drmbear

Here in the NCAC we have Cub Leaders Pow Wow in November as well as the University of Scouting that just passed a few weeks ago. I think both of these provide some of the most useful training and good ideas that I've gotten toward doing my thing as a den leader and now as cubmaster. I know that November is a long time from now, but plan to be there when it comes around - it usually takes place close to where you live as well. I'm at the southern end of the council, so I have a bit further to travel!!

A lot of what I'm seeing here is the idea that "competition" is bad, "winners and losers" is bad, and that the pinewood derby should be turned into a non-competitive event. I'm all for non-competitive games and activities - heck, I even have whole books and resources filled with non-competitive games and activities to use as a resource. And if the pinewood derby was set up to be something for a mixed group of girls and boys, then I'd be all over the idea of looking for ways to make it less about the competition. How many of you have read Deborah Tannen's book "You Just Don't Understand,

One of the things I've seen about being a good Cubmaster is to BE very much like the 8 or 9 year olds in your pack. Being a great Cubmaster involves being a little crazy, being a little nutty, you are up there in front and rocking the show. I found that the boys respond best and accept the real fun of Cub Scouts a lot more when they are seeing me, an adult, acting in ways they just never see adults act. I'm glad I am not in bad shape, but even I realize I really need to work on getting in even better shape if I'm going to keep doing this for another two years. There are so many important th

I've spent a whole lot of time between my Scouting-as-a-youth time and my now adult-leader time exploring what I'll call "men's work." I went through the Mankind Project's New Warrior Training Adventure (mkp.org) and have been part of the leadership for a regional men's gathering for many years (menswork.org). Some of the best information I have ever found talking about what it means to be a man are: "King, Warrior, Magician, Lover - (male archetypes)" by Gillette & Moore, and "Angry Man, Passive Man" by Marvin Allen. I can honestly say that I'm all for equality for all, and I ha

These new shirts are nylon - at least the one I have. My thoughts are why in the world would you ever want to take a nylon shirt to the dry cleaners. The whole advantage of the nylon is that it is wash-n-wear, easy to wash - in water - and easy to dry, with no wrinkles or problems. I remember years ago taking Supplex shirts and pants on a lightweight trip to Italy that I could easily wash in the sink and have them dry by morning. One of our other den leaders took his brand new Scout shirt to the dry cleaners after the first time he wore it and it came back permanently discolered with pink

The biggest thing I disliked going into the year is that it is set up with an implied order. First, you do meeting 1, then you do meeting 2, etc. Things never work that way. I actually took all of the meeting information, even all the optional/elective plans, and put it all into a spreadsheet so I could move around the order, have a column for the actual dates, and even adjust it as we go through the year. For example, there is at least one of the meeting plans for our den that we really wanted to spend two meetings on instead of just one - I was able to just adjust the whole schedule. Wh

A boy that completes third grade is eligible to go to Webelos camp that summer - so he is a Webelos, right? At the end of the school year, our pack always does a bridging into their new rank, placing on their new neckerchiefs, and officially moving them into their new level.

You can also check out the appropriate sections found at: http://fieldbook.scouting.org/ Have fun!!

I didn't have the old Woodbadge, but ran Council-wide boy leader training courses in the late 70's that in many ways mirrored what Woodbadge was at the time. Less than a year ago I did the WB21C course and was probably most disappointed in the overall "Powerpoint" orientation of it all. No one leading or teaching it really "needed" to know all that much, either in the full sessions or in the patrol sessions (where the Powerpoints were just printed out in a ring-binder). I can't even measure how much more I appreciated the Managing Learning concept of involving the group in learning the skil

The Halloween event was easy. We held it on a den meeting night, not a Pack Event night, which was earlier in the month. So we also ran it within the time frame of a den meeting - 1 hr to 1:15hr. It was "bring treats to share" and I made jugs of lemonade, brought cups and napkins, and set up the tables with tablecloths. I just let everyone know that we were doing it and that anyone that wanted to perform a magic trick or two should get in touch with me. Of course, with the Bear Den, in the previous several den meetings we practiced multiple magic tricks, learned some songs, and overall go

We combined the Cub Scout Magic idea into a Halloween event, with costumes, snacks, etc. The Bear Den hosted, since they have an elective centered around magic, but anyone in the pack, boys or adults, could get on the schedule to perform tricks. As for Pack meetings - stop calling them meetings! Meetings are boring and not something a CS aged boy wants to be a part of. Call them events, extravaganza's, shows, galas, or anything else you want to that signifies it will be something fun! We also removed all semblance of announcements or business from the Pack Events. That's what the new

Hey, in Cub Scouts this month's Character Connection is Resourcefulness. There is a definite reason why Scouts need to be resourceful. Although we do our best to "be prepared," there is just as much possibility that we are not as prepared as we'd like to be and the need arises to be resourceful. In my experience, there have been so many instances where something was forgotten, missing, broken, or some other calamity, there is not even a reason to account for them. Instead, I just expect that something will be forgotten. Probably the worst for me was trying to find something to light

I ran a council-wide week long TLT back in the late 1970's for three years. I was the Senior Patrol Leader, we had as many as 80 boys attending, and it was actually boy-run. I selected and trained the staff and led the course during the week. It was the highlight of my Scouting experience. Now after going through Wood Badge last spring and working my way through the NYLT course materials, I am absolutely certain that what we did back then is far superior than anything offered today - just my opinion. The White Stag training is the only thing I've found that is close (http://www.whites

You are partially right that the Cubmaster is the one to go to!! I am a Cubmaster, so I know it is easy to put all the responsibility there. In the workings of a Pack, though, the Cubmaster is responsible for the program - all the things that have to do with how the leaders relate with the boys, and all the things that make Cub Scouts fun. In the operation of a pack, I would say my "boss" is the Pack Committee Chair and Pack Committee. They are responsible for all the administration and business side of things, as well as providing the support to make sure the program goes off without a hi

I still use all the traditional Scout skills on a regular basis - can't even help myself. But last week I went in to my son's third grade class to do a presentation connected to my profession - but really seemed to focus on things I was learning working on merit badges as a Scout, particularly Energy MB and Environmental Science MB. By the time I was sixteen years old, I realized that although we should use renewable energy sources to the extent practical, we needed to take full advantage of nuclear power for our large scale generation. Scouting took me to getting a degree in nuclear engine

I think if you work at it, you can get Den chiefs, and they'll make a huge difference to the kind of program you can have with your dens. But they are hard to come by, particularly with how busy these guys are with all the crazy activities available to them nowadays. Something we've done to involve Boy Scouts in the Cub Scout program is have a team of the guys come to lead games and activities during the monthly Pack Event (not meeting any more!!). As Cubmaster, I give them a few ideas from that month's program helps, etc., but essentially leave it to them to take the 10 to 15 minutes t

Sometime last year when updating my profile at the National Eagle Scout Association site, I found that I could get names and addresses of Eagle Scouts in my area. In thinking about how I could use that information, I figured I could invite them to our Blue & Gold Banquet in early March. Most of them are no longer in Scouting, and who knows the response, but it seems an interesting idea. My question is whether anyone here knows of any drawbacks or problems with doing this? And do you have any ideas for how we can make the most of having them there? Any recommendations? --Thanks!!

You know, I'm a fairly "crafty" person, have done lots of stuff and am good at it. But I can tell you that when I was in this age, I wanted nothing to do with Cub Scouts BECAUSE most of what I saw was the guys sitting around a table doing crafts with a den mother. I joined Boy Scouts when I was twelve, went on to become an Eagle, etc., but I still have a distinct memory of visiting multiple times but wanting to stay away because of that. They have their place, I suppose, but if you can get them out doing something you are going to be far better off. Just my opinion!!!

Nothing like living off the wild!!!!

This is what I've got: The Cub Scout version of the World Conservation Award can be earned by Wolf or Bear Cub Scouts, and by Webelos Scouts. This award can be earned only once while you are in Cub Scouting (i.e. as either a Wolf Cub Scout, a Bear Cub Scout, or as a Webelos Scout). As a Wolf Cub Scout, you can earn the Cub Scout World Conservation Award by doing the following: 1. Complete achievement #7 - Your Living World 2. Complete all Arrow Points in 2 of the following 3 Electives: o #13 - Birds o #15 - Grow Something o #19 - Fishing 3. Participate in a den or pa

It may be a stretch for some, but I kinda see asking someone whether they believe in God can be considered very much like asking someone if they believe in happiness. Although we have a general definition of what it means to be happy, each person can have very different ideas about what makes him or her happy. Just because the things that make me happy tick you off doesn't mean I don't believe in happiness. Even an athiest can have an understanding of God in a way that has meaning and value to them in how they relate to other people and their community. To me, it is far more important for

When I ran Troop Leader Training courses, as the Senior Patrol Leader, we modeled the ideal of the patrol method and what it means to be boy lead. The amazing thing, as an adult, I essentially get to be the crazy person I got to be as SPL back then as a Cubmaster. At the same time, I completely understand and am looking forward to being an adult in Boy Scouts, though I'm glad I get to do this for a few years. I'm already working with some of the Webelos parents and leaders to start transitioning their boys to handling that transition where we aren't doing everything. In great troops, there

SP, What you describe seems to orient the Tiger den leader to operate like the other den leaders, and in my study of the program, it really doesn't seem like it should work that way. If TDL training and process goes through everything in such a way indicating they are responsible, then I guarantee that all the parents will certainly allow that person to be responsible. I really don't think anyone should be allowed to actually take on the TDL role until the expectations for all the parents is established.

The biggest thing I've learned about starting off a Tiger Den is to definitely, absolutely, NOT dump responsibility off to someone agreeing to be a Tiger Cub Den Leader. I just think it is a huge mistake. The key to starting out a Tiger den, which is supposed to be run on the principle of shared leadership, is to have all the parents starting out in the den at the same level. If you identify clearly and set out with someone identified as the TDL, what I've seen is that the other parents have a hard time ever getting it. And a new TDL just doesn't have the authority to set the right conditi

I'm within the max allowable guidelines, but at times I just don't get where they come up with these BMI guidelines. I am 6'6" tall and weigh 270lbs - I'm a big guy - and I know I could stand to lose a few pounds. But when I was 13 and 14 years old, same height, and you couldn't find an ounce of fat on me, I was over the recommended weight for my height on those charts. I'd have to be anorexic or something in order to get within what they call normal guidelines. Just confusing to me.