LisaSandoz007

Dear sst3rd, Wow, this sounds like you have a good thing going on, and the right mindset to accomplish it! I am strongly committed to having a Webelos OR a Scout find a troop that is a good fit for him. I would much rather see a boy stay in Scouting for all it has to offer, than to insist that the flavor of our troop is right for any given individual. When my son bridged, he first visited 6 troops-- he wanted to leave no stone unturned!! I think that all Webelos should have the opportunity to do the same thing-- well, maybe SIX is not necessary, but I am sure you get my drift! We are also active in the community and our boys actively seek to help on any and all Eagle projects being done by any Scout in any Troop. I bet your Scouts ARE proud of recruiting 5 brand new Scouts, and from three packs no less. That is STELLAR!!! We are also working on getting a website up and going-- we have done the preliminaries, but need to find the time to do the rest of it. And, you are so right-- I MUST remember that it is ONE SCOUT AT A TIME, and what is important is that I do not let down the boys that we do have. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post-- the inspiration is vastly appreciated! Lisa Hi wingnut, we actually did exactly as you have suggested. The result was that the DE asked where the boy lived and then gave him the contact info for the pack he said was in the boy's area. The mom who made this call for us was flabbergasted when the DE refused to entertain the idea that the boy and his mom may want to check out more than one pack, and would not give her the information. I do hope the De retires soon, but actually I think he has his own little "kingdom" set up and has no plans to go elsewhere. But we will see where all this leads in the coming week-- is it too much to hope that my efforts may "help" him to retire?? It absolutely warms my heart to hear that there is another troop out there that that encourages their boys to visit other troops. We operate the same way with all the Webelos we encounter. Thank you also for taking the time to respond to me- the inspiration is what will keep me going! Lisa

Hi Neil, Thank for the checklist! So here are some suggestions: 1)Do you have a unit Commissioner? If so, ask your Commissioner to help you get those names. Yep, been to him. He takes his direction from the DE. Last week the DE told us we needed to get the info from the Unit Commish-- we told him our UC was a busy man, and we knew that the only info he could give us was what was given to him by the DE. DE insisted on this chain of command, called the Commish. De called us back, said Commish says he is too busy to help you. DE then gave us the names of two packs that are not geographically good for us-- and one has NO 2nd year Webelos (yes, I KNOW it is Webelos with an "S', I just get clumsy sometimes!). The second pack has a cubmaster who is ASM in another troop...... 2)If not,contact your Asst. District Commissioner and/or District Commissioner. Tell them that you are trying to recruit graduating Webelos Scouts for your Troop but that you don't have the names you need of the Packs. Been here too. Their answer is that that info has to come from the DE and we cannot recruit outside of a pack that has not been "assigned" to us. 3)Contact your DE again. You really don't need the names of all the Cubmasters and Packs in the District, just those in your area. Ask your DE politely for that information. Have called/spoken to him every day for a week. Asked only for the ones in our area. Have only been given two packs, and NOT in our area. The others are all "assigned". De stated he cannot give us info on the "assigned" packs, because that would make their troops angry..... 4)If that fails, consider asking the DE's boss, the Field Director, Director of Field Service or Scout Executive. Tell them that you want to recruit graduating Webelos Scouts but are having trouble getting the names and contacts for local Cub Scout Packs. Ask them for help. Our first step was to go to the Field director, because we had already been through this De foolishness LAST year. Oh, we went to the Field Director last year too-- DE ignored the Field Director's instructions. New field Director this year-- she agrees that we are entitled to this info, and can pitch our event to ANY pack. DE STILL refuses to give info. The next step is to the Scout Executive. Tried that avenue last year also, but this year there is a new guy. Looking forward to getting his take on the situation. 5)Consider going to the District Cub Scout Roundtable. Ask for a moment to speak and tell them that you need some names and help. Possibly some of those Cub Scout packs are at the Roundtable and there you are. Did that. Cub and Scout Roundtables are at the same time/same place. Last year, asked for a moment to speak. We were refused-- because " the only events you can announce at Roundtable are those that are sponsored by the District" this directly from the mouth of the Cub Roundtable Commissioner. Went again this year, with our flyers, thinking we would just talk to pack reps individually. There were only two packs represented, and they were whisked off to a meeting which we could not "interrupt" with non-cub Scout business. (Yeah, figure THAT one out!) As an aside, VERY few Scouters attend Roundtable any more-- the main purpose seems to be pitching jackets and Woodbadge beading and talking about how great the Roundtable Staff is. In an effort to increase attendance, the staff tried not giving out Camporee ribbons til the next Camporee. Didn't work, even though the word was put out that the only way to get your troop's ribbons was to show up at Rountable. The next Camporee was cancelled for lack of participation.....(then the local Jamboree was cancelled also......) 6)Ask your District Chairman if your District has a Webelos to Scout Transition person. If so, get in touch with them. District Chairman does what the DE says to do. AND he happens to be the person who used extreme profane language to my son at Camporee when my son was trying to remedy what he thought was an oversight, but came to figure out was a purposeful wrong. We don't have a Scout Transition person-- we have a Membership Chair. Zero help there-- she is only interested in doing what brings her personal glory. Another aside, I actually heard her talking to an Eagle Candidate (not real sure how he was a candidate, because he had not even selected a project.....), encouraging him to perform a particular project, because it was really really easy and he did not have to do much, and her son had done it, and she could help him out with the outline and scheduling, from her son's project. I will be kind and say that she is one of my LEAST favorite people, for a decade's worth of reasons. These should get you started. By the way, Webelos is always written with an S at the end whether singular or plural. WE'll BE LOyal Scouts. And it is an adjective Yeah, I think I already addressed this one!! My son would be all over me like gravy on rice if he knew I had gotten this one wrong! So, as you can see I have already been "started" on this process. I am trying to figure out where to go from here. As I said, I will be making an appointment with the Scout Exec, but after all else I have been through, I just am not expecting too much. Hoping yes, expecting, no! My frustration level has gotten to the point of carting this situation all the way to National, but I am thinking they are not interested in this. So what that leaves me with is needing different "out of the box" ideas for recruiting. And of course, any other ideas for prevailing with this bunch of, oops, no, I was going to express a very unscoutlike opinion.....don't want to set a bad example for my boys! anyway, thanks for listening, and if you have any other thoughts or opinions, or suggestions, I am definitely listening! Lisa

We have offered to Den Chief. We have offered to put on a demonstration or a skit at Pack Meetings. We have offered to help with work for pins at our meetings. We have offered packs a place to meet, and even a sponsor if they need one. We have offered our adult leadership to help a new pack. Our Scouts have offered to "buddy up" with a pack at Camporee to help the cubs get the most possible out of Camporee (our boys don't like to participate in Camporee events themselves becauxe they feel like they are constantly dissed in favor of the troops that are "in favor") Our Scouts have worked at Cub Day Camp for several years-- even occassionally having to take full responsibility for packs when cub adults flaked out. I won't say it is all for nothing, because the Cubs have certainly benefited from the things we and our scouts have done. But from the pespective of growing out troop, it has been useless. I had a parent tell me last year how tickled she was at how good our boys were to her Webelos who we hosted a campout for-- taught firebuilding, hiking safety, some coking techniques-- several boys said emphatically that they wanted to join OUR troop. They joined another troop. When parents ask the DE about our troop, he pretends that he does not even know who we are-- though he most definitely does. I was telling a cub parent about our troop a year ago. She was surprised that we were still around because the DE had told her we had folded. I saw a fellow Scoutmaster Fundamentals participant three months ago, after one of my boys was a ranger for her troop at summer camp. She expressed how glad she was that we were "hanging on" because she had been told that we had folded. BTW, the SM of that troop stood up in Roundtable to commend our boy as the best ranger his boys had ever had-- hardly indicative of a troop that had folded..... We have let it be emphatically known that our sponsor would be DELIGHTED to sponsor a cub pack, yet the DE allows the pack to fold when their sponsor no longer wants to sponsor. AND he most certainly knows we exist every spring when our sponsor's property is used for Tiger Roundup Day......though we have offered to help with that event-- set up booths, talk to parents, whatever, but our help is neither needed or wanted. (Yeah, this year they can find another place for their Tiger Roundup.) We are more than willing to recruit Cubs or Scouts on a year-round basis and work closely with them. I am tired of things like our boys working hard on a Camporee skit, and being told that they "are not on the list"-- and then when our SPL asks to be PUT on the list, he is denied, and actually cursed at. But when clean up time comes around guess where the adults come to collect boys to clean up the Camporee grounds? Yet when I make what I consider to be the reasonable request that our boys clean-up efforts be recognized at the awards, not a single word is said though all of the adults are handing out the verbal back pats to each other until one wants to throw up. And yet there seems to be puzzlement when we don't register for the next Camporee.....go figure. I am SOOO tired of swimming upstream and feeling like not only are we getting no support from district, but actually like we are getting "negative support". As desperately as we need growth, of both the adult and youth variety, as disgusted as I get with the antics of District politics, at the end of the day, all it really comes down to is a deep obligation I feel to the dozen boys we do have. I know that if we do not grow, some of those boys will leave, because of the increased work load in a small group. This could be avoided if district simply supported proper recruiting efforts.....but next week, I will submit our re-charter papers ( a month late-- my passive-aggression towards the DE is showing), and we will see what this year's recruiting efforts bring. But no matter what, we will do right by our kids, and do our best to show them that the "Character Counts" slogan is worth heeding, and that the Scout Oath and Law means a lot to us, even if it does not to everyone in this organzation!

Thank you, thank you. You have articulated very nicely and clearly what the responsibilities and chain of command are for me. On Monday, I will start doing exactly what you have suggested and hopefully it will lead to some changes in this district, and of course, get me what I want!! Thanks, Lisa

hi Bob, Thanks for the reply. Actually, I DO know that it is Webelos!!-- fingers faster than brain sometimes! We went to our Field Director last year. got stonewalled. We went to our Field Director this year. She stated that we were entitle dto this info. DE STILL refuses to give it to us. Went to Rountable Commish-- he does what the DE says. My hubby, the SM has talked to the DE several times already this year (I have not spoken to the DE personally for two years, but he makes me so angry I become apoplectic!)-- pointing out that his policy is not consistent with National's policy. His answer? National does not tell us what to do, and policy is different from reality. And, "you can't pitch your event to a pack that has a troop with the same number." And "almost all of the packs have been "assigned" to troops". And, one of my personal favorites, "there are many more troops than there are packs." When hubby pointed out that that goes way against National's statistics, the DE, says, well, that's the way it is here. Of course, the Field Director and the Registrar both say that is not so.......Oh, and IF the DE were correct (dare I say, if he were TRUTHFUL?), then could someone explain to me why there are several instances where troops have been "assigned" mutiple packs.......? I say this things to suggest that we are dealing with a DE who is not on the up and up.....there is a bunch more, but not germane to my particular problem of recruiting right now! My next step will be to go BACK to the Field Director. I suppose that from there I need to go the Scout Exec. And from there, should I bring my frustration to the attention of National? I am feeling really down to the wire pressured this year, because the SM (hubby) is leaning very strongly towards shutting down the troop that he, myself and our son have struggled and worked HARD for for five years. My son wants to turn 18 and come in as ASM, and eventually (many years off, I hope!) bring his own son(s) into "his" troop. We are committed to Scouting, but we are feeling the hurt of not only a lack of support, but what we see as tactics that are geared towards negative growth. So, if you have any other ideas or suggestions, I am absolutely ALL EARS, and I thank you sincerely for your response! YIS, Lisa

Oh boy! Reading your posts gives me hope that ya'll might have some advice for me. We desperately NEED and WANT to work with the packs in our area. Last year and again this year we have planned a Webelo Weekend on our sponsor's property (large and suitable for camping). My problem? Our DE will not allow us to have a list of our local packs and cubmasters. We are not allowed to present our plans and flyers at Roundtable (this may not be souch a minus-- only two packs were represented at last week's Roundtable-- many see no value in attending anymore.....) Our DE will not allow us to go into the schools to recruit, and the schools don't want us anymore anyway (IMO, the DE is largely responsible for our lack of welcome in the schools, but that is another story.) Our boys passed out flyers at our local holiday parade, but we have had no response. I just do not know where else to turn. I know that our DE has down many things that, dare I say, belie the "Character Counts" slogan, and I think he is wrong in not giving SM the lists they request, but that and a buck still won't buy me a coke......... A friend in the scout office has even told me that the DE has told the staff that if they provide this info they will lose their jobs. Our food drive this year included a flyer with the names and contact numbers of packs and troops-- to be given out to the general public, but the troops themselves are not to be given pack info because we might "do something wrong with the info". Again, only my opinion, but I think this information is in safer hands if troops have it rather than complete strangers in the general public....... Our sponsor, though a dream of a sponsor, who gives us whatever we ask for, cannot give us what they don't have-- namely youth. I need recruiting help!!! Ideas for recruiting, ideas about how to get the needed info from the DE, moral support to inspire us to keep going rather than just closing up shop! Thanks in advance for any and all responses. YIS, Lisa

I posted this under another thread, but when I found this one, I thought it might be seen by more people here. Lisa Hi everybody! I am new here, so I will give a short intro. My name is Lisa Sandoz. I am involved with Troop 007 in Granada Hills, Ca. I came here looking for an answer to some recruiting problems that I am having. There are some wonderful posts and ideas here. We do or have done most of this stuff, including the mistakes! BUT, the problem I am having is HOW DO YOU CONTACT THE PACKS TO DO WEBELO RECRUITING? We have a Webelo Weekend planned, good strong program, enthusiastic (though small in number) group of Boy Scouts. But no way to contact the packs. Our DE will not allow usto have a list of packs and cubmasters. We have passed out flyers at parades. We talk to kids, whether Webelos or non-scouts every chance we get. Can you offer ideas? Is there something inappropriate about desiring to contact the cubmasters of local packs to tell them about our event? Any advice is appreciated. YIS, Lisa

Hi everybody! I am new here, so I will give a short intro. My name is Lisa Sandoz. I am involved with Troop 007 in Granada Hills, Ca. I came here looking for an answer to some recruiting problems that I am having. There are some wonderful posts and ideas here. We do or have done most of this stuff, including the mistakes! BUT, the problem I am having is HOW DO YOU CONTACT THE PACKS TO DO WEBELO RECRUITING? We have a Webelo Weekend planned, good strong program, enthusiastic (though small in number) group of Boy Scouts. But no way to contact the packs. Our DE will not allow usto have a list of packs and cubmasters. We have passed out flyers at parades. We talk to kids, whether Webelos or non-scouts every chance we get. Can you offer ideas? Is there something inappropriate about desiring to contact the cubmasters of local packs to tell them about our event? Any advice is appreciated. YIS, Lisa

Hi everybody! I am new here, so I will give a short intro. My name is Lisa Sandoz. I am involved with Troop 007 in Granada Hills, Ca. I came here looking for an answer to some recruiting problems that I am having. There are some wonderful posts and ideas here. We do or have done most of this stuff, including the mistakes! BUT, the problem I am having is HOW DO YOU CONTACT THE PACKS TO DO WEBELO RECRUITING? We have a Webelo Weekend planned, good strong program, enthusiastic (though small in number) group of Boy Scouts. But no way to contact the packs. Our DE will not allow usto have a list of packs and cubmasters. We have passed out flyers at parades. We talk to kids, whether Webelos or non-scouts every chance we get. Can you offer ideas? Is there something inappropriate about desiring to contact the cubmasters of local packs to tell them about our event? Any advice is appreciated. YIS, Lisa