ScoutMomAng 10 Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Been away for awhile but I'm back now! I've been away because my husband retired from 21 years of military service in the middle of a scout year so the new pack didn't need our help as leaders but needed our help everywhere else! Now we have moved packs because the old pack wasn't cutting it. The new pack was just a den last year when we got here but we told them that we would move to this pack when they were ready to start up and do a good round-up. My husband has moved in as Cub Master and I as WeBeLoS leader. If anybody remembers this is my place to be! However, we have encountered a few problems already. The former leader (we'll call him that because it wasn't really a Pack but a den), is very pessimistic and somewhat negative. I'm afraid this will have bearing on the new boys we have recruited. Last week we took this pack from 6 boys to 21! Any ideas how to handle a such a person? Link to post Share on other sites
Lisabob 13 Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Give him a specific job to do, one that does not require direct interaction with the boys. Something useful but thoroughly behind the scene. Lisa Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutNut 147 Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Has your CC & COR recruited enough adult volunteers to cover all of the positions needed for those 21 boys? You say this person is "former" leader, isn't he leading his den this year? Is he still a registered volunteer? What is his position in the Pack? Your husband, the CM, should talk to your CC & COR. Providing leadership is their responsibility. Link to post Share on other sites
eghiglie 10 Posted October 2, 2006 Share Posted October 2, 2006 Talk to him a bit, one on one, maybe over coffee or something and find out the issues he has. Try to do it away from a scout meeting so everyone is relaxed. It could be he got stuck doing most everything and didn't get much help with the Den. Or maybe he didn't get the right training. Or maybe an aspect of being a leader, like the paperwork that got to him. Maybe he had to spend his own money. Its good to help him out as he needs to be a positive role model for his children and keep them in scouting. More kids quit scouting because the parents convince them to. A wise council exec once told me that ''we're not just recruiting a boy into a pack but a family into scouting''. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 Thanks for all your input! Lisa, I like your idea! That is great. I think we'll make this person the treasurer. This pack was basically a den last year and the previous three or four years. Not really sure why but this year we had a great turn out at round up, 15 new boys for a total of 21 this year! That's awesome since it is up from 5 or 6. This person has been, really the sole survivor for this pack. The committee (not just the chair but the WHOLE committee), the treasurer, the den leader, the cub master the whole kit and kaboodle! My first thought was to put in one position and leave it at that. I'm glad somebody else confirmed my thoughts and made it that simple. Scoutnut---yes we got two parent leaders for every den. We have a new Cub Master and I will be the new WeBeLoS leader for this pack. All parents at this first meeting seemed to be willing to help where ever they were needed. Since the past years have had no real turn out for this pack, it was decided to put a "feeler" out there just to see how many parents turned up at this first meeting (a parents only meeting) so we knew basically whether it was going to be worth the trouble of keeping this pack going. Thank God! We had an awesome turn out because this pack has been in existance since I was a little girl going to school there some 30 years ago! Thanks for the advice all. ScoutMomAng Link to post Share on other sites
ChuckSt8er 10 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Cubmaster here. One of the things that I initiated last year when we did annual planning was a "visioning" session in which we set out what kind of program we wanted to be in the future. This was an open forum for leaders and parents (though pretty much it was just leaders). I feel that going through this exercise helped unite us, set a clear and common direction, and took the weight off of one or two individuals. We experienced some real pack growth recently (see my "help!" post in this forum); to help deal with this, I asked an experienced Scouter what advice he had for me in managing growth. His answer: you need to develop a culture of leadership within the pack, one where you are actively getting parents to sign up to be uniformed leaders, to share committee shifts and activity leadership. He also suggested that the tenure of each position should be relatively short - - one year to learn a position, and another year to teach it to the person who will follow you. I am giving this advice serious thought and figuring out how we can make this into part of our new vision for the Pack. It sounds like you started with the right kind of vision: Developing a program that would attract more boys into Scouting. Build your leadership ranks with people who share a common vision for the program and you'll soon find yourself with a solid, solid program of 40 or 50 boys. This kind of success tends to snowball if you manage it properly. Good luck from another Scouter walking a similar path. Link to post Share on other sites
SSScout 1615 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Yessiree! I like reading success stories. Try this some where down the line: I will assume your normal opening goes something like this: Cubs at attention, flags come in, pledge of allegiance, a Cub leads the Pack in the CS Promise and LotP. Just before the Cub begins the CSP, the CM should break in with "wait a minute Tommy, I know the Cubs all know the CSP and LotP, but I want to see if the PARENTS have been listening". Here he walks around with a paper bag in which are 3x5 cards, each of which has a single word on it, making up the CSP and/or LotP. CM encourages each parent to draw out a card, then asks them to arrange themselves in the proper order WITHOUT SPEAKING. Then say the words in proper order. The boys will love it, "ah Garauntea". If they have inordinate trouble, the CM can ask a Cub "volunteer" to assist. Then the CM can say a short CM minute about keeping promises or such. KISAF YiS Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted October 7, 2006 Author Share Posted October 7, 2006 SSScout I LOVE That idea!!! I think once I get this pack up and going and all the new boys learn that CSP I'm gonna give it a try!!! I love it!! That is why I come here, to get all the advice I can (for free!!), plus generate new ideas! Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutMomAng 10 Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 SSSCout, You think the 2nd pack meeting would be too soon for your version of the opening??? Cub master wants Webelos to do another opening since the new dens are ALL new boys and may not get it yet. Angela Link to post Share on other sites
SSScout 1615 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 SMA: Thanks for the comps. If you think the Cubs know the routine, then sure, go for it! Make sure you have enough parents to do the whole CSP and/or the LotP. Gets hard if you have to go thru the bag TWICE! KISAF YiS Link to post Share on other sites
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