gcan

I agree, I hate it when kids get badges they don't earn. I know of a leader that gives ALL the kids the badge/patch/pin when only 2 kids actually completed the requirement. It totally devalues the work the other ones have done to get thier awards. We have had boys look at our chart and ask why they are the only ones not getting a certain award. At that point we remind them that they need to complete x,y,z, and they missed that meeting/ didn't show us thier homework. They usually come thru by the next pack meeting, lol. There are requirements that specifically state that you cannot 'use' a project for anything else- ie Engineer #10/ Scholar #7 "if you have not earned it for another activity gadge", and I'm pretty sure there were more. Otherwise, if you can combine things, do it! It's definatly more efficiant and resourceful to TYPE and PRINT a thank you note than to write a ty note, type another note, and print yet another one. Use clean-ups to work on Naturalist. discuss sportsmanship while earning a sports BL. And if you do stuff like that every time, the boys will learn a LOT more than if you talk about trees/ saftey/ sportsmanship once, while sitting down with the books open. Read your book carefully, don't be afraid to work on some things simultaniously (ie naturalist AND forrester, geologist AND scientist) and keep track of everything, lol. We've had to re-do activities because I forgot to write down exactly what we did!

of course it's possible for the whole pack to get it! Our den of 6 boys meets roughly 3x a month. We became webelos 2's in march... and one of the boys just this month completed his 20th badge, 3 of them have 18, the other 2 aren't far behind. We have been working hard with them, and have given them minimal homework. Some of the boys don't complete the homeowrk, or have missed a meeting or two, or can't swim so are taking longer to get aquanaut... The trick is to read the whole book FIRST. Have a good grasp of the requirements for the belt loops and pins, and you can easily complete 2 things at a time. Here's a typical lesson plan for a 1 1/2 hour meeting for us- Den meeting @ Library- Communicator/ Computers (group 1) Write a story Pin #1 Tell/ read your story to the den Comu # 2, BL #1, Showman #16 Visit a librarian Comu #6, pin #4 ____________________________________________________ (group 2) Discuss computers Comp BL #1, 2 Computer safety rules Comp pin 8 Type and print a TY letter Comu #11, Comp pin 6 Comu BL 2, Comp BL 3 Go on 5 websites Comu #12, Comp pin (one must be www.scouting.org) Use a Paint program Comp pin 5, Art pin 10 Report on activity for website Comu # 8, Comp pin 1 _____________________________________________________ Computers BL Comu #14 Communicator BL Comu #15 To finish Communicator Pin: -read a book and tell us about it

my Webelos 1/2 dens in NJ would really get into this, and we do have summer activities planned. send me the info if you want us to participate! gcan611@verizon.net

our camp costs $125 for 5 days, 9-5. it is at a local scout camp, and offers more than enough to make it a great value (bbs, archery, swimming tests, lots of requirements are covered). We have a tot lot for tots (ie non- scouting age), and older girl-sibs do tag along with some of the tiger/wolf dens. In fact, our first year we had the only girl. her mother was the camp nurse, and had the camp not allowed the kid to come along we would not have had a nurse. I suggets that if your hubby is 'livid' about all those girls tarnishing the camp experience, then maybe next year he can offer to take the week off of work to run the 'girl camp' so thier parents can volunteer thier time to work the scout camp. Why is it such a problem that sibs are allowed to participate in closing ceremonies? Yes, I do agree that is sounds dissorganized, and like there isn't much planning going on. Why don't you offer to help? approach an overwhelmed den leader and ask what you can do- having a baby doesn't mean there isn't something you can do (like prepare crafts, or help with a skit).

we have a Webelo who (occasionally) freaks out over just the thought of bugs. The fear seems very real... except when there is something he reeeeeally wants to do and he has to pass a bug to do it. It seems as though if he is given the chance to think about it, and mull it over, he gets really upset. But if we distract him, or make the benefits of passing a bug outweigh the benefits of staying behind, he usually will be able to do it. I think it's important that we don't let the other boys ridicule him, we just treat it like a fact (ie boy 1 can't swim. so we work around it. Boy 2 can't read well. we deal.) But we also don't cater to him, you know? We give him the choice- stay on the trail by yourself, or come with the boys to the turtle bog. We don't force him to walk thru a spider web, but we also don't 'shelter' him- we taught him to walk with a stick in front of him to catch the webs first. Beyond that, it's really a day-to-day thing with him. Any thing that has worked for anyone else would be greatly appreciated!

We have typical 'meetings' about half the time- we try to do outings every other month with the pack. You can acomplish quite a lot of the "meeting stuff" ie giving out awards, making anouncements, ect. at most outings! Conversely, pack meetings aren't all about sitting still and being quiet. You can have 'guests', like firemen who bring thier trucks, we've had a leather maker that helped the boys make some leather crafts... you get the idea. We have had some great fun at pack meetings (the 'trust games' work great around about the beginning of every year)... but a change of pace in the form of an outing is always welcome! In general, do one thing once per month with the whole pack. And make it FUN!

thanks for the answers! I guess I'm just worried about the boys as they are NOW, when they wander off into the woods in search or something shiny. I'm hoping they will have a much better head on thier shoulders in 2 years. next question- what about meds? one is on OTC allergy meds, but the other boy is on Adderrol. I'm assuming there is a procedure in place for this- anyone know what it is? And do you think the kids would be humiliated if the parents came by for the day (or several days) to visit? Are thier often parents wandering around?

Our boys will be just old enough to go to the Jamboree in '10... chronologically, anyway. But at this point, no way will they be savvy enough to navigate on thier own or with an adult leader who doesn't really 'know' them. (picture Billy from the 'Family Circus' comic strip). We were considering two options- 1. go as 'visitors'- would the boys be able to participate in any of the events? 2. sign them up, pay the full fee, but keep them in a nearby hotel/ family campground with us most nights so they don't 'forget' to return to thier tents, wander off in the woods because they aren't paying attention, ect. At this point (they are 10yo Webelos now), no way are they mature enough to go, given the adult:scout ratio. And it seems like an awful expensive gamble to assume they will be ready in 2 years, and have them not be. The only reason this is even an issue is because this Jambo is close enough to drive down for the day, who knows where the next one will be, and if we will be able to afford to travel to it. Any ideas? Or are we setting the boys up for a lifetime of ridicule because we won't let them leave the nest?

I just want to add my 2 cents... Don't ASk for help from the parents, TELL them "great, Im glad you are here, we need a parent to run this station." Sometimes they don't step up because they don't know that you need them to! You could also maybe pay for the parent helpers to come on the trips, that the other parents have to pay for? I wouldn't personally switch packs just because some of the other dens are less than stellar. Your den is running strong, and IMO you can't do everything! If there is no Tiger den this year, the pack won't fold. BUT you could try to actively recruit adults at roundups, too! Or ask the other leaders/parents to put a concerted effort into recruiting friends with boys that they think would be willing to volunteer. JMHO...

I think the idea is a great one!!! Maybe you could have the boy(s) most likely to balk at sticking thier hands in there help set up. let them in on the 'secret' and let them see exactly what they are sticking thier hands into. An alternative- party stores and 'teenager mall stores' have cheap smoke machines- maybe $25? safer, and reusable! Unless you are going to do a demo with the dry ice, I think you might have a crowd control problem after the ceremony, when every boy and thier dad want to get up close and personal with the pot.

I'd be interested to know what the parent who's boy had to switch packs thinks about this. IMO, "what's best for a child" should be determined by the PARENT, not by the CM/CC looking at numbers on paper. If the parents would rather the boy be with his classmates, I would let them know that it was not a decision you were involved in, and would welcome them with open arms should they feel they need to go to the CC and ask to be put back in the den. Then welcome the CC/CM to a meeting and let him talk to the parents- and find one of them that wants to try a different den. It's not fair to the boys to arbitrarily decide that one of them needs to leave when they were perfectly happy in the first place!!

I'd be interested to know what the parent who's boy had to switch packs thinks about this. IMO, "what's best for a child" should be determined by the PARENT, not by the CM/CC looking at numbers on paper. If the parents would rather the boy be with his classmates, I would let them know that it was not a decision you were involved in, and would welcome them with open arms should they feel they need to go to the CC and ask to be put back in the den. Then welcome the CC/CM to a meeting and let him talk to the parents- and find one of them that wants to try a different den. It's not fair to the boys to arbitrarily decide that one of them needs to leave when they were perfectly happy in the first place!!

We have a Webelos 2 boy whose mother is very active in the pack, and attends most everything with and without her son. The boys parents have been divorced since before he started scouts. Dad has (just this year) decided that he is no longer going to bring the boy to any events. he's shown up to a few and even demanded the kid leave with him (it was his normal pick up time anyway). He refused to let the boy participate in a recent Camp-o-ree, pulled the kid out of the pool on 'swim night' so he could leave, he showed up halfway thru the Memorial Day service and told the kid to get in the car, they were going to the the shore... and this is just this month. The boy seems to really enjoy scouting, but doesn't want to "make dad mad" by telling him he wants to participate. He's already fallen behind as far as badges go, and was upset when he did not get an attendance awards like most of our den. We do try to schedule things around this kids' visitation, but he's only one out of 20 kids- it's not always possible. We've tried to include the father, but he still refuses to participate even when he is present. What can we do? The leader has spoken to him, and he says that yes, the boy will be at something, then he doesn't show up. We are considering telling him mom won't show in the hopes that this is the problem, but then we loose a useful adult and there's no garuntee he'll bring the kid anyway.

you COULD, though, build a 'tool box' and modify it a little bit to hold pencils/ craons, or a zillion other little things boys collect. It just says 'build tool box'- not necesarily the one in the book. Home depot has a kit for a tool box with holes for pencils... and if you ask nicely, lol, they will even schedule an evening just for your den/ pack to come in and build them for free!

I just want to add my 2 cents- I work with foster kids with behavioral issues, and spend the REST of my time surrounded by 10yo boys! You said the boys are already 'in the system'. Are thier parents willing to give you thier therapist, or caseworker, or whomevers' phone number? IMO, the other adults in these boys' lives need to know what's going on, just as you need to know how best to help them/ deal with them, and these people might know. But yes, you can certainly exclude them from activities if thier behavior is affecting the rest of the boys. I would first insist that they have a 1:1 adult with them for activities, whom they must stay with. Make it clear to the parents AND the boys that if this doesn't work (they don't stay with thier adult, they still misbehave), then they will not be able to come on the next activity. Keep in mind that the safety of everyone else is at stake here. Besides, can you really afford to lose the OTHER kids when these two scare them off? Is there ANY adult in the pack whom these kids listen too? All you need is ONE adult whom they want to impress. If you can convince that adult to shadow one of them every week, you might be able to get them to make that connection with an adult that it seems like they have never, ever made. good luck! Professionally, I really hope you don't give up on these kids yet. They really need someone to pay attention to them- I bet they've never ever been complimented in thier lives. Sometimes you really do have to ignore the bad stuff and praise them for sitting still for 5 mintues, you know? Personally, I try to keep my DS as far as possible from kids like this, and can totally understand your frustration with the situation. Good luck!

we pull from a low-income area, too. I would suggest a few things... -have weekly den meetings someplace most parents can walk too. -send lots of letter to local businesses- you can get freebees, sponsorships, all kids of good things. All you have to do is ask- but make sure you include your tax exempt # (altruism is much more apparent when it has a positive impact on your bottom line, lol). -try to tie events in with a local free activity. -DON'T get in the habit of picking up every kid for every meeting in your car because the parent 'just can't make it'. One of our leaders started this, and she's really about had it by now but can't seem to figure out how to stop it!

we collect $5 per month. it covers all the glue, colored pencils, posterboard, ect that we need. We also have the parents pay for *most* trips- the pumpkin' pickin they had to pay for, but our trip to the ice rink came out of den dues. It really just depends on how much is in the kitty at the time, what else we have going on that month, ect. the PACK charges $60/year for reg. fees- it covers chartering, Boy's Life, any awards they earn thruout the year, and pack activities. We have some parents that can, some that can't. But we are small enough that we can taylor the cash due to the family, and usually even out in the end.

We set up a table at our local 'town fair' day. We also had a spring roundup at the park next to the baseball fields... on opening day! it worked out wonderfully- several of our kids play ball so were able to talk thier friends into stopping by after thier game. The non- scout families were able to learn about us as well as see that we are flexible enough to allow for the kids' bball games! It did wonders for other boys to see our kids in their baseball uniforms, and then see that they were still cool as cub scouts, too.

I tend to agree with eagledad. A couple of us parents and leaders in my pack have gone camping together as a group of friends- NOT as scouts, NOT in uniforms, NOT listed on the scout calander... you get the point. Just because we like to camp. And a beer by the fire is a good thing once in a while, lol. Yes, they can still earn badges. I don't believe there are many requirements that you HAVE to earn only while wearing your 'scout hat'- most of em you can techincally earn at home, as long as your leader agrees that you actually did it. My suggestion, though- make SURE it's clear that this is not manditory. Don't work on any requirements that the kids have to do as a den, just stick to the bascis ones like id'ing trees, seting up a tent, ect. At that point, when you are camping as families who met thru scouting, as opposed to a scout den, you have much more leeway in what you do. You just have a better grasp of safety than your average friends-camping-with-kids group!

we had 2 boys join our den of 4 existing (since Tigers) scouts as Webelos 1's. We told thier parents NOT to get them the blue shirts the other boys were wearing because of the short term- use. My son and another boy switched over after they earned thier Webelos badge; thier blue shirts were waaaay to tight. The other 2 boys can't bare to give up all the arrow points and rank badges on thier blue shirts, so they will wear them thru bridging. If you are concerned about uniformity... we are giving the boys badge vests, so they will all match on the outside, lol! BTW, we found a great alternative to the red felt- Wal Mart has a tan lighter canvas material that seems to hold up very well.

We split when we became Webelos last year, but under different circumstances. The existing den had 8 boys in it, and three were going to quit because the meetings were out of control (mostly because of the den leaders' kid, but that's another story). We took those 3 (inc. mine and the current leaders' child) as well as another boy, and added 2 more that only joined because of the split. We DID offer it up to the parents when we split, giving them thier choice of dens. however, we pretty much knew who would come with us and which boys wanted to stay with the leader that would let them run wild. Pack meetings are still hair-raising, but we keep them seperated as much as possible! Do you have another parent you could stand to lose? Anyone that you think would be able to handle/ WANT to handle another den? We seriously limit combined den activities, but sounds like that wouldn't be necessary for yours. Do you have a big enough space to split up now? You could divide meetings into stations, and assign different parents to each station.

seems like this is a problem for everyone! We have rescheduled our meetings to fit in with soccer and baseball schedules- I have a bad feeling I'd know what would win if we make the kids choose. that might be a little hard with 40 kids in a pack, though it works well for our pack of 18. we actually have committee meetings at the soccer field... adapt and overcome, lol!

that game sounds great! what kind of waypoints do you give them? I'd like to do that with our boys, but 'm not really sure how...

We've always used school unifrom pants for my sons' cub scout uniform, but he's now switched to the tan shirt. I saw the post re: the switchback sale, but our council shop is almost an hour away and there's just no way for me to get HIM down there to try 'em on, lol! What size would I order for a kid who wears a 14 husky? (yes he's a little chubby, but he needs that length too) Do they run big? are they baggy? would I be better off with a mens' size? On that note, how about for a 10 slim (but he's got size 12 legs, lol)? and no, THAT kid is not gonna bulk up any time in the near future, but he's nearly as tall as my son.

I would politely thank her, and let her know that if you need an extra adult along to help, you will certainly let her know. but IMO an extra FAMILY tagging along on a Cub campout sounds like more of a drag on you all than anything else!