BetterWithCheddar

I'm also running my son's Lion Den after returning to scouts as a parent. I'm aware of the burnout potential and have planned a simple calendar (1 Den Meeting + 1 Pack Meeting per month). Most Pack meetings have a special theme or activity and aren't strictly administrative. I'll make parents aware of special events outside our standard meeting schedule, but I've encouraged them to cherry-pick the activities their families find most interesting. There are a few more experienced parents in our Pack who have graciously told me not to worry about anything this year outside of my own Den's programming. That's been huge for me, as it's allowed me to ease back into Scouting without feeling overwhelmed.

Wow, that's quite a load for you to bear. Thank you for doing your best. On the subject of religion: When in doubt, put control of sensitive subjects back in the hands of the parents. Not every requirement needs to be completed at an official Scout function. It's OK to give Cubs and their parents a little homework every month. You wouldn't want it to become a chore, but 20 minutes of discussion between monthly Den meetings isn't unreasonable.

Agreed. I find the different colored neckerchiefs useful for distinguishing between dens and helping younger scouts get to the appropriate place. It's the different neckerchief slides for each age group that seem unnecessary. One neckerchief slide for the entire Cub Scout program would be sufficient. Somewhat related: I noticed ScoutShop.org is having a 20% off flash sale today (9/24) with code AUTUMN.

Welcome @ajherkert! Wow, lots of parallels here. In addition to being a new Lion Den Leader, I also earned my Eagle award in 2003. I'm excited to have this experience with my son; however, I'm quickly finding it'll be one very different from my youth. Not only have there been some major changes to the program (most of them for the better), but also, I'm starting to see liability in places where I once saw fun. I'm not too worried about putting on a good program for the kids (it doesn't take much to stir their imaginations); rather, my biggest concern is keeping the calendar well-organized for the parents' sake and not overloading the scouts.

Welcome, Austin. Congrats on earning your Eagle Scout award. I doubt many forum members have ever participated in such an interview, so it's difficult to say exactly what may be appropriate. Is it customary for candidates to wear Scouting uniforms to their interviews? As others have indicated, wearing your Eagle Scout rank badge is likely not the right option now that you're an adult. Even the medal might not send the right message unless your participation in the parade is somehow affiliated with Scouting. I've only worn my medal a handful of times as an adult and it's usually been pinned to a navy blazer at Eagle Scout COHs. If you're proud of your award and want to use it as a conversation starter, then I'd echo what others have mentioned and suggest you look for a tasteful Eagle Scout pin for your lapel. Collectively, I'm sure this group has participated in hundreds of interviews, so if you want to make a second post with some additional details about the position and interview process, you'll probably get a few helpful responses. Good luck.

I'm not suggesting defunding the World Crest. I just question its appropriateness on a Cub Scout uniform (again, I'm approaching this from the perspective of a cost-conscious parent who is new to Scouting). The purple emblem itself isn't so bad, but what's with the ring emblem around it? That is new since I was a youth. Does it have a purpose or is it purely ornamental? It may not look so bad on an adult uniform, but it takes up significant space on a blue uniform shirt.

I'm not sure why Cub Scouts needs to have a CSP and unit number on their shoulder. Unlike Boy Scouts, they rarely participate in activities outside of their council or unit. I'd favor dropping those and the World Crest emblem just to keep entry costs low and uniforming simple. Since COVID, much of my household's weekly spending flows through the Target app. It'd be great if the BSA could offer a set of basic items online through a major retailer. Want to boost membership? Appeal to mothers. In most households, they make the majority of the every-day purchases and they make them on their phones through same 4 or 5 major retailers.

I spent about $65 yesterday to outfit my new Lion Scout and we just stuck to the basics: Uniform Shirt: $33 Lion Scout Kit: $13 Neckerchief: $13 Shoulder Loops: $5 Our Cubmaster advised us to skip the t-shirt if we thought our son would remain in Scouts. I'm not sure that's consistent with the BSA's brand guide, but I thought it was a good suggestion. Kids get excited about the uniform, and they can wear it multiple years. They'll only be Lions for about 6 months (depending on the crossover date). I'm a pretty enthusiastic parent with adequate resources and I can't believe the "crap" the BSA tries to tack on. As a Cub Scout, I had one hat and one neckerchief slide and now they want us to buy a new one every year? C'mon. We ventured to our council office yesterday to buy a uniform shirt and found the council sells them with the CSP and World Crest emblem already sewn on. At first, that seemed convenient, but then I realized they tacked on a World Crest emblem ring, which takes up 1/4 of a tiny blue uniform (can someone enlighten me on the purpose of the ring?). I asked for a blank uniform shirt, which they retrieved from the back. I've always heard the argument that Scouts is a still cheaper than most sports; however, I'm not sure that adage holds. Registration and uniforming for a new Cub Scout can easily reach $150. Elementary-age kids can try a new sport at the YMCA for $60 in my area. With respect to the comments on the younger Cubs burning out ~ I'm keenly aware of that possibility. I'm putting together a very simple calendar for my Lion Den. All uniforming will be on a best efforts basis.

I had an interesting first blush with Scouting this week (after returning as a dad): The Good Stuff: Last winter, I reached out to the Cub Scout Pack at my son's soon-to-be elementary school to inquire about meeting dates, times, etc. I knew COVID and the membership crisis had decimated Scouting in our area, and I wanted to make sure my son would be part of a stable Pack. I'm glad to do my part as a parent, but didn't want to get saddled with running the entire Pack. The initial contacts I made were helpful and the Pack seems stable with 30 kids and some returning leadership. We're fortunate to have this option nearby. The Bad Stuff: We live on the fringe of an MSA with over 250,000 people. Our council headquarters is in a smaller community that is closer to the center of the council footprint. There used to be a Scout Shop in our area (as well as one adjacent to the council office). That is apparently no longer the case and now it's a 45-minute drive to buy scout supplies in-person. I contemplated ordering my son's uniform and handbook online, but I wasn't sure how fast National could fill the order and I thought my son would enjoy picking out his uniform together- WRONG. There were at least 4 other families crammed into a small shop while one employee (whom my wife deemed "creepy") struggled with the register. My son eventually grew bored (he's 5) and my wife got mad and took him to wait in the car. Nice job, BSA. Great first impression (sarc).

I was presented with a set of pins when I earned my Eagle award in 2003. I think they may have come with my medal. I don't recall seeing many parent or mentor pins on display before then. If @mrjohns2hadn't seen them by 1996, I'm guessing they were first issued around 2000 - does anyone know for sure? I lean toward being more of a uniform minimalist, but I would probably wear an Eagle Dad pin someday if my son continues with Scouts. Pins look nice on the pocket flap of a Jac-shirt, but have diminishing returns on an actual uniform shirt.

I'm returning to Scouting after many years to participate with my Cub-age son. In multiple threads, I've observed some angst over the Eagle mentor pins. They were around in my youth, but I don't recall seeing them clutter many uniforms. Is this a recent development?

Wow, this thread nearly goes back to my youth. The Jac-shirts were fairly common in my neck of the woods. Even during summer camp, temperatures could still drop into the 40s during the early morning. The Jac-shirts (w/ OA back patch) were akin to a letterman's jacket for older scouts. A few individuals wore insignia from the high adventure bases they had visited. The only taboos I noticed were when folks attempted to display multiple back patches on the back of their Jac-shirts. That wasn't a great look (too cluttered). If I wore my old Jac-shirt to a scouting event today, I'd probably ditch all insignia except for a few pins. Those fit nicely on the collar and pocket flaps.

Oh boy, that's a tough one. Personally, I would not exhaust whatever little capital I have to enforce uniform standards unless someone's appearance is clearly inappropriate. It sounds like these individuals may have missed the mark for the event, but in their minds, it was probably just silly fun. Does their appearance impede your ability to offer a safe and enjoyable program for youth in your area? If the answer is "no," pick a different battle.

Thank you for the warm welcome and encouragement.

Hello! I enjoyed Scouting as a youth and am excited to see the program through my son's eyes this Fall when he begins Cub Scouts. While I've been away from Scouting, I've kept tabs on the program by occasionally visiting my council website and this forum. Thank you to all who have posted over the years. I've enjoyed the good-natured dialogue and some of the frankness that can't be found in official BSA outlets. I hope to contribute to the discussion. As a kid, I had the good fortune of belonging to a strong Troop in a strong District. This lead to an unbelievable number of program opportunities for the boys in my neighborhood. Many of us earned our Eagle badges, staffed the local council camp, and held offices in our OA Lodge. Those experiences were all made possible by an unusually high concentration of quality volunteers in our area. In joining this forum, I hope to find ideas and guidance to help put on a top-notch Cub Scout program at my son's elementary school. I'm also looking forward to chatting about Scouting and some of my past experiences. My wife is probably sick of hearing the same stories. 🙂 Best Regards, BetterWithCheddar