AKdenldr

The way I am reading the requirements it can be done in a pool. Correct? Incorrect?

This is what I would do, go ahead a wait for a while to see if boy will really be participating with the den calendar you have already arranged. Then if he does start, see if parents are interested in achievement, or just participating in the den activities. You could easily do a day time catch up event latter in the year for all the boys where you tidy up any missing requirements. So far family has indicated by their actions that he will not be participating.

After school den meetings, healthy snack on a rotation provided by parents. Sometimes to-go snacks in ziplocks before go-see its. Got to keep snack time to 15 minutes, especially those 9 and 10 year old boys can eat a meal after school. Pack meetings sometimes potluck prior, sometimes a sweet treat after the program on the way out the door.

 

The elementary school schedules I'm familiar with have morning snack and lunch, with the snack phasing itself out by 4-5-6 grade.

 

Pack leadership can correct anything the DE stated incorrectly at recruitment. What the DE says doesn't commit the volunteers to anything.

I started denners in the bear year. I think achievement 25 has something about it. Denners can easily be started earlier. One den I know started them the tiger year (denner brought the snack and his parents where the program leaders for that meeting.) I agree with the link above that elections are hard on the younger guys. By Webelos time they can handle it better. We ran 4-6 week terms (length of term set by den calendar). Assistant denner was denner in the next term. One of the main items that helped me is I had the denner make the phone calls reminding the scouts of an event and what they were supposed to bring. -- Really improved attendance, and gave the scout some telephone practice.

 

I WOULD invest the $3 in the denner cords (or make your own for less). They boys loved them and it enhanced their ability to lead. A tiny ceremony at the end of the den meeting to "transfer the cords" was important to the boys at the end of the terms.

 

As the 2.5 years moved on, the denners had more responsibility and could do more.

Remember that the den chief is a boy. He will need supervision and direction. Take a look at the details of the Den Chief award to think of ways a DC can contribute to your meetings and events. If your council has training great! There should be some age gap between your Webelos and the experienced boy scout that will be assisting. I think it is a rare 13-15 year old who will take a one year term, given their other commitments. 4-6 months is more reasonable, perhaps longer with breaks for sport schedules. I would want to meet with a boy and a parent prior so you know what you are getting and can go over your expectations. You should be willing to "fire" them if they don't meet your agreed parameters of performance.

 

If you don't have one yet, get a Boy Scout handbook. That will give you a picture of what you are preparing your Webelos for. I love the energy you are bringing to this job.

 

AK

I love these ideas about recycling scarfs and signing them, creating a special event or pack scarf. And new slides projects once in a while will really cut down on that lost slide problem.

 

This is what I did, and hope it helps.

 

Most parents after that first tiger hat purchase quit purchasing them. I could pick up bear, wolf, web hats and scarves and books at the thrift shops and keep them as a den leader. Then when we did a public event I would equip the boys that came without their own. (Collecting at the end of the meeting.) This gave us the clear appearance of scouts (even with coats on). Once my den was done with a rank I handed down the whole batch to the younger den leader. Often scouts and their parents would hand down their stuff. If den leader had a big enough bag they would use them when the boy moved up in rank. Sometimes we would hand out experienced Tiger scarves at the tiger recruiting tea as prizes. Used tiger books might go to parents who were interested in leading.

 

Regarding the books, most books I found had only a few markings in them. I'd keep a few in my den kit and let the boy who forgot his book use it. Boys who lost their book part way through the rank could get an experienced book (used) from me as a replacement.

 

(We did have on den leader in our pack who only used pencil with the idea to pass down handbooks. It didn't really catch on with our pack, but might work for yours.)

 

- AK

Council's ssf April I think. This year a thanksgiving turkey drive

That seems to be an approach that some take. It probably explains some of those dens were lots of the web boys earn all the pins, especially in the shortened lds program. I didn't double count -- liked to do one webelos activity pin at a time as intended by the program. I did count things the kids did in school however. Camp also helped, but not everything done at camp was done well enough for us not to repeat.

 

Run your program with integrity.

Our pack had a couple of dens that formed up just before the Christmas break and still had a successful year. With good planning tigers can be done in a pretty short period.

 

Might be worth a try.

Back in my youth there was a troop that sold trees. Did it for years and years. They only were open 4-9 on weekdays, longer on weekends. Bet the boys will like slinging trees around a lot more than selling popcorn. Best of luck to you, sounds like the tree farm is giving you a no-risk opportunity. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Dutch Ovens. Smartest way to feed a crowd.

In the two districts around here a bunch of LDS lady scouters have taken over the Cub Leader Training and Baloo and OWL and are doing a bang up job. (It was a hot mess before.) I don't know everyone's church affiliation, but I suspect a number of the volunteers on the district and council committees are LDS. In the neighboring district a LDS troop puts on a huge MB university every year that is widely attended.

 

From some of my LDS friends I have heard that members campaign with their bishop to get the scouting assignments. And that members who don't get the scouting assignment often still continue to volunteer in Scouting.

 

That said, it does interrupt the action when ANY troops leave events early. LDS boys themselves might be bothered by their troops rules.....

In my experience ALL cubs find teenage boys fascinating! Lead a game, demonstrate cooking (with samples), do a 5 minute talk on why to be a boy scout (communications MB), den chief, help the cubs pick up trash ... Be tall with big muscles and a bit of acne... Do it often, not just once in a demonstration.

 

Don't over think this.

Yes Baloo is required.

 

Change the date for the campout so you can make it. Announce that the date was changed because "we need a czar of camping". Then recruit like crazy for someone(s) (in person conversations) to be our "Pack Campout Guru". Pack Campout Guru sets the pack camp date schedules, attends campouts, and must do the training. Since this is a limited role (how many campouts do you do anyways?) you should be able to find a parent who likes the campouts and can do that for the boys.

 

Now, if the fall campout is a council or district thing where the date is set -- I think there are plenty of trained folks there.

Okay an update on the trip. 6 scouts went. 3 adults for the camping 2 deep. An adult was required on the ride with the 2 guides because of the contractor's requirements for the age of the scouts. Two of the adults did the easy chair thing while scouts were ziping.

 

Good time was had by all, weather was great, scout who was the leader was pleased with the event, and no one got a GTSS ticket.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Our cub camp does the same thing (and I can understand why from a safety factor). I awarded the wolf scouts with their whittling chip. But they did not carry them to scout functions. After school den meeting (because of the location) was not permitted. Weekend scout functions (picking up trash?) needed to be in their pockets until, 'you need to use that tool'. Typically for those events the parents were around. At that age we had the scouts ask permission to use their knife. That cut down quite a bit on the interest in just hacking on something.

 

I agree that a den meeting where scouts get to use their knives is of high interest. Heck, Webelos enjoyed cutting up apples at camp.

Okay Scout is planning an adventure where troop will go on a zip line run by a company.

Groups of 8 travel through the towers, runs, and stations with 2 guides. Groups are about 30 minutes apart on the system. (All this takes place in cell phone coverage area.)

 

Here is the question: Scout believes he needs 2 adults for EACH group of 6 scouts to cover 2 deep leadership. (Of course this is a lot of adults to recruit for the campout. Let alone ones who want to pay to ride the zip.)

 

That isn't my understanding and I gently encouraged him to follow up with the CC to get the straight dope.

 

But, can someone who is up on the GTSS quote me chapter and verse on adult coverage of these groups?

 

~ AK

Around here Campfire is an after school extended day care program. I'm interested to know how Campfire is run as a co-ed scouting program.

This is what I did. Every boy listed 2 boys on a sticky note that he would like to tent with. And we have a discussion about treating everyone well. (one of our den norms). The discussion went like this, "you will get to tent with at least one of your guys on the sticky. No 'celebrating' when you hear who you get, 'be cool'. You may be also in the tent with someone who is not your best friend, that is okay too because getting along with other guys is one of the things scouts is about and I am so proud of how you all do that." Also there is a talk about "adults are in charge and if a tent combination is not working -- going to sleep or whatever there might be a change".

 

Then as an adult decision we organized the tents with the best combinations for the den as a whole. Each boy was with at least one of his buds. (I suggest a 3 and 4 combination in your case, but a 3, 2, 2 combination might work based on what is on the cards.) At camp after the tents are all set up have each tent have an "open house" for each other so they don't feel excluded. Take an extra 2 person in case you need to make a change.

 

Hope that helps

Fred, I like the ideas above about recruiting with the BOYS' PROGRAM, instead of adult issues.

 

Make up a few business cards with your scout title, and phone number. If any adults want to corner you on membership policy, hand em a business card and say, "that's an adult topic and we are here for the boys now. Call me at home if you want to talk further." Very very few will call. They just want to entertain themselves with questions.

We were only looking at it at the pack level as a tool for communication, roster tracking, etc....

We don't go as far as you do 5yearscouter at the pack level, we track nothing. We put on a program, arrange meetings, arrange camping trips and other pack level outings, but do not keep attendance or log anything.

On a Den level, my first task from our then Tiger leader was to keep track of the "paperwork".... so I started to log attendance. I also started filling out the achievements for the boys, but we just don't get enough boys/parents that are signing things off in their books until the end of the year. I'm trying to work with our DL to make the instant recognition beads a formal part of the program with a few minutes at each meeting encouraging book sign offs, recording progress, uniform wear, etc...

I like your idea of asking the boys to turn in their books for recording, but I don't want to sit at the back of the room each meeting flipping through books trying to decode what new has been signed off on. How do you make that work?

BLW2, when I was a DL I would often give awards (bubble gum) to boys who had on their shirt and book. Popcycles on "golden meeting days" when all the boys had shirts and books.

 

I had my own tracking system (trax) and would keep attendance in that so I knew who was at what.

Every once in a while I would announce an upcoming book check. Then at the next meeting I would take them all home, sign anything that needed signing. (on the side for the tiger-bear books, on the line for Webelos). I would update any advancement reports -- put sticky notes on any pages for parents to do. And update the den advancement poster. And return handbook to the boys at school. (in the inside cover I would mark what date I did a book check.) Once we got to Webelos I did more signoffs in the den meetings -- with boys one on one. Or "turn to page xxx and I'll sign you off for what we just did".

 

Perhaps that will work for you, AK

Interesting conversation. I don't think the transition from cub scouts to boy scouts looses so many boys because they are burned out. (Is it about 50% loss at end of Webelos and then another 50% in the first year?) I see that the boys are not choosing the Boy Scout program (possibly because they don't know what it is, possibly because they don't like the heavy outdoor component, possibly because their sport now requires so much from boy.)

 

I do see cub leaders and parents burning out. (My experience was with a new pack, so maybe it is different with established packs. We had to figure out so much and received so little support.) But the involved adults in the Boy Scout program tend to have been involved in their son's Pack program.

 

I don't see the BSA shortening cub scouting because some Scouters think it is too long. Because at those early ages the BSA is reaching BSA goals of providing a program and teaching kids character and citizenship at those developmental ages. Sorry to say, the goal of cub scouting is not to grow Boy or Eagle scouts. The goal is not even to retain them for a certain length of years in either program.

 

On the practical matter of separating the young cubs from Webelos, that is a small matter. Around here what is common is to rent the "multipurpose room" at the elementary school one night a week and send the dens into different corners. This is easier for a Pack Committee and cheaper and perhaps they don't know any better. Instead our pack dens met after school on different days in different rooms. DL's and parent volunteers figured out the calendar for the den. Have less pack meetings and more pack events.

 

I had a den of 8 over 5 years but 13 boys transitioned through that. In the end five bridged to a troop and we still have them a year latter. All of them learned some things, and did some things, and had some good experiences in their formative years they never would have had if they had not joined. Isn't that what it is about?

 

(In little league we never worry about retaining our t ballers until the end of sixth grade, let alone until they graduate high school, we're just happy they're there to play ball.)

 

-- AK

sock wars is a favorite

You do not need to do the same opening or closing each den meeting. A full flag ceremony is not necessary each den meeting and does take a lot of time. I agree with a gathering activity. And I always tried to end with a "new game if we have time". Closings can differ also. I never had luck sending anything home to be completed.

 

I had good results doing all the craftsman type things as a longer field trip (once to the Carpenter Union training hall.) I also started with short meetings and moved longer, but since you have this mixed group, I would use 90 minutes.

 

Also can you ask the first parent to arrive to stay until your assistant arrives ten minutes late?

When we hadn't had a son in the Boy Scout program that Scout Master conference was a mystery. In fact I think the CC called talking to a group of 20 Webs and parents a SM conference. (The shirt was tan....we didn't know, or perhaps we were in a rush or they were busy) Second time around (with different troop) we made sure the Webs had good conferences with the SM. I don't think the SMC is described at all in the Webelos handbook.

 

An outdoor activity with a Boy scout troop can be a day hike from the cub camp to the boy scout camp and a tour. (We did this better the second time around also -- invited ourselves to the district fall camporees.) I think it does come down to the Pack and Webelos den leader knowing the Boy Scout program. And the troop understanding the Webelos program and making a plan for recruitment. Not every SM or ASM was a WDL.

 

- AK