BetterWithCheddar

I'm hoping to crowd-source some tips for leading a successful Tiger Den Meeting where the primary focus is on earning the Bobcat Badge. I know the kids are excited to earn some recognition (let's be honest, badges are cooler than loops and pins 🙂); however, I'm fearful of our Den meeting turning into "night school." The Bobcat Badge requirements don't lend themselves to the "learn by doing" philosophy as easily as most adventure loops. How can I keep the Scouts engaged and avoid delivering a lecture?

Our Pack hosted a recruitment event a few weeks ago and I'm so glad no parents asked me about how the $100+ membership fee is used. I didn't want to have to explain it funds a bureaucracy that has little or nothing to do with the experience your child will have in Scouting this year ... figured that'd be a bit off-putting.

Great point. I'll add: If the BSA is going to survive, it has to be OK with being every family's 2nd or 3rd favorite activity. I'm a Den Leader and it's not uncommon to see kids arrive 15 minutes late in their soccer or baseball uniform with a bag of food from Subway. You'll never hear me make a peep about their timing or appearance. I'm just glad they made it.

They usually give us the hard sell on uniform pants every time we visit the Scout Shop. Guy, my son is 6. He'll have the knees blown out of them in 4 months if he doesn't outgrow them first. 😂

OP: The OA is an honor society for Scouts, much like NHS is for high school students. A scout must be elected by their troop and then perform a day of service as a sort of initiation (referred to as an "Ordeal"). If your son's troop does not hold a regular OA election, your troop leadership must arrange for one to be held. If they are unsure of where to start, I suggest someone reach out to your local professional (probably a "District Executive") or your Unit Commissioner (an experienced volunteer who acts as a liaison between troops and the District). OA is not intended to replace your son's troop experience. Rather, it's more of an add-on that will allow him to connect with older scouts and enrich his time in Scouting. My own experience with OA as a youth was mainly positive ~ I appreciated the recognition and enjoyed connecting with other older scouts year-round (many of whom I served with on the local council camp staff). Like many Scouting programs, I'm sure his OA experience will greatly depend on 1) the quality of volunteers running the local program and 2) the quality of the Scout families in your area with youth participating in the OA.

I don't know much about the local youth basketball program since my son is only in 1st grade, so I just signed up to be a parking lot attendant for a few of the high school's home games - basically, I just need to direct the visiting team to the gym and make sure no grandparents slip on the ice. Easy enough. What I like about the basketball club's volunteer model is 1) they didn't charge me to volunteer and 2) their baseline assumption is that I'm not out to endanger children (sarc). I'm just a dopey dad who doesn't mind freezing his buns off in mid-February to make sure people get to and from the game safely - that was good enough for them.

My wife and I are in our late 30s. Our one and only child is in 1st grade. He started Cub Scouts last year and I've enjoyed connecting with many of you virtually as I've gotten re-acquainted with Scouting. My son has also been sampling sports at the YMCA for 2 years and they've been great - low cost, low commitment, emphasis on fun and participation, etc. (highly recommend to parents with young kids). This year, he's old enough to participate in the local youth basketball program. They require $200 in program fees, $200 in apparel / equipment fees, and parents to volunteer a certain number of hours - all for elementary school kids. No one seems to be phased by this (myself included). We've all accepted this as natural. There will be over 50 kids in my son's grade who go out for basketball (large, suburban district), yet only 5 or 6 for Cub Scouts. It really makes you wonder how one program can be so successful, while another struggles to maintain membership (our Pack is at 40 Scouts ... which is pretty good but probably should be larger for our area). Something to ponder. 🙂 Our household should be able to balance basketball and Scouts (even as the basketball commitment increases), but that's pretty much all our son will be able to do moving forward (and he's 6). It helps that: 1) I'm his Den Leader and have some control over the Scout schedule; 2) he's our only child and we have two parents to shuttle him around; and 3) we make a decent enough living where the cost isn't a huge obstacle.

That is some serious dad cred right there. I'm just proud of myself for remembering to leave our dog with the neighbors before rushing to the hospital.

I know I've posted something similar in the past, but I'll reiterate: I've never been fully comfortable with using Native American imagery as a youth in the OA, despite being an active lodge member. The big draw for me was always recognition and the opportunity to fraternize with scouts my age (never AIA). I'm hardly the PC-type, but I've avoided the use of certain logos out of respect for individuals who may not be accurately represented by the OA-sanctioned symbolism. Personally, it doesn't bother me if you're a fan of AIA and are participating in them respectfully and with good intentions; however, I suspect there is a silent majority on the issue who are largely indifferent, but (if pressed) would prefer to move on to something less likely to offend or draw criticism.

That is really disappointing to hear. I'm sorry that was his staff experience.

Very true, but they still get kids outdoors. The average parent (me included) loves flush toilets and structure. They're more inclined to bring their kids to camp when these two needs are met. More Flush Toilets + More Program Structure = More Kids at Camp

It's unfortunate that the trade-off for teenagers staffing council camps has grown over the past 20-30 years. Years ago, a staffer's only tradeoffs may have been a few weeks of socializing with their high school friends and maybe their troop's high adventure trip. Today, we're asking them to give up those things, plus: Academic Progress Roster Spots or Playing Time in High School Athletics And now their Parents' Savings

I bet this varies largely by region. Around the Great Lakes, there tends to be more seasonal opportunities for teenagers because tourism spikes with the comfortable summer weather. Again, this probably varies largely by experience, but the vast majority of CITs were a net positive to the camp staff. I only recall one pair of boys (twins) who were a handful. Their parents probably laughed all the way home when they dropped them off at camp for the summer. The average 14-year-old scout may not be ready to guide a troop through check-in or instruct a merit badge, but they are well-suited to help with these tasks.

I've got a new one for everyone. It's not necessarily Cub-related, but I think it fits the spirit of the thread. Yesterday, my Cub-age son and I attended an event at one of our local council camps. While he was deep in a handicraft project, one of the volunteers mentioned the council now charges junior staffers $100/week for the privilege of working on summer camp staff. I staffed the same camp for a few years and was considered a "counselor in training" (CIT) when I was 14 and 15. I did not receive any pay for those 2 summers, but was scheduled for ~75% of the paid staff hours and could pursue advancement opportunities in my free time. I still worked >50 hours per week at $0 / hour. It was a bargain for the council, but I enjoyed it. Fast forward many years and the prospect of paying for my son to work at the same camp does not sit well with me. By staffing council camps as CITs, we're already asking these kids to forgo pay, "optional" off-season sports practice, and earning extra HS/college credits. Now we're charging them? What are we doing here?

I agree, there is potential for conflict there, but you also must consider the fact that the pool of buyers for properties that cost >$4.5 million is pretty shallow. Having a board member with a real estate development business (or even developer friends) likely expedited the sale and provided immediate liquidity to the council. It's then incumbent upon the remaining board members to ensure the council received fair value for the property. The role of a Board is clear to me, but who selects the Board in most councils? In a public corporation, shareholders at least have some recourse to sue or recall Board members. How can volunteers hold their council board accountable?

So it's like Scouting for adults? 😛 Jokes aside, there appeared to be some good opportunities on the website for college-age volunteers to hone their technical skills.

Hypothetically, if you take a dozen well-respected individuals from a community, you can create a decision-making body that's not only made up of intelligent, well-connected people, but also one that's invested in that community. They often hire an executive to make the day-to-day decisions, but can also help provide a layer of oversight to an organization and a vision for long-term planning.

The Scoutmaster jokes were part of my youth experience, as well. As Scouts in the 1990s, we were hyper aware of youth protection pitfalls and took much of the organization's guidance seriously ... and, of course, mocked some of it since we were adolescents.

I honestly don't know, but that's not an environment I would have wanted to be a part of a as a youth, nor one I would tolerate as an adult.

I'm very sorry your situation became untenable. Good luck. Thanks for always pushing for better program, despite your frustration.

I thought this was like the Super Bowl where they plan out 3 or 4 in advance, no?

I appreciate this angle, but let me ask - can't a leader or group of leaders express this same commitment with khakis, a branded polo / fleece, and a name tag? Aside from baseball, you never see a coach dress up like their players and yet no one seems to question their commitment to an organization. Appearance is important, but there are often multiple methods to accomplish the same objective. One of my direct reports at work is an Eagle Scout (like myself). We work in a profession that tends to skew conservative and he occasionally presents himself in a less traditional manner. That said, he's not only the nicest guy I've ever worked with, but also the most diligent. He's way ahead of where he needs to be in his development plan and it's reflecting well on me (his manager) and our company. It would have been short-sighted of me to pass on his resume based on how he dressed for his interview.

Apologies for digging up this old thread ~ I just find the economics of the situation very interesting. Has anyone experienced similar issues this year? Working as a camp counselor used to be a great summer job, but I think there is less interest now that many school district calendars have crept into the summer. How many districts now offer summer classes or 'voluntary' (wink, wink) workouts for athletics participants? Even today's college students are pressured to have a series of good summer internships and not just one internship between their junior and senior years. Further, many council camps used to operate through mid-August. How many have shortened their seasons due to membership declines? There probably aren't as many summer job seekers looking for just 5-6 weeks of employment. I spent 9 summers workers on council camp staffs (ages 14-22) and it's hard to envision a scenario where that would make sense for my son today. It was a stretch for me back then.

Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but I'm a (mostly) enthusiastic adult volunteer who is uncomfortable wearing a scout uniform. I do own a blank adult uniform with proper epaulets that's reserved for special occasions, but I prefer to wear khakis and a branded polo to most Pack or Den meetings. I've never served in the military, nor have I been a police officer, fire fighter, or first responder. To me, uniforms convey a much higher level of service. I don't put my life on the line to serve my country or community. I'm just a dad who wants to ensure my son makes friends and gets outdoors. I don't judge other adults on their uniform use unless their sloppy appearance becomes a bad example for the kids.

OP, I hope your son has fun! Lifesaving was my favorite merit badge as a youth. It had a reputation as being very difficult at my local council camp. I did a lot of neat things as a Scout, but I still think of that merit badge as a literal "badge of honor."