ScoutNut

As others have said, it is easy, and fun, to work themes, and Character Connections (we sort of combine them) into Pack meetings. It does not have to be anything big and fancy, cost a lot, or use lots of resources. It just has to add a bit of pizazz and FUN to the meetings. Silly songs, games, and jokes don't cost anything. Genius kits are great because they use trash. Holding a food, used clothing, or used toy drive during the holidays helps everyone remember how fortunate they really are, and what compassion means. Making Boxcar Derby den vehicles out of old cardboard boxes and duct tape does not cost much, but is great for both cooperation and resourcefulness. Fun is a lot better than a talking head and lines of boys receiving a baggie and a handshake.

From the BSA Tour Plan, page 4, Transportation Guidelines, #2C - "Driving time is limited to a maximum of 10 hours in one 24-hour period and must be interrupted by frequent rest, food, and recreation stops."

>>To accept responsibility for all popcorn he receives and for popcorn money due. I also understand that, in the event that payment for his popcorn is in default, the amount due will be submitted to a collection agency and I will be held responsible for payment of all reasonable collection charges and/or attorney fees. I realize that popcorn is not returnable & cannot be returned for a refund or exchange."

My son is ADHD. Forgetting things is just part of who he is. Out of sight out of mind with him is a literal statement of fact. He was also rather a shy kid. His Troop had the practice of singing "Little Teapot". His SM would hold the forgotten item until the Scout performed the song in front of the Troop. For my son, this could be at least once per meeting, sometimes more. He was humiliated. He was picked on by the other boys. He was laughed at by adults and youth alike. Did it "teach" him to remember things? Of course not. What it did teach him was not to respect, or like, his SM and most of the other Scouts. It taught him to not trust his SM or his Troop. It taught him to never tell someone if he lost something. It taught him to go behind his SM's back and take his stuff back from his SM's bags without telling anyone. It taught him that Troop meetings were activities to avoid.

The CO owns the unit. The CO owns the property. The CO owns the funds that were used to build the shed. The shed should be covered under the CO's property insurance. However - If I were the CO I would contact my Insurance guy and make sure. If the CO's insurance goes up because of the shed, your Troop might want to pay the difference just to be helpful, friendly, and kind.

Your right, instead of the made-up name of Webelos 3 Troop, I should have just said Cub Scout Pack.

While it might seem trivial, or condescending, to you, terminology can be important. Webelo instead of Webelos Patrol instead of den Patrol Leader instead of Denner Why not just call the Pack a Troop, and a Cubmaster by the title of Scoutmaster. Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting are two completely different programs. Using program terminology incorrectly does not make a Webelos any more ready to crossover to Boy Scouting, or increase Scout retention. And, yes, I have been a Tiger den leader for 10+ years. I have also been den leader for every other Cub level. I have worn many Cub hats. I have served on the Troop Committee for my son's Troop. I have been on the district/council training staff. I have also been a Unit Commissioner. I am not putting down any part of the BSA program. I simply see the value in calling an apple an apple, and not a pickle.

>>"God as the sum-total of all the natural laws in the universe"

There is nothing wrong with Webelos dens having names instead of numbers. As a matter of fact it is a important, fun, part of the BSA Webelos program. The Flaming Arrows is a GREAT name for your Webelos den. However, Webelos are still CUB SCOUTS, not Boy Scouts. Cub Scouts do not have patrols, they have dens. All BSA literature on the subject states Cub Scout dens are not to be referred to as patrols. Cub Scout dens, even Webelos Cub Scout dens, operate VERY differently from that of a Boy Scout Patrol. Calling a Webelos den a patrol has big potential to confuse the issue when they cross over to Boy Scouts. They might well expect a Boy Scout patrol to be run the same as their Webelos "patrol" was. And you wonder how a Webelos 3 Troop can get started.

>>"Both the new Treas and the new CC are transfers from other Units; they're both already all registered, trained, etc... They've been with those Units for 4 and 5 years."

Having multiple dens with the same den number can be VERY confusing. I do not recommend it. Webelos do NOT have patrols. Patrols are strictly a BOY SCOUT concept. Webelos have named DENS.

Have the CC, and Treasurer both filled in an Adult Application? Have their applications been approved by the COR? Until the Treasurer is an official member of the Pack I would not be comfortable with turning over financial info to her either.

LL67 - Just wondering - Have you talked to this person at all about what is going on? When he approached you at your job, did you tell him it was inappropriate? Have you asked him why he is harassing your CC? Have you asked him to stop? Before you take this to the Field Director or the SE, I strongly suggest you first talk to the DD. Find out what is actually going on, why he is behaving this way, and how your unit can best work WITH him.

Have your scouts check out these from the two Alaska BSA Councils - http://www.alaskahighadventure.org/ http://alaskascoutingadventures.com/ http://ultimate.scoutingalaska.org/

I can understand perfectly families who can not afford to pay unit dues. Times are tough, and they are definitely tougher on some than others. However I can NOT understand families who can not afford to pay the fees, but do not want to work them off either. If they would prefer to sit on their backside, do nothing, and have the other Scouts do their work, and pay their fees for them, they do not belong in Scouts. At least not in my unit. As someone else said, they are not interested in Scouting, they are interested in free babysitting.

What the heck is a "Blue and Gold Award", and how does one go about "winning" it? What a horrible writing job. The school that gave that author a degree in Journalism should be ashamed. It seems (if anything can be believed in that writing mess) that these parents (or at least the one who was a trained(?) BSA volunteer for six years) did understand BSA's policies, and did understand that some of the folks in a "relatively conservative church", might not approve of them. However they "still drove forward" and joined the Troop anyway. A shame at what happened, but not really a surprise.

A bit late in the game now, but why on earth did you (as CC) and the COR, allow this one leader to run rampant? Was she such a wonderful leader that you would let her do anything she wanted just to keep her? Do what should have been done way back when she started harassing your CM, get rid of her. As Committee Chair (CC) you were supposed to be working on roundup/recruitment WITH the Cubmaster. You, the CM, the den leaders, and any other Pack leaders, should be working TOGETHER to prep for the coming year. You are CC, call a meeting of all of the Pack's registered leaders, as soon as possible. TOGETHER, sort out what you will be doing next week at recruitment, and what the coming year will look like. If your Pack families REALLY want to move their charter to that other church, it is NOT to late. Contact your District Executive at your local council, and your Unit Commissioner (or your District Commissioner if you have no UC), and all of you go talk to the head of the church. Explain the situation. Odds are they will understand, and be happy to charter your Pack. The CC, and the Committee, are responsible for recruiting sufficient leaders. Get together a list of all adults in the Pack. Ask your den leaders (they should know their families) which ones they would recommend for specific positions (Cubmaster, Treasurer, Advancement, etc). Make a list of first, second, third, and forth, choices for each job. Visit each one individually, and ask them personally, to take on the job. Keep asking (selling the position) until one of your choices accepts for each position. Not the best choice, but you might have to recruit adult volunteers, as well as youth, at next week's recruitment. As for the rest of it - you need to decide what you really want to do. What group(s), if any, that you really want to work with, and in what capacity. Then tell the Charter Organization Representatives of the units you are not interested in volunteering for that you will give them XX amount of time, and help them to find a replacement, but then you are gone. No one can force you to do what you do not want to do. It is your call.

If you are looking for ideas on how to help your local food pantry, and want to do it around Thanksgiving, why not a Haunted House? If your have the room at your Charter Org, doing a Pack Haunted House and charging donations for the food pantry is great fun for both the Pack and the community!

Great for the car camping that Webelos do - bucket camp stools. Use the large white plastic buckets with covers. Decorate bucket, make a padded seat and attach it to the cover. Contact your local home improvement store (Home Depot, Lowes) for information on their free make and take days. Craft stores like Michael's also have in store activities. Some are free, some require a fee or a purchase.

Would these logos help? http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/Marketing/Downloads/CurrentLogos.aspx

We have never used a cake bake as a fundraising tool, just fun, and food. We use the cakes as snack/dessert at the Pack meeting. The cakes are supposed to follow the theme of the meeting (birthday, space, Native American, etc). We have done both Parent/Scout, and Scout/Favorite Guy. Both ways were well received. We do a participation ribbon and certificate (best in theme, biggest, smallest, grossest, etc) for every entry. We also have a covered, decorated, shoe box, with a slot in the cover in front of each cake. Everyone at the meeting gets one ticket that they can place in the cake box of their choice during the meeting. We have also done just one ticket box with each cake having a posted number, and everyone writing the number of their favorite cake on their ticket. I think I like the single box way better. At the end of the meeting the tickets are counted. The cake with the most tickets gets it's bakers disposable chef's hats which state Pack 123, Cake Bake 20XX, First Place. 83Eagle, your fundraiser sounds more like a raffle to me, and raffles(gambling) are not allowed by BSA. If you want to use your cake bake as a fundraiser, your better off doing an auction (silent, or out loud). Parents are usually the biggest bidders on their Scout's cakes from what I have seen in other Packs. (This message has been edited by Scoutnut)

Macrame flower pot holders with clay flower pots. They also get to practice knots with this! Braided cloth scrap hot pads. Lashing sticks together to make "camp gadgets" (stools, dishpan holder, etc). More knot practice. Cement garden steeping stones. Those PVC marshmallow shooters they will get as popcorn incentives.

>>"If we decide to sell popcorn at the same time as other troops, does it have to be Trail's End?"

Sounds like your Pack has lost yet more boys since June. As Baden said, with only 1 registered adult in your Pack, you are not a Pack. Contact your District Executive (DE) about doing "Boy Talks" at the school. At less than 120 boys, that is still over 100 more than your Pack has. Contact your Charter Organization Representative (COR). Advertising at, and doing service projects for, your Charter Organization (CO) will make your Pack more visible with the CO that owns you, its members, and their families. Contact your District Commissioner (DC) and ask for help putting on a recruitment activity. Use your current Pack families, and see if you can get some Boy Scouts from the Troop you generally cross your Webelos to. Put the info on the recruitment activity on a flier for the DE to hand out at the Boy Talks at school. Good Luck.

Yep, and the site search engine is pretty spotty, and worthless most of the time.