msnowman

Our Pack and Troop share a unit number and a CO but we do not have a very close relationship, though we are working on changing that. For a number of years nobody from the Pack joined the Troop (bad visit experiences), so our Troop has a sharp division between the handful of older (15-17 yo) boys and younger boys (11-12 yo), with nothing in the middle. The older boys have already been den chiefs, etc and the younger boys were too close in age to the Cubs to be effective in that position. 2 of the younger boys are going to take DC training and are looking forward to being able to come back and work with the younger scouts. Michelle - P102

As far as those who say a boy couldn't have earned AoL by September, that's not necessarily true. Nephew's birthday is in November, he was eligible for his AoL by May of his 4th grade year. He had completed all of the requirements, including age. Was he ready to bridge over? No, not even close. He was far more ready 10 months later when he actually did bridge over. It is possible for a 5th grade boy to be age eligible for AoL by the Sept he starts 5th grade. Michelle CM - P102

You know, and I know that the top button is supposed to remain unbutton when wearing the neckerchief under the collar. So help me convince Nephew to leave his undone. He doesn't think it looks right and absolutely insists on wearing it buttoned....this from a kid who has only worn a tie twice in his life. Also - what are the feelings wearing the bolo instead of the Troop scarf? Even as a Cub Scout he liked wearing the bolo as a change to his rank scarf. His Troop gives the Troop Scarf after 3 months of membership, so I had bought him the Boy Scout bolo which he still wears often. Michelle - CM P102

This is the kind of feedback I was hoping for. Thanks for the tips, hints, suggestions. I think it will be fun...maybe even something to start at our Ice Cream social in a couple of weeks. Michelle CM - P102

We usually snack after regular Pack meetings, cookies & juice, nothing major. Like many groups we save meals for B&G, though if we have a party we do "bigger" snacks, like chips, veggies, etc, but still fingery type foods. Those are what we have for our Halloween & Christmas Party, as well as the gathering after AoL/Bridging over. We end the year with a cookout and start with an Ice Cream Social (that's in 2 1/2 weeks actually). We find that while the boys are snacking and sharing time with fellow scouts, the adults also have fellowship time. Its easier to talk to a parent when their boy is occupied and you have a captive audience. Michelle CM - P102

Have you tried having your Cub Scout Dens each make their own Den Flags? Our Pack has never done this before, but after watching Nephew's Patrol in BS do theirs, I thought maybe this would be something CS age boys, even Tigers could do, and more importantly, enjoy doing. They would have something to bring with them to each Pack Meeting to display, they could add to it (or not) over the course of the year, etc. I'd like to hear other's success (and failure) stories. Thanks Michelle - CM - P102

I'm with Semper and OGE on this. One of the boys who bridged from our Pack into the Troop has only been a Scout because his mother has pushed him into it saying "He's my last chance at an Eagle". None of his ranks are important to him (though his 4H ribbons are), so they are essentially meaningless because he has missed the point. On the other hand Nephew has set his sights on Eagle (he isn't quite through with Tenderfoot yet). I don't think reaching Eagle is the only way to foster a sense of commitment, but planning ahead, working hard and pushing yourself. Nephew is a poor swimmer, he is afraid of the water, hates everything about swimming, yet he has asked to take extra swim lessons so he can pass the Swimming requirement for 1st Class (he managed the 2nd Class swim requirment this year). Scouts is the only reason he has learned to swim at all, first for Aquanaut, then for 2nd and 1st Class (which opens the doors for Eagle). If he never reaches Eagle he has at least shown enough to commitment to battle his personal demons and try...that's the important part in my eyes. However, as part of the Cub Program I'm also on board with Cajuncody. Bobcat may not be as highly technical or require the amount of skill that Boy Scout ranks do, but to first grader who may or may not be able to read yet, this is a big step on their Scouting path. As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Without a first step there is nowhere to go. Michelle - CM - P102

My Scout is too young for Jambo this year but has been collecting CSP's since he was a Bear. He would be thrilled to do a 2 for 2 trade with your son if you are interested. We are from the Katahdin Area Council. PM me for address if you are interested Michelle CM - P102

I'm not from Cape and Islands Council but just got back from our summer vacation 2 roads over from Camp Greenough. Like you, we looked into the Camp for our Scout. Here is what we found. They do Cub Scout Day camp, family camping and a week long Maritime adventure for Boy Scouts 14 and up. According to the woman at the Council Office there hasn't been enough interest from the Boy Scouts to offer a BS week there, so their Boy Scouts go off-Cape for summer camp. On the other hand - C&I new special edition CSP is pretty cool. Michelle CM - P102 Orland (and a former Cape Cod resident)

Should every meeting be an oppurtunity to work towards their next badge? That depends on if they are having fun or not. Den meetings shouldn't be just about progress. Sometimes just having fun is nice too. One thing our guys have always enjoyed is a "Games" night. All we did was play various games, some board games (Chess, they didn't know it counted towards a beltloop), cooperative games (the human knot game), even active games (Mother may I?) How things go in our Pack will differ from yours and everybody elses. We run a 12 month program, with one activity each in June, July and August. Our August thing is our welcome back to scouting for our existing boys and we traditionally have an ice cream social. In September den and pack meetings start again. With weather a factor, we try to do a lot of outdoorsy things between September and November before weather and temps push us inside. Our boys generally earn their rank by February or March, but this may not be the norm for all groups. Beltloops and such are worked into the den meetings as it fits either the Program Helps or the leaders plans. So I guess yea, we mix up achievements with other "elective" parts of the program, thus why our boys don't finish their ranks until March or so. Of course we also do school recruitment night during the school open house, have a holiday party near Christmas, our Pinewood Derby is January, Blue & Gold is February, AoL is usually March. By then the weather is better and we head back outside. In May we do a service project at one of the town parks and our May pack meeting is a show/recruiting of some sort. One year it was a Magic show put on by the Scouts, the next year we had a Magician for our show, this year was a Talent show....at which every single Scout presented something....they all took part. We end with a Bridging over and Cookout in June. Best of luck with your fresh program. Michelle - CM - P102

I sure hope 3 is okay as for 2 years we only had 2 Web II's and will be having just 2 Wolves this year if everything turns out as I'm expecting it to. Our current count is 5 Tigers, 2 Wolves and 3 Web II's heading in to September. You could run Tiger/Wolf or Wolf/Bear programs together, the boys are close in age and the parents still sign off on achievements towards Rank. Webelos (IMHO) really doesn't mesh well with any of the other ranks as far as running the programs together. However, you can all meet in one place at the same time (we have done that frequently) and some activities can be tweaked down as necessary. For example, last winter our Web I's were working on their Artist pin and the leaders worked together to tweak the activities so the Tigers could earn the Artist beltloop. Also - Cub Scout Fast Start training is available on line. Punch in Cub Scout Fast Start as your search string and it will take you right there. Also, many councils now offer Youth Protection Training on line. Until a formal New Leader Essentials training is available in your area these would be good starting points. Michelle - CM - P102

Hi again. This is a problem with have with some parents...as soon as the badge is earned we get the "Do we have to keep coming back now?" What I tell them is that the Badge is not the goal, just a means to an end. There are also tons of elective to do, beltloops to be earned, Bobcat that can be worked on once Tiger is earned, etc. There is the Cub Scout Outdoors award and Leave no Trace that can be earned, etc. In short, 12 months sometimes isn't enough time to do a full, well-rounded program. Michelle - CM - P102

Howdy and welcome. Why limit yourself to just first grade boys and their parents? Grab any interested and eligible boy and bring them in to the fold while the interest is there. So what if the numbers are small? For the last 2 years we have had no more than 4 of any den and last year had zero Wolves and Bears. If you do get just a couple of each you could do a joint Den since most of the requirements are still able to be done at home and are signed off by the parents. Good luck with your new Pack Remember - KISMIF (Keep it Simple, Make it Fun) And the best piece of advice anybody ever gave me - BSA does not stand for BabySitters of America. YiS Michelle - CM - P102

Welcome Cineburk. I'm also the CM for a very small Pack (Though we are up to 10 if everybody comes back). As Eagle suggested, they should probably wear t-shirts if they have them, but if they want to wear their uniform shirt I'd be the last one to discourage it. When our dens do activities like this we often opt for T-shirt and Scout hat as it still makes them feel like Scouts (in addition to making identifying your group easier). As far as hiking related items for Cub Scouts - hiking is item 5G for Tigers, if you take garbage bags and gloves you could pick up trash for Wolf 7D or it could be elective 18F for Wolves. If could also (with trash pick up) be Bear 6G, and 12B if families come. There is also the Leave No Trace award and the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity award that this hike could be used as part of. Good luck and enjoy your hike. I have found that with a little planning almost any activity can be made to meet an elective or requirement for Scouts...so much so that Nephew now asks "And what will this be for Scouts?" Michelle - CM - P102

At least in our Council, BB & Archery can ONLY be earned at Cub Camp or at a Council authorized/District run Day camp. Our Resident camp gives each Unit leader a packet at the end of camp with a list of who has completed BB, Archery and Aquanaut so that the appropriate awards can be presented. The parents get no say on BB or Archery so if Range staff says the requirements are complete then that is the final word for those two loops. As always, YMMV YIS Michelle - CM - P102

Acco - the asking for help thing is exactly why I don't Boy Scout with Nephew. I want him to know he can rely on himself and when that isn't enough, that there are other boys and adults who will help when asked.

Since World Jambo happens about a month before my 40th I'm hoping my better half and I will be able to take Nephew to Alaska...that is where I have always wanted to go for my 40th birthday....well, at least since I was 25 and accepted 40 as an inevitability. The costs will be about the same and the experience could be as wonderful. Michelle

Thanks Eamonn. I just got back from there. He is going to be a very unhappy young man, too young by 3 1/2 months. That's his luck lately, too young this year for National Jambo, too young for our districts Philmont trip next year. Too young for World Jambo....I just hope he still wants to be involved by the next National Jambo. Michelle

Does any of the infinately more knowledgeable than I am know what the age/rank requirements will be to attend this event? Nephew is dying to go and the sooner I either break his heart or start his saving towards it the better for both of us. Any points in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Michelle

Having been Nephew's Cub Scout leader in one fashion or another since starting as his Tiger Partner I have always fought this battle. Yes, I do hold him to a higher standard of acceptable behavior. Partly because his behavior is a reflection on my parenting skills, but also because those are our family rules, not just at Scouts, but our "public" behaviors. Did he resent it? Absolutely when it meant he couldn't raise cain with the non-leader children or it meant he got tagged to help set up the church because he was there with me. Did it harm him? Not at all. More often than not he enjoyed being in on the planning of activities and meetings, so he felt like he knew a "secret". I think that balanced out the annoyances. We would talk about how other people might not think he had done the work necessary to achieve "whatever", so he kept a Cub Scout portfolio with as many of his projects in it as practical. He was also more than happy to "prove" you wrong if you didn't think he knew a skill. He likes to show off what he knows. He has moved on to Boy Scouts now and is loving it. I have made it a point to not become part of Troop leadership, at least for a while, so that he can get his Boy Scout feet under him without always worrying what Tia (his name for me) will think or say. I didn't go to the first camporee, didn't even visit. His two weeks of Boy Scout camp I stayed away except on family invitation nights. I didn't even stay to see him settle in to his camp site or take his swim test (wish I had, as he passed beginners for the first time and I missed it). I think Leader's children are higher achievers because they have the extra involvment. Mine loves Scouts, loves everything about it (except having to swim). He already has his sights set on Eagle (His goal, not mine for him). Michelle CM - P102

As I am still involved with the Pack my Scout carrying has been mostly limited to Cub Scouts which I do not allow in the front seat of my car because of the air bag danger for smaller children. My own Scout wasn't allowed to sit in the front seat with me until he broke the 110lb mark (about 2 years ago). I've never heard it as a rule, just a personal family rule that was used as a guideline even for non-scouting events (yes, there are such things, even in scouting families). Any idea of the reasoning for the alleged rule? Youth protection? Air bags? Something else? Oh, and for the record - "Shotgun" is used in Maine too. Michelle - CM - P102

I, for one, know that I tend to take myself way too seriously at times, especially when dealing with parents who don't take Cub Scouts anywhere near seriously. You sign up to bring a salad to the cookout, you better bring the salad, or at least call to let someone know there will be no salad from your family. Sometimes I have to make myself step back and take a big breath because seperating a parents head from their shoulders would not be a very Scouting way to act, nor would it set a good example for the boys. That's when I really have to remind myself why I'm there. I'm not there to make things go the way I think they should go, I'm there to make sure the boys are having fun, enjoying time with friends and parents....and maybe (but shhhh, its a secret) learn something they will be able to use further down the road. No, not everybody spends hours preparing for a Pack meeting. Not everybody has the same priorities I do...that doesn't make them bad people, just necessary annoyances on this part of my life as a Scouter. To get even with them? I hand them parts to read in my opening a couple times a year....I let the boys watch their parents squirm about being up front. Whew....now that I've admitted it, does this mean the healing will begin? Michelle CM - P102

BW said "It is incredibly sad to think that there are scouts who are trapped in a local unit program where adults have to "plan" to have fun one time a month." But Bob - Some of us are just compulsive planners. Nephew loves to tell the story of our last 2 Disney vacations. I planned time to be spontaneous. The Michelle planning story has become a family favorite to tell..... Michelle CM - P102

Greg would I really be showing my age if I admitted to having the dessert topping/floor wax SNL skit on 8-track? A 70 yard field? with 25 yard end zones? We have 11 boys if all show up....can we modify that field a little bit? LOL While Ultimate does sound very fun and might be something the next CM can do in the spring, I was looking for more indoor-able activities to do in November, in Maine....lol Now to find the next CM before the end of December. Michelle

JD we did that same thing with Marbles as part of Blue and Gold and it was a great hit. Ultimate is out of our league as we are very Tiger/Wolf heavy (5 Tigers, 3 Wolves) with no Bears or Web 1's and 3 Web 2's. We are small and young, I can see Ultimate being a place to go in another couple of years. But I will go gather up the A&S book out of the Pack Closet and see what it offers for suggestions. Thanks Michelle