How did it come to THIS?

[Scoutfish 16]

Let me give my brief experiemce as a Scouter.

 

Back in the late summer/ early fall of 2008, I happened to walk in my front door at about 10 minutes to 6pm. I was hot, tired and covered in sweat and dirt. I hardly walked in when my son runs into the living room and says : "DAD! You have to take me to round up! COME ON...LET'S GO!"

 

I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. So my wife gives me one of those "Oooops! I love you! / I'm soooo inocent" smiles.

 

Then she tells me that she told our son ( A WEEK AGO ) that I would take him to this roundup thing at the school.

 

She just forgot to tell me! Go figure!

 

So I turned around and walked right back out the door. We had to drive 12 miles up the road ( way way far for 10 minutes notice) to the school where I sat all dirty, stinky and smelly ...surrounded by nice crisp claen polo's and ironed shirts smelling of all kinds of aftershave... listening to this balding guy sing and dance and talk in a very excited voice about hanging out with my son and doing all kinds of fun stuff.

 

To be honest, this guy actually scared me. He was TOO excited to hang out with my son.

 

I now know that this guy is one of the coolest DE's you could ever meet and he is just too happy to help anybody, any time, with anything.

 

WEll, when he's done talking, a few local scout leaders start talking about their packs, where they are, and which ones would be best for who.

 

We found a great pack that had a lady Cubmaster. Really nice, really enthused, and generally just liked kids.

 

Well, this lady really is cool. Has a great sense of humor, has a great sense of patriotism and deep ties to her home church as well as respect for our CO. She especially is a "kid person". She just loved kids, Has 3 boys of her own, who all are in, been through Cubs or are in Boy Scouts.

 

WEll, anyways, as a parent, I am active in my son's life. I love to teach while having fun. So even though I wasn't in the planning stage of my son's cub scout involvement, I signed him up.

 

Then we went to our first pack meeting. Learned what was expected of my son, of me and what the pack and leadership was planning.

 

I went home and asked my wife what nights would be hers and which ones would be mine.

 

She looked at me and said in a Mater Of Fact Voice: "Oh NO! This is YOUR deal!"

 

Yeah, I was not thrilled. But, this was something my son wanted, so I did it. I mean, it's Cub Scouts...How bad can it be?

 

Now, I am not the type to sit in the background or dump my kid off on others. As a parent, I participate and help out!

 

I do not hover, I am not a helicopter. And anything my son does, I make sure he does AT LEAST 50% if not 75 or 85 percent of the work. I do not do his work for him. He won't learn that way. Matter of fact, I don't do any of "his" work, but assist whenever needed.

 

This was his Wolf year.

 

Just before the beginning of his Bear year, I was asked about being an ADL, which due to some camping experiences... I could not refuse.. Later in my Bear ADL year, I was asked by the CM and ACM and CC about being a DL for the Webelos year.

 

I'd love too!

 

Well, a few days ago, that offer was rescinded. Taken back. Canceled! Nulled and voided!

 

I got up Tuesday morning and went out to my company truck on my way to work, and my cell phone was beeping - indicating I missed a call.

 

It was from our CM.

 

So I listened to the message saying she wanted to talk to me confidentially.

 

I called and what she asked me was totally unexpected, and a complete surprise!

 

She started talking about how she's been CM for 6 years now, been in the pack for 8 ( 3 sons stretched over time) and will be in the pack for another 4 until her last son crosses out. Tels me how much the pack has done, how far it has come in the years ( no she wasn't bragging, just saying) . I can concur , at least for the time I have been active, I have seen vast improvement and smoother running.

 

Then she tells me she's getting burned out. Always running around for this or that, settling this dispute or that or handeling certain adults in the committe or leadership,

 

WEll, this year, or committee actually kicked in and became what a committe should be. Lots of new parents stepping up, but still, the previous years have taken a toll.Things are great now, but what's done is done, and she wants to be more of a mom to her son and less of a CM to her son (while at scout functions and meetings).

 

And to be honest, she was the bridge between old leadership and new when 99% of all the old leaders moved on with their sons 5 years ago. She carried more than her share of weight and responcibilty for a long time.

 

She told me she was thinking and praying about somebody to takeover the CM position.

 

Well, I'm still fairly new to the pack, so I assumed she was looking for suggestions about who to ask. I had two people in mind.

 

Then she says: " I wasn't thinking about any particular peson per-se, but thinking about the qulaifications needed to be the CM. I thought long and hard, and I have been praying for a week and a half about it."

 

"Every time I think about the qualities and attributes: Patriotism, working with kids, sense of responcibility, following the God, Country, family theme, and also somebody who gets along with everybody, as well as the enthusiasm , and great ideas and insight, and who the boys like and respect, ......I keep coming back to you!"

 

I almost wrecked my truck!

 

She talked it over with the COR,CC, and ACM - and they all agreed I was perfect.

 

Well, the ACM had already asked me about being ACM back in April during our crosover ceremony,and was still hinting about it.

 

Seriously, I never would have expected it. Then I asked about what some of the other leadership might think? I was told it's about the boys, not the leaders. She then said that she KNEW I had the respect of all the other leaders and committee members except possibly one.

 

And everybody has one of "those" people in their pack or troop - if you know what I mean!

 

So, long story done....I am about to be the newest Cubmaster in my pack. In the begnning of my 3rd year, I will be the CM.

 

I am totally flattered, completely filled with pride and scared as hell about it.

 

So, time will tell.

 

So.......How did you become ACM, CM or CC?

 

Was it ever an idea to you?

 

Did you plan it?

 

Any regets?

 

[packsaddle 753]

Punch line first: do it. You'll have a blast!

Now the long version:

This cub scout pack was having a membership problem. I was a den leader and when the old CM 'graduated' with his son, I was drafted, sort of, into the CM position. Now keep in mind that our DE was completely worthless and about as intelligent as a really smart bucket of nails. So I took it on with only the bit of training they could offer and some help from other CM's at the roundtables. I dove in with everything I could bring to it. And I loved it. I still like the cubs more than the scouts and I'd do it again if I was asked.

Long story short, the pack turned around and I managed to eventually find a replacement who was also good at the position. Today the pack is doing well...and I still have fond memories of those little guys learning so much for the first time.

Don't even hesitate. It could be some of the best experiences you'll ever have.

P.S. try not to think about the time you put into it. Oh, and yes, delegate the popcorn stuff to someone else...I have learned to absolutely hate popcorn.

 

[Pack212Scouter 10]

It was summer of 2007 and my son wants to be a Cub Scout so I figure, "why not." We join the Pack at my church, and right at roundup we get the good "we need you" speach. I was always volunteering in the youth ministry with my older daughter so I figure "why not, I'll be a Den Leader". Being the person that I am, I believe in doing things right, so take all the training sessions needed that summer. My son really looks up to the Current Cubmaster's Webelos son, so I wind up spending alot of time with both him and the next Cubmaster at events. I volunteer to take BALOO so that our Pack has a backup at campouts.

 

Fast Forward one year, my son is now a Wolf and having become friends with the new Cubmaster, I make the dreaded mistake of the following comment. "If you can't find a replacement Cubmaster, I'd be willing to do it." Guess what, suddenly I am an Assistant Cubmaster slated to take over a Pack of 150 boys!

 

Well, I am now through my first year plus as Cubmaster and we are up to 172 boys. I have another six months until my replacement takes over. I am looking forward to it with both relief and dread. I have a great replacement. It'll be nice to have it done. But I am really going to miss it. I can't descibe the feeling of having all those boys looking up to you and watching them grow and mature. You'll never regret doing it!

[Scoutfish 16]

Cool! So I didn't COMPLETLEY screw up by accepting? LOL!

 

Thing is, I was planning on being a Webelos leader this year. I never actually gave much thought to going higher than that. Of course, I'll be honest: I did take the CM position with the understanding that I could still directly work with the boys in a ADL type position ( although I won't have the official title or anything like that).

 

Now, wether it is true or not, it was also explained to me that 99% of all offical CM decisions are made after stuff has ben talked about many timesand that in only 1% of the cases are those decisions instant.

 

But at one time, I was an Asst Fire Chief, so I can handle that.

 

I will NOT say that my recent training as Webelos DL was a waste, but would have taken the CM specific had I know I was going to be CM.

 

But I guess if I hada way of knowing...I'd have won the lottery too!

[mkarlinm 11]

I was the CM for 3 years. I became the CM to save the pack from folding. It was the best decision I ever made I found something my son and I could really enjoy together.

[NJEaglemom 10]

You sound like an ideal person for a CM.

 

I was a Tiger Parent with another son in Webelos I. This was back in the stone age when we had Tiger Group Coaches and wore Orange T-shirts. :)I then became the Wolf Leader. I was asked to be ACM and said, sure, I'm here anyway.I actually ran the bear den, too. I then became CM--for 8 years! I then said it was someone else's turn and became Committee Chair. The Pack fell apart and, long story short, I became CM again and still am. Both my sons are out of college and I'm still there. I now have 15 years with the Pack, 11 as CM. I love the program, love the kids and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a little boy's face light up when you award him a belt loop. I had a Tiger Cub all excited Tuesday because he was graduated to the Wolf Den. He kept saying, "I'm a Wolf now!" Enjoy it.

[NJEaglemom 10]

You sound like an ideal person for a CM.

 

I was a Tiger Parent with another son in Webelos I. This was back in the stone age when we had Tiger Group Coaches and wore Orange T-shirts. :)I then became the Wolf Leader. I was asked to be ACM and said, sure, I'm here anyway.I actually ran the bear den, too. I then became CM--for 8 years! I then said it was someone else's turn and became Committee Chair. The Pack fell apart and, long story short, I became CM again and still am. Both my sons are out of college and I'm still there. I now have 15 years with the Pack, 11 as CM. I love the program, love the kids and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a little boy's face light up when you award him a belt loop. I had a Tiger Cub all excited Tuesday because he was graduated to the Wolf Den. He kept saying, "I'm a Wolf now!" Enjoy it.

[beardad 12]

as you can see by my user name, I was my son's bear dean leader, actually I was also his Wolf den leader. Then our pack folded and we moved to a new pack for his webelos years, and my youngest son's tiger and wolf year.

 

So this year my older son crossed over. I thought great, I am done with cubs. I can help out with Boy Scouts. but now my youngest son is a bear, and we found out at the last pack meeting of the year (may) that the CM is moving to Texas. I was asked quietly to consider CM, but I politely declined, saying that the current ACM would be a better fit.

 

Well the ACM accepted, and him being one of the people from my old pack asked me to be ACM. So hear I am sucked back into cubscouts at a position I wouldn't have dreamed of taking. I got burned out of leadership during my older son's Bear year, so I am glad I took those 2 years off.

[bacchus 10]

Congratulations! Remember, it's just an hour a week

[Basementdweller 608]

All the den leaders were the moms and the dads were ACM's. Well they all crossed over, moved or quite.......Just kinda happened.

 

I don't think it is as big a deal as everyone makes it. I have as much fun as the boys.

[Scoutfish 16]

Basement....... You know.... I feel the same way sorta. I mean, I do not feel empowered, higher up or anything like that. I feel like I have more chance to work even closer to the boys and also have a chance to impact the boys more.

 

Of course, the down side is I have a better chance of screwing it up as CM as compared to an ADL or DL.

 

Basically put, I'm still the same "me", but I'm in a greater position to mess things up .

 

So far, all I have done ( in my week of CM) is schedule out the 3 summer fun days and started working with our DE about holding trainings at our CO so everybody won't have to drive all the way across the county to get trained.

 

And I have plans for our roundup pack meeting in place already.

As well as approaching a few people about becoming DL's/ ADL's and starting them with their training.

 

 

Sooooooo..... So far it's just more work!

[Scoutfish 16]

Bacchus,

 

An hour a week? Shoot! I'm 9 weeks ahead of my time schedule then! LOL!

[Pack212Scouter 10]

It IS only an hour per week....what they don't tell you is that it is "per boy"

[Basementdweller 608]

Scoutfish......I screw up on a regular basis, and nobody notices or says anything.

 

We had a webelo den camp out last weekend. Rained buckets, boys were covered in ticks and chiggers, filthy muddy to the point we called the parents to bring tarps to cover their car seats.

 

they made fire, caught fish, cleaned them, and some even ate them. Hiked 7 miles, played ghost in the grave yard. Capture the flag. We made pizza in the dutch oven, breakfast casserole. The boys made up a silly pizza dance around the camp fire and made up a song about the days adventures.

 

They had a blast, almost to the boy didn't want to leave to go home Sunday.

 

Made me smile.

 

Just do the best you can and have fun.

[Scoutfish 16]

 

 

SHHHH! Don't let my 9 year old hear you....he'll consistantly bug me to join your pack!