Jump to content

About to throw in the towel.


Recommended Posts

... The nearest healthy pack is a 20 minute drive from our house. ...

Our CO took us 20 minutes to get to for cub meetings from our house. And nearly every pack function took that long to go to. We later learned how to shave the trip down to 10 minutes after son #1 started dating a young lady from that neighborhood. :)

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Have a bonfire and campout open to all boys in first through fifth grade and their families. Use your local school to advertise (ours used to let us send flyers home with the kids but now it posts events and invitations on its calendar page). Have each scout invite his friends. Offer s'mores at the fire and hot chocolate in the morning. Find someone to tell camp fire stories - there are a ton on the net and I'd be glad to post links to my favorites. Have another adult arrange skits for the boys (MacScouter has a whole book you can download). The current boys can do more elaborate skits and then you can have the new boys do simple skits. Get a bunch of jokes from boys life to get the ball rolling and encourage the boys to tell jokes. Have anyone attending send you an email to RSVP. Talk to the adults one on one about the program. Invite the kids (with two follow up emails to the adults) the next meeting where you will be doing another cool activity - how about making paper airplanes and throwing them from a second story window or balcony? Tell them to bring a friend. Run it like a Cub Scout meeting - flag ceremony and all. Talk to the parents about how Cub Scouts is the best way to spend time with your son doing fun things together (as opposed to just watching). Explain that scouting is something fathers and sons can do together that creates a strong bond and the best memories. Give them the registration form and paperwork. Announce that the next meeting will be all about snow. Encourage everyone to come and to bring a friend. But don't tell them anything more. They have to come to find out. Do the closing ceremony and end with a snack. The next meeting make instant snow (Google it - I've never used it without the kids going crazy) . Make paper snowflakes. Go over the Bobcat requirements (see how I stuck that in). Play snow trivia jeopardy. Do a Frozen sing along. End with snow cones (you can get a machine to make them and the syrup for less than $50) or snow themes cupcakes or cookies. Announce that the next is about having fun at night. Tell them to bring a flashlight and a friend. Learn about stars, play flashlight tag, learn about nocturnal creatures and give out the new Bobcat badges.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Loy_36. I know the problems you have. I started helping out at my old Cub Scout pack just two years ago, and we had four Cubs, all ages. I used these youngsters to decide what sort of programme they liked. I also used our proficiency badges as programmes and the Cubs saw they were earning badges and started to tell their friends what fun they were having.

 

I understand I am a UK Scouter, but I find kids are kids and like to be earning badges to show off to their peers.

 

We now have 23 Cubs.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Loy-36, if you currently only have 5 boys (I missed that before) -- you can do den sized things with them. Grab another adult and the boys, load up your minivan, and leave the building and do some field trips, walks, community service, whatever..... Slip in some bobcat requirements on the side....Look at what the boys can earn quickly (a belt loop or two) and have some fun earning them -- award them pretty quickly after earning. Continue to recruit, Hedgehog has some great ideas.

 

There is a thing called a den chief -- your local troop should know what one is... as your local troop for help.

Link to post
Share on other sites

We haven't had a Round up at any schools but there are a few that I'm trying to work with the DE for my area to go in to and have a sign up night for our pack.

 

 

This is what needs to be done asap! in order to get more kids they need to be area of the program.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Have a bonfire and campout open to all boys in first through fifth grade and their families. Use your local school to advertise (ours used to let us send flyers home with the kids but now it posts events and invitations on its calendar page). Have each scout invite his friends. Offer s'mores at the fire and hot chocolate in the morning. Find someone to tell camp fire stories - there are a ton on the net and I'd be glad to post links to my favorites. Have another adult arrange skits for the boys (MacScouter has a whole book you can download). The current boys can do more elaborate skits and then you can have the new boys do simple skits. Get a bunch of jokes from boys life to get the ball rolling and encourage the boys to tell jokes. Have anyone attending send you an email to RSVP. Talk to the adults one on one about the program. Invite the kids (with two follow up emails to the adults) the next meeting where you will be doing another cool activity - how about making paper airplanes and throwing them from a second story window or balcony? Tell them to bring a friend. Run it like a Cub Scout meeting - flag ceremony and all. Talk to the parents about how Cub Scouts is the best way to spend time with your son doing fun things together (as opposed to just watching). Explain that scouting is something fathers and sons can do together that creates a strong bond and the best memories. Give them the registration form and paperwork. Announce that the next meeting will be all about snow. Encourage everyone to come and to bring a friend. But don't tell them anything more. They have to come to find out. Do the closing ceremony and end with a snack. The next meeting make instant snow (Google it - I've never used it without the kids going crazy) . Make paper snowflakes. Go over the Bobcat requirements (see how I stuck that in). Play snow trivia jeopardy. Do a Frozen sing along. End with snow cones (you can get a machine to make them and the syrup for less than $50) or snow themes cupcakes or cookies. Announce that the next is about having fun at night. Tell them to bring a flashlight and a friend. Learn about stars' date=' play flashlight tag, learn about nocturnal creatures and give out the new Bobcat badges.[/quote']

I really love this idea but let me ask you, how would you word it on the flyers? Would you come right out and advertiser it as a recruitment type event or just list it as a Family Bonfire and Camp Out Sponsored by Pack 22?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...