Cubmaster Jerry

Yes, working on and receiving/earning/awarding (however you want to put it) is the distinction here as molscouter and ScoutNut mentioned. I always encourage Electives be worked on along with Achievments. DLs will find that many Electives can be combined with Achievments to make the activity more interesting as well as getting more signed off in the book and allowing the boys to earn more arrow points. Jerry

What?!? Initiative can be taught? What Pow Wow class was that? Allow me to relate this story that a Psychologist friend told me... A father bestowed upon his young son the duty of bringing the empty trash can from the curb to the house each trash day when he came home from school. Each week, it never failed. Father would come home and the trash can would still be at the curb. He would then have to remind his son of his responsibility. This went on for quite a few years and as you can imagine father sometimes grew quite weary and frustrated at having to constantly remind his son

What an interesting topic... While I would be in the group that can find the overweight 50 yr old in knee high socks and olive green shorts a little....unfashionable, as one who has worn a uniform to work for the last 15 yrs I can accept it. Just don't let it transpire into the 70 yr old who wears the white shorts, black dress socks and loafers. I can see how wearing the uniform to school might be a little embarassing to a 5th grader. But only because those who question don't know what that uniform stands for and why that 5th grader is so proud of those little patches sewn on it.

Your DC did not know who your UC was? You're right, he should know. As I understand it all, the UC reports directly to the DC and, I assume, is appointed by that same DC. I might question his capability as well. Jerry

Solution: don't sell popcorn. Council pushes popcorn because they get a portion of your profits from your sales. I am sure that you could find a fundraiser product that (1) a greater percentage of your boys would find it easier to sell and (2) produces a greater profit for you. CM Jerry

Eamonn, Rounding down! That is great! Always count on you to come up with the subtle yet effective solutions. If you have to purchase popcorn from council in full cases, then only sell it in full cases. Troops may be different but I know of few Packs that can afford to eat the cost of the extra popcorn not sold (no pun intended). Jerry

I, too, have practiced and recommend the same-time, same-day-of-the-week method of scheduling meetings. It greatly helps parents remember when Cub Scout meetings are. My one DL who has just one meeting a month (and schedules it on various days of the week/month) sends home quite a bit of "homework". While this follows the premise that scouting is family oriented, it really isn't what the boys are after. Thus, it isn't a good practice in lieu of having more meetings. Having said that, her Bear den has actually grown by two since Tigers and all have always gained rank. So I have little

Well, I'm not a UC but I can tell you what my UC does (or as much as I know). I don't know how this compares to the actual job description. She has at least 3 Cub Packs as well as two troops. She is spending a lot of time now trying to get a new Pack (1 of the three) up and running as well as trying to resurrect a current troop and just getting the groundwork laid for starting a new troop. You can imagine that she is spending a lot of time on the phone and running here and there and everywhere. With the new Cub Pack she is working with, they are having problems getting people to

I'll put my vote in for Jimi Hendrix. Changed the way the guitar was viewed as an instrument.

I like that idea, acco40. Ours is similar in that we use a buyout rather than meeting a sales goal and having to cover anything less than that goal. We promote our fundraisers with the idea that half of the profit the boy makes goes into his own account. Our buyout is a very minimal amount and some take advantage of it. In the end they really lose, though. Boys who do well in fundraisers often don't have to pay a dime for anything.

I didn't know there was one of those people in my District I hunt that person down. Thanks for the ideas guys. Still accepting more!

I remember when I was a kid and playing Dungeons and Dragons and how critics (not my parents) said that D&D delivered evil (devilry, witchcraft, etc) connotations to youth. I remember when I was a bit older and two boys in Nevada committed suicide supposedly from the infulence of the Judas Priest song "Better by you, Better than me". Suddenly all Heavy Metal music was under the microscope. I guess that means that I must have more than three lives because used to play D&D and still listen to Heavy Metal and yet, I'm still alive and at the very least, not on the verge of fli

I assume that you problem is filling Committee postions and similar responsibilities rather than locating DLs. At least that is what I read. While the ideal situation is to have committee responsibilities separated from DL responsibilites, that almost never happens. Your CC can assign responsibilites such as fundraiser chair, special activites chair and other "2nd tier" roles (i.e. not treasurer, CC, or CM) to DLs. Make this known that it is expected when they sign up - it's part of their responsibility. I am not saying that this is a surefire solution as it borders on mandatory volun

Well, it's only October and I find myself in Summer Camp mode already. Gotta get my reservations into Council next month so we have slots for the upcoming camping opportunities. While getting this info out to my DLs, I started thinking about whether or not it was too soon to even be promoting Summer Camps. After all, that is 9 months away. But of course, it isn't too early. Last year, I began my promotions in the winter with flyers and mentions of it at Pack meetings. My Pack-level promotions culminated at my April Pack meeting which I devoted entirely to Summer Camps. It wo

We do it more inline with Judy's council - providing our own staff. In fact - I'm not sure I even saw ANY District rep at our Day Camp this past summer. As that was my first Day Camp (I always seemed to be on vacation in previous years), I figured it was "the norm". Now I am sure it isn't (see District Responsibilities). We have three Packs that populate our day camp attendance roster. What we did (have done forever?) is divide up the program areas between each of the three Packs. Each Pack had their responsibility and then there was a Program Dir (one Pack's CC) and the overall Ca

Can I join your class? Seriously though, admittedly, I am very ignorant in the use of Den Chiefs. Would it be recommended that, as a CM, I take Den Chief training? I am assuming that it would be recommended for gaining DLs for sure. Going to check out those links now WDleader...

This is all very interesting - really it is. But I am amazed at the disparity in (1) the application of BSA policies or (2) the understanding of them. Does the R&R quote entered by nldscout contradict itself? What is the difference between "unit funds and property" in the first sentence that is turned over to Council and "any funds or equipment which may have been secured as property of the unit" as written in the last sentence that goes to the CO? Jerry

I think the more difficult (but not impossible) part of this is having that person on staff with the ability to match a leader to the right job. Not everyone can do that. However we should heed this advice and attempt to.

I have the same question as CaveEagle. How did the segregation come about in the first place? My experience with HS boys is not as extent as yours but when we had some in our Pack, no one even really knew because it wasn't a big deal. And why should they? While you may meet at school and most of your boys may be in PS, the activities of scouting don't revolve around whether or not the boys are in the same school, home school, different school districts, or whatever.

Right you are but that is no easy task...

I'd like to take minute to clarify my intentions with this thread. After rereading my last post some may feel that I am looking for someone to blame for problems with the way the Scouting program is run and they may take offense to where I seem to be pointing my finger. This is not the case. My intentions were, and still are, to formulate a discussion and expand my knowledge on how the program is run and how we as leaders might make it better. It may also come across that I feel the problems and issues that I am pointing out are widespread and malignant. I don't feel that the progra

I realize that the CO is really the key cog in this whole machine. But I think that only amplifies my point here. How many times within these boards have we seen that a CO is nonexistant or isn't aware of their responsibilities? Training is offered for leaders but what about for the CO? Other than at the unit's inception, is there regular contact and a reiteration of responsibiities between the DE/UC and CO? I assume there should be but I think that the fact that there isn't is relatively widespread. District has to realize this and understand the resulting consequences. And while it ma

Praire Scouter, that sounds like a good plan. It would certainly make budgeting much easier not having to depend on the fundraising variable. However, many of the parents in my unit balk at paying $42 a year much less $100. Attitude may be different for parents at the Troop level but we would certainly scare away boys if we charged that much. Glad it works for you though. Like I said, makes things much easier on the committee. Jerry

It isn't that I don't know how to be a successful leader, or lead leaders to be successful or lead a unit to be successful. It's really a different approach to ensuring a successful program from the District/Council level. A different way for Scouting to do business, so to speak.

FScouter, I certainly understand what you are saying. Resources, professional staff, ect, etc, etc. I am not saying that those things aren't available. What I am saying is that shouldn't the Council/District make more of an effort to make sure that units are utilizing those things? When asked by new leaders about training requirements I always tell them that I wish I could say that it is MANDATORY for them to be trained. But we know I can't. I wish I could tell them that it is MANDATORY for them to hold at least one meeting a week because that has proven to be the most effective method f