Cubmaster Mike

I wear a yellow 3-year, a green 7-year and a light blue 7-year. Gonna trade them all in for a "20" in three years.... I wear them at Pack meetings, recruitment events, school functions, District and Council events. Actually I think the only place I don't always wear them is when I am roving around the neighborhood stopping in and checking on Den meetings. CMM(This message has been edited by Cubmaster Mike)

In our unit, 100% of our den leaders have basic training/position specific completed. At least 2 parents in every den have completed youth protection training Cubmaster (myself) is Woodbadge trained. Webelos leader to take the course this fall. We are sending at least one every year to WB. Webelos leader (our camping coordinator) has completed BALOO. I'm taking it this fall. We are sending at least one a year to BALOO. Four leaders have safe swim defense One leader has a BSA Archery Rangemaster certification We instituted this training level on ourselves. We

Your last post raises a good point about the lack of addresses. How come nobody else has stepped forward on this forum and expressed outrage at their own missing cars? Could it be that the others got their cars back or some other assistance? Take matters into your own hands. write your own letters to the councils. Write Scouting mag. Send a letter to the dinner organizer and cc your council exec. Write a letter to your congressional rep and cc your council exec and the dinner organizer. Good luck. CMM

I point our parents to a website where they can view and print off the requirements for each belt loop or pin. Check it out. http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/academics-sports.html The parents can then initial on the items done and turn it in to the den leader for reporting and advancement. We try to award belt loops and pins at the den level and then have each boy recognized at the Pack meeting by having thenm stand and read off what they have earned. We shifted to this method because we have had so much advancement we needed to keep the meeting going rather than have the b

We are a city of 40,000 and have five public elementary schools, two private schools and four cub packs. One pack is LDS sponsored and the others are sponsored around local schools. My pack's policy is that any boy in town can join any pack. Meeting times, days and personalities each offer different things to each family. But it is also important to note that we have made an effort to meet with the other packs and share our view (with which they agreed). CMM

We provide neckerchiefs, slides and books. The pack has a uniform bank and requests that all old gear get recycled. Some do, some don't. I routinely hit up the local Salvation Army and Goodwill, looking for shirts to add to the bank. We provide shirts and hats to scouts as we get them. Our Pack BSA uniform is from the belt up at all den meetings and pack meetings. At Pack meetings and ceremonies, we tell the dens to each decide on a common pant style and put them all in it. We do a uniform inspection every month at the pack meeting. The best uniformed den gets an eagle feather on a th

what rubbish.... Every day when I leave my house, no matter what I wear, there are three things in my front left pocket. Rosary Wood badge coin Scout coin (25 year old coin) When I read threads like this I reach into my pocket and remember what it's all about...... Anybody who thinks that boys are not joining scouts because of the uniform is kidding themselves. Note to its-me: At the cub scout level boys take their lead from the example their leaders set. You've expressed your dislike for the uniform and boys obviously have picked up on that. Our previous cubmaster did not w

My first pet peeve is trying to glue the styrofoam peanuts back together when I break a few taking something out of a box. Can't get the little guys to stick back together!!! My second peeve is when something comes in sandwiched in styrofoam and you want to save it for storage (christmas figurines come to mind) but you.....can't......remember....which .....way.... the.....darn....thing....fits.....back....into..the...sandwich packing!! AARRGGHHHH!!!!!! CMM

My wife asks me why I talk to myself. I tell her because I'm the only one who'll listen and respond to myself. Now if you'll exuse me, I hear myself calling on the other line now....

Riding in the back of a pickup has been illegal for years here in CA. I like Bobwhite's idea, but you don't need to make a position. Give him a copy of the G2SS and have him review each activity in advance to make sure that it is safe. You'll need to do so yourself and if he shrugs it off and says it is safe (when you know it isn't) then suggest things like, "OK but let's check under Chapter X. I remember seeing smething there...." He should get the point.

I always call someone who doesn't show up for three or more meetings. The biggest break is always at the start of the new school year. When I contact them I let them know I am calling to make sure everything is all right becasue I haven't seen them for awhile. If they indicate they are not returning, then I ask them why. If the parents tell you tht "we're just too busy" I acknowledge that and ask them why Scouts was the "busy" activity that they decided to drop. If little Johnny is just "not interested" I ask what are Johnny's new interests. If there is a personality conflict then I dig

Ah yes, I remember as a mere pup, learning to stalk and hunt wild hot dogs at my daddy's knee. Sometimes if we were lucky, we would also come across wild catsup and mustard colonies. And if we were REALLY living right, a flock of buns would come down out of the fog in response to my dad's expert bun-calling technique!!

As with any study, you have to take the results in perspective. I mean, come on, how many kids are going to fill out a survey and admit to being a slacker? 66% are in sports but only 54% would choose sports? 85% believe that activities are important but 89% admit they need a push to get involved? Sometimes you just can't take these things too seriously. The numbers don't add up.

I would also add that chickens and rabbits are easy to come by and cheap so they make good learning tools. Lawyers are also cheap and plentiful but they scream too much. Imagine being in a survival situation, you manage to catch something and then have no idea what to do with the carcass because you've never had to gut something?

I have the same problem with my "citified" wife. If I shoot something, she won't eat it! Seriously through, her taste buds have been cultured and trained to what MegaFood provides. She will eat turkey, goose and ham if it comes from the store, but the flavor of wild turkey, goose and ham is unfamiliar and "icky." That is why I have insisted that from their first year, my children will eat wild game. I now have my 6- and 8-year olds helping to pluck and clean ducks and geese during hunting season and fish durng the trout season. The result is that they're not squeamish at the si

To add to what Semp has said, don't just ask for a treasurer statement created on some computer, ask to see a copy of the BANK statement. We have had two recent cases in the local news here regarding elementary and high school parent faculty organization treasurers that were misappropriating funds for years becasue nobody asked to see the actual statements. The treasurer can put their pride aside and provide the statements if requested (which should be monthly).

I'll trade you armadillos for our skunks and racoons any time. They are taking a heavy toll on duck eggs this year out at my duck club!

Semp is right, you need details. I had to work with the Pack Committee to remove our COR and CC last year for similar reasons, i.e. they were driving families out. And yes, I had to push these families to get details. It became apparent that more would leave if action was not taken. No easy way to do it and it caused hard feelings on the part of the ex-CC and unfortunately ended our friendship. COR was removed for misappropriation of pack funds. He did not object when we went to the CO and requested a new rep.

Anybody who thinks cubbing may be "bad" or a "distraction".....has.... absolutely........no......idea.....what ......cubbing..... is.

In our organization, the responsibility lies directly with myself and the WDLs. We represent the program and we have to initiate the contacts. We use den chiefs and yes, the boys look up to them as great examples. But the parents need to be part of hat decision. That involves our contacting EVERY local troop in our District and the neighboring District (we are next to the border). We put together the recruiting nights and get the boys and their parents out to them. Each troop around us has different qualities (i.e. one is more service oriented, one is more outdoor oriented, etc.) ad eac

"attempted to bring to the discussion alternate views that really exist out in the wider world of Scouting?" I've never blocked anyone, but he has come the closest at any site I've ever visited. Not all alternatives are worth considering or even voicing. The posts were rude and in poor taste and deliberatly pointed to stir up arguments. I don't know where his scouting leadership experience came from, but let's hope that some other folks in his unit are working hard to correct his strange twists on the program. Beavah- yes, even an ASM/NavCom/PhD with 20 years in can be wrong.

I am shocked that your CM and CC have not addressed this earlier. If it continues, then not only will you get disillusioned andmaybe burned out, but families will leave if they don't think the boys are getting a quality program. Split the den. Take out a map and make a dot on each family's home. Draw line through the middle of the group to split it. DO NOT pick and choose who goes with who, stick to geographical splits, less feelings get hurt. Then the CM and CC should take the second group aside and have them decide who will become the group leader. Only move outside the gr

As a Cubmaster who coaches sports and works with other coaches, I do not put sports on the same level as Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. A lot of coaches think they are equal to BSA, but when was the last time you heard a coach sit a group of boys down and talk about... Being responsible on the school playgorund? Practicing Leave No Trace and Respect for the environment? Being involved in your faith? Holding a door open for someone or just doing a good turn for others--coutesy, kind, etc. Being trustworthy and honest- with your schoolwork and with your family? Helping your famil

search the flea markets and garage sales, but drills are among the first to go. I've seen a lot of cheap packages at Sportsman's Guide (www.sportsmansguide.com) and Harbor Freight Tools (www.harborfreight.com)at around $20.00, but I've never asked about a Scout discount. Good luck.

I can't believe this is still languishing on someone's desk. I am so sorry and am sure your frustration is sky high. Don't give up hope!