AnnLaurelB

Ye-a-a-ah. She has had her ...challenges... in that arena, before. HOWEVER, she is a dynamo who, if you waffle on something, she'll just find someone else to do it, 4.5 minutes ago, no hard feelings. The Pack she was with for the last 5 years grew (with her as CC) 60%, and has continued to bridge more boys to Troop, and recruit more new Cubs each year, with better retention, than any Pack in the area. Now, that's NOT due to ONE person (not by any stretch of the imagination), but it DOES show that the way they do things attracts people (including great leaders) and keeps them there, keeps them involved, and feeds the Troops. And she knows she sometimes irks people a little; the UC and the DE have both advised her to soften her approach. She's working on it. :0) So I have my fingers crossed. I mean, our poor little floundering Pack wasn't going to survive, anyway. I would have had to find a new Pack for my son; ANY improvement will be a vast step forward.

Just FYI for the folks who held my virtual hand last spring when our Pack was having Committee Convulsions... We did in fact get a CC from another Pack; her son has bridged, and she turned over her duties in that Pack to some other parents, so she found herself able to serve over here. We had our first Committee meeting last night; I was laughing inwardly part of the time, because it's quite a shock moving from an "anything goes/gee we dunno" attitude to this new gal telling them, "No THIS is how it will be done". For example, the recent thread about the Family Talent Survey? I am absolutely the type of person who would "tweak" the form more to my liking, and distribute that. Oh, no. Not with the new regime. "THIS is the BSA standard. THIS is what will be distributed." OKAY THEN! It's funny to me because I know this gal rubs some people the wrong way, but BY GOLLY she GETS STUFF DONE! I have been told in no uncertain terms that I am to concentrate on my Cubmaster duties, make Pack meetings as fun as possible, help the DL's make Den meetings as fun (and productive with regard to advancements) as possible... ...and that's it. I am not to worry my pretty head about Popcorn, the checking account balance, re-charter costs or Awards budgets. I am not to worry about getting the Flyers to the schools; I just need to show up to School Scout Night ready to get the boys enthused about joining Cub Scouts. I am not to worry about Training (exept keeping my own current); a Certified Trainer is coming over from that other Pack, too. I am not to worry about staffing, paperwork, or Tracking. My focus is to TOTALLY be on making sure the CUB SCOUTS THEMSELVES have fun, and are successful in their progress. A lot of promises, there...it's a lot different than what I'm used to. It sounds fabulous; we'll see how it all pans out...

OMG!! CAPRI SUN ~WALLETS~ *Craftgasm* http://www.instructables.com/id/Capri-Sun-Wallets/

That's a neat idea; and I JUST handed back a GRIP of Rx containers. Although none of them were pop-tops. I bet I could email the church list and ask the older folks to save 'em for us, if they use the non-childproof kind. Thanks!

Sure. But...where does the chocolate fit, then? ;0)

Well, yeah. In my MOM BAG I carry Neosporin, band-aids, etc...in a ziploc. It's very...practical, I agree. But my kid is 7 (8 tomorrow. *sniffle*). I'm aiming for the "Cool!" and "Fun!" and "CANDY!" aspect as an activity during our kick-off Pack/joint Den meeting. I think the M&M's thing will work nicely, and I think the stuff WILL fit better. I know it was a slight challenge for us adults to get the wad rolled small enough to fit in the film canister. The assembly-line of First Aid doo-dads will be easier for small (dirty, sticky, always) hands to manipulate into the longer containers. :0)

(*clapping hands*) Ooooh! LOVE the Red Cross idea! Will do!! And the night hike sounds really fun! You can't go wrong when they get to use flashlights. :0) Edit: The ones we did at BALOO were on a string, so I'd probably try that instead of the necker-thing. The M&M containers would be really long for that, yes.(This message has been edited by annlaurelb)

Oooooh! All good suggestions. Thanks! (I might kinda lean toward the M&M's...the boys get the bonus of EATING them!!) :0)

I grew up with my mom hoarding MOUNTAINS of those little 35mm film canisters. They held quarters for the arcade (remember the arcade? *sigh*), or for the ice cream man, or what have you, PERFECTLY! They also were the base for the mini-first aid kits we made when I went to BALOO training. Very cool...and I'd like to do this with my Cubs at our kick-off and school nights. BUT WHO HAS FILM CANISTERS, ANYMORE??? What can I use, instead???

At our Pack meeting back in March, the Advancement Chair got up there to do awards, and my son's name was, yeah, called several times. He (the AdvC) make a crack about the CM's son coming away with a lot of bling. I was about to be offended, but he went on to say that it IS because my boy has to be at Every Single Event, and cranking out the awards is the side-effect of that. So I felt that he (in a back door sort of way) explained to all present WHY my kid was earning stuff some of the others weren't. But I agree with MOM2 -- if someone grumbled about his awards, or implied that I pencil-whipped them, I'd have to remind them that "A Scout is trustworthy," and oh yeah, Um...because you didn't SHOW UP.

I'm just starting to look at our Pack calendar and matching it up with "Den Meeting 1", etc, for each Rank. We're going to be doing at least our 1st Den meetings of the year as a joint-effort, almost like a Pack meeting, but in Rank groups getting stuff done! But what I notice is, for example, the Wolf Den Meeting 1 focuses on honesty as the Core Value, whereas the Bear Den Meeting 1 highlights respect. Ughnnnnn. It would be sooooo much simpler to have EACH "Den Meeting 1" for EACH Rank be the SAME Core Value, wouldn't it? It's the SAME 12 Core Values no matter what Rank you are, so why not align them? I mean, then at the end of the month, at Pack meeting, I could stand up there and say, "In your Den's, you've been talking about honesty." Well, not if the Bears talked about honesty, but the Wolves talked about respect. *headdesk*

NoName; I'm just catching up around here after taking the summer "off". Your Pack sounds very much like mine. Good folks, but NO ONE willing to put on that uniform once a week! Hang in there. Sometimes you have to play a little hardball. We are going to have a come-to-Jesus Pack/all-Den meeting in a few weeks, with a BIG flip-chart listing several positions that MUST be filled...or we'll be handing out Youth Apps and a list of other Packs in the area. Period. (All presented in a cheerful, fun-loving, optomistic fashion, of course.)

"Of course, it's a nasty cycle: as long as the leader keeps doing it, the parents see no reason to volunteer. As long as no parents volunteer..the leader will keep being the one man show." Amen, and hallelujah. I found myself doing this last year exactly to avoid what jamist649 describes. Although, at the close of last season, we actually GOT a CC from another Pack who's going to come help us. She said, "I want YOU to just worry about being CM and making your Pack meetings a fabulous party. IIIII am here to do your admin stuff." I nearly wept.

(*raises hand from back of classroom*) Um... What's a Den Doodle? I get that it's a focal point, a flag, etc... But what are you saying you ~attach~ to it? I'm in the dark here. (By the time I have anything figured out, my son will be OUT of Cub Scouts!)

May I add that since I often hold my son's Den meeting at my house, and sometimes Pack stuff, too, if we need a wide open space (our CO church is land-locked), my son LOVES that everyone comes to HIS house! He gets to share his climbing tree, his swing, his basketball hoop, his big backyard, and he gets to show off his dog and his turtle. He thinks he's big stuff (AND it's an opportunity to teach him to be a gracious host). And BONUS! He *earns* his weekly dues from me by helping with set up and tear-down. He's supposed to earn the buck, anyway. If that means blowing leaves out of the carport or putting away basketballs and rinsing Solo cups (you bet your sweet bippy we recycle them!) after a meeting, pfffft. That's easy! He knows I'd ask him to do that, anyway. So he may as well earn his dues that way, and avoid the additional chore that other boys (are supposed to) have to do for their dues money. It IS sometimes rough on him when he has no one to help him (his dad lives in another state, so it's just me), and I'm trying to explain something to someone else. But... I told him the alternative is to find another Pack where I can just be a parent, and he was quick to announce his love for OUR Pack. So, yeah. Everything is a trade-off.

(*grumbles*)

I had recently asked a similar question. I planned, printed, and passed out reminders (before the end of the school/Scouting year) for our summertime Pack get-togethers. June -- Fishing July -- State Park & a Camp In (extra weekend in July!) Aug -- Swimming Day My son and 2 others came fishing. ONLY my son (since I'm the CM) came to the State Park outing. We cancelled the Camp In due to lack of response, but I had a Park Play Day instead. And we'll find out who comes to the swimming day in a couple of weeks. There's no way we made the 50% for the Pack (clearly), and no other Cub came to either July event, so they don't get a pin, either. But MY poor kid was schlepped to EVERY event. I'm givin' the boy his pin!

Thank you for this thread! I couldn't have helped at Day Camp, anyway, but I was glad (being my son's DL and CM) to send him off with his buddies (I didn't even carpool; I was lucky!) all day for fun in the sun without me. He was pleased when I turned up for lunch the last day, and he showed me all the stuff he'd been doing all week, and introduced me to his Camp Den. It was great to see him succeed without my ubiquitous CUB-MOM-NESS. Our Pack has been struggling, and a few months ago, he overheard me on the phone saying, "If we have to let it go, and merge with another Pack, we'll do that..." When I got off the phone, he said, "But...but Mom. I like YOUR Pack. I don't WANT us to go to another Pack!" Made it all worth it. :0)

So... does that mean if my kid was the only one to show up to scheduled/published activities in the summer he can get the patch? I mean, he DID show up, if only because the back seat of my car was attached to where I was going for these activities. He went to Day Camp, he went fishing, he passed out balloons at the Peach Festival, he went to the State Park, he's going to be in a Golden Eagle Color Guard this weekend, and he'll be at the swim party in 2 weeks. So can I give just MY kid that award? Or is that obnoxious???

The families all GOT a "Summer Activities" calendar back in May; the Camp In was on there. But maybe they have "summer brain", too. I was going for the Summer Activity thing; we had a fishing day in June, but only two Cubs plus my son came; does that count, or is there a percentage that must be met?). No one went to the water park day in early July, and now the late July (5 weekends) activity has been scrapped. *sigh* We have a swim party (supposedly) on Aug 13. But school's back in by then, so maybe technically we're into the Scouting year? (*shrug*) Maybe next summer.

P.S. As to the suggested minimum, I agree. I know they do that based on "One Scout One Year", but I think they do turn a lot of people off by hanging that number out there. I'd be more inclined to give *something* if I wasn't made to feel like I was falling short by not matching the "box" amount. That being said, someone mentioned that, as CM, of course I'm going to get these mailings. I find it amusing that the professional Scouters would see fit to solicit money from me, who not only pays my own son's way, but like every kid-leader (teachers, Sunday School teachers, coaches, etc...), I end up spending my own money for my other Cubs. I was particularly offended when the FOS lady at my B&G was following me around like a puppy dog, chattering about how everyone with a son in the program should consider blah, blah, blah. I was RUNNING A BANQUET and she was keeping me from it. It did not make me want to break out my checkbook; CM-set-the-example or no. It's like that old joke: Preachers are paid for being good. The rest of us are good for nothing.

Since the honorees live in this county (of course), whomever is sponsoring the GE dinner (meant to look at the thingummy so I could tell you but I forgot) asked the closest Scoutmaster to run/recruit the Color Guard. So the SM asked Troops and Packs from this county to each provide one Scout to serve in the Color Guard. When the SM asked me to bring my son, he said, "And I'll make sure you get an official invite, so that they can count you guys." When I GOT the invite, and sent it back for the RSVP, I didn't check a money box. I guess my (mostly laughing) question was whether since I didn't check the box, if we're not allowed to eat. Since we're NOT giving any money to it, are we expected to just be in the Color Guard and then go on home? I don't want to offennnnnd anyone. LOL

As of lunchtime today, I'd heard from TWO families (out of 13). One yes, one no. I sent out a text and email asking if anyone was planning on being there. Last week, I sent: a Text, and Email, and a Flyer (physically in the mail) to each parent, reminding them of this event. But no one let me know they were coming, so I pulled the event. Sadness. :0( The one Cubbie who said he was coming--we're just going to go to a playground with his family. Ah, well. Next time.

The reply card was addressed to my local Council office; does that mean they're sponsoring it? I'm not sure I understand how the Golden Eagle thing works... The SM who's my counterpart came and asked if I'd have my son there to be in the Color Guard. And he said, "I'll make sure you get an invitation so you can let them know you're both coming." Does that mean I was supposed to check one of the $$$ boxes when I sent in the card? BWAHahahahah! I can't afford squat. Should my son and I leave after the presentation of the Colors, and not eat, or what?

Bump! A older lady from the church came into my office yesterday; there is a Golden Eagle dinner this Saturday night, and she had been invited (probably because she is a local business-owner, and the honoree is the mayor and his wife). She works with my son's age group at the church (bless her heart!) and is always supportive and encouraging about the program, giving my number out to little boys in her neighborhood, her grandson's friends, etc... She said, "What is 'Friends of Scouting'?" I did my best to explain what it was, and she said, "Well, can I go to the dinner and clap for the mayor, but make my check out to just your Pack?" Um... I... Uhhh... What would YOU have said? :0)