AKdenldr

We started the cheer box with our pack after we had been around a while and it is the sort of thing that tends to catch fire once the cubs know how it works. And yes, pulling one out of the box and doing it is a thing. As Cubmaster you could really salt the box with the best ones, the ones the boys know, or the ones that fit what is going on. Go ahead and be a Ham, or have an assistant do the cheers while you are being MC. "I think it might be time for a cheer".....

We ran a great cub scout program before we ever knew about belt loops. Then we added a few just for filler activities, just like we added the LNT and outdoor awards. Never understood packs with a big belt loop program as they seemed to only be challenging/exciting for Wolf and part of Bear. Tigers were too busy getting a handle on the program and Webs were done with it.

But since belt loops weren't tracked at the council or national level, and only impacted the main program (one or two places in Webs and a couple of times in the Bear Achievements) can't a pack stock up and continue to award if they want?

Anyways, this all seems to be a long ways in the future in terms of the cub program (18 months right?). Lets focus on implementing the new program well. For the boys, AK

Hummmm Anyone ever think about a Cooking Merit Badge "Buffet".. Why Not Center 1 or Two Campouts around the Cooking Merit Badge.

What about cook offs outside at the meeting location. Do they count for any of these requirements?

Friends of is actually the term for "group of citizens". It is second best option and not really less work. (I was part of a "Friend of" pack.) They are being discouraged in some councils.

First best option is to find an organization that believes sponsoring a BSA troop is something they would like to do for the boys in your community. American Legion, churches, etc are good options. A sponsoring organization has a responsibility to provide some resources to the troop. Since you already have experienced adult leadership, scouts, and an vision of the type of troop you would like to have, you would be attractive to an organization. A DE is supposed to be out there encouraging organizations to consider being a unit sponsor. This is why you received advice above to contact your DE.

If you can't find a sponsoring organization after some work, then you can become a "Friends of" troop if your council allows. Your DE can help you with that, but it is not less work.

AK

Buy a CM position patch. Have local monogram shop add (I would use red) "Wife of" in before Cub Master. Add the flowers and the scout handshake from every single cub in the pack, take pictures of her with the boys, and I think you have a winner.

I like the idea of a unit paying for training (even if they don't cover adult dues). Encourages training, which should reap benefits in the unit.

Blw2,

Ask around, other uniformed folks (police would work) but if you don't find anybody -- call a recruiter. I bet they can make time for a den of cub scouts.

In Cubs we had a problem with family not sewing on boy's awards. Invited a military dad to come in uniform and talk about uniforms. Had a uniform inspection the next week (announced for the parents way ahead of time.) Boy's loved it, loved even the name of "uniform inspection". Some sort of treat (popcycles?) for all. (We were a waist up pack, as all I have seen around here are.) That got all those things attached to the shirt. Then had a uniform inspection every so often before big pack events. Worked much better than sending email after email asking parents to sew on the awards.

In troop now, the dress had become pretty lax. Troop guide made an announcement (in full uniform), then SPL sent out a note prior to recent COH. Wow, I didn't know so many boys owned uniform pants and sashes. Boy Led does work.

Hope these ideas work for you.

We write off our adult fees on our taxes, every little bit helps. If you want to help your adult volunteers with their fees, drop their son's and have them pay the adult fee. This also helps in recruiting.

At the pack level one smart CC we had would cover adult fees the first partial year by his own donation. This helped him recruit, as he found it hard to convince someone to step up, then ask for $ 15. Once they were in the job for a while it wasn't as much a problem to get a check.

I love working with the boys, and if it means $ 2 a month, happy to do it.

IMHO Your third grade bears will be able to handle the pocket knife achievement with their own knives without props or popcycle sticks or plastic knives. One of the reason boys love cub scouts is they get to do challenging and fun things that are new. Introduce it well (a couple of meetings ahead and then each one till the day), have extra adults on hand, coach the adults on what types of knives to get their sons.

(Unless your den has no discipline developed yet. You have lots of time to develop listening, following directions, etc this year in Wolves if you are concerned.)

Our pack suggested for first knives a single folding locking blade. One with a plastic handle runs about $ 6. They are not family heirlooms that will be lost at scout camp.

Now, a big knife prop to do a skit at a Pack meeting on knife safety.... that would be worth the time to make, maybe as a den project.

No cub scout career arrow police out there.

Do what makes sense. (I used the background of the badges, then made the rest up based on the paint I had.) Make a key so as your pack goes on the arrows roughly resemble each other. (Give a copy of the key to the scout with the arrow.)

Anyways to smooth the water I would suggest offering another event with the other den. Could be anything, bet those wolves would like to hang out with the Webs. Bowling, a joint den meeting where it was all games (mix up the teams) that you plan, a short hike to pick up trash (wolf + web buddy pairs).

Don't do the boring craft, however. Webelos clue in real fast to boring.

This is confusing because part of the requirements are in the Cub program and part are in the BS program. AOL req 1 says "Be active in your Web den for at least 6 months since completing the fourth grade (or at least 6 months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.

So earliest would be Christmas of 5th grade or 10.5 years old for Web to earn the AOL. Based on your school district kindergarden birth dates cut offs most will turning 11 or be 11 by March of 5th grade.

But, you were right to thing about how to structure the program to focus on the 8 Activity pins needed for the AOL. You can form your main plan around that.

AK

MT, I got lost in your tangle of thoughts, so forgive me if I am off base.

Can the troop take on your Webelos as a project? Even short term? Could they meet at troop time (or even earlier troop night) and do a number of their things with boy scouts, ASMs, and MBCs? Could a boy scout a week come early to their meeting and lead a closing game for your pack dens? If you pick the games for a while the boyscouts will get the hang of it. I like ping pong ball blow.

I wouldn't focus on beltloops when the program is so new -- focus on the tiger/bear/wolf achievements and electives which are right in the book.

Getting them outside is really a good idea.

Just some random thoughts back..

I'm assuming this is a scout still in the first three ranks? This is how I would do it, Boy and family should do the prep work in the new book first. (Recollect when and where and be able to talk about it). Scout should be able to connect with his patrol or same rank scouts to resurrect an account of their shared scouting experiences. Youth or adult leaders who most closely worked with those scouts would also know if he really did pass the swim test or do the first class cooking etc...

And then a scout is trustworthy. If I as the SM then had questions about his mastery of the items, I'd make sure he has teaching opportunities in the future.

We did a visit to local air guard search and rescue. Too cool all the things kids get to do in a community because they are scouts.

Webs also liked a rescue relay. Any time you can run in Webelos was popular.

Good for you on your early success. Your den size might be getting too large. Thinking about a split in the future might be worthwhile. Two smaller dens that work together might leave room for the tigers to have a small group experience. Our pack capped den size at 9. 6-8 seems good. Just sayin.

You may be more invested in them earning craftsman then the scout or the parent.

Do you have a poster for your meetings of where each boy is? I found my scouts to be quite competitive with each other on ocassion. (Sometimes the parents would get motivated by seeing the poster.)

Move on with your plan for the den and do the next thing you have planned. Stopping for incomplete projects will be boring. Adding a different one in later might be more fun (wooden whistles at camp, friendship bracelet, slide?).

We used to have a secret patrol also. Our slogan was, "no good deed ever goes unpunished."

So to give an update. The reason I asked about the mile swim was the pool sessions for swimming mb were going very well. MBC thought he might use mile swim as extras for our high end swimmers for the remaining two sessions. Based on the feedback here, he chose instead to introduce the cool stuff from the lifesaving mb. Scouts had a blast. Thanks.

We had a new pro do exactly this, but at our meeting place, sort of borrowing on our success and assuming that we would take on this problem for him (we did not, as we could not). (We could have done some things to help and could have taken on a few well organized dens, but he operated as a lone wolf.) Recruited somewhere in the 20's. Tried to organize the new pack for a few months without our help, not realizing how challenging forming a pack is. Appeared to be set on this course by his boss. Disappointed a lot of boys and families. (And made our pack look ungenerous and exclusive.) DE left the job within a year.

Personal ask for a task, be ready with a second task if they turn that one down. Be ready to describe to them why you think they would be good, not why the pack needs it.

I would want to know about the district committees. Are they fully staffed and functioning so that you can use their efforts? Or are they in a slump and dysfunctional with only a few close to burned out volunteers doing the work? What is the reputation of the professional scouts with the unit volunteers? Good luck.

Just starting to research doing a few rafting things next summer. How does rafting fit in the BSA program? Don't see a merit badge. What does your troop do?

Thanks all for the feedback. See next question on rafting.