AlabamaDan

So you sew it on the right pocket, temporarily? How temp is temp? Until you want to replace it?

I know plan plan plan, but be flexible. I'll do my best. And yes I have been in contact with all those committee members and den leaders involved. That's a great point.

BTW, I post this here not just for my help (which I thank y'all for) but also to help others sometime who search forums for ideas.

No games for our first meeting, just too much to do. But I'll save that minute game in my pocket in case we have to calm everyone down.

Our popcorn kick offs haven't traditionally been a huge hurrah, just throw a pie in the CM's face and say if you get to fill up a sheet you can do the same thing! On a more serious note, the guys said 10 mins was more than enough so I took their word for it. I've got a guy running popcorn.

Everything else good?

I thought it replaced the World Scouting Movement badge over the left pocket? No.

Here's what I've come up with, but there's no game.

September 1, 2009 Pack Meeting Plan

5:50 Meeting Setup --- Dont underestimate the time it takes to set-up for your first meeting.

6:15 Gathering Activity Den 3

6:30 Welcome / Signs Up Refresher / Brief Intro

6:32 Flag/Opening Ceremony Den 7

6:37 Welcoming of New Cubs Marching in to Rocky Theme --- Have them line up in Den order at the front as they walk in instead of going to their seats. Hand out Neckerchiefs, Slides, handbooks, and introduce leaders. (Quick and Simple)

6:47 Finish Welcoming Everyone Preview of Packs Fall (ONLY) Calendar on Projector

6:50 Ask Skit people to go get set up

6:50 Boom Chicka Broom Song

6:53 Ask Day Campers to exit room

6:53 Skit Den 11

6:55 Skit Den 7

6:56 Introduction about Day Camps this Summer

6:57 Day Campers March in 2x2 with cadence - Outdoor Activity Award Presented

7:00 Den Flags, Spirit Ribbons and their Usage

7:03 Summertime Activity Award Presentations

7:06 Advancements from Previous Years

7:10 New Annoucements Song Den 4

7:11 Annoucements

7:12 Popcorn Kick Off John Rhodes

7:20 Raffle a few items

7:23 Cubmasters Minute

7:24 Retiring of the Colors Den 7

7:25 Thanks for coming out!

Not real active here is it? I've decided not to do the craft in the Pack meeting. Feedback from other leaders is to keep it to an hour. So, I'm gonna rework and shoot for 60 mins. I'll talk about flags and make it a den assignment.

I was thinking about my son't handout. It's just a one page B&W copy of a copy of a copy thing. Anyone have something nicer, in color that I could print for my boys?

I had some 1/4 inch white rope that I cut into 24 inch sections. I gave a section to each boy earlier this summer to start tying knots with. It's the perfect size to fit into a pocket and they can tie all the 5 knots for Bear with it. I plan to give them some longer sections of rope like 4 feet at a den meeting soon. But I think it's good to have both varities. The little version is good for pockets and bedtime. My son sits in bed and practices while falling asleep. He has a printout of all the knots on the bottom of the upper bunk.

I've been giving this alot of thought and toss it out for opinions, and if well received, to share the ideas with others.

I've almost decided that for the first pack meeting for a craft project, I will have each den make a "den flag." They can sign the flag, draw a picture that symbolizes their den, whatever they want. This will become my equivalent of the medicine bag. (I will have each den leader bring some type of pole, i.e shovel handle; and old sheet, and markers, art supplies, etc to the meeting. Should encourage dens to sit together, etc.

At each meeting I will award spirit ribbons to dens for good behavior, den cheers, songs, skits, etc... I will assign each den to make spirit ribbons from the rest of the sheet and bring to the next pack meeting. They can tye dye them, or whatever. Makes a good den project. They could also make a flag holder as a den project.

The den with the most ribbons at the end of the year gets a party of some type. Maybe a picnic, maybe rock wall climing, maybe bowling, etc.

So, that's my over-the-top-idea for my first pack meeting. The tentative agenda so far is:

6:10 Meeting Setup

6:15 Gathering Activity

6:30 Signs Up Refresher

6:35 Flag/Opening Ceremony

6:40 Thanks/Breif Intro

6:41 Welcoming of New Cubs Marching in to Rocky Theme

6:45 Present New Cubs with Neckerchiefs, Slids and Handbooks - Introduce New Leaders

7:00 Song - "I said a Broom Chicka Broom"

7:05 Day Campers March in 2x2 with cadence - Advancements - Outdoor Activity Award

7:10 Other Advancements from Previous Years

7:15 Make Flags

7:30

Uh oh.... I was trying to keep my meeting to an hour and didn't event get to kick off popcorn, do the raffel, do a skit, talk about the flags/spirit ribbons, reclycling project, cubmaster's minute or retire the colors.

Advice?(This message has been edited by AlabamaDan)

Trabucchi,

You're a man after my own heart! I love the tight agenda, that's how I like to be! AND, you've got it right. The meeting needs to focus more on the kids. I'm having a pack parents meeting on the 2nd Thursday - they can come be bored there.

Tell me more about the beads. So they make a medicine bag to keep their beads in. They earn beads for being on time, being in full uniform, or other positive behavior? Then at the end of the year the one with the most beads earns a prize? What kind of prize. Seems like it would need to be a really good prize to wait all year long. Do you just do the top three?

We've historically given out door prizes for boys. AND a prize for the one who gets the gathering ceremony word search/crossword/quiz/etc. right. Think I should keep that up? Trick is you have to be in full uniform and pass inspection to get the prize.

I like the format you've laid out there. Looks like you have an activity period and a game period. What do you typically do there? AND I have 120 boys in my pack so there's alot of waiting to take your turn to do something. It's suggestions for "fun" stuff that I need help with.

Thanks,

Danny

I've been reading through here and thinking about it. I think some of you guys are way off base. I wear the tiger knot knot. They don't just give those things away you know. I wear it because I'm proud to have spent the year with my boys, have all 10 in my den earn their Tiger badge and 90% of them come back for another year. They're just as proud of me for earning it with them. I've probably earned my cub scouter award for their wolf year and I'll wear it just as proudly. After all, I want them to go home and sew on their patches don't I? I want them to wear their belt loops don't I? Shouldn't I set an example? I'm in my first year as CM. "IF" I were to satisfy the requirements of having two years of summertime activities, earning the quality unit awards, etc... You can be sure that I'd earn it. Over the course of 4 years I'd have a whopping three knots. I wouldn't consider that bling.

I did see a guy at a function one day who had TONS (must have been 12 or 15 of them.) I thought, "Wow he's been around." Not that I've been around a little more I know it would take him like 15+ years to earn those. AND, it turns out he is really a great scouter and helps all of us along.

I'm the new CM for our pack too and past experience with Pack meetings is that they are BORING and I agree. I've got to do something to make it alot more fun, especially since the 30+ new scouts I recruited last night will have the 9/1/09 meeting as their first scouting experience.

HELP!

I'm in my 3rd year of using ScoutTrack for the Pack and it was around another year or two before me. We love it. Ability to have one central calendar is great. We can email dens, leaders or whole pack easily. Best of all is the ability for leaders and parents to sign in, check off what is done for acheivements, belt loops, pins and electives. You can keep attendance on it and it makes a great historical reference for badges earned too. But... it's only as good as the people who use it. Luckily our pack of 120 boys uses it well. I don't know how we'd function without it.

Well I think I like it. I've been having a real problem with parents not volunteering and helping us out. I'll try anything.

Thanks. You're a better googler than I.

I can do knots with a little practice, but it's like a foriegn language. If you don't use it you loose it. I did some fancy knotwork on our family hiking staffs, turks head, french spiral, etc. I can't even remember how I did it without looking. I don't know how people can remember all those knots when they're not used reguarly.

You know after reading this I think I'll teach my Bears to sew on their own patch. It isn't hard and we're supposed to be teaching responsibility right? I think I was about 7 years old when I learned to sew so these boys should be able to do it. Teach them this and they'll be able to sew a button on their shirt/pants when needed. Why should they have the excuse of waiting on Mom - as it so often is. (Guilty as charged.)

Where'd you find all those so quickly. I couldn't find any Cub Scout camps around Alabama. My son was really bummed about it. After all his sister the Girl Scout has been attending week long camp for 3 years, since the second grade.

At first as I was reading I thought - cool idea. Then I remembered...we're supposed to be getting the boys outside and away from video games.

We're thinking about using PayPal as a way for parents to pay dues, pay for outings, etc. It would be very convienient for the parents and maybe the treasurer. I'm not sure if we could do it without fees. Anyone else ever used it?

So with the secret ballot, do they vote and you ensure everyone gets a chance to be denner?

What about assistant denners? Maybe elect them and have them move up.

"BSA policy currently excludes atheists from membership"

Where is that referenced and I am in a leadership role and feel like something needs to be done, but I'm searching for guidance. Thanks for everything here.

These are all good ideas and I hope they're helping others too. Thanks to everyone and keep them coming. Right now I'm thinking about this:

Mid June we have a sleepover at the Huntsville, AL Space and Rocket center. I'm working out the details with them now.

July 4th we have a pack picnic, games or something and watch fireworks.

Mid July is the District Day Camp, which I'm pushing.

The 4th of July thing might now work out, it may be too hard to find a park we can take over within good viewing distance of the fireworks.

Help!

It has just come to my attention that one of the Webelos trying to earn his badge is an atheist. The Den leader is asking for suggestions on how he can full fill this. I said that I thought while not a religion or religious per se, Scouting does promote the individual scout to be religious. I mean how can you have the cub scout promise...I promise to do my duty to God....and be an aetheist. I guess you could interpret God in any way that makes sense to you. But if you truly do not believe in any form of religion (i.e., "a religious belief that refers to a faith or creed concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine. It may concern the existence, nature and worship of a deity or deities and divine involvement in the universe and human life.") then you have to decide.

I then asked the Den Leader "There are requirements to be a Wolf about faith too, did he skim by that one?"

I'm sure our sponsoring organization (Church) would have issue.

We're about more than just camping and fun, it's about character.

I'm not sure exactly what the Webelos requirement is yet, but I don't know if he could finish.

Has anyone else had a similar problem and how did you handle it?