Running a Pack

[ScrappinJazz 10]

My son is a Tiger Cub and quite frankly, both our den and our pack stink. I have spoken with the Cub Master (awesome guy) and he suggested that I forget (put up with might be a better phrase) the den. However, he also suggested that I become more involved with the pack and get my son's programming that way. Then the pack will be stronger and we will be able to increase the number of boys (and therefore quality volunteers) in the pack.

 

So my questions are this:

When you have pack activities/events, is a particular den responsible for each activity/event? How do you give that den the necessary information to plan adequately?

 

Do you have "parent meetings" and who is required to attend?

 

What kinds of activities/events does your pack offer on a yearly basis?

 

What has made your pack a great success?

 

Any help would be appreciated!

Christy

[Cubmaster Randy 10]

 

When we have a pack event, a subcommittee plans it. We try and involve a parent from each den level, so when a group crosses over, it does not take the entire planning hsitory with it. They report what they are doing/done to the Pack Committee. They get the necessary information from the Pack Committee and other sources. For example, the person running the campout will have gone to BALOO where they would have been instructed on how to take the pack camping. Our district roundtable offers a breakout once a year on a particular event such as B&G or pinewood. I've seen dens in other packs do it, but they normally pair a tiger den with a webelos den, so the older den can pass on it's knowldege.

We have "parent meetings" several times a year. I am not referring to the monthly Pack Leaders or Committee meetings which all parents are invited (most don't attend, but a meeting during a Pack meeting when all the parents should be there anyway. Myself and a couple of other leaders would take the boys for an activity, so the CC can discuss items with the parents.

Of course the annual program planning meeting where the coming years activites are discussed, everyone is invited too

Our yearly program involves a fall campout, spring campout, a big trip (Yorktown Ship, Lost Sea, overnnight at the zoo, etc. Next year they want to travel to Washington DC) We also do the pinewood derby, bowling party, promote summer day camp, local scout expo, Braves games, family picnic, etc..

We don't do white water rafting or paintball, (sorry had to throw that in...lol)

 

Our pack is a success because the boys have fun. Most of the time, we have to twist a few parents arms to get them to contribute, but after they help out once, we can count on them to help again

Have some fun events, Have them earn awards, and other recognitions. Get them and their parents excited about the program. They will become the best recruiters for building the Pack

 

 

[Cubmaster Randy 10]

 

When we have a pack event, a subcommittee plans it. We try and involve a parent from each den level, so when a group crosses over, it does not take the entire planning hsitory with it. They report what they are doing/done to the Pack Committee. They get the necessary information from the Pack Committee and other sources. For example, the person running the campout will have gone to BALOO where they would have been instructed on how to take the pack camping. Our district roundtable offers a breakout once a year on a particular event such as B&G or pinewood. I've seen dens in other packs do it, but they normally pair a tiger den with a webelos den, so the older den can pass on it's knowldege.

We have "parent meetings" several times a year. I am not referring to the monthly Pack Leaders or Committee meetings which all parents are invited (most don't attend, but a meeting during a Pack meeting when all the parents should be there anyway. Myself and a couple of other leaders would take the boys for an activity, so the CC can discuss items with the parents.

Of course the annual program planning meeting where the coming years activites are discussed, everyone is invited too

Our yearly program involves a fall campout, spring campout, a big trip (Yorktown Ship, Lost Sea, overnnight at the zoo, etc. Next year they want to travel to Washington DC) We also do the pinewood derby, bowling party, promote summer day camp, local scout expo, Braves games, family picnic, etc..

We don't do white water rafting or paintball, (sorry had to throw that in...lol)

 

Our pack is a success because the boys have fun. Most of the time, we have to twist a few parents arms to get them to contribute, but after they help out once, we can count on them to help again

Have some fun events, Have them earn awards, and other recognitions. Get them and their parents excited about the program. They will become the best recruiters for building the Pack

 

 

[ScoutNut 147]

Wow, That's quite a statement that both your Den & Pack (with the exception of your Cubmaster) stink! Would you care to expand on that comment?

 

As for your questions -

 

"When you have pack activities/events, is a particular den responsible for each activity/event? How do you give that den the necessary information to plan adequately?"

 

I guess it would depend on the activity. For Pack meetings, each month a den is the "host". They are responsible for the flag opening/closing, gathering activity & snacks. The CM will get special speakers. For Pack Camping the BALOO trained leaders are in charge. They put everything together & allocate any duties. For trips to ball or hockey games, the CM contacts the school bus co to rent a bus & the venue for tickets & will sometimes do a flier. For any other event - picnic, kite fly, fishing derby, outing, summer camp, etc, it is coordinated by an interested adult. They will put things together on their own or with a committee of other interested adults.

 

All activities are discussed at our monthly Pack Committee meetings. Info is given to the den leaders who disperse it to their dens. Announcements are made & fliers, sign-up sheets, are available at Pack meetings & sent to every family by e-mail and/or snail mail.

 

 

"Do you have "parent meetings" and who is required to attend?"

 

No parent meetings. We have monthly Pack Committee meetings. All Pack leaders - Cubmaster, Asst Cubmaster, Treasurer, Unit Commissioner, Charter Org Rep, den leaders, asst den leaders, advancement person, etc, try to attend. Parents, & any other interested persons, are all welcome. The dates & times of our meetings are on our yearly Pack calendar.

 

 

"What kinds of activities/events does your pack offer on a yearly basis?"

 

Popcorn Sale - This is really a big thing for us as it pays for our entire program! We do 2-3 booth sales each weekend from the end of Sept thru the middle of Nov.

 

Parade - Local celebration the first Sunday in Oct.

 

Haunted House Foodraiser - We turn our Parish/School Hall into a haunted house the weekend of Halloween. Each den plans & puts together their own section. Much of the planning goes on in the den meetings.

 

Thanksgiving Mass - Scouts (GSUSA & BSA) all attend in uniform, & bring, & help collect, contributions for the Food Pantry. The scouts all march in ahead of the priest (GS on left, CS & BS on right) & sit in the front of the church.

 

Tree Decorating - The parish school's Girl Scout Troops & our Cub Pack, make ornaments & decorate the trees & bushes around our church the first Sat in Dec. Cookies, Cocoa & Carols are held in the Parish/School hall after the decorating. The responsibility for cocoa & cookies alternate between the CS & GS each year. Ornaments are made in den meetings.

 

Christmas Pack meeting Pot Luck Dinner - Everyone brings a dish and/or a dessert. Santa makes an appearance & hands out Pinewood Derby cars to the Scouts & candy canes to everyone.

 

Popcorn Pie Toss - Held at the end of the Christmas Pot Luck. The top 10 popcorn sellers each get to toss a foam plate filled with whipped topping at the Pack Leader of their choice.

 

Pinewood Derby - January at our Pack Meeting. We have Boy Scout Den Chiefs as Pit Crew & Troop Scouters as line judges.

 

District Cub Winter Fun Day - This year, due to sub-zero temps, only 2 very hardy families attended!

 

Boy Scout Sunday - CS Pack & BS Troop attend in uniform. They march in ahead of the priest with American, Pack & Troop flags. Scouts, both adult & youth participate in all parts of the mass. Religious medals are blessed & presented (the Parvoli Dei banners are used to decorate the altar). The BS Troop hosts a continental breakfast in the Parish/School Hall after mass.

 

Blue & Gold Dinner - Catered with families providing desserts. We try to shoot for completion of rank awards by this date. Sometimes we will have Webelos crossover to BS Troop(s). This year they are crossing at the March Pack meeting. Paid entertainment. This year we had a GREAT ventriloquist!

 

Pro Hockey game - We take a bus to a Chicago Wolves game every March.

 

Showtime - March Pack meeting. Every den puts on songs, skits, or whatever.

 

Cardboard Boxcar Derby - April Pack meeting. Each den builds a vehicle out of cardboard boxes. The type of vehicle depends on the theme. Last year we did a construction theme. This year the BSA theme for April is food & for May is bugs. Maybe we will go with bugs. We will decide at this month's Committee meeting. The vehicle is built at den meetings. The race is a relay race with stations to match the theme.

 

Graduation - May Pack meeting. We have a big ceremony to celebrate the boys moving to their new levels.

 

AAA Baseball game - In June or July

 

Pack Family Camp - June or July

 

Council Summer and/or Day Camp

 

Pack Picnic / Rocket Shoot - In August. Pack provides burgers, dogs, & bug juice. Also rockets for the boys who made their popcorn goal. Families provide sides, desserts and brings their own rockets if they wish.

 

These are the major things we do every year. We have other misc outings during the year whenever we find out about them or can squeeze them in. For instance - kite fly, bike hike, fishing derby, reenactment (Civil/Revolutionary War, Fur Trader Rendezvous), Reptile Fest, movie night, Pumpkin Maze, Model Show, Indian Pow Wow, etc.

 

 

"What has made your pack a great success?"

 

GREAT LEADERS!! Who do a good job of following the BSA program & making it FUN for their boys. GREAT FAMILIES!! Who work with their boys & "help the Pack go"!

 

 

 

 

[ScrappinJazz 10]

You asked for details.. Here they come...

 

At registration, the person working with the Tigers told us "You don't really have to meet or anything. The boys just want to go to camp in the summer so you could meet once a month or something." I insisted on twice a month, we picked a day, someone volunteered to be the leader and we were off and running. Of course, our leader never showed up at a den meeting. Ever. In January he told us he (and his son) were quitting. We had 4 other boys quit - 2 due to schedules.

 

That leaves 3 boys. We have one mom who really wants to be in charge but she won't actually take that responsibility. So she tells us what to do anyway. We have been rotating meetings and most of our meetings are more like play dates. The boys might do one quick activity. One parent/boy never come to pack meetings and neither of the other two families ever go to pack events. Neither of them are participating in the Pinewood Derby ("so please don't mention it.") The whole group does seem to want to earn the Tiger award (sorry for terminology issues).

 

The final straw on the den came for me regarding a field trip. I was told by the bossy mom that they had decided we would make valentines and deliver them to the local nursing home. They were each planning a couple cards to make and I was supposed to call the nursing home. I found the number and called. I went back to the other mom with dates and she picked a Friday night. I scheduled that. The nursing home was providing snack, the boys would help with Bingo and deliver their valentines. Our den meeting to make valentines came. The "other" boy didn't show up - mom was out of town and it would just be too much to expect Dad to bring him. I offered to do pick him up but that would just be too much for Dad to do. So the bossy mom tells me that she has planned to go out of town on the day we are delivering valentines. She is going to have her son make valentines and give them out at school. So not only do I not have anyone going, but I don't even have enough valentines to deliver. I was so angry. I called and cancelled the next day and apologized profusely.

 

Now on to my pack. They try really hard but they just don't have the good programming that they need. A couple years ago they had a Cub Master who assigned all the positions to parents in his Den. When they moved to Boy Scouts, they took all of the parent volunteers with them.

 

We have a couple volunteers who don't seem to put forth the effort. The information I received for popcorn was "Here is your form. It is due on XXXX." That's it! Do they pay in advance? Who do the checks go to? Who benefits from the sales? When is delivery? That's just one example.

 

For our Polar Cub Camp, there were about 6 families who went. My husband said they were the smallest pack there. Any pack activities are assigned to a den to plan. But, there isn't any information for that den to go off of. FOr instance, the Tigers are supposed to plan the Scouting for Food event for spring. But that is all we know. I think there should be a folder and summary/suggestions for each event that can be given to the assigned den.

 

The Cub Master, person who handles sales (popcorn, etc.), and one other committee member are all stepping down next year. There are some other people on the committee but I've never seen them and they don't attend pack meetings or committee meetings.

 

Our Cub Master is really awesome. But, he can't do it all himself. He said he'd stay until someone else volunteers. So, I'll volunteer (not as Cub Master!) and see what I can do to help turn things around. I'm at a disadvantage, though because I really don't know anything about Cub Scouts. I'm from a family of girls and I am heavily involved in Girl Scouts. I know the basic idea but not the logistics. It all perplexes me.

 

Your suggestions are very helpful and I am making a file of them! Any other suggestions, please let me know!

 

Christy

[SSScout 1616]

As the past CM of a very successful (on paper) Pack*, and now a ASM and District Officer (Camp Chair and CSDC Asst.) I will offer the following:

 

You are not alone in wanting the "Pack to help the CS grow". What hurts is when the parents WON'T "help the Pack GO". It boils down to the idea that BSA does not stand for Baby Sitters of America.

 

It is very unfortunate, but if the parents can't be convinced that their 7, 8, 9, year old boy will only be 7, 8, 9 years old ONCE and this is the only time they can be with/affect/teach/ their 7, 8, 9, year old boy then there is nothing you can do except concentrate on YOUR boy's Scouting time. Soon, the boy will be 12, 13, 14, and the time to connect with them, to affect their mind set, is past.

 

Set the example. Get involved. Get trained. Make friends with a couple of other parents and drag them to training. Drink inordinate amounts of coffe, but get them to go. Make offers, keep everyone included, if they choose not to participate, don't you feel guilty but try not to lay into them too hard either. I have a feeling that they know. The non-participating parents set their own priorities, same as you and me. And they will gain or lose accordingly. Sometimes you can get to the parents thru the boys, but again, balance concern with possibilities. Does that make sense?

 

* About the "on paper" comment. Our Pack was very active, many things to do and have fun at. A supportive Committee. We had good membership numbers right up until one year that we had a recruiting drive, garnered 14 interested Tiger families, and dispite our best effort, had NONE of them sign up. "Oh, I could never do that", "This is going to be too much time". " I have to stay with him? The Karate coach doesn't require that". "Jimmy doesn't like doing that" (not what jimmy said to me). So from that year on, we had no new Cubs and the parents still involved saw the hand writing on the wall. I made sure that at least a few "younger" parents had the training, had one dad shadow me for the last 6 months of my tenure (actually had a dad ask if he could PAY me to stay on as CM!), and altho the Pack had plenty of notice that I was moving on to BS with my son, (the last meeting/picnic was in June) the Pack folded. No one was willing to pick up the reins. The dad who shadowed me: I gave him most of my books and materials. When I checked back in September, he and his family had moved. No one knew where. When the assumed CM didn't take the lead, the lady who had said that she would be PCChair declined. No one would come forward. With out the central influence of a concerned CM, the other families scattered to other Packs and Scout Troops. Our CO could not stop the hemmorhage. Neither could the DE or the UCommish.

 

But don't let my horror story dissuade you. It is worth it. I see my use-ta-be Cubs all the time, both in other Scout events and in passing in the community. Go to your District Exec, your Unit Commish, your Charter Org Rep. If you don't recognize those titles, dig alittle and find out who they are. They are there to help. Ask for help. Even if it is only a sympathetic ear to listen, you can make a difference.

 

Go to Bob the Tomatoe, he'll tell you: "It's for the kids".

 

YiS KiS MiF

 

[ScoutNut 147]

"I see my use-ta-be Cubs all the time, both in other Scout events and in passing in the community."

 

Well, at least they are still in Scouts.

 

 

Scrappin', Wow, what a mess. It sounds to me like NOBODY in your Pack is trained. The other dens were started the same way yours was, "you don't really have to do anything - the boys just want to go to camp". Unfortunately they NEVER get to camp!

 

If you want to stick with this Pack, I would suggest registering & getting trained as the Den Leader. That directly affects your son's program and is the most important thing to you right now. Also, as a Den Leader you can attend Pack Committee Meetings & put various "bugs" in the committee's ear about how a Pack really SHOULD be run! I know, I know, you would actually need a committee, but it can get there eventually.

 

Word of mouth is a wonderful thing. Once you get your den off & running the way Lord BP had in mind, you should be able to recruit more boys. Once the other dens see your success, they might get off their back ends & provide the program BSA promised these boys.

 

ALL PACK LEADERS, DEN & OTHERS, SHOULD BE TRAINED!

 

This will alleviate a LOT of your problems, Unless, of course, they just do not care.

 

BTW - Your Tiger Den's Scouting For Food event - Is this in conjunction with the council wide Scouting For Food? Or is this just something with just your Pack? If this is Council wide, (& the best way to find out is to give them a call & ask) then your District will have info & rules/regulations. If it is Pack only, then get your den together & see what they want to do. You can organize a food drive at the boy's school, send out fliers to the community, get the whole town involved, whatever you guys want!

 

If it is the Council wide SFF effort then your District SFF Chair should be able to help.

 

How do you find out about these things? ATTEND YOUR MONTHLY DISTRICT ROUNDTABLE!!!!

 

S.T.A.R's = Scouters That Attend Roundtable !

 

 

[Jeffrey H 25]

"At registration, the person working with the Tigers told us "You don't really have to meet or anything. The boys just want to go to camp in the summer so you could meet once a month or something." I insisted on twice a month, we picked a day, someone volunteered to be the leader and we were off and running. Of course, our leader never showed up at a den meeting. Ever. In January he told us he (and his son) were quitting. We had 4 other boys quit - 2 due to schedules. "

Your Pack is giving out extermely bad advice and is destined to fail.  Who would want to be a part of an organization that never meets??  I appreciate your enthusiam, but you need to meet more than 2 times per month.  Your den should be meeting together a minimum of 3 times per month and you can do this as a combination of den meetings and outings.  I recommend that you meet 4 times per month - 3 times as a Den and once with the Pack at the Pack Meeting.  Use the Cub Scout program helps, go to basic leader training, and attend Roundtables.

Enthusiam is contagious and it will (eventually) cause your core group of leaders to grow.  Believe me, I've seen it happen in my Pack.

 

 

 

 

[Tami the Mom 10]

Oh, wow! Every word of your post made me sadder and sadder, angrier and angier!

 

Go to a roundtable asap. Hopefully your district's leadership is in much better shape than your pack's. You should be meeting at least 3x a month with your Tigers - regular meetings, field trips, pack events. Your whole pack should be getting together once a month to give the boys whatever awards they may have earned. Cub Scouting is all about giving the kids constant reminders of how great they are. Beltloops, pins, patches - these are like gold to a little kid!

 

I understand you are busy with your Girl Scouts. I have oft heard the phrase "If you want a job done, give it to a busy person." I have 3 daughters and a son, and 2 stepsons. Of those kids, all 3 boys are Boy Scouts, my oldest daughter is a Cadette GS, and in the fall I will have a Daisy. Next year I'll have one more Daisy. Now let me tell you about my Scouting activities - I am my daughter's troop leader, and this year I am helping to plan a council-wide camp event attended by 2500 girls. My son's troop didn't want my help when he crossed, so I stayed with the pack. I am CM of our pack, and I am also our districts CS roundtable commissioner, and I am the council's daycamp director for 2 weeks of camp, 200+ boys. I am lucky to be an at-home mom, because yes, this takes up a lot of my time. But you know what - I spend lots of time with some of the best people on earth - Cub and Girl Scouts! That makes every minute of it worthwhile.

 

Ok, as far as how many activities any of us might do - you're dipping into a deep well there. Most of the folks who will answer your questions probably have pretty active packs. You need to start small and build a good program. That starts with good training and committed leaders. Step up, or find someone who will. Honestly - for me it's easier to lead than follow. This way things are scheduled around my family's needs, and I always know what is going on. Plan a small activity for your den - a picnic or a trip to a museum. Get some people interested. Build some enthusiasm. Help the kids earn a beltloop or two - watch how excited they get when you hand it to them.

 

The best and fatsest way you can help your pack is by getting trained. Go to training classes, go to roundtable, seek out other leaders in your area and pick their brains.

[John-in-KC 311]

Christy,

 

WOW. Where to begin?

 

I'm going to offer some options for yourself. All of Scouting depends on adult support in some degree or another. There are lots of good people in your district, your Council, and indeed nationwide ready to help, but it begins with you

 

First, please, for the sake of the boys, step up to the plate, and become a Den Leader. I promise it'll be fun. Yes, it's a bit of work, but there are tons of activity books, support books, friends to call... lots of support. If there is already a Tiger DL, volunteer to take over or to form a Wolf Den (8 year old group, where your son will be next fall).

 

Second, there is one ground rule of Cub Scouting: Keep It Simple, Make It Fun (KISMIF). Applying that one rule to all your planning will almost assure success!

 

Third, there's training available. Some you can get online, others you have to attend:

- Youth Protection. This is policy stuff. There's a lot of meat, but the very short version is: Never be one on one with a youth in a Scouting setting, excepting your own child.

- Cub Scout Fast Start. This is an orientation into the Cub program. You'll be introduced to the Aims of Scouting, the Methods of the Cub program, and the relationship between the Chartered Partner, the Committee, and the front-line folks (DLs and CM).

- New Leader Essentials. This is the common core of Scouting training. It's groundwork for all other Scouting position training.

- Cub Scout Leader Specific Training (Den, Webelos, Pack, and Committee). The right one for you is Den Leader.

- Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO). If you want to (and you should) take your Pack outdoors, at least one leader needs to have this.

- Safe Swim Defense. Want to take you Cubs to a pool party? This is part of the deal.

 

I've just scratched the tip of training. Every bit of it will help you work better with the young men in a den. There's lots more training to be had.

 

Fourth, through your Cubmaster, ask the supporting area Troops for a DEN CHIEF. This is a Boy Scout who is willing to reach back and work with Cubs. He (and perhaps she; young lady Venturers can be Den Chiefs too), can be an invaluable assistant in helping your young charges burn off energy come meeting day.

 

The old adage applies: If you take it one bite at a time... you can eat the elephant.

 

Good hunting. Come back often and let us know how you're doing

 

 

[DenZero 10]

Our pack is in a similar but different situation, the parents are involved, but there aren't enough of them to put together much of a program. And the Cubmaster is too busy with work and family commitments to do much for the pack.

 

When I volunteered to be Committee Chairman, I figured I'd better get up to speed fast, and I don't know when the next time will be that training is offered for our council. I bought the "Cub Scout Leader Book". and found it to be a great resource. It has just about all the information you need to know to run a pack and / or den. I recommend you get a copy. Of course, seeing how a pack is supposed to be run makes out little pack look rather inadequate.

 

[Lisabob 13]

Christy,

 

I hear you when you say you aren't all that familiar with the BSA program and don't quite know where to start. Many of us have been there, myself included. I guess the good news on that front is, there are many Scouters here and elsewhere who will be happy to share from our own experiences!

 

One thing that I'm puzzled by is your CM's assertion that you should "forget the den" and focus more on the pack. I understand he probably is desperate for more help on the pack committee, but in my experience, a pack is only as strong as the dens that comprise it.

 

So I think if I were you, first thing I'd be doing right now is volunteering to be the Wolf Den Leader for your son's pack next year. Most boy scout councils do their cub leader training in the spring and again in late Oct/early Nov so you could get Wolf Den Leader training pretty soon here and start planning for next year's den program NOW. Being a D.L. is probably one of the most fun and rewarding things you'll do - enjoy it!

 

Second, I bet your son has friends, so why aren't they in scouts? It sounds as though you could use some more boys and you probably get along reasonably well with most of his friends' parents, right? Recruit a few of his friends to join and then enlist the parents as your helpers and cheer leaders. You may not want to commiserate too much about your current woes (don't scare them off!). Focus on what you can/will be doing to Keep it Simple, Make it Fun. Before you know it, you will have a strong den and that will go a long way toward improving the whole pack.

 

Third, just because your pack isn't doing things doesn't mean your Den can't. Contact your council and ask about Cub Scouts Day Camp now - and then sign up your son and any new cubs you are able to recruit for his den (new scouts can join now and attend this year's day camp). Day camp is easy - all you have to do is show up and participate - and fun too. It is a great way to get people fired up about scouting. Share any info about day camp with the rest of your pack if you are able, but don't worry if they don't go - your den or even just you and your son can still do it.

 

If you know some parents of boys who will be Tiger-aged soon, talk them into joining as soon as school ends this year and attending day camp with you too. Not only will that probably be a great intro to scouting for them, but you'll have some enthusiastic allies and potential Tiger Den Leaders already in line for the fall. Plus, having gone to day camp along with you, these new Tiger parents will have a much more active and positive mindset about how the program is SUPPOSED to work - you can gently inoculate them against the bad advice that YOU received this year! A lot of districts and councils even offer discounts to people who join as Tigers at the end of this school year, rather than waiting for fall. You might check and see if yours does this too.

 

As for other activities, for the most part with cubs, your creativity (and common sense) are the boundaries. Go to training and make sure you understand what isn't allowed as per the BSA (paintball is out! Camping is somewhat limited for young scouts. There are a bunch of rules about water activities.). Familiarize yourself with his next rank handbook (wolf book). Start small. It is easier to add more later than to wear yourself out planning/running too much at the start. If you can swing it, plan one or two simple summer events to keep your son and his new scout buddies excited about scouts over the summer. This can be really simple - a field trip to somewhere in your town, a day at the park, county fair, zoo, a minor league ball game, etc.. Tie in a couple of simple activities from the Wolf book, maybe add a popsicle or other snack, and you're set.

 

When you go to training, ask about something called the "program helps" guide. It is a schedule of monthly themes, games, activities, crafts, songs, etc. that you can (but aren't required to) use to plan your pack and den meetings. Even if you just pick and choose from it, this is a nice starter. And it lays out the structure for your meetings too.

 

If for some reason you can't get to training anytime soon, at least check out the following BSA Online training courses, to be found here:

http://olc.scouting.org/

 

You'll want to do Cub Leader Fast Start and Youth Protection Training. (The others are geared toward other parts of the BSA program, not Cubs).

 

If you are registered as a leader, you can gain "credit" with your council for doing these online as long as you enter in your registration # and info first (don't know what these are? Contact your council and they can tell you). You have to do Den Leader training in person, but at least these will get you started in the meantime.

 

So the good news is, it takes less work than you might think to help build a strong pack program. A few dedicated people make all the difference! Once your CM sees that he has some help, he may even be convinced to stay on as CM for another year.

[ScrappinJazz 10]

Thank you so much to everyone for your suggestions! I am putting them all together so I can come up with a game plan.

 

Currently my plan is this:

I'm going to try to avoid being the den leader at this point. There is one mom that I really refuse to have to deal with in that capacity. Being a GS leader, I know what it will be like and I'm not willing to put myself through that. However, if her son doesn't continue next year, I will definitely consider it.

 

I am going to be part of the pack committee. I will attend parent/leader meetings and the roundtables whenever possible. I am going to take training (I actually like training.) but I can't find one that fits into my schedule this spring. I might have to wait until fall. I already took the available online ones.

 

When I complained to council, they contacted all of the people who are in between the council membership person and my Cub Master. So, they all know who I am. I think that is a good thing.

 

One thing to know about me, once I invest in a project, it will get done. haha I think our Cub Master could tell and he is hopefully ready for it. I'm determined to get this turned around. Luckily, two of my GS moms have boys who are currently in this pack so I do have a couple resources to draw on.

 

Look out, here I come!

 

Christy

[ScoutNut 147]

That sounds like a pretty good plan. Will you have a specific position on the Committee? Make sure you check out all of your council's training dates. You are not limited to taking the training in your District, or even in your Council. Getting to know your Council folks (paid & volunteer) is a good idea. Check to see if your council has some kind of newsletter & sign up to receive it. That way you will know what is going on in the council. As a member of your Committee, you should also become familiar with your Pack's Charter Organization(CO) and it's Charter Org Representative(COR). The Charter Org owns the Pack & the COR is the "middle man" between the CO & the Pack. The COR is also a voting member of the District Committee & has a voice in how the council is run (although few choose to participate). The COR, along with the Committee Chair(CC), are also responsible for recruiting new volunteers. You haven't mentioned a CC in your Pack. Do you have one? A strong CC can do a great job pulling a Pack together.

 

BSA National Web site has a lot of info for new parents & leaders. Check out the Cub Scout Adult Leader area -

 

http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=ca

 

Good Luck!

 

 

(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[Jeffrey H 25]

Third, just because your pack isn't doing things doesn't mean your Den can't.

 

Ditto!  Thats the best advice given on this discussion.  Your den can be the catalyst to get your Pack back on the move again. 

 

 

Remember, as Lisabob stated (and I agree), a Pack is only as strong as its Dens.  If the Dens are not doing anything, you will lose boys and there will be no need for a Pack Committee or a Cubmaster.  I encourage to be a Den Leader or Assistant DL and be directly involved with your Den and keep it active and fun.