ScoutNut

>>"Try deciding not to bother with the burden of rechartering and see how far you get.">"Most districts offering Cub Scout day camps require packs that participate to provide volunteers as staff. It's REQUIRED.">"I suppose Troops may discover a need for district level volunteers when they need an Eagle Board of Review and there are no volunteers to provide one."

>>"Of course the Tiger Cub Handbook recommends that each Tiger Cub Partner run a month of meetings and activities. But that very likely sounds intimidating to a lot of parents, so your method of Tiger Cub Parents taking charge of a single meeting sounds more realistic for a lot of parents.">"My hope and aim is to find a Tiger Cub Partner who will get trained and will act as the Den Leader, coordinating the shared leadership method with other parents in the den.">"I asked for parents willing to lead a meeting or meetings, and this was the subject of an e-mail to those who agreed to lead meetings explaining the methods of Tiger Cub Den leadership.">"Did you use "Denners" in your program, and if so, how?"

Local councils are responsible for providing program RESOURCES, not the program itself. Delivering the program is up to the unit. Not all councils are the same. Do councils, and districts, need volunteers? Certainly they do. However, "encouraging" volunteering by threatening units is not the way to go about it. A council's worth of pissed off charter organizations can have a pretty negative impact. Especially when they discover that with enough of them at a council/district committee meeting the CO's have it in the bag when it comes to voting to put thru an agenda.

Our method is really rather simple, but it does take a lot of work. We use an experienced leader as the Tiger den leader (me), and develop a leader from within the den for the Wolf years, and older. As den leader, I ran the first den meeting. The Teams learned how meetings were set up, and how much fun they could be. During that first meeting I explained Shared Leadership, and had the Teams spend some time looking thru their handbooks for the achievements, and/or electives, they were interested in doing, and signing up for those activities on the den calendar. We never ended up with Tiger Teams doing every single meeting. Every Tiger Team did at least one meeting/outing, often more than one. However, there were still open meetings I ran as den leader. At the end of every meeting I would sit down with the next two Tiger Teams up on the calendar to discuss their plans, offer ideas, and find out what, if any, help they needed from me. I did not just hand them a pre-done plan and tell them to follow it. I worked WITH my Tiger Teams to help them to learn how to plan activities/meetings themselves. It does take more time, and effort, however - for us - it worked, and was worth it. By February of each year we had a close knit group of Scouts, and it was usually pretty clear to me who the next year's leaders would be. By June we had two new den leaders (often more), and a bunch of families "hooked on Scouting", and used to helping out, and working together. This is how we make the Tiger program, and Shared Leadership, work for us. However, I am not saying this is the only way to do this. Circumstances, and attitudes, differ in every Pack. Your methods might be the perfect answer for your particular Pack.

>>"I don't think the Tiger Cub program is simple at all. Indeed, it's fairly complex.">"And the Program Helps approach IS carefully planned. It belies your claim that the random grab bag parents will put together left to themselves is a substitute for planning.">"But if your methods work for you, help yourself. You haven't actually said what practical experience you have had with the Tiger Cub program."

I'm betting if the school district has stopped fliers, they have also banned school visits. Many school districts have gone that route. You need to think outside of the school box. Put ads in the local paper, church newsletters, store bulletin boards, local library, etc. Have your Scouts pass out stickers to the boys in their class after school, the day before your meeting. Set up a recruitment booth at your CO, during a CO activity. Set up a a recruitment booth outside of the library, grocery, park district, etc. Make sure to get permission.

Good for him!!

There is no need to give the Tiger Teams a den meeting program that is pre-planned-written by the den, or Pack, leader (or anyone other than the Tiger Team itself). The Tiger program is VERY SIMPLE, and requirements are fairly well laid out in the Handbook. If the Tiger Team needs extra ideas/help there is the BSA Den Meeting Guide (that SP hates so much). You can print off the meeting guides for the specific achievement/elective the Team is covering, and give them to the Tiger Team. You can also give the Team a list of websites that might be helpful. The key is for the den leader (CM, CC, misc person helping the den, etc) to be in close contact with the Tiger Team. To talk about what they are planning, offer help, support, ideas, etc.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/Publications/EmergencyPreparedness/award.aspx Tiger Cub - With your parent or guardian's help, complete one of these three activities. Take the American Red Cross First Aid for Children Today (FACT) course. Join a safe kids program such as McGruff Child Identification, Internet Safety, or Safety at Home. Show and tell your family household what you have learned about preparing for emergencies. Wolf Cub Scout - With your parent or guardian's help, complete one of the following activities that you have not already completed for this award as a Tiger Cub: Take American Red Cross Basic Aid Training (BAT) to learn emergency skills and care for choking, wounds, nose bleeds, falls, and animal bites. This course includes responses for fire safety, poisoning, water accidents, substance abuse, and more. Make a presentation to your family on what you have learned about preparing for emergencies. Join a Safe Kids program such as McGruff Child Identification program. Put on a training program for your family or den on stranger awareness, Internet safety, or safety at home. Bear Cub Scout - With your parent or guardian's help, complete one of the following activities that you have not already completed for this award as a Tiger Cub or Wolf Cub Scout: Take American Red Cross Basic Aid Training (BAT) to learn emergency skills and care for choking, wounds, nose bleeds, falls, and animal bites. This course includes responses for fire safety, poisoning, water accidents, substance abuse, and more.. Put together a family emergency kit for use in the home. Organize a safe kids program such as McGruff Child Identification program. Put on a training program for your family or den on stranger awareness, Internet safety, or safety at home. Webelos Scout - With your parent or guardian's help, complete one of the following that you have not already completed for this award as a Tiger Cub or Wolf or Bear Cub Scout: Take a first aid course conducted by your local American Red Cross chapter. Give a presentation to your den on preparing for emergencies. Organize a training program for your Webelos den on stranger awareness, Internet safety, or safety at home.

Wow, charging Scouts for the privileged of getting their Blue Cards signed off. Camping If there is enough interest, a class can be scheduled just to fill out the paperwork. This merit badge needs to be signed off by the Scouts Leader. There are other's similar. Such a deal. I wonder how much of the $8-$10+ gets kicked back to the MBC.

The only award available to Cub Scouts that includes Red Cross First Aid training as a requirement is Emergency Preparedness. The program calls for rather specific, age appropriate, first aid training. While these are "just" Cub Scouts, and this is not the First Aid Merit Badge, it is supposed to prepare the Scout to help in an emergency situation. It is supposed to be a First Aid TRAINING COURSE, not just a demonstration. Have you contacted your local park district? They often hold First Aid training classes. They might be able to set up a multi-level training class, or at least give you contact info for the people/group that does their training. Have you contacted your local FEMA office to see if they can help? Your local hospital might have a list of local certified First Aid instructors they could share with you. Contact your local Fire Department EMT's and describe to them what you are working on, and what the requirements are. They might be able to put together a training course for you. If you can not put together a decent training course that will fulfill the requirements, then you can always simply not do that requirement. Cub Scouts have to complete one of three options. First Aid training is only one option of the three.

>>"I would love to see more participation all the way around from the COR's. Most Units I know are left to fend for themselves with little to no help from the Charter Org. Getting them to attend the District Committee Meetings I Think would be a step in the right direction."

I don't talk "over the heads" of the boys. I talk to the the Tiger TEAMS, which is both adult, and youth. In Tigers, it is not simply the "boys time". It is the TIGER TEAMS time. Tiger/Partner teams should be doing everything TOGETHER (including earning Bobcat). The meeting's are not conducted in Spanish. Typically the parents that don't speak a whole lot of English will organize the Go-See-It's. If it is an in-den meeting, the Tiger Team will usually have the Tiger doing much of any talking that is needed, with his Partner chiming in when/how they can. This is actually great for the Tiger as it gives him the experience of being "in charge", and helps bring out the shyer ones. Often Tiger Team meetings are taken over more by the Partner, with the Tiger being just one of the Scouts, instead of one of the "leaders" as they should be.

As the Scouts Eagle Project Adviser, you need to bring this information back to the Scout. Your Scout (with you along as the adviser) should make an appointment to talk to the Commander of your AL Post. The Scout should have done this as soon as the posts got knocked over, and he discovered the project needed to be expanded to building a whole new structure. Did this Commander sign off on the original project to simply replace the roof? Or was it the previous Commander? If it was the previous one, perhaps the Scout can contact him for help with the new IH. I would also have the Scout contact the District/Council Advancement Chair as suggested by Calico.

>>"I'm just pointing out that units will do burdensome tasks that are nuisances when they need to do so. I think we need to convince units that extends to a broader array of things."

>>"Another idea is that of collecting Spanish speaking families as a Tiger Cub Den as I've described. My hope is that those families can use whatever combination of Spanish and English they find convenient to participate in the Tiger Cub program and activities. I want to give those Tiger Cub Partners the role in the den and with their Tiger Cub that they are supposed to have, and which English speaking parents have as a matter of course."

>>"So yes, my canned program is superior to that in a BSA book, because there is a LOT more THERE there."

>>"Units tow the line to do rechartering, a council function."

Not sure what "book" you are complaining about. But, yep, it does "work that way". Unit leaders are invested in running their own units. They have neither the time, or the need, to attend district meetings. That does not mean they are "isolated". In my experience as a Unit Commissioner, we are there to help our individual units. I attend my unit's committee meetings, and I attend my district's roundtables. If you can convince unit leaders that the district roundtable is worth it to them to spend more of their time to attend, then for units that need help, they can often find it there. Even those units that do not have an assigned Unit Commissioner. In my experience, as a Unit Commissioner (and as a district level volunteer), UC's bring district/council information to their units. Unit needs, and issues, are brought by the UC's to the District Commissioner at their monthly Commissioners meeting. The DC then brings those issues to the District Committee meetings. No one is "isolated", or "lacking in resources". If you have no UC's in your district then the District Commissioner should be hauling butt to get units visited by someone, and to recruit UC's. As for the District Committee meetings, I never stated that anyone be unwelcome. Also, as I stated, YES, Charter Organization Representatives SHOULD ATTEND. Inviting them formally is a good thing. Getting a personal invite from the District Chairman might encourage some to attend. Getting an e-mail blast from a misc district volunteer will probably not work as well, but hey, it is worth giving it a shot.

Perhaps in your Packs, and your dens, leaders tend to "neglect" folks. In my experience, large dens that stay together because they WANT to stay together do not neglect anyone. Everything takes work. However, putting together a district camp is a totally different thing than putting together a den meeting. >>"new parents are handed a prepared program and they just need to lead the Scouts through the program.">"Pointing people to a canned program is not a formula for a quality program in my experience."

Charter Reps - yes. Unit leaders - no. Most unit leaders are solely invested in their own particular unit. They do not care about "the nuts an bolts of how the Camporee will be organized and carried out". They are just interested in the end result. If unit leaders need "help customizing a recruiting plan for your unit or whatever", they can, and should, contact their Unit, or District, Commissioner. The unit owners, the Charter Org Reps, are the ones who should be invested in how the district/council is run.

Often large dens will not split, not because of a lack of additional volunteers, but because everyone wants to stay together. >>"It takes more ability to devise a program than it does to present it, and it's generally a lot easier to find parents who will take charge of 5-8 boys and present a prepared program than finding several who can devise and then present a program on their own."

If unit leaders do not attend Roundtables (where they can easily get that info on what is happening at the district/council level) why would you expect them to attend District Committee meetings? If COR's do not attend District Committee meetings why would you expect their unit leaders to? The bottom line is, you are not really looking to address "a lack of information". What you really want is some warm bodies to fill your "desperate need for more district level volunteers". Perhaps that is why no one attends your District Committee meetings? Improve your Roundtable programs. Get the word out that they are new, improved, and worth the time, effort, and gas, to attend. Get the Scouters to the Roundtables, get them engaged, and you might end up with some new district level volunteers. Or not. But, at least the units will have benefited by having their leaders attend good, useful, Roundtables.

The method we use to get help is simple - we ask for it. We do not do a general, cattle call, request. That is to easy to turn a blind eye/ear to with the thought that surely SOMEONE ELSE stepped up. We use the BSA method, and ask, face-to-face, the person we feel will do the best job in the position needed. We keep asking until a suck, ahem!, volunteer, accepts. We generally do not have a problem. Heck, I had a parent get mad at me because I did NOT approach him! We ended up with 3 assistant leaders in that den. Our Pack's theory is you have to get them early, and brainwash them. So we suck the parents into the whole concept of Scouting, and volunteering, at the Tiger level.

We charge new members the National registration fee, and that is it. There are no additional Pack fees. We let the families know that everything they get is funded by popcorn, so the more they sell, the more the Pack can do. Our members get quite a lot for their money. The Pack pays for everything from neckers, and handbooks, to re-charter fees. The individual dens are free to charge den fees to cover den expenses as needed. Most charge around $25 per year. I do not charge the Tiger den anything as the families chip in with stuff when needed.