advance guidelines need help

[NewCubCC]

Hey all,

I am the guy that inherited a drowning pack and need help. It's the end of the year and I'm still struggling, but making progress. I need some advice for advancements. I've got a parent that is a DL for me. Basically, it's an ok arrangement (he's partially trained so far). This guy, if given free reign, would advance these kids so fast that there would be a terrible influx of 9 year old Eagle Scouts--ha ha.

 

I think especially as this pack is in trouble now, that we need to focus on the "fun" of cubbing and maybe that new outdoor award. Now, here where I live, outdoors is readily available. I think if we focus on how much fun we had this summer then go back to school and recruit again with boys talking about all the fun they had, that this pack can continue to grow. It'll also give us time to work more with our leaders on giving a quality program not a quick one.

 

Now, that said, the CM doesn't participate much if at all, so I need to get him onboard first, but I want to slow down this DL and get the quality. I have no UC to go to at this time (Transition time at council level), and won't till fall, so that won't help.

 

Anyone have any ideas on how this sounds to them? Can we as a committee have the DL slow down and persue quality over quick?

 

Now, remember that these are parents that have been good to run this pack when it had nothing to go on, so I don't want to alienate anyone, but we need structure and rules and guidance.

 

 

[Bob White]

Which den will he have next program year?

[mbscoutmom]

Can't they advance and have fun at the same time? We have loads of fun at every den meeting, but we also get several requirements or electives done. Just look in the handbook--it's full of fun activities.

[SemperParatus]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Perhaps its just me, but your post seems to focus on what 'I want us to do' rather than on the 'we'. As the new CC of a struggling pack (with a weak CM and a speedy DL and a whole host of other characters) it is very important to build a sense of teamwork and consensus among the leaders you are serving with. The summertime pack program should be a collaborative effort of the pack leadership that supports the fullness of the cub scouting program, with a little advancement work, a little skill development, exploration and discovery, and LOTS of FUN. But, all pack leaders should have some input on what may be offered and promoted. In the long run, your program will be stronger for it.

 

As far as the speedy DL, in my opinion, imposing a committee directive on this DL would not be a positive response. It may make you feel better but I don't see how the DL could feel anything but a criticism of what he is doing or trying to do. Its not clear if this DL is Wolf/Bear (family-focused advancement work) or Webelos (den-focused advancement), or that others share your concerns. Have you attended his den meetings to see what he is doing with advancement? Could the possibility exist that his den is hugely active or the parents are working hard with their kids and the requirements are being adequately met? In any event, discussion and tactfulness is in order, rather than a top-down directive to 'slow it down'. Maybe ask him to share (publicly at the next committee meeting) with the other den leaders his 'secrets' for motivating his scouts to meet the advancement requirements so quickly. This could lead to a discussion among all the leaders as to the depth at which the requirements are handled, which may open his eyes (or others).

 

Best of luck to you.

(This message has been edited by SemperParatus)

[Prairie_Scouter]

Yeah, I think I'd agree with those who write that you should kind of tread lightly here. As the new CC, you could approach the DL and say that your trying to visit all of the dens to see how they do things, just as general background. That gets you in the door without any worry about whether you might be stepping on toes; and, it's really not a bad idea to visit your dens occasionally to see how they're doing. If you think that they're not actually meeting the requirements, your CM should be the one to help you there. If they're actually doing the requirements, and just doing them really fast, then you have to judge whether they're just in a race or actually having fun along the way. Either way, if the requirements are being met, there's probably not a lot you can do. In the longer run, you could use your annual planning meeting to emphasize the "fun" aspect and, one of my favorites, that "the journey is every bit as important as the destination".

[NewCubCC]

This guy will have Bears next year. The Wolf parents say their boy's books came home signed off and their kids say they never did certain assignments. I have no idea what they've done or not done since I just inherited all this recently. Some of the parents are saying it's just too fast and they've talked with him, but he's all about speed. The parents say he started in October and finished them in December or January. It's mostly him signing off requirements and not a family thing at all and the couple of books I saw would support this. I came in early spring and they were all signed off and had their badges by that time, so it appears to be true, although I didn't know he hadn't started till October if that's true. The CM is not fully trained either and he seems to be part of the problem on the surface at least. Actually, a couple of committee members, the COR who recruited me and I are the only fully trained adults.

 

I agree that it sounds like a lot of "I" and not much "we", but that's because I'm just shooting a bunch of stuff around in my head right now and it's not progressed past myself other than these parents felt the need to tell me certain things. I want to get some things sorted out myself before I try to offer any assistance where it may not be wanted/needed. I hope to start sorting out with others this week.

 

I like the planning meeting idea which I'd already had on my list to suggest. How far in advance do you plan? Quarterly or so comes to my mind as a good amount to start off with (like summer first then to Christmas.....). At some point I've got to address the parents concerns over his signing off their kids books. The parents should be the majority of the signatures and that wasn't true with the couple of books I saw. Further suggestions????

 

Also, there are no Webelo's at this point. They've all dropped out and won't be returning (another long story). I have one boy that wants to join as a first year, but he'd be alone. Any advice on that one?

 

I again would like to say that all these people seem to really enjoy being leaders and love the kids, but they've been without direction for a really long time (like 2-3 years). It seems like it's been a free for all during that time and we've lost nearly 20 boys in the process. We're down to somewhere around 15 registred and half that active.

 

Thanks for any suggestions. I really need policed too, but there isn't anyone around to do that for (or to) me . That's why I'm bugging you guys.

 

Thanks,

CC

[ScoutNut]

The annual planning meeting is done once a year (hence annual) and usually in August (sometimes earlier). This is when you plan your program & budget for the upcoming year.

 

Your Pack Committee & Leaders should be meeting monthly.

 

If the boys do not remember what they did for a particular achievement that is not in of itself a problem, because boys of that age don't retain a lot of stuff for extended periods. If the parents say they aren't getting the chance to work with their sons and they are concerned that the achievements are not really being met, then THAT is a problem.

 

First, the CM & the Leaders all need to get FULLY trained. Then, if this keeps on happening, the CM needs to sit down & talk with him.

 

If the parents are really concerned, then the easiest way to handle it is to simply KEEP the book at HOME. Then, a week before the pack meeting hand it to the leader telling him that the things the scout has finished have been signed by you (his parent) & that is what he should be recognised for.

 

OR

 

If the parents don't feel achievements have really been done, then they need to repeat them at home with their sons, themselves.

 

There is no rule that the parents can't repeat achievements already signed off by the Den Leader.

 

 

[cajuncody]

As a former Wolf Leader, now CM, I have to say that this may not even be a problem. Maybe the parents just need to attend the den meetings and see what is going on. For example, in our den we covered the Feats of Skill requirement fully in one meeting. It was a blast and the kids loved it. when it was all said and done, none remembered exactly what we had done but fortunatly for us most of the parents stay for meetings. We have done other requirements just a quickly including Duty to God where our den had a guest speaker. My boys didn't want to slow down, they wanted to earn, earn, and earn their awards.

So, that said, my suggestion would be to have a few of the concerned parents attend the den meetings in question. Then if they see him signing off on items not complete they can call him on it then, not a few weeks down the line, with the simple question of "How exactly did we complete this with the boys tonight?"

Kristi