jonathanrbaker

Greetings! We opted for ScoutManage and are loving it.

Hello, from another relative newb.

"I happen to think that it goes deeper than that. Like I wrote before, I wish BSA (and scouters) weren't so obsessed with sex and religion. " And yet the years that a young man is in the Scouting program are crucial years in which he is forming his beliefs/attitudes/opinions on these subjects. Subjects which are already clouded by the "our-way-or-you-are-an-idiot/prude/bigot" society we live in.

True... Looking back at the thread title, are there many things that DON'T rankle California lawmakers? Besides Lies, Injustice, and the Un-American Way, that is?

Love the DIY Dehydrator idea. That one's filed for future use.

Our school system starts back the third week of August, and we are trying to plan an exciting start to the year (which I don't think has been done before in our pack). We are planning a Cub Scout Roundup night during the first week of school, and at our Pack meeting the following week we want to have the kids make Tie-Dye t-shirts (our activity shirts) while the parents are having an orientation meeting. We will also distribute the Raingutter Regatta kits so they can have them ready for the September pack meeting. We'll follow that up with a guided hike in a nearby national forest to get them started with outdoor activities. We're hoping that by hitting them hard with a lot of exciting events, we can set the hook deep.

You say discrimination as though it is a bad thing...

You mean the Democrats are pushing the homosexual agenda and their politically correct hangups on others?! That is news indeed!!

I have recently begun trying to lose weight (6'6", 320lbs) and one of my motivations is that I want to be a better example to the bus that I am leading, I would not pass judgement on someone for being overweight, as there are many mitigating circumstances that can be factors, but we should all strive to be in deed what we declare by oath.

Can anyone think of a modern context where it would be a good skill to have for someone who is not an amateur radio operator? I have always wanted to learn, but more for its historical value and romanticism than any perceived need.

I looked at several alternatives and our pack decided to go with ScoutManage. It has been great so far, and we're still finding new features to use!

We had some problems with things not getting done in the past, as well. We just resolved to make the best of what we had, and play it by the book from there on out. Seems like the only way to get anything done in our situation.

The other major problem is parental apathy. Besides the leaders and a couple other parents, we're not getting much help. I'm afraid this will lead to burnout if we can't get more help. I plan on addressing this at the September Pack meeting, as an introduction for the new families as to what the expectations are, and it can't hurt to review them for the returning families. Also, we need to do better about following up on boys that start missing meetings. You can't grow a pack through recruitment if you're not retaining your current scouts.

Actually, we're really just trying to follow the program and survive this year (which began with no plan, no budget, no cubmaster and no committee), so that we can hit the ground running this fall. Thankfully, we've had some real troopers stand up and we've been able to keep the program fun and interesting for the boys, and they should all go up in rank, although we got a late start. Current Action Plans: -- Spring Recruitment for graduating kindergarteners (and others) at the end of May -- Encourage boys to attend camp and leaders to get completely trained -- Keep the pack active over the summer and achieve the Summertime Pack Award -- Already working on achieving the JTE award -- Program Planning/Budgeting Conference over the summer -- Leadership mostly lined up for next year I'm most likely going to step up as CM next year and let the other guy drop down to Committee Member, since he just volunteered to keep the pack from folding. I'm going to meet with the UC in the next couple of weeks so that he can help us put together a good plan/budget.(This message has been edited by jonathanrbaker)

Thanks for the warm welcome. 3% of $0 is still $0. So, I guess your SM told the truth, although he probably deserves a kick in the shin for being a smart-aleck.

Greetings, everyone. I just wanted to make introduce myself to everyone. I am an Assistant Cubmaster for a pack in Louisville, KY. Our pack nearly folded last summer, but we've been able to pull it all back together this year. Personally, I'm looking forward to getting a fresh start this fall. I have enjoyed reading through many of the older threads and have found them very informative. Happy Scouting! JRB