Troop Not Involved with Feeder Pack, Part Deux

[Krampus 696]

Same in our area.  Very hard to have any continuity over time.  Lots of hard feelings.  Parents that cross over expect they can influence the next group.  More hard feelings.  The Webelos transition is just not fun anymore.  It's rather ugly.

 

We haven't had any real turf wars at the troop level, but the packs and troops that are "aligned" with each other (e.g., same unit number) tend to bad mouth other units to discourage their guys from going there. Thankfully, the quality of the troops shows through and the boys end up going outside those units about 40% of the time.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

With the troop I'm in, the direct contact leaders don't care where the folks go, as long as they remain in Scouting. We've had folks visit from other units, we've had folks transferring from out of council visit us, and of course the feeder pack's Cubs. We want people to be in a troop that they are comfortable with. I admit we are not the best troop around, but we are not the worst either. We are a young troop that is slowly growing its own youth leaders.

 

I think maybe part of the "turf war" is that the CO's troop is losing Scouts. I knew Scouts were leaving the troop due to the change in leadership. Three new, non-Cub Scout, Boy Scouts I recruited for them, ended up quitting within 6 months. I told you about how only one Cub from my old den remains. And they haven't gotten a Cub from my pack in 2 years. Only "new" Scout they have in the past year was a transfer from another council. He's Life and is looking to Eagle.

[Sentinel947 1205]

@@Eagle94-A1, wow...that's some stuff.

 

I guess in our area we have soooo much competition that assuming the scouts in any one pack are going to your troop -- even if aligned -- is a bad idea. Fewer and fewer packs are part of any troop, even if co-located with the troop.

That's how my town is. 

[MattR 2659]

If the Webelos never spent time with your troop then that's one issue. If they have spent time and still went elsewhere then it might be another issue. I've had lots of parents tell me how they have been ignored when visiting other troops. We make a big deal when a webelo visits. Bring him up front. Introduce him. Put him in a patrol. Make him feel welcome. Same with the parents. When my son joined, the SPL came over and grabbed him before the meeting started and I didn't see him much. I remind the scouts every year what it was like when they joined. The big kids are huge. It's scary. They aren't sure if they will be welcome.

 

We also invite them to camp with us but not many do. It's winter camping so that's not a surprise.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

Update on the weekend. 6 Scouts and 2 leaders came. They didn't run any events, but at least they camped and did some stuff in the campsite with the Webelos. Baby steps.

 

Current CM and CO's SM go way back, and I mean WWWWWAAAAAAAYYYYYY back. CM worked with SM before the birth the of SM's son, and CM was there for the SM's son's birth. And vice versa. SM actually recruited the CM when CM's son was a Tiger. So after the troop left today, CM and I had a chat. Apparenlty the SM feels betrayed by the pack, hence the lack of involvement. SM feels that I am to blame for my oldest son and 3 of his den mates going to our troop. Then when the next Webelos Den crossed over, felt betrayed again because 1 went to my troop, and another went to a different troop.And when last year's CM's son went over to my troop, again furthered the betrayal.

 

As for the lack of involvement with, the Webeloree is run by a fellow from my troop. He is the one who when asked by his pastor to restart the pack, left my pack and became CM. Eventually 1/2 the pack left to join the new pack. So there is still some resentment there.

 

I'm trying to stay out of it. I want the relationship to be reesablished. I want the troop getting involved. Heck I had a chat with some of the Scouts aroundthe campfire  talking about one of the best recruiting tools; Wilderness Survival, especially since now CASTAWAY is an elective adventure,.

[Krampus 696]

Apparenlty the SM feels betrayed by the pack, hence the lack of involvement. SM feels that I am to blame for my oldest son and 3 of his den mates going to our troop. Then when the next Webelos Den crossed over, felt betrayed again because 1 went to my troop, and another went to a different troop.And when last year's CM's son went over to my troop, again furthered the betrayal.

 

Someone needs to understand that the BOYS select where they want to go...and if his troop was out-going they'd get more scouts.

 

I hate that entitled attitude of "feeder" packs. It is like raising lambs for the lion to eat, then the lion is surprised when the lamb is eaten by the tiger.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

UPDATE.

 

Well it's going to get interesting. WDL will be stepping down June 1 to become Tiger DL with younger son. They are trying to talk my wife into becoming DL since she is the ADL. Wife is considering it. Actually she is being "voluntold" to do it, especially since it's only 6 months we are talking about.

 

Anyway, wife knows how Webelos-to-Scout transitions go. She was involved with another troop when we were in MS. So she plans on making calls to visit every troop in the area. She will be contacting the CO's troop first, and try to get a visit and camp out with them. But everyone will be visiting.

 

I'm hoping the CO's troop does something.  I've talked to the Scouts about wilderness survival and Webelos, and they seemed to think it will work. When I told the adults about the idea a few years back,  they said I'm crazy.

[John-in-KC 311]

A couple comments:

 

First, it sounds like the DE and the Unit Commissioner need to sit down with the IH, the COR, and the CC/program officers.  If the CO doesn't have buy-in to Scouting, it's time to ask why.  (See the bumping of the ECOH for an internal youth activity).

 

Second, to quote that great Scout Executive and Mayor of Kansas City, H Roe Bartle, "If you give them great program, they will come."  If the Webelos Den went elsewhere, the first place I'd look is the quality of the program in the Troop.