dawnydiesel

I am the Special needs representative and trainer in my district and this type of question/s is actually quite common.

I have some suggestions if you are going to do a DA type pack meeting, if you don't mind. The stations you have thought of are wonderful... but I see them working better on a troop level. I would do more "hands on" type stations for the cub scout group level. Such as, attempting to tie a know with one hand, a braille constellation station, wheelchair races, cub scout motto in sign language, etc... I think you will get a MUCH better reaction and to be honest, the kids will remember it more AND learn more from that moreso than just lecture type material.

So glad to hear you enjoyed it. I was one of the trainers for the college and I'm immensely pleased to hear that.

You are correct, Tigers get their Immediate Recognition Badge when they learn those three things. They CANNOT earn Bobcat at the same time because the requirements for the Bobcat badge is different. They also need to know the handshake, promise, Law of the Pack, Webelos meaning, and the adult/family safety do-jobbie.

The CO won't be an issue as they clearly have said they don't want to be involved with decisions such as this. They believe it's up to the pack leadership.

The CM wants everyone to get along, the CC wants them out, and the majority of the committee wants them out. Nobody wants to be the one to put their behind on the line as they don't want to be involved per se but have asked me what to do here. With this not being the first time, several parents are ready to just leave. (The husband/father is a Web leader) This is only the proverbial camel straw situation as there's been other drama for darn near a year leading up to this.

This isn't my first time removing a leader BUT it is the first time with the adult in question not being in a leadership/committee position.

I am a UC for a few packs. I did a charter presentation ceremony tonight at one of the pack meetings. Tonight, an adult parent (who used to be on the committee but recently stepped down to personal issues and drama) behaved so rudely and very un-scoutlike. She was not happy that her son did not pass uniform inspection, cursed at the pack secretary (in which 3 other parents overheard) and her teenage daughter crumpled up the piece of paper stating as to why the boy did not pass uniform inspection and threw it at the pack secretary.

First, where would I have rules and regulations of adult conduct? Second, I know what I WANT to do and what I more than likely need to do but I want to have all my ducks in a row before I proceed. There are at least 4 sets of parents ready to pull their boys from this pack because of this woman (and her family) and their constant drama.

One of my packs just recruited a new charter organization. (I'm the Unit Commissioner) The pack just signed up to do an open house at the April pack meeting to get Cardinals tickets for the boys. I'm wanting to do a charter presentation ceremony at that pack meeting. Now, I have the charter presentation ceremony example listed in the UC manual but it's troop-specific and to be honest, I'm not digging it. Any ideas or examples of some you've seen in the past?

am proposing that councils have units submit a unit health questionnaire at least a couple times a year; at least in autumn and spring. This questionnaire would ask about things like leader training, communication, planning, advancement, recruiting, leaders serving multiple positions, functioning committee, meeting and outing frequency, etc. These could be scored to identify units that have problems that can be fixed.

There IS a form like that specifically for Unit Commissioners. I use it everytime I do a pack meeting visit. I believe it's called Unit Commissioner Worksheet (pack). There's one for each unit type.

Once savable units are identified, unit commissioners could be assigned.

Who determines which units are salvageable? What are the determining factors? That seems too subjective for me.

One of the biggest problems I run into as UC, is that we're not really wanted. That is, until we're needed. The assumption that the UC is a "spy" and trying to push their weight around is one I run up against with practically every unit I service. I have but one pack that genuinely appreciates what I have the ability to do for them and welcomes me.

Why can't you use the forms in the Den Leader handbook?

The parents pay for the loops for their boys in our pack.

I made up "bucks". Tiger bucks, wolf bucks, etc... The parents and my assistant were given a stack to give out to the boys randomly. "Timmy, I noticed you were sitting there nicely." "Johnny, you did what you were asked the first time." So on and so forth.. Then once a month, the cubs got to bring me their bucks. For every five bucks, they got to pick from the "Cub box" which was full of cheap dollar toys. They had to keep track of their own bucks from meeting to meeting which gave them a bit of responsibility as well. I haven't had a den yet that it didn't work well.

Nascar? Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks

Wow.

Way to generalize and make yourself sound like a tactless, classless, and ignorant fool.

Yes, I am a Nascar fan and no, I'm far from being a redneck. But I really don't feel the need to defend myself, or my hobbies, to you.

Honestly? Because it makes me feel good. I'm a Wolf leader, Tiger leader for the summer, Special Needs Trainer, and was just asked to be Unit Commissioner. I love doing this with my son, but to be completely honest, it makes me feel good.

I'm in. I have both a Wolf den and a Tiger den that would participate.

I couldn't even read these for the repeated use of the word "retarded". Seriously? Everyone has their pet peeves and boy, you just hit mine.

That said, and granted I'm in Cub Scouts, without my parents? I'd have no den. Plain and simple. I understand where everyone else is coming from within the Boy Scout rank but I push parental involvement as much as I can right now.

4. Have you attended the St. Louis are council's special needs training? I have a pretty good hunch that our friend Dawnydiesel that posted above may know a tad bit about St. Louis area council's program.

Your hunch would be more than correct. I'm in the Greater St. Louis area and our council's program is amazing.

I hate to sound all braggy but we deal with even more special needs than what I listed. We just had our special needs camp last weekend and even though we had tornadoes and our scouts didn't camp overnight, it was still a great turnout. I'm pretty proud to be a part of this program.

What Special needs courses/areas do you have training courses available for?

We offer Intro to ADD/ADHD, Intro to Autism, Overview and Rank Advancement, Hands on/Role Play, Managing Youth Behavior, Scouts on Wheels, Bipolar, Leading the ADD/ADHD Scout, Leading the Autistic Scout, Deafness, Blindness, and ISAP courses.

As for "official" BSA syllabi, we use the special Needs/Disability manual when needed. I would assume the courses/trainings are official as we teach and train at all levels. I've given my workshops and presentations at the den, pack, district and council level along at various summer camps.

This whole thread is disturbing. I haven't seen this level of arguing, finger pointing, and immaturity since...well, I left school today.

Instead of fighting and arguing, try looking between the lines. I see frustration and good intentions gone awry.

I guess I'm spoiled. I'm the Special Needs Trainer for my district and have begun teaching and training at the district level as well as Pow Wow and University of Scouting. Our Special Needs program is phenomenal and am quite proud.

I'm a firm believer in training thyself. Seek your answers. Go to district, go to council, and push. Every boy should be given a chance to be a scout and every leader should do whatever is in their power to help that boy achieve his dream.

tagguy and ahoydave, if you'd like to PM about any suggestions or advice, please feel free.

I'm currently a Wolf Den Leader and Tiger Den Leader along with being the area's Special Needs Trainer.

I've been working pretty closely with two brothers, both of whom are special needs. The other day I went to their house to pick up the special needs camporee applications and saw drugs and drug paraphenalia on their table.

So therefore, today I've been on the phone calling District Exec's and the state hotline.

Why did I sign up for this again?

I understand the whole "apron cutting" thing but not at the Cub Scout level. I see no reason as to why the parents can't and shouldn't be involved. I know my Tigers and Wolfs love having their parents involved in the activities with them. I for one enjoy them being there because I'm not a babysitter, I'm their den leader. Maybe I'm lucky, but my parents sit back and let me lead the meeting but are there to step up to aid in the hands-on activities. The parents have told me time and time again how much they themselves enjoy being with their boys during their Sccout time.

If you gotta be referencing the G2SS to decide if that's "safe" for boys Cub Scout age then you need to be seriously re-considering whether you yourself have the proper amount of maturity and judgement to be a Scouter.

I'm new to this forum but I have to chime in here. I'm seriously wondering the very same about your level of maturity and judgement. I'm hoping the OP isn't new to Scouts because you gave a very poor first impression, both of Scouts AND this forum. I certainly hope you treat your scouts, leaders, and parents with a bit more respect than you just showed someone you don't know, who came to this forum to ask a question, however stupid you think the question may be.

I'm a Special Needs Trainer for my district (which encompasses 3 counties in the Greater St. Louis area) and we have an AWESOME special needs program. I would suggest checking with your council to see if your area has one. And if they don't? Tell them you want one! Tell them you want to be a part of it!

PalmettoScouter, one big suggestion I would make is to read through your son's rank handbook. Go through the requirements and electives and write down how YOU would modify that requirement/elective to best fit your son's needs. If your area has a Special Needs Committee, then you can talk to them about an ISAP. (I'm not sure if every area has one or if they're singular to my area, I'll admit to being ignorant on that point) The Cub Scout motto is "Do Your Best" and there's a way to modify EVERY elective to fit any scout so they're still doing their best. I've done them with Tigers, Bears, and Wolfs thus far.

Feel free to email me or pm me if you'd like to discuss this further.

Good luck!

I had to have my Tiger Den split up not due to volume but due to leader issues. I had 6 in my den, three went with me to another, the other three went to the other. (We had 3 Tiger Dens at the time) We left it up to the parents.

IMO, you should NEVER discourage ANY boy from being a scout. Ever. There's many ways to modify the curriculum to fit that scout.