Summertime pack activities

[Scoutfish 16]

ScoutNut,

 

Well,120 was at recharter. It has dropped some since then.

 

Like I said, I was disappointed, but I think we are moving in the right direction.

 

Okay, last year, my son started not attending so much in the end of his Wold year. Got a little burnt out, so we missed the summer session of our packs activities.

 

Now, as i understand it, one of the days where NOBODY showed up was when they had a water day. A couple kiddie pools, a sprinkler and a slip and slide. Did I mention most members have in ground pools or those $150.00 temp above ground pools with the inflatable ring? Or that we are on the coast ( Hampstead , NC and Surf City, NC)

 

Anyways, we are making progress: WE went from a pack where the handful of active people had to hold 2 or more positions to keep things going ....to a pack with a full committee in place.

 

WE also went from having oversize dens with inadequate leadership to many dens with DL's and several ADL's per den.

 

Now, I do not think by any means that I am going to turn things around in 1 year, but I have e-mailed and e mailed membersm made reminder calls, and keep in touch with my Committee and Dls constantly.

 

Like I said, we are going from no attendance to 10 to a little over 20.

 

Maybe it's fresh ideas and perspectives, maybe it's the influx of newer scouts and parents. Maybe the committe being ther has prevented some burn out amongst members.

 

 

Next fun day is on a military ship. What scout doesn't like that kind of thing?

[ScoutNut 147]

If you have a "full" committee, then you should have an Activities Chair. The Activities Chair should be the one taking point on Pack activities/outings, including the ones held during the Summer months.

 

I would highly recommend that your Committee Chair recruit an Activity Chair. Since your Pack is large, an Activity Committee, with a separate person in charge of each event (ship overnighter, Fishing Derby, Pack Family Camp (BALOO trained), etc) would be ideal!

 

Putting together Pack outings should not fall on the Cubmaster.

[Pack212Scouter 10]

We usually run about 60% event attendance durring out Scouting year and over the summer events usually draw about 40%-50%.

 

BTW...We went to Patriots Point last year. You get a heck of a deal for $60. Their program is outstanding. It includes 2 nights on the ship, 4 meals, an excursion program, and the Medal of Honor Museum is outstanding. Not to mention that there is an impressive collection of aircraft, a submarine that you can go through, and the Vietnam Firebase.

[GKlose 24]

I'm a former district membership chair (the district was dissolved) -- and every spring I did a brief presentation about spring recruiting for our roundtable. The presentation had three basic points:

 

1. as of June 1, Kindergarten boys can be recruited as Tiger Cubs

2. it makes no sense to recruit boys in June unless you have a summer program

3. it is really easy to offer a summer program (and I gave about 20 examples of things you can do)

 

(I also made ancillary points about the summertime pack awards and not letting the "summer vacation tail wag the dog" -- too many units around here get caught up in the "but everyone goes on summer vacation at different times" -- so that's why you offer a variety of activities over the course of the summer -- those who are interested can attend)

 

Anyway, there have already been a ton of good ideas already given. Anything where you can grab a handful of kids and their families will be a good summertime pack activity. Check out day camps, resident camps, local pro and college sports, go on a hike, arrange a visit to a farm, go to a museum or two, go to the beach or a pond, go on a bike ride, have a family picnic in a park.

 

There aren't any packs in my town that have a summer program. Up here in the northeast, that's when the weather is best, and we don't have school functions to work around. Why force Cub Scouts to be indoors and only during the school months? It just doesn't make sense to me. Too tired after running the pack during the school year? Then find a volunteer to run just one event during the summer.

 

Guy

[Greaves 10]

Our pack had 33% turn out for July's summertime activity--our first ever raingutter regatta.

 

It was a lot of fun.

[BMinsker 10]

We always schedule two events each month so boys have a chance to attend one, go on vacation with their family, and still earn the summertime award. We use the council camps (family camp, day camp, resident camp) as some of those events and pack activities (mini golf & pizza, bowling, swimming party, a pack hike further afield than our usual bimonthly ones, etc.). We usually have about 1/3 of the pack earn the summertime award and about 3/4 participate in at least some of the summer events.

[Scoutfish 16]

Yeah....we have a full committee, but some of those committee members are the ones who came up with the kiddie pool ideas and such.

 

Not saying I am spectacular or anything, but maybe what is needed is the freshness of some of my ideas. Know what I mean? A different way of thinking.

 

I have had most of the parents tell me they WILL be going to our 3rd fun day.

 

Besides, I am enjoying it, so it's not a burden for me!

[MarinesWife 10]

We have an Outdoor Activity Chair that takes all the ideas and plans them out.

 

For the summer we do 2 activities per month. We want to give boys every opportunity to get their Summertime Award and the things we did this summer were not heavy on the planning. Here is our schedule for this year:

 

June

Campout with Raingutter Regatta

Baseball Game overnighter

 

July

Star Gazing with local Astronomy group

Pizza/Swim party

 

August

Western town re-enactment

Pack Meeting

 

Our Swim party got a huge turnout! We live on a small military base with 6 pools at our disposal. So we were surprised by the huge turnout. Maybe it was the free pizza? The kids had a great time getting together and being together.

 

[Scoutfish 16]

Well, yesterday was out 3rd summer fun day. We went to The Battleship USS North Carolina BB-55

 

ALOT of scouts and parents said they couldn't wait to go. ALOT said they were looking forward to it.

 

4 scouts showed up!

 

Sure, it's August, but yesterday was overcast and not as sunny and the temperature was actually about 5 degrees coler than it had been all week.

 

I know the ship doesn't have A/C on it, but we didn't find out about that until we were about to go aboard. But there are high velocity fancs running through a duct system which did substantially cool the ship down.

 

 

Yeah, I'm really disappointed about the turn out. I do realize it;'s summertime and we only have one full week before our school starts up again, so I do understand that kids and parents are trying to squeeze that last bit of vacation time in ( we are going to Georgia for a 4 day weekend next weekend) before school starts , and some school shopping no doubt. Might even be that some folks are tired of going to the USS NC. Yesterday was my tenth time in 20 years.

 

I don't know? Could it be that it's just still new too me and I'm over enthused about it?

 

Anyways, we missed earning the National summertime pack award, den awards and such...but did have two scouts ( who will ) earn their National summertime activity pins for making all 3 events.

 

Ahhh....there's always next year!

[ScoutNut 147]

Scoutfish, why do you say that your Pack has not earned the Summertime Pack Award?

 

All that is necessary to win the Summertime Award for the Pack is to conduct one Pack activity in June, July, and August. You have done that.

 

You stated that you had 2 Scouts who earned the Summertime Pin for their level. Individual Cubs can not earn the Summertime Pin without their Pack first earning it.

 

The only thing you were spot on with was the fact that none of your dens earned the Den Summertime Award. In order for a DEN to qualify for the streamer, they need to have had at least half of their Scouts attend each of the three Pack Summertime activities. None of your dens even came close.

 

You might tell the dens what they missed at your next Pack Meeting when you present the Pack, and the Scouts their Summertime Awards!

 

 

 

[ScoutNut 147]

As for your Committee, all of the Packs leaders - Committee Chair, Cubmaster, Committee Members, Den Leaders, Asst Den Leaders - all decide on the Summertime activities TOGETHER, at your annual Pack Planning meeting if possible. You should at least start getting ideas together then.

 

Your Committee Chair should appoint an Activity Chair. That Chair can either appoint a chair for each event, or take them on themselves (depending on how many volunteers are available).

 

Activities should be finalized far enough in advance so that there can be lots of Pack, and den, publicity about them. Give families enough time to figure the Pack events into their summer schedule. Also, give enough lead time for any activity that requires a registration by the Pack.

 

I realize you said that you enjoyed planning, and running these events, and it was not a burden on you. However, remember that once you take on the job of CM (and Webelos DL?) full time, that it can easily end up being one. Even if you still feel you have the time, you are NOT a one man show. You are NOT the only one involved in running the Pack. You do not have a small, or even medium, sized, easy to handle Pack. You are the brand new, inexperienced, CM of a VERY LARGE Pack.

 

Do your job. Let the Committee Chair and the Committee do their jobs. Work TOGETHER.

 

 

[Scoutfish 16]

So the pack can still earn the award> I assumed from reading the form that I had to have at least 50% of the dens attending to do that .

 

 

We did have a leaders meeting before the summer season. As leaders, we agrre on the activity and the date together. It just happens that of all the ideas we discussed, my 3 were chosen. Again, not saying I'm spectatcular, but just a fresh perspective in the mix....I guess.

 

So anyways, getting back to the Award, everything I was basing my info on was from the form itself.Maybe it's vague or I just read it wrong.

 

So the two boys who made all 3 events do, or do not qualify?

[Scoutfish 16]

Oh yeah, one more thing:

It wasn't that I was the only one who did anything during the activities, but I guess- in an unwritten way- our pack lets whoever come up with a particular idea take charge of it. Not saying I had to handle the entire thing, or be the only one.

 

In reality, it was just calling ahead with a reservation for a guide at the National park , and to get a discout at the battleship. Then just tell everybody to show up at "X" time.

 

Had the events been more complicated or consuming, I could have easily deligated stuff out.

 

But it was just a 5 minutre call here and there .

[ScoutNut 147]

From the BSA National Web site -

 

"A pack can earn the National Summertime Pack Award by doing three pack activities when school is out for the summer one activity each in June, July, and August."

 

"Pack members (meaning boys, not adults) who take part in all three events are eligible for the National Summertime Pack Award pin, to wear on the right pocket flap of their uniform."

 

"Dens that have at least half of their members at the three summer pack events can earn a den ribbon."

 

 

From the BSA National Summertime Pack Award application -

 

"Cub Scout Pack No. _________________ of Chartered Organization_______________________________________________ has qualified for this award by conducting a pack activity in the summer months of _______________."

 

"National Summertime Award pin for boys who attend all three summertime pack activities"

 

"Den participation ribbon for dens with 50 percent or more of their boys at three summertime activities"

 

"Number of dens qualifying (50 percent of the dens Cub Scouts participating) (June)__________ (July)__________ (August)__________"

 

 

It seems pretty straightforward to me. The only place that 50 percent is mentioned is in conjunction with the dens, not the Pack.

 

Edited to add - Yes, your Pack earned the Summertime Award Streamer, and the Scouts who attended all 3 events earned their Summertime Pin.(This message has been edited by Scoutnut)

[WestCoastScouter 10]

We did a game and movie night... games out on the grass, then pizza... movie... with popcorn and icecream... for $5.00 per scout or sibling... parents could drop off at 6:30 pm and pick up at 9:30... so they could go out. We had 5 adults volunteer, and had 12 scounts and 22 kids total... so just about 1/4 of our boys... Summer is just tough time to get boys together..