Andee741

OK... These are all great ideas. Please keep them coming. We are headed to Devil's Lake State Park to take the boys camping this weekend, just the family. First time, and my youngest is sooooooo excited since he isn't old enough yet to camp with the Pack Overnights where we do just Scout/Parent. Anyway, I say this because I won't be able to respond or read over the weekend (limiting myself to electronics), and I need to keep packing, but I love these ideas and appreciate them so much. Love the Survivor Idea. I have to read more about these Morley Games, I did a scan and they look clever, challenging and hilarious. Open-time is a better wording instead of free-time. Thanks for that tip. CCbyTrickery thanks for the info on the Family Campouts. We've talked about doing one, but everyone is a little hesitant. For me if you communicate and set the expectations of how the event is going to go, your family either complies, or for the next one you a) don't return or b) get involved and help set the event up. I always try to get the parents with spoken opinions on how something is going - involved (I say this for a good number of parents in my Pack. We are lucky to have very few that are complainers or difficult - very few). I'll be back. Thank you again and have a great 3 day weekend!

Packsaddle, I think most haven't mastered the art of deception or even thought of working on it.... but I've got a couple are working on that badge. It's funny how quickly your eye can pick up on a boy or two in a group of 60 to check on once in a while. You are so right though and we are definitely enjoying this time. To me organizing these camps isn't work (except for collecting medical forms from procrastinating, inconsiderate parents...rant over). I volunteered to run the camps, because I have an expectation that there should be certain elements, including organized activities and a great campfire full of songs, skits, jokes, stories, etc. Tampa Turtle: I agree. I love the Go See Its too. We are Bears this year. Next year we repeat Tiger with my youngest and I have to admit, I'm excited about doing Tiger year again and better this time. For the Bears this year we are going to an old corn mill that is a museum and was part of the Underground Railroad. We are visiting a conservationist who rescues North American animals like bears, wolves, skunk...he has a program about protecting these animals. We are going to raise money for the Humane Society and tour and learn about approaching strange dogs. Police station tour. I think we are going to try to build a display for 5 Pinewood Derby Cars in the Spring. The boys LOVE to build. We did bird houses, and outrageous marshmallow shooters last spring (I have the plan available if anyone needs one). Our den loves to build. I saw this 5 shelf display that I think the boys can build. It's very cool and holds 5 PWD cars. I like the idea of the garbage/recycle place sounds great. Just what boys like. Our Pack is 60+. We hit 65 last year up from 56 the previous year. Some don't care for the growth. A Scouting mom literally across the street, she and I have been having a great time kicking it up a notch at the pack. I'm going to miss her involvement when her son leaves. He's a W1 this year. So everyone is thinking about succession in regards to the CC and CM who have boys that are W1, and I keep thinking about HER replacement for me. We lean on each other and help each other a lot. You're right about making some good friends in Scouts.

In free-time the majority of the boys will pick a soccer or a football. Something to play a group game with. There are a couple that do take some re-directing. I'm not talking about a lot of free-time. They explore and wander. I haven't found it to be problematic in the campouts I have attended but did not plan. And they get roped in quickly if it does get out of control. I don't actually schedule free time.(This message has been edited by Andee741)

I'm looking for some ideas for Pack Campouts. As a Camping Chair I do believe there needs to be a balance between free-time and planned activities. The free-time is easy, but planned activities I'd like to hear some ideas from other groups. Last April (1st time as Camp Chair) we did a 'Geocache-style' Treasure Hunt with GPS units borrowed from our Council'. With the 'swag' items collected at each tub the boys made dreamcatchers with the help of their parents. The boys really enjoyed this activity and each slept with their dreamcatcher in their tents. This Fall the dens areworking on Rank Achievements or special badges and the Webelos are leading a couple special hikes for the Pack. This Winter we have a Cabin Campout and I'm tossing around some ideas centered around being Resourceful- recycling materials. Thinking of a theme of Alien Invasion from Mars, and tying in the Mars Rover possibly. Next Spring probably doing a Fishing Derby. In all of our Campouts we have a campfire program, skits, songs, and stories. We really got into the Campfire program this past Spring and to me it's a big part of the memories the boys will take with them as Adults to bring their children camping. So please share with me some Adventures your Pack has done to have a 'theme' or planned ideas. Our Pack is 60 strong. We camp with Scout and 1 Parent. We do not do large Family Campouts. To me it just sounds overwhelming and doing it Scout/Parent seems like a nice way to focus the event on the Scouts. But I also welcome information on how to handle a large Family campout where there could be 100-200 attending (maybe that's a separate thread). Thank you in advance.

Hello. I'm new to the boards, have been directed here multiple times. I about shot my husband when he came home and said he volunteered to be Tiger Den Leader. We were already volunteering as coaches for our Park District. Anyway...2 years later, I've been the Membership Chair and just finished training someone so I can focus on being the Camping Chair, which I love. Our Pack does three Pack Campouts (Scout & Parent) and 1 museum overnight each year. Anyways, looking for a Camp Activities thread for Pack Campouts. I've set this Fall's Campout up to be a chance for Den Leaders to get in some work on rank achievements and I hope for the Spring Campouts to be fun Pack Activities. Last April we did a 'Geocache Treasure Hunt' and then made Dreamcatchers with the Treasure. The boys loved this activity and I have to admit it was fun watching 25 dads/moms helping their scouts with the project. Next Spring I'm thinking towards a Fishing Derby. This Winter at our Cabin Campout I'm thinking something along the lines of Resourcefulness Crossed with Martians...but still working on this idea. In April, one of the dads standing next to me said, I remember singing that song at camp. That's what I want to pass on to the boys in our Pack. The memories of how much fun they had being outside, what they did, what they learned. The songs that they sang, that their parents sang, the hikes in the woods. Now we're a bunch of suburbanites, but I really think all boys need this sort of activity, they need to get dirty, and I believe each parent should be willing to lose a couple nights of sleep to give their son's this experience, whether their son knows they want/need it or not. In short.... Hello

Thank you KISMIF. It's interesting to hear about the other logistics. Update from our JTE Award. We announced what the basis of the award was an what we did last year in earning it. And then our CM turned it around on me and another Mom and got the Scouts all fired up in a thank you round of applause to us (which was never our intention, but was nice to hear). My neighbor and I are a bit wacky when it comes to helping with the Pack. Anyway, the Scouts are having fun was my take away, and are terribly excited about the plan we laid out for them for this coming year to do it again. We have 4 overnights planned. Lot's of skills to build, memories to create that they will share with their children. I love being the Camping Chair.

Thanks basementdweller. The one boy I know tries hard. The other boy has these spontaneous bursts of aggression that he seemingly 'has' to act on, and it can be towards an adult or child. He snapped at the one mom that was chaperoning with me. I made him sit down and cool off and gave him one chance to understand his poor behavior and apologize or he was headed home. It took him 10 minutes to get to that point. But as I listened to him apologize, it was obvious he's had to do it MANY times and this is a 3rd grader(now). Anyway, it's interesting to think about the length of time you are with boys at a summer camp versus a 1 hour den meeting. I just noticed different things about the boys.

Put me down for a dozen of those t-shirts! Our Pack went to camp as two groups across 2 weeks with 27 boys. The first week I had one boy who was finally told that the only way he could return was with a parent by his side, he was a no show on Friday. I was very sympathic to this young Scout at the beginning of the week, but then a pattern became clear and his behavoir was out of control, agressive, and disrupting the other scouts from getting the full experience. My sympathy was in part because I knew he had some attention issues, but also because it was over 90 degrees day after day and everyone was affected. However, he became more and more agressive as the week went on. The following week a Tiger Cub that I 'had an eye' on since a pretty small incident at our Spring Campout, took another Tiger behind a bush and punched him. So sign me up for a dozen t-shirts because I have some other Moms who really enjoy getting one of them! I do have a question: In our Den we have two boys with attention issues. We had 2-3 chaperones attending each day with 13 Scouts. But honestly, with these two boys, it really took 1 person almost full-time to make sure they were on board and safely handling equipment. Have other Packs implemented a 'with Parent only' policy or anything like that for boys with attention issues to attend Camp? The Chaperones were very busy in general with the boys keeping them well hydrated and moving from one session to the next. (no intention to offend anyone here, my intentions are for the best for all the scouts.)

I didn't know there are schools with more than 1 Pack. Are large Elementary Schools? Are they rural schools with students spreadout? Very interesting.

Hi Eagle, Thank you for the welcome. I've had some of the similar problems. My pet peeve is lost volunteer applications that are found months later at the bottom of a desk pile. I just go to pieces when I have to ask a volunteer to fill an application out again. Every once in a while I'll request a roster from our Council so I can confirm leadership roles are correct and Scouts have been added. I do have to say that our District Trainer is very good at providing a monthly update by e-mail on who's train and who's not in each Pack. This has also been a good way to check adults are listed in their correct Leadership role. I have two of those foldable display boards that have pictures of Scouts in Actions. I wish I could add a picture here of them. The first one says, 'Why Scouting?' and the second one says, 'Here's Why!'. We had fun making them and use them at our Round-ups and at School Open House nights. We have also been putting notes in our Schools newsletter to have visibility on what we are doing. Our principal's son is an Eagle Scout and our Art Teacher has two boys that are going through the process. We have a lot of school support for which I'm thankful. Rarely get a no on anything we ask to do. Thanks everyone. I've been a reader here and there, but it's nice to finally participate some.

Basementdweller, I hope he was as on top of the rest of his job. Wowzer. We are presenting it tomorrow night at the Pack meeting following our Round-up. We do a short Q&A and then invite families to join a Pack Meeting. It gives them an idea of how the Pack meetings run and who the other Scout families. We thought it would give them an idea of the great year we have planned at the Pack Level so far. Thanks for the responses so far, I think I'll go with what I have right now. Good night.

Basementdweller...I'm not sure how to take your reply. Was that heavily loaded sarcasm?

Our CC and CM swapped positions with some Den Leaders in February. Our Pack is already thinking about succession planning for our next CC and CM. I was told a good way to think of a position is the first year you are in training with the current person, the second year you are the expert and the third year you are training someone else. I enjoyed reading the different posts.

Our Pack earned Gold for our JTE. Does anyone do anything special to award this patch? I was thinking we would hit the highlights of what earned us the patch, but does anyone do anything special for this award? Thank you in Advance. Andrea