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Summertime Activity Cancelled


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So, due to situations beyond my control (MN State Government shutdown, grrrr...), one of our Pack's summertime activities was cancelled.

 

Would we still qualify for the Summertime Pack Award?

 

We had two "Pack" activities, in June and August (hopefully). In addition, two of our dens (Webelos and Bears) went/are going camping (Webelos in June, Bears in August). Could I count either/one/both as "Pack" activities, even if just one den is attending? And neither occurring in July?

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technically no,

but today is the 21st of July,

that means you have 10 days to make an alternative plan.

how bout meeting at the park for a water balloon fight, and then a clean up project to clean up your water balloons and eat watermelon.

or meet at the city pool for swimming

or go to someone's house with a big backyard and run thru the sprinklers.

 

lots of ideas, just do something fun together to reconnect with all the scouts.

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The award recognizes scouts' participation in the summertime activities, not the adults' planning of them.

 

The shutdown was known at the beginning of the month (and a known possibility long before that). Certainly time to make alternative plans. Isn't there a county or local park where the activity could be moved? Some other good ideas for alternatives posted as well.(This message has been edited by the blancmange)

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NO!

 

" A pack can qualify for the National Summertime Pack Award by planning and conducting three pack activities - one each in June, July, and August."

 

You have to do something, not just have plans to do it...and it has to happen all 3 months of summer, not just two.

 

Doesn't matter if you have 4 activities each in June and August - you have to have at least 1 in July too.

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Now remember, the activities do not have to be high staus or be the most impressive thing ever.

 

The biggest and most important thing is to make sure the boys have a great fun time...after that, everything else is just extra.

 

Hold a kickball game at the CO and bring a grill and cook hotdogs. Build a fire and cook smores.

Have a waterballon fight after they eat.

 

Doesn't have to be an epic adventure, just a fun activity to keep them going until the pack meets abck again at the end of summer.

 

Think like a 7 to 10 year old boy, not like a grown up. What we think is fun may not necessarily be their idea of what is fun. and likewise, what we think is just dumb could be really cool to them.

 

Go to a swimming pool and make it just for fun and not necessarily about advancement ( although the beltloops still apply). Play baseball, kickball, soccer or have a cookout/nightime hike/ smores cooking event.

 

Spend one night catching fireflies and make firefly lanterns with jelly jars.

 

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A "pack activity" doesn't necessarily entail a lot of planning. IMHO, you could just send out an announcement that "we're going to meet at the ______ museum at _______ PM." Just make sure a couple of leaders are going to be there. If you meet there, then parents need to take care of transportation, and many or most of them will stick around for the event.

 

We're also in Minnesota, and our two activities have consisted of fishing at a county park and a train ride (this afternoon--come and join us!):

 

http://www.trainride.org

 

For the train ride, we didn't worry about advance reservations. Each family will just buy their own tickets.

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Well, had the make-up hike. Sent an all-pack e-mail on Saturday announcing it, sent a reminder e-mail on Tuesday morning, and had the hike Tuesday evening. No one came.

 

Not an unforeseen occurrence, only one other family had "signed up" for the July Activity, with another begin a "maybe". And Tuesday is not our regular night, we usually do activities/Pack Meetings on Thursdays. But still, ouch. We aren't a big pack, but out of 17 boys I was hoping for some more buy-in. I guess everyone is waiting for school to start.

 

So, is it crass to award the National Summertime Award to the only Cub who came to all three activities, my own son? I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, just slip it in between the belt loops in September. But I've been hoping to get more scouts earning the "optional awards", like the Outdoor Activity and Leave No Trace awards, and I think this would set a good example.

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Eagle mom

 

not sure you can earn it as individual. It asks for 50% participation.

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33748.pdf

 

 

As a leader I would avoid giving your son any extra awards. While some might take some inspiration from the new bobble others will take it as an offense. Look he just hands out awards to son, My son and I have been involved with this and it generally does not work out well.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

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50% is for the Den award. The individual award only calls for a Scout to attend all 3 summer Pack activities.

 

It looks like your Pack will get it's streamer, and your son will get his Bear Summertime pin.

 

Hopefully it will encourage your Pack to be a bit more involved next summer.

 

On the other hand, try not to make a habit of arranging events specifically so that your son can earn an award. It might put off your Pack families.

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It might be a Council interpretation, but my Council says that a Pack earns the Award if they plan and hold one activity a month regardless how many go. If any boy attends all 3, he gets the pin. Any den that has 50% participation at each activity, gets a den ribbon. Therefore, in my Pack, under my council's interpretation, the poster's son would get his pin. They could be wrong, but that is what they say and it has been that way for awhile.

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