Splitting up a Pack

[Cubmaster Jerry 10]

Ok, looking for some ideas here. I spoke with my DE tonight at RT and suggested looking in to splitting up my Pack. I live in a "booming" area which is evident by my 53 new scouts that we signed up (and collected payment from) last week at School Night For Scouting (SNFS). I already have a dozen more that are waiting in the proverbial line to sign up and pay and can see the final total of new scouts this year reaching 70. This will double our roster size.

 

My Pack has had roster sizes around 100 after previous SNFS but we have also experienced serious attrition rates of close to 25-30%, not including graduating Webelos, for as long as I know. Since arriving in this Pack, I have directed my attention to improving these attrition rates so I do not expect them to be as high in the future. I DO expect to continue to have recruitment drives that continue to add at least 40+ boys per year to the Pack for a number of years to come.

 

One idea that I presented to my DE was to funnel all but half of the Tigers from at least next year's SNFS into a new Pack. My Pack would have to act as a sister Pack as the new Pack would have no resources. We would obviously have to do some pre-recruiting of a CC and CM. My DE is giving this issue more thought but I got the impression that there is no set process for this.

 

Any other ideas that you have seen work? I am not looking for info regarding HOW to create a new Pack (get a CO, trained leaders, etc). I know all of that. I just need ideas on how to spawn one from mine. Oh, we recruit out of just one school so there is no option to have my Pack recruit out of School A and the new one recruit out of School B.

 

Thanks for your help!

Jerry

[Bob White 20]

What would keep YOUR second pack from losing as many boys as the first? It would not appear to me that you have growth problem, you seem to have a retention problem. I would turm my attention to the program and let the charter organization worry about what they want to do if THEIR pack gets too big.

[Cubmaster-Fred 10]

Jerry,

 

I agree with BW in that you should get the CO involved in this.

 

But I also know that the CM is responsible for delivering a quality program, and after a pack gets to a certain size, it does put a strain on the quality of the program.

 

If it is putting a strain on the program, feel free to look into getting another pack started in the area. Just get the CO invelved with tht eprocess by having them talk to the DE about helping to alleviate this problem.

 

Fred

[EagleInKY 14]

Several years ago, before I was involved with it, our pack had outgrown the CO's space and there were no other meeting place options in our area of the county. So, the pack split up into two teams. They held two pack meetings, with half of the dens at each meeting. Some events, like Pinewood Derby or outdoor activities, were done as a whole. I understand that it was a logistical challenge, but it allowed them to stay together until other options presented themselves.

[ScoutNut 147]

CM Jerry - In another thread you said that your District had tried a few times to start up a new Pack in your area and that the Packs keep failing.

 

Why would this new split off Pack be any different?

 

 

[Cubmaster Jerry 10]

There have been attempts in the last few years to start up a new Pack, but that Pack pulls from a different school and is in an adjacent town. I suppose that the failure of those efforts can infer a possible failure of a new Pack in my town. I suppose we could push boys from our area and recruitment drives to them. However, as I understand it, the failure is a result of not necessarily too few boys (although they do have a much smaller base to recruit from) but ineffective leadership in that (those) Pack. I don't know all of the details of those efforts but could create another thread as to my and the district's efforts and concerns for its success.

 

I envision a new Pack in my area working side-by-side with my Pack (something we are trying hard to establish with the new Pack in the adjacent town but are having difficulty doing). Like I mentioned, we would be recruiting from the same school.

 

The team idea is one we considered and may use if it comes to that. We current have places big enough for our Pack meetings, B&G, and Crossover but we'd be pushing it if we got any bigger.

 

My CO really isn't a factor, unfortunately. They are pretty hands off when it comes to organizational decisions. In fact, we may be in the market for a new CO in the future because they are folding.

 

Bob........ the retention problem in my Pack is being addressed. I thought that was apparent in my 2nd paragraph. Now I am working on the GROWTH issue.

 

Jerry

[Bob White 20]

Hi Jerry,

 

I understood that you were taking steps, but unless I misunderstood, the problem is not yet solved, or that these steps are even going to work.

 

I would suggest that you need to SOLVE the retention problem before worrying about the growth problem.

 

Or as learned early as a dad, you don't change the baby while he's still peeing.

 

Once the program problem is solved then worry about unit size.

[purcelce 11]

hmmm...DE suggested you split the pack.

 

I ran into this situation about two years ago. At Scott AFB about 5 years ago the base had 2 packs. One pack folded and the other one thrived. In 2002 the pack got a whole lot of boys signed up at SNFS. I was ADC and the DE suggested we start a new pack. I had reservations because the other pack had just folded and the thriving pack needed den leaders. We didn't start a new pack, but the triving pack just added a few more dens, got some awesome den leaders, and put on a great program.

 

If you get some gung ho people in the key posistions that will commit then go for it.

 

Any questions email me.

 

One last thing Jerry, your team will stay in the basement as mine will be on top (For all you guys scratching your heads on the last remark, we are in the same fantasy football league.)

 

 

 

[madkins007 10]

When I was a Scout, our troop had split because of the large school being drawn from. They split it along a certain street, and that worked fine for them. No idea if it would help you or work now.

[Cubmaster Jerry 10]

Bob, it would be foolish to not address both of them at the same time. What happens when (not if) the efforts to fix the retention problems pay off and we have another 50+ new boys next year? I have 23 Webelos 2 that will graduate this year. Even with an attrition rate of 10%, I will be around 100 boys next May and come fall recruitment could have 10% more boys than I do this year.

 

My Pack's fall recruitment drives have brought in 53, 51, & 68 boys each of the last three years. Another 50+ is not out of the question.

 

Cary, not sure that adding a few more dens would be the answer. I currently have 19 Dens, three of which are W2 and will graduate. I added 8 Dens this year alone.

 

Jerry

[purcelce 11]

Jer,

 

Sounds like you've got an awesome program!

 

You are definately busting at the seams. Sounds like your DE is really wanting to help you instead of trying to just start another unit for the bean counters.

I would go with your "sister Pack" idea. Get a good CM and CC and have the "new pack" do things with your pack and then cut the cord when you and the other involve think the new pack can go solo.

 

Building new units is a challenge and rewarding.

Why don't you move over here to Belleville... I need a good UC

 

Good luck and see ya on the grid iron or the base.

 

Cary P

 

 

 

 

[Cubmaster Jerry 10]

Cary, that is precisely what we were thinking was the best way to go. We will have to see how it plays out this year. We managed to fill 5 of my 7 leader positions tonight! Woo Hoo!!

 

We really do have a great program. They had their problems some years ago but a good group of leaders (before my time) stepped up and really did a great job resurrecting it from the coals.

 

I wouldn't mind being a UC or at least moving to that level. I just signed up to be on my district's training staff.

 

 

[purcelce 11]

good to go.

 

Well got to pack for the weekend. Taking the crew to camp Van tommorow to staff our

Council's Webelos Outdoor Weekend.

 

(This message has been edited by purcelce)

[scoutldr 739]

You have to keep in mind that DE's love to form new units. That's how they keep their jobs.

[Cubmaster Mike 10]

somehow the math is not adding up for me. You have 19 dens and less than 100 boys? How many boys per den?