting a public view on scouts. I'm all for the parents doing their best to uniform their child, however $25 is a lot for a shirt and if all they can afford is a hand me down necker and slide that the child wears proudly with a clean shirt, then I'm for it.

 

Money shouldn't keep a kid from Scouting. A partial uniform is better than no uniform.

Saw this article about Troop 724, one of two special needs troops in the St. Louis area:

 

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/troop-offers-haven-for-scouts-who-won-t-give-up/article_2d646403-e9ea-54d3-9325-346708adad73.html

 

This special needs troop offers a "special" service to community - a 16 member color guard with distinct uniform. "The troop has performed on many occasions. “Last year we were in the opening ceremonies for Veterans Day†at a St. Louis event, Scoutmaster Joe Vaughan said. This year, Boeing Co., for which the troop is official color guard, has offered to send the boys to Pasadena, Calif., to march in the Rose Bowl Parade, he added."

Kinda like the fact that there are some Special Needs troops out there, though I am one more geared for inclusion. My 11 year old daughter is currently in an institutional setting because of severe Autism and behavioral challenges associated with the inability to effectively communicate with others. She's made a lot of progress and while we may keep her in a Group Home setting when she finishes the program she's currently in; I'm trying to figure out a way to incorporate a scouting program in the group home she goes to. Wish scouting here in the US was more Co-Ed as that would make it easier. I really am not liking the things I currently hear out of the Girl Scout Community (and even when I was a GS, I always wished I was a Boy Scout).

My biggest gripe is the Old Cubmaster (now ACM). His kid crossed over and he didn't. His wife doesn't want him doing anything with Cubs. He rarely shows up to any meetings. Griped cause I went to another council's University of Scouting to get training cause our council had theirs scheduled like a week after round up. I am glad he is not officially CM now, but he wants to handle all the paperwork (which I'm sure is helpful), but I worry if similar problems will happen like last year (lost applications among other things). I didn't want to move up to Wolf, but he used the excuse my son has special needs (He has High Functioning Autism (not disabling per say, but makes him a little quirky) and ADHD). We don't know for sure who is leading Tigers (I had figured out Tigers and was excited to start a den from scratch so to speak). CM makes plans for campouts that work with NO ONE's schedules (even the property owners). Even after they finally accepted me as a DL, it felt like the intentionally kept me in the dark on leaders meetings (or perhaps the problem was there were no leaders meetings).

 

The New CM (was the old ACM) and Committee Chair are a married couple, not sure I totally like that, but as long as they are willing to delegate responsibility and work with other parents and leadership; I think we can have a good pack. I just worry about burnout cause Committee Chair is also a Girl Scout Leader and a homeschool mom. A good committee can help the Pack GO and provide opportunities for the boys in the dens to learn and grow.

 

I know most of Cub Scouting happens in the Dens and my family will help make the Den a success (though I plan to put out that either 2 parents will volunteer for ADL, or there will be an expected parent rotation to support during Den Meetings).

Well, I've been lurking here a few days now. Just thought I'd introduce myself. I grew up active in Scouting. I was a Girl Scout and earned my Silver Award. I was also active in both, a Law Enforcement and High Adventure Explorer Post in my Youth. My older brother was an Eagle Scout.

 

I am now the mom of a precocious young Wolf Cub (and Wolf Den Leader - rising up from Tiger Cubs albeit against my will). Though to be honest, I'm a little divided on whether I want to switch packs as I'm not a big fan of current management but I do think they are trying to improve and I love my boys who will be in the Wolf Den. I think I'm pretty ready for the coming Scout year and am hopeful that the Pack will be able to turn itself around. To be honest, I may be a little too excited about the coming year.

At our Scout Camp, we don't have a pool. All we have is the lake we fish in. Like many lakes, you can't see the bottom. If you do go into it, all you feel on your feet is slimy algae (which can be heaven or hell for a child with sensory dysfunction that is common to Autism/Aspergers). In my pack, we had a child say he didn't want to get in the water because 'Fish Pee and Poo in it" You know, he's right. We don't want to swim in our potty water do we? Our waterfront coordinator talked to him about how they test the water for bacteria and how the nitrogen cycle works (like in home aquariums) but on a larger pond scale. The boy eventually got in. He has no problem swimming. Aquanaut isn't required for Arrow of Light or Weblos Rank patch. So I wouldn't worry about it too much. Besides, modifications must be in the spirit of what is trying to be accomplished (i.e. a child with a mobility impairment can't take a typical hike, however, the child with the den can 'wheel' a few blocks to another place of interest). Getting in the water is a comfort zone thing imo, a massive change in environment. Only thing that comes to mind would be like indoor skydiving (which I don't know if it would be in the GTSS) or maybe ziplining.