dlw73078

Thank you to everyone who let me vent, rant and rave about my troublesome pack.

Lisa, the good ol bobwhite, told me to stick with it and I did.

Here I am several months later, going strong and have a smooth running pack with families that are stepping up to the plate too help get things done.

Blue & Gold was amazing, my troublesome parents realized it would be their sons last hoorah as a cub scout and put forth effort to make things worth.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

I reallky appreciate all that you did for me and my pack!

My pack has lost our normal meeting space in town and as a result I would like to do outdoor meetings since the weather is so nice.

Anyone have any ideas, tips, or suggestions?

I need help writing a resignation letter to the leaders and parents of my pack. Any advice.

I feel that all my efforts were in vain.

No dues have ever been paid in 15 years by any parents, except when they first join the pack. I have explained that boys who signed up this year are already covered.

So this is a first time thing for the $25.

Our Co gave us $100. This gives us some leg room.

We have decided to give in to her request (not for the $1000) but I am slightly weary of the impact this may have.

Lisa, you are a good Bobwhite and always have excellent advise, I am glad I found this site, all of you really help ease my mind. I sleep well knowing I have you all to assist with these problems.

The Pack has never asked Den Leaders to carry the financial burden of their dens. I was a den leader for 3 years before I stepped up as CM. That is why I think she is being a bit ridiculous.

I do like the idea of flowcharting everything and letting everyone know up front how much popcorn needs to be sold to cover their expenses and then track it.

It may be a bit more work for me, but I think it wwill be worth the extra time at the computer than dealing with another parent like this.

As my Bobcat friend said, she's gone in two months.

Thank Goodness!

Due to sluggish popcorn sales (we are short about 20 boys this year) my committee and I have decided we have to charge for Boy's Life & Recharter. This is the first time in years that the parents have been asked for this money ($25).

I have one parent, who is also an assistant den leader (she didn't go to the leaders meeting where the dues were decided) who is complianing about this. She has exclaimed that over the past years as a den leader she has spent over $1000 in activities and equipment for her den (and says she can provide receipts). I advised her that she and the den leader should have made the parents aware of the expense and had den dues to cover it. She had never heard of den dues.

When I didn't offer to reimburse her with Pack money she threatened to go to the newspaper and exclaim that the Cub & Boy Scouts are extorsionists. That we tell our leaders to pay for things and never offer to reimburse them.

As a result she definately feels that she will not pay the dues. I can't make an exception for one irate person when I have 40 other parents who aren't complaining. These things are normally paid for with popcorn money. She wants to know why her son went out and sold popcorn if he was going to have to pay dues as well. I told her that the top selling boys are also paying these fees and their parents are ok with it.

She now wants the pack to cover her in a scholarship, because she is poor and won't be able to cover this $25.

She is excuse after excuse after excuse.

How do I handle this person?

I'd like to get a packet too!

Seems the entire district I belong in had a bad receruitment year. I have 0 Tiger Cubs this year (I'm also a 1st year CM) and feel awful about having a hole.

I am hoping when summer camp comes around that I can do recruitment again to get the boys intrested in a time where our pack does really neat activities (in addition to Day Camps).

I see nothing wrong with recruiting mid-year, I picked up some really neat software for the boys to work on at my next recruitment night. I m hoping it pays off.

Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom. I will not quit this year. I am hoping to turn things in my short time around, for the better.

I have a few ideas in mind after reading everyones posts, and the confidence that my biggest problem causers will be gone in a few months when their kids cross-over.

I firmly believe in 100% training, but if I only get half way I am still good.

Hopefully after our next leaders meeting (since we have no committee - that will soon change) I will come out a much more chipper, prouder, and enthusiastic Cub Master.

You are right, I did this for the boys and the parents shouldn't get the satisfaction of ruining my fun!

I had the opportunity to get the information from my council before summer started. I took my den on a nature hike through the local prarie, monitored who attended day camp, and when I became the Cub Master mid-summer was sure to organize enough activities that the boys could earn the Outdoor Award and the Summertime Activities.

Thank you everyone for all your wods of wisdom. I have been trying to revitalize this pack after several years of lax leadership.

We have about 40 boys right now (we had a bad recruitment year - so we are lacking in Tigers) but it is still a good size pack.

I am trying to have fun with the boys. I try to instill skits, audience participation, and fun activities for the boys.

But, how am I supposed to work with a den leader that send me this message when I give him available training dates"

"I will not be attending the Leader Training in December. It is my understanding that one leader from each Den needs to be certified for Recharter and my assistant has already attended training. She and I have worked together very well with our Den and are splitting up the time requirements."

So I have a leader who absolutely refuses to get training.

I had several boys who did not sell popcorn for the pack, so I am charging them for Boy's Life, charter, and dues. It is only fair, because these items are paid for by popcorn sales. Instead I get this:

"I see that one of the items we will discuss at the next Leader's Meeting is about the scouts that did not sell any popcorn. I don't think we should punish anybody for choosing not to sell in our fundraiser by charging them dues or other fees. We all work as a Pack and have different strengths to contribute." I don't see this as penalizing them, if their parents would have put forth a little effort and sold some popcorn or even bought some, this wouldn't be necessary.

Lastly, how am I supposed to work with a den leader whos wife gets upset, and calls and e-mails me repeatedly, because I will only hand out awards and prizes at pack meetings.

I am trying to instill the things I have observed at a Pack my son was a part of a few years ago that I felt really knew what they were doing.

I am holding on by a very thin thread, and the only r4ason I stay is for the kids.

I am tired of having to do everything and getting crapped on by the bystanders while I do it. All this negativity has me saying "I'm Done!"

Someone, help me deal with this, so, maybe I don't have to quit.

I am ready to quit. I took the post as Cubmaster because no one stepped up to do it. I am new to the area and have only been with the pack for the last year. I have been in other packs that worked together so muck more smoothly. (I applaud Pack 215 in Racin, WI who had it together and had leaders that were willing to give their all.)

I am trying to follow the examples set for by Pack 215, because I had nothing to follow here. I have no committee, my den leaders aren't enthusiastic and come at me with pissy attitudes.

I'm done, fed up, and wanna quit. If this were a job and I was treated like this I would have some recourse, but in this "volunteer" organization I have nothing.

Who can help me write a nice resignation letter to give to my leaders at our next meeting in 2 weeks.

My New Year's Resoluition is to quit my job as a Cubmaster and not look back.