ScoutNut

We generally try for one Pack activity (other than the Pack meeting) each month. These will usually be on a weekend (whereas the Pack meeting is usually a school night). We don't always manage one per month. A lot depends on how everyone's schedule ends up as the year progresses. We include Pack events at our CO (Pack Haunted House), area events (festivals, shows), council/district activities ("Cub Fun" days, Scouting For Food), and sports events (we are lucky to have a number of 1st, and 2nd, tier professional teams in the area). Den activities/outings are on their own. I know

One more thing - make sure you attend your Council/District's Popcorn Kickoff meeting. They usually go over the council sale rules/incentives, give hints from veterans, pass out samples, answer questions, and hand out the unit packets with all of the forms/whatnot. Ours include a free dinner, and are rather fun.

1)Show/Sell orders - Depends largely on how your council runs their popcorn sale, how much storage space you have for corn, and how many Show/Sell/Booth sales you have scheduled. Does your council have two separate sales dates, one for Show/Sell, and a separate for Take Order? With no overlap at all? Or is the Show/Sell happening at the same time as the Take Ordering? What kind of return policy does your council have? Are you required to purchase everything you order with no return at all? Can you return only unsold, unopened Show/Sell cases? Can you return unsold Show/Sell individu

Some "magic" ceremonies - http://scouting.argentive.com/docs/ceremony_magic_formulas.pdf Note - BSA does not recommend the flaming necker ceremony because of the fire danger. I have used the Bobcat Bones, Color Changing, and Glowing, ceremonies for both rank advancement and end of year graduation. They are fun for the boys. Make sure you do a LOT of practicing with these before doing them with the Cubs! A note about the Color Changing one - I did not use bleach. I used clear glass jars with lids, and put lots of food coloring on the inside of the lids. Keep the lids top up

Just a note - Since Cub awards are created to be age appropriate, Cub Scouts are only allowed to work in ONE level at a time. If your Cubs want to continue working on their rank awards at the Tiger, and Bear, levels over the summer they can NOT also work on requirements toward any Wolf, or Webelos, level awards. Also, they can ONLY work on the rank award, not electives, or any other awards at the lower level. Personally, I recommend that if the Cubs elect to work on their current level rank award over the summer, then they do not "graduate" to the next level until the end of summer. This

Please - do NOT award rank awards when the requirements have not been completed! "Doing their best" only applies to individual requirements. They STILL have to complete ALL of the requirements. Also, in Cub Scouts, earning a rank award has nothing at all to do with moving to another Cub level. The rank awards are just that - awards. Cub Scout levels are based on age and grade, not what awards they have, or have not, earned. BSA National automatically moves every registered Cub Scout up to the next Cub level every June 1. It does not matter if the Scouts did not earn a single bead, pa

Summerd603 - it sounds like there are a few things going on here. First you need to talk to your Advancement Chair to find out exactly WHY she needs an in-depth listing of who did what requirements for what award. As others have stated, the Pack might be using some sort of management program to coordinate awards for the Pack. If this is the hold up find out if there is a way that you can enter the info for your den yourself, to save her time/work. If she just wants paper for her records I suggest making a copy of whatever spreadsheet, or paper trail you use for yourself. One note, pa

The Trax spreadsheets are fine for individual den management. However, when talking about managing the entire PACK, they do not work. A Pack Advancement Chair must coordinate awards for all of the dens. This chore is made infinitely easier using a Pack Management product like ScoutManage, Packmaster, or ScoutTrack.

Another vote for ScoutManage!

Is there a day camp in a neighboring district/council your Cub Scouts could go to? Does your program have any kind of theme? What kind of facilities do you have (outdoors or inside - large space, or small room)? What is the time allocated for the craft rotation?

No letter. That is the "easy" way out. As has been mentioned in a number of posts here, the SM, and CC, should have a sit down, face to face, real discussion with the Scout and his parents to talk about his behavior and come up with some solutions TOGETHER.

>>"I have been told that if the troop does not use all the money in their account by the end of the year, that they have to turn the excess over to the council.. So they can't save up for a trailer or some large item."

When do you hold your last Pack meeting of the school year? Our Pack does it's graduation ceremony, and moves the Scouts to their new levels, at the last "official" Pack meeting of the school year, at the end of May. School usually goes until the first week of June. June, July, and August are summertime fun Pack activities only (picnics, hikes, camping, kites, rocket shoots, fishing, etc), with no "official" den or Pack meetings.

I am really surprised the woman whose stomach he patted did not deck him. Find out who the Pack's Charter Organization is and LOUDLY complain to the head of it. Then do what Twocubdad said - in spades!

@Peregrinator >>"I suspect you are right that the GSUSA will not be much affected by bishops' prodding into their alliances. Their membership will probably continue to decline along the same slow line that it has for years."

@Moosetracker >>"I know unused cookie money goes to the Council. But, if the Troops can not purchase troop Gear.. Then what do they do with their cookie money?.. I am sure they make better profits with that then BSA does with popcorn. It is better received, and a box is What? $3.00 or $3.50? Still affordable, not like $15 or $20 we charge. "

I think we are talking different kinds of banners. A large, long, wide, narrow, banner, that hangs from a ceiling is rather impractical for a den. However a banner that is the size of small-med flag (that hangs down instead of out like a regular flag) is very practical. It is also easier to see the entire thing when it hangs straight down, and since the boys are proud, they want their flag to be seen. The pole at the top can be easily carried in a parade by one or two Cubs, even small ones. A cord can be attached to the ends of the pole so the banner can be hung from anothe

@SeattlePioneer - >>"Anyone ever hear of a Girl Scout Troop doing a fifty miler backpack trip?"

Has the SM said - exactly - WHY he feels "it doesn't count as camping"? Has he said what he DOES consider camping? Can he show a BSA publication that agrees with his concept of what camping must be?

Just as with BSA, GSUSA is a PRIVATE organization, and can make it's own rules. Just as with BSA, GSUSA will continue to have to defend itself against folks that want everything to reflect only their own beliefs/desires. While BSA is viewed by more, and more, people as a strictly Christian organization, GSUSA has gone to lengths to be publicly, inclusive, and accommodating, to all faiths (such as allowing the word "God" to be replaced by whatever term the individual Scout uses in their OWN faith. Being "parish-sponsored" for GSUSA is ENTIRELY different than what that means for BSA. I

>>"Wanted to know can you have a flag and a banner? In what purpose are they used?"

What, by nearly breaking your arm patting yourself on the back to your DE?

>>"It's really not a "failing" as much as having to start all of the work over again under someone new if the scouts don't meet the MBC's requirement."

Yep, there is a bit of culture shock going from Cub to Boy Scouts. However - your Webelos program is supposed to address some of that. Webelos should be a transition from spoon-fed Cubs, to do it yourself Boy Scouts. It sounds like your former Webelos expected Boy Scouts to be pretty much like Cub Scouts. Instead of telling the Scoutmaster how he should change the Troop, consider training your Webelos leaders, and making sure they do a better job of transitioning the Webelos and their families.

I am also a bit confused over how a den leader gets in the middle of a Pack leadership dispute. Was the "ex-den leader" from your den? Did you take over when the "ex" left? That would explain the animosity and the emails. I am also a bit confused as to why your Pack would send the new Pack, started by the "ex", any money? Especially if the guy left under less than friendly terms. Info, and ideas, if requested, yes, money, definitely not. Why is your COR(Charter Organization Representative) involved with the new Pack? Your COR's responsibility is to the Scouting units chartered b