starting a troop/not enough boys

[sunsetandshadow 10]

HI, i have read many previous posts and i need some advice. When my son started tigers we basically restarted the pack from the ground up -all new boys,leaders,ect. It has been rocky but the pack now has 25 or so boys who are active. It has been all women led these past years but we now have a weblos leader who was a former boy scout who has taken charge of these older boys. he has done a great job and he has volunteered to become scoutmaster for a newly created troop. We currently have 4 weblos, 2 will be crossing over to scouts really soon. one is in 4th grade and one is in 5th grade. they both have earned the arrow of light and are 11 years old. One weblos is undecided - he may quit scouts and the 4th boy is too young to cross over. We were told that we need to have at least 5 boys register to start a troop. Is this a written requirement or a local council rule? If we do not have a troop now then there will not be one when the other cubs get old enough and then they too will drop out. There is no troop within 60 miles of our town. Because we had problems getting the pack started many boys joined years ago and then dropped out. They are not interested in returning even though our program has gotten much better. So we are trying to excite the younger boys so they will stay with it through the years. This is working out great as each year the tiger recruitment is larger than the year before and retention is much better. But if we cannot find 3 more boys to join then there will be no program for the older boys. I have also looked into the lone scout program but was told that our council (headquartered in st. louis) does not participate in the lone scout program. I asked how the boy scouts could have a program like that and then not offer it to everyone and was told that it was up to each council. When i explained that there was no local troop i was curtly told that i could then start one. Well we have found a potential scoutmaster and we are trying to start a troop but now we are told we do not have enough boys. The vfw which charters the cubscouts is willing to charter the troop and we have vfw members willing to be chairpersons,ect. My son is very excited about boyscouts - it is the one afterschool activity he is involved in and I would hate for him to have to give it up. any advice?

[EagleInKY 14]

Yes, you do need 5 boys to start a troop. Try to recruit some of their friends. If each brought in one friend, you'd have enough to get started. (You don't have to maintain the 5, just charter with them, and re-charter, of course).

 

Also, talk to other troops in the area. Are there some older boy scouts that have earned Eagle and are looking for other things to do? You may find one or two willing to help get you started. They could be registered to your unit and get you the numbers as well. Plus, their leadership would be invaluable to getting the group going.

[Beavah 205]

Hiya Sunset,

 

Nice job wit dat pack there! Way to go!

 

The 5-members-to-charter is a BSA national guideline. Your Scout Executive can waive this requirement if there is a good reason to, so that might be a way to go.

 

Someone else will have to fill you in on Lone Scouts.

 

And of course ya can always follow the fine BSA professional tradition and "register the graveyard." Pay for a couple of kids who really aren't members but who agree to have their names used for a year. Who knows, you might pull 'em in. In any event, it's a reasonable workaround if there's no other scouting opportunity for the boys.

 

 

 

[Eagle69 46]

Somebody must have given us an exception since I recharted last year and this year with only 4 boys.

[Eamonn 61]

Yo! Beavah dude,

Dat "register the graveyard." ain't no way man!!

Just ain't cool.

Dis is da kinda stuff da got da big time stink last year man.

When you is building somfink awesome to start wid you have no need for transgression.

So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom.

Eamonn.

 

[Scouter4321 10]

Definitely start planning some cool outing and have the current Webelos all invite a friend. Then sign 'em up!

 

If that doesn't work, I think you should be able to get a "waiver". We have a Venture Crew in our town that rechartered with just 3 youth, with the expectation that they will continue to try and recruit and get the membership back up.

 

Scouter4321

 

[SR540Beaver 116]

Aw, come on Eammon, it's just a little tweak.