TSS_Chris

It looks like they're still tinkering with the program as they go. Not much. There is some on the Northern Star Council website for the 2012 program: http://www.northernstarbsa.org/youthprograms/cubscouts/lioncubs.aspx And some on Merit Badge.org for the 2009 program: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Lion_Cub_Scouts Reading #10 under the "Program" section here, it sounds to me like Lion Cubs is a Fight Club.

I've had one of these for years... Mine's got a 256MB drive in it. They make 2 versions: One with just the drive so it's "airplane safe", and one where the USB drive is a "blade" in the executive-style knife. All the current versions are here. http://www.victorinox.com/us/category/Collections/USB/1019?f=category&v=1/101/1019&m=add& I can say, it's definitely a conversation piece when I pull it out in meetings when someone asks "Do you have a flash drive?"

For food pyramids, I start with the dry stuff from the http://myplate.gov/. To get them more interested, I start with my collection of some alternative food pyramids that I've collected over the years. The "zombie food pyramid" and the "You are here" cartoon are always hits. https://www.dropbox.com/s/khcwkmdvl6gcx1i/Food%20Pyramids.pdf

One of my Council Pros told me that he attended a National training session this summer and the Cub program is going to change completely with the Oath / Law roll-out. The goals of the committee rewriting the requirements are to get rid of a lot of the book work that's eithe crept into the program or been picked up by the schools and replace it with more outdoor activities. I can't find specific details. The official timetable I've heard is 2015-16, but I can also tell you my DE advised us not to buy any extra books this year for the Pack than we need. Our council has a separate DE position for each district just to service Cub Packs ("Quality Unit Executive") , so I wouldn't be surprised if we'll be asked to pilot the new requirements next year. Personally, I think going to one Oath and Law is a good thing. It removes some of the confusion with the current Promise: "Mr. Cubmaster? We brought some old clothes to our church to donate this weekend. Does that still count for us since we didn't give them to Goodwill?"

It sounds like the uniform questions could be moot in a year or two. I don't have any details, but the chatter I'm hearing from my Council pros is that when the Boy Scout Oath and Law go into effect, there will also be and major changes to the rank requirements. I've heard changes to the uniform are being discussed to make it more "friendly" for the kids, possibly even going to a Girl-Scout style vest or sash. The official timeline is for rollout in the 2015-16 program year. We provide the rank book with our dues. My DE advised me this fall not to buy any more books than we need for this year.

Maybe the BSAs should join forces: Approach local businesses, and ask for a tour. At some point a cute young Scout asks "Wow, you sure have a lot of computers, can you show me the records stating you have appropriate software licenses for them all?" BAM! The troop turns the company in to the other BSA and collects the reward It's a lot more lucrative than popcorn.

@Sasha: According to the OP "There is a boy in the pack, who has asperger's and adhd". We've got a lot of ADHD boys as well. Yes, keeping them active works, but there are a few who regularly push the limits. Occasionally, they need a reminder of these limits, otherwise other Scouts may leave the program because they don't like what he is getting away with.

The appellate opinion they cite in the press release is interesting. The BSA is off the hook . In this case, the LDS ward appointed a volunteer to act as ASM for a ward-sponsored troop without him registering with the BSA. That ASM then abused the plaintiff on multiple occasions, including during Scout events. http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/676458.pdf

Suing the BSA is a growth industry, most probably because the BSA has a history of taking legal positions that make juries want to see them suffer. The 2010 Portland judgement against the BSA showed this. There were people within the organization who had knowledge of what was going on, swept it under the rug, then went to court with the "we can do what we want because of our Congressional charter" attitude and legal arguments as sound as those for the new registration fee increase. The juries saw right through it, and hit them with $18.5 million in punitive damages. The judge saw through it too, and ordered the secret files to be released. Here is the press release from the plaintiff's attorney on this latest case. Interesting that in this case, two professional Scouters are named as perpetrators. http://blog.kosnoff.com/a-dozen-victims-identified-in-sex-abuse-case-against-boy-scouts-of-america/ Six months ago, this lawyer's news releases said he was representing 80 people against the BSA. Now it's 100. This isn't going to be pretty.

Don't sigh. 8 Scouts where all the parents are involved is much better than a pack of 60 with only one or two involved parents. Work on building your program. Make it fun. Make sure you've got plenty of "bring a friend" activities on the calendar. If the boys get excited, their friends will want to join in. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a good Pack.

Cub Scouts and ADHD isn't a great mix. The medicine these kids are on puts them into near-sedation for the school day. By the time Scouts rolls around in the evening, that medicine has worn off, and the kid needs to get all that pent up energy out of his system. You get to deal with that tonight instead of Mom & Dad, so for that, they're grateful. Group behavior techniques like the beads in a jar or the behavior candle work well when you've got a group of generally good kids who needs a gentle reminder to behave. From your description, it sounds like this Scout will almost always be the cause of the candle going out or the bead not going in the jar. When this happens, either everyone will begin to act out because the reward is gone, or the other Scouts will stage a version of a blanket party on the offender. You need to deal with the offender directly. If a Scout engages in inappropriate behavior at one of our meetings, I pull the Scout aside (while maintaining 2 Deep leadership), and explain to him what he did wrong, and ask him to tell me how it would make him feel if someone did the same to him. Depending on the severity and frequency of the violation, I may ask him to apologize to the party he offended immediately, sit out for an activity, or I may separate him from the group and tell his parents to come pick him up immediately. When they arrive, I'll explain to the parents what he did, and tell them that he has to apologize sincerely before he is welcome at another meeting. Yes, it's related to his disease, but if he's ever going to function in society, he needs to learn that his behavior can be hurtful to others. If he is so affected by his condition that he can't function, then he should have a parent with him all the times, like a Tiger Scout.

Yes it is. That's why I'm exploring this paranoid delusion. As Joseph Heller said, “Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after youâ€Â

Actually, BD, these Cub Scout recruiting fliers are being MAILED by the council directly to all households with Cub Scout age boys. These will have my Pack and personal contact info on them, AND the low-ball price. This is my problem. On one hand, it's great that they are sending these, since our local school districts don't allow us to do boy talks. Sending home a piece of paper requires the personal approval of the Superintendent of Schools. She has an equal opportunity policy of rejecting everything. I can be honest and upfront, but only if I get to the parents first. When the BSA makes an end run around me, that makes me mad.

@ScoutNut: I believe you are wrong. The examples he gives are for participation in Programs, not just for registrations. Take a look at Select Soccer or the LAYO. Their fees get you a lot more than just the ability to call yourself a member that the BSA's $24 gets you. 4-H is the only one that's close, but these all seem to be part of a state university Ag extension outreach program, and don't seem to be self-supporting programs like the BSA. The Corpus Christi 4-H includes "educational materials" in their fee. According to my budget, our year of programming costs about $180 per Scout (with the rate increase). This includes some giveaways, a handbook, and a Pinewood Derby car, as well as some program activities. We attempt to recoup about 40% of this in dues, with the remainder in fundraising. About $51 of this goes to our Council in registration and insurance fees. If you added in most of the programming and a week of Day Camp, you'd be around $300-500 a year for the program. More if you want to attend resident camp. That is an apples-to-apples comparison.

Nothing. I was as sober as you are after a Pack meeting. I wouldn't have thought anything of this announcement if it didn't reinforce what I've heard from my local Council. I had a 30 minute phone conversation with our COO about how he thinks it is a great idea to tell everyone that $6.50 is all you need to join Scouting. He is adamant that this is the way it must happen. He's upwardly mobile in the BSA management, so I'm guessing he's toeing the corporate line. So far, I haven't seen the mailer yet. When I do, I'll post a copy of it here. We charge dues. We also charge program fees. I know other Packs can cover all their expenses with fundraising. Our Pack hasn't been able to, and the parents don't want to. We're upfront about the costs, and we find ways to subsidize members who can't afford ours (or National's) dues. All I want is to be sure the BSA is disclosing that some units may have additional fees on top of the BSA registration.