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New one here in Michigan


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Hi Everyone! I live in Michigan and was a den leader for my son's den from Tiger all the way through crossover to Boy Scouts last February. For the last 2 years in the pack, I also served as the pack's advancement chair. After crossover I have become a committee member of the troop and help out in everything I can, have been recruited by Council to start a new pack in the area and am the Cubmaster for that pack. OH, and I am also in the process of working my Wood Badge ticket, (Go Eagle Patrol, C2-784-14!). Thanks for letting me join the forum!

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It's been a bit of a slow start so far for the new pack but we are finally getting our feet under us. It has been quite an experience, going from 5 years as a den leader and 1 year experience with Boy Scouts, back to the beginning of Cub Scouts and having every family be new to the scouting program. Thankfully, I have had some help from the new unit coordinator at Council in the recruitment process and have had a lot of help from my son (den chief) and several other boy scouts. There is another pack in the area so this new pack doesn't ever expect to have huge numbers. The plan is to stay small and family oriented. We were given plenty of freebies from a pack about 40 miles away that has dissolved and that has really helped us be able to plan events such as a Pinewood Derby, Raingutter Regatta etc.... We are using every opportunity to recruit such as hosting STEM nights at the local elementary school and having meetings directly after school for maximum participation. For now, we have two dens - a decent size tiger den of 6 boys and a combined wolf/bear den of 4 boys. Our goal is to have about 20-25 boys by next fall.

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Thjanks for your last excellent post!

 

 

I began working with my current pack eight years ago when it was down to a single boy, We had 23 boys egistered at the end of 2014.

 

 

So I've had your experience of slowly building up a pack.

 

<< There is another pack in the area so this new pack doesn't ever expect to have huge numbers. >>

 

That's true for us, too. One of my main reasons for working to prevent the dissolution of this pack was that aneighboring Scout Troop has a good program but has struggled to get new Scouts. A failed Cub Pack might have led to a failed Scout Troop too.

 

Another Scout Troop has a powerful influence in the neighborhood, and has poached a number of Webelos Scouts graduating from our pack program. While my bias is to funnel boys to that smaller troop, the stronger troop has used sneaky tactics such as sending a graduate of our Cub Pack back to us to serve as a Den Chief. The NERVE!

 

<< that has really helped us be able to plan events such as a Pinewood Derby, Raingutter Regatta etc.... We are using every opportunity to recruit such as hosting STEM nights at the local elementary school and having meetings directly after school for maximum participation.>>

 

 

Persistant recruiting is an exellent strategfy for growth! And using the kind of events you describe as a way to attract interested boys and parents is the strategy I use and find effective.

 

Sounds like you are doing a terrific job!

 

 

 

 

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