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Summertime Pack Award


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This year our Pack was planning on going to an Air Show in July to complete our July event for the Pack Summertime Award. We had a pack meeting/Picnic in June, with a pool party scheduled for August. I have just learned that the Air Show has been moved to the first week in August. Will it be possible to still use this event as our July Pack event, or do we need to schedule an event in July. Your input on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

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1 - The changing of the date is beyond your control. In good faith you scheduled it as your July event.

 

2 - You still have 3 events scheduled for the summer, even w/ the change in dates on the Air Show.

 

As I see it (and I'm sure other's will take a different stand) this is Cub Scouting - the motto is Do Your Best. You have done your best for the Pack...and still have 3 activities planned so count it.

 

IMHO

YiS

Michelle

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Last summer our Pack had a similar situation. Our August event had to be postponed twice due to bad weather. We actually ended up having it in early September but we still counted it as our August event, since we had no control over the weather.

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It's entirely up to you to decide how strictly to interpret the requirements. I'd lean toward counting it, if it were up to me. When in doubt, I try to discern the intent of the award, and I'd say the intent of this award is to encourage packs to schedule events at dispersed times throughout the summer. It looks like you're doing that.

 

By the same token, I would not count day camp or resident camp. That's not really a "pack" activity, the pack didn't schedule it and doesn't run it.

 

Our pack often schedules two events per month in the summer. So we wouldn't need to worry about the exact definition if one of the dates moved. But then there's the discussion about what the exact requirements are for an individual when there are more than three events in the summer.

 

Strictly speaking, though, the letter of the law on the award is pretty clear. A pack activity in June, one in July, and one in August.

 

Oak Tree

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"By the same token, I would not count day camp or resident camp. That's not really a "pack" activity, the pack didn't schedule it and doesn't run it."

Our Pack counts day camps and resident camps as planned summertime events for the Pack.  The whole idea of the the Summertime Award is to bring your Pack together at least 3 times during the summer vacation and Day Camps are perfect and fun way to do that.

Check with your coucil.  There is no prohibition in our council to include Day & Resident Camps.

 

 

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IMO, the only way a Pack can consider Day or Resident Summer Camp an individual thing instead of a Pack activity is if you do not promote and/or encourage it within your Pack.

 

As soon as our council puts out their new calendar, our Pack Committee sits down & picks the weekend our Pack will go to Summer Camp, although families are encouraged to sign up individually for any of the dates/locations if another one works better for them. One of the leaders who is planning on attending will become our Summer Camp Guy. For District Day Camp, I usually become the Day Camp Guy.

 

As soon as info is put out by council on these events, we will make up flyers & registration sheets. These are mailed to every family & handed out at Den & Pack meetings. We will have our Camp Guys register for their camp as a Pack. This insures that we are all put together.

 

We will start promoting Summer Camps in September by showing all of the pictures we have from THIS summer's camps! (VKScouter take lots of pictures at resident camp to show at your first Pack meeting. Maybe you can get a few more boys interested for next year!) I think we almost put more time & effort into scheduling & promoting the Summer Camps than we do any of the other Summer activities! As for the Pack not running the Summer Camps, I just spent the past weekend working as staff at council's Cub Adventure Summer Camp Weekend. We had 4 families from our Pack attend. I will also be working at our District's Day camp. So far we have 15 of our boys signed up! FUN TIMES!!

 

Our Summer schedule shaped up like this -

 

June - Pack Family Camp & Day Hike

July - Cub Summer Camp & Minor League Baseball

Aug - Day Camp & Pack Picnic

 

I think we are going to end up with a few boys getting their individual Summertime Award!

 

VKScouter, it's not to late to throw together an impromptu day or bike hike for July. Pick someplace interesting, but close by & maybe have the Pack pay for popsicles and/or trail mix for the participants!

 

If that can't happen, then by all means, count the Air Show & have FUN!

 

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What about this situation?

 

Our day camp was the first week after school let out in June. It was too late for the new scouts to sign up-and it wasn't open to Tigers. We had 50% of the wolf and bear den attend. Our webelos patrol is also brand new so camp was full before they could sign up. In June we also did a fishing trip, and in my mind I was thinking of that as our June activity.

 

Our July event is a camping trip next weekend and I'm very disappointed that we may not get 50% of the den members to participate in the overnighter part. Some may come down for the day and the planned pack meeting, but strictly speaking-we probably won't have the 50% on that one.

 

We're planning a hike in August and I have no idea yet about participation, but am hopeful since it is more local and only 1/2 day.

 

I REALLY want that pack award and know there are boys who deserve the individual award too. (My son, for example, lol) I hate to have a few slackers ruin it for everyone.

 

Reading this thread, I'm wondering if its kosher to count the day camp as a pack activity. Heck, by the end of summer we'll have 4 activities that we've done.

 

Whaddya think?

 

Tonya

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If I remember correctly, all that needs to be done to earn the PACK award is to offer an event in June, July, and August--no minimum attendance.

 

To earn the DEN award, at least 50% of the den members must attend an event in each of the three months. I think if you offer multiple events in a month, at least 50% of the boys need to attend one of the events (IMO it qualifies if you have 8 boys and 2 show up for event A and 2 different boys show up for event B).

 

To earn the INDIVIDUAL award, a scout needs to attend at least one event in June, July, and August.

 

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Its my understanding (and I would love to be wrong), that in order for the dens and individual boys to earn their awards, the pack has to earn the pack award. No pack award, no others. Is this correct?

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CCTonya, as far as the 'Pack' summertime award, all you have to do is plan those meetings. In other words, if you had NO boys show up to your PLANNED summer events (all three months) the pack would still get the award because you planned them.

 

Carol

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That is my understanding - no minimum attendance required, and an event scheduled for each month. In our pack, we schedule three events. We count resident summer camp and encourage the entire pack to attend the same weekend. This year we have a swim day in July and a picnic scheduled for August.

 

Last year for July (scheduled on the last weekend), my son and family showed up at the beach early so we could stake out the spot for the pack. About an hour before everyone was supposed to arrive, MAJOR storms blew in. My son was the only one there, and no one else showed up. We rescheduled the beach for August.

 

When I completed the form, I indicated that 1 scout showed up and added a foot note about the weather issue. We recieved our Summer pack award because we had 3 events scheduled and at least 1 scout showed up for each one.

 

I would say count the show for your July outing and go for the award.

 

Have a great day.

 

Tom

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The intent of the Summertime Pack award is for packs to remain ACTIVE during the summer months of June, July, and August. The pack leadership interprets whether the requirements have been met. Just be honest with yourself.

 

Does planning count as an activity? Or maybe doing is more appropriate?

Is 1 or 2 boys going to day camp a pack activity?

Is doing an event in June, skipping July, and doing 2 events in August being active during the 3 summer months?

 

If only 1 or 2 boys show up for an event, was the pack active?

 

If an event is cancelled, was the pack active?

 

The requirements give wide latitude for interpretation, but ACTIVE during the 3 summer months of June, July, and August is key.

 

See the application form:

http://www.scouting.org/forms/33748.pdf

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