Repetitive Cub Scout Program

[SeattlePioneer]

I've helped design the program for several packs which I've helped rebuild. I find that those programs, while good, tend to be repeated each year without much variation.

 

I'm doing that myself in a pack where I'm into my third year as Cubmaster.

 

Pinewood Derbies, Cub Scout Bowling Tournament, Klondike Derby, Camporee ---- other district events are often repeated in the same format or a similar one.

 

To some extent I think that's OK, new activities are often a challenge and if they are repeated a couple of time, boys get to learn from experience and increasing maturity.

 

On the other hand, repeating something each year probably gets old for Webelos Scouts.

 

Of course, Webelos can do more of their own activities. But Weebelos leaders tend to want to rely on pack activitie when they can.

 

 

Anyone have ideas on how to manage this?

[shortridge]

There's a lot of repetition in the Cub program as a whole. Example: Knots. They start off learning the basics as Wolves, and are at or near Tenderfoot level by the time they finish with Webelos. The key is changing it up enough each time and making it challenging and age-appropriate so that it's not just "the same old stuff."

[BadenP]

I feel too many pack leaders do the same activities over and over again mainly because they do not have to do any additional planning, get complaisant and lazy, and they can kind of coast for the year. The downside is that kind of program is that the boys get bored and leave. In packs where the leaders are energetic and try new things/activities the boys get excited as well and the packs grow in size and more parents are excited about pitching in to help. If all your pack activities are the same things repeated over and over, year to year you can bet you will lose boys and the parents of the boys you do keep will have little incentive to help out.

[shortridge]

Thinking about this in a different way ...

 

During a Cub Scout's career, he can go to day camp or summer camp five years in a row. At camp, he'll do the same old things - swimming, archery, maybe BB, boating, nature programs, handicrafts, etc. But each year, the same-old, same-old camp program becomes transformed (or should be!) into something new and neat and exciting. There will probably be a new theme, new camp staff costumes, new programs, a new trail to hike on, a new craft to make, new meals to cook over a campfire, a new archery lineup, new songs in the dining hall, new skits at the campfire ...

 

We really only have to offer five different years of Cub program, to cover the progression from Tigers through Webelos. So if you can create five different ways of casting or presenting each activity, the kids will never know the difference.

 

Maybe run Bowl-A-Thons at different lanes, or do a glow-in-the-dark bowling shindig; you could also have the Cubs create mini-bowling games as gifts with small wooden pins and balls ordered from a woodworking supply place. Do Pinewood Derbies at the local drag racing track, or visit a nearby NASCAR race first. Work with the camporee planners to present a new Cub program based on something they haven't done before. Instead of touring the local fire department three years in a row, ask the firefighters to put on a demonstration blasting the water hoses at the local park. And never do the same craft activity twice!

[ScoutNut]

My Pack does many of the same things each year for Pack meetings, and such. However, it is how you do them that counts, and whether or not not the Scouts actually like the event, activity.

 

If you do the same EXACT thing every year, with little to no variation, and you repeat events even if they had bad attendance, then yes, you run the risk of the boys getting bored, and leaving.

 

We have no problem with losing Scouts every year because they are bored.

 

District activities are no different.

 

As for Webelos leaders, who do not do any den activities, and "rely" on the Pack, and District, for their entire den program, well, they are simply not very good den leaders. I suggest the Cubmaster sit them down for a friendly chat.

 

 

[JoeBob]

The Pack may do the sames things repetitively, but the Dens don't. Each year is new to the boys. Webelos even have a new advancement protocol and Den camping.

The fact that some things are repeated should lend a level of comfort to scouts working on new, more challenging projects, and add to Pack Retention.

 

Besides, the things that you are doing for the third or fourth time, you ought to be doing well!

As opposed to muffing some new idea that no one understands...

[Eagledad]

I used to give Pack management clinics and on top of my must do list for good pack programs was using the same annual agenda every year. First off, this takes the stress off annual planning with new leaders. They just move right into the new leadership position and keep the pack running under the momentum of the previous leadership. Second, it gives the leadership time to find volunteers for the annual activity. We had volunteers for every monthly pack event before the end of the previous May. In fact, our parents knew the program so well that the activity leaders did their own recruiting for the next year and just reported the names to the committee. I dont know how we got that going, but it was great, especially for Pinewood Derby and Blue and Gold.

 

Truth is that while a few talented adults like SeattlePioneer have the creative skill to change the program and keep it interesting, most volunteers arent that good. From a district point of view, it is a challenge just to get the packs to have any kind of annual agenda, much less one that can be repeated every year.

 

I agree with Joebob, its up to the Den Leaders to keep the fun in the program because they see the scouts three times a month compared to the Pack that likely only has one activity a month. If the pack provides one different activity each month, then the scout only participates in the activity once a year.

 

That is not to say that creative planning is not a good thing. I wish every pack had a SeattlePioneer. But most packs arent that well managed and an annual agenda that a pack can repeat every year well is more desired than hoping that the pack can create any kind of agenda any year. Packs with creative people have great programs. Packs that dont can still have fun programs provided they schedule the activities far enough ahead to give the volunteers time to plan them.

 

I love this scouting stuff.

 

Barry

 

[AKdenldr]

How about 1/2 of the pack program repeats every year. The other half repeats every other year. That gives some variety but not everything is new to volunteers to figure out.

 

We haven't done this by design, but it has been how it worked out. IMHO you could plan out 2 years at a time (as ideas). Fill in dates and volunteers at fall planning conference.

 

If it's been two years since the rocket launch, tree planting, bonfire on the beach, or snow cave building even the Webelos go, if presented right. "Two years ago when the Webelos were Wolves we planted 100 trees for the city -- we had a lot of fun doing that so we thought we'd do that again...." 2 years is a long time to a 9 year old boy.

 

[SeattlePioneer]

You really know how to take it easy on Cubmasters, Eagledad!

 

I put a good deal of the program for a Cub Pack together in 2004-2005 and it is being faithfully replicated every year!

 

It will be interesting to see how long that continues.

 

And I've replicated a good deal of that in the pack for which I'm Cubmaster, adding in district events so that I don't have to organizae them (and they are quality events anyway and deserve to be supported).(This message has been edited by seattlepioneer)

[AnnLaurelB]

Hey, I took all 12 of my Cubbies bowling a couple months ago, and made them learn how to punch the names in (anyone remember the overhead projector and the grease pencil? Anyone? Anyone?), and how to get the balls out safely, and lane courtesy and everything.

 

I got them all beltloops for it, because they all showed up in a torrential downpour, they listened, they waited nicely, they cheered for each other, and they really tried to learn what all the parents were showing them about bowling.

 

If I say again next January, "LET'S GO BOWLING!" I bet they'd all still jump all over it, even though we did it last year.

 

My point is, don't they look forward to repeat outings? We went fishing last April; we're going again Saturday. I don't think my son would NOT want to go again next April, just because he went as a Tiger and as a Wolf. He digs going fishing.

 

I think repeat stuff is GOOD! They'll say, "I remember each Blue and Gold Banquet, those little old church ladies knocked themselves out! Even though we didn't really care that there were white linen tablecloths!"

 

(Why, yes, my little old church ladies DID score white linen tablecloths for my B&G for my 12 little Cub Scouts.)

[moosetracker]

AnnL - I thought our lanes were old with the manual pin reset. I don't know how many times I stood there waiting for the pins to reset until I figured out I had to do it. But it did have computer overhead, so we are a little better off then your bowling lanes.

 

Some things that are repeat can also be different, just by choosing a different location. Choose a different lake to fish at (or at least the other side of the lake). a Pack campout can be at a similar time of the year, but at a different place. The settings themselve will dictate some change of program, based on what the area has to offer..

 

We did do somethings that were different then the last year, then they may get put into the agenda for a few years, or due to complications never be done again..

 

There was someone on the board a few months ago who did a backwards pinewood Derby.. What did they call it.. DOOWENIP YBRED or some such name, (using rocket engines, but cars could not leave track.. Did he ever write back as to how the event went??

[Nike]

One of the great things about being in a transient military community is that even if we do the same activity every year, we have enough turn over that we get great ideas about how to change up the entertainment value or fine tune the mechanics.

 

If repeating the same event every year was a terrible idea, we would have been over and done with the PWD years ago!

[KISMIF_Works]

I believe that a Cub Scout program that is repeated annually but well-executed is superior to one that mixes things up but is poorly executed.

 

Repetition is not necessarily a sign of complacency. If the leadership still gets excited about planning and executing each event, and the events are popular with the boys, then everybody benefits. It's easier to plan and to identify where help is required in order to recruit volunteers. It's easier for new leaders who are transitioning into the program to succeed because they know what to expect from the events they are now helping to execute.

 

Kids seem to enjoy repetition. They will watch the same TV shows or movies and listen to the same songs repeatedly. They will play soccer or football or baseball each year even though the game is always the same. My sons and I go swimming just about every week, and they look forward to it every time. It seems like we've barely finished doing something fun and they are already asking when we can go back and do it again.

 

Put that in the context of an annual program and I can't imagine the boys thinking that Pack events are repeated too often, especially if they enjoy them.