clydesdale115

What wonderful thoughts you all have! Thank you for your kind replies! I love the idea of making him a slide or something similar as a remembrance. Our den chose "Wolverines" as our new name, so that'll be fun to make! I think we'll have a special den time together just before we turn in on the last night to give him the slide. We leave on Sunday, so I'd better get started! I talked with the Camp Director, and as you said, they would never turn down ice cream! I'm going with those "freezer pops" - easy to transport and freeze once we get there. Of course you're right - the other boys probably won't share in our sentiment, but hopefully it'll make our Scout feel special for the night. He will definitely go far in Scouting (all the way to Germany :-) but we want him to remember where it all started! FB: I hope Jack leaves our den with those same wonderful feelings and memories you have. clyde

Friends: Our Webelos den leaves for Resident Camp next week. On the day after we return, one of our Scouts is moving to Germany! He's been with our den since his first day as a Tiger. His dad is already over there (Air Force) - mom and brother are hanging around so both boys can attend Scout summer camp before they leave. I'm looking for a suggestion how to "celebrate" his leaving while we are at Resident Camp. I'm thinking of inviting all the Camp (about 150 boys) to join us for a snack one night, maybe ice creams for all, or watermelon slices or something. Or maybe handing out Glo-Sticks after the final campfire. We will not be in the total wilderness, so I could make a trip to the supermarket during the day! Of course, I'd clear this all with the Camp Director. He and his family have been great for our den and our Pack - brother just crossed over the Boy Scouts. They are already hooked up with a Pack and Troop on the AF Base in Germany! He's a good kid and I welcome your ideas for making it a nice send-off. Do you think this sounds okay, or should we just keep this "good-bye" between our den? clyde

We had lots of discussion about this very topic in our Pack - what could the boys use their $$ for? The initial recommendation from the Treasurer was that it would only go for Pack events (purchasing PWD cars, camp-outs, etc.) or District activities like Day Camp. However after much discussion we decided that if it was a Scout expense, it should be eligible. That included anything they bought at the Scout Store (just show a receipt), admission prices for den field trips (museum, etc.), whatever. Scouts used it for uniforms, books, assorted stuff from the Scout Store, Webelos camping, that sort of thing. I firmly believe that for Cubs, Scouting happens in the Den. We voted to allow the Cubby Bucks to be for Den, Pack, District, or Council activities or supplies - if it was for Scouting, it counted. We never made allowances for those who wanted to make deposits, although I believe our Troop does work it that way. For us, it was just for those who earned $$ selling popcorn (after the Council and Pack took most). As an aside - This lasted one year and fizzled out for lack of interest. Only about 1/3 of the boys had any $$ to speak of in their accounts. The Treasurer sent out a few final checks to clear those Cubby Bucks accounts and we ended it. I think it was an excellent idea and could have been a powerful incentive for raising funds - we just couldn't seem to make it fly. clyde

Not sure if there is a happy solution to this problem. There's just no way to fit all the BLs on the belt, even if you get the M/L size belt. My son has started to rotate his BLs - he keeps his favorites on the belt all the time and adds to it as much as possible. We have the belt extended to the last millimeter :-) But don't stop working on the BLs - some are really fun for the boys to earn. You could also of course start concentrating on the Pins for the BLs he's already earned. Son wears those on his hat! clyde

This was a HOOT! Thanks for sharing! Your Scout was great at improv - and the audience members were really good sports - what a fun skit! clyde

I'm reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" - Harper Lee. The great ones never go out of style. Hey, it's about a SCOUT! clyde

I'm not LongHaul, nor do I play him on TV, but here's my 2 cents: Maybe it is just semantics, but "take part in service project" sounds pretty broad to me. There's much more to a service project than just the actual hammering and digging. The administrative and planning part is still a PART, it's just not physical labor. If a Scout arranges to have supplies donated, schedules workers, submits an article/photos for the newspaper, whatever, seems to me he is still taking part in the project. In the end, ALL these jobs are important - somebody's gotta do them. If they only get credit for physical labor, who's gonna be stuck with doing all the other parts of the job? :-) clyde

I'm not living in a perfect district or council either. But from what I've observed locally, the CONFLICTS are there, but changing Packs or Troops is unusual. Indeed, it is sometimes used as a "threat" (maybe that's too strong a word), with no real intention of leaving. "I'm getting so tired of so-and-so's decisions, little Johnny and I are thinking of changing Packs." Eventually the heat dies down, cooler heads prevail, and little Johnny and parent stay put. Even personally, husband and I have pondered if the grass was indeed greener on the other side. But even though it's a simple matter of paperwork, changing Packs seems like a HUGE decision, not one made lightly, especially as den leaders. That said, we did have an entire den with DL from Pack XYZ just join our Pack. On-going conflict between the old guard and new guard in their Pack. So I guess their threats were more than idle - they voted with their feet. clyde

Our Pack does not provide any funds to the dens to defray den costs (like boys' admissions to museums or events) or reimburse for den expenses (like supplies for projects). Monies raised from Pack fundraisers go into the Pack funds. We tried individual Cubby Bucks accounts, but they were a mess. I know the requirements and forms for a "Unit" Money-Earning project, but what about individual DENS within the Pack that want to raise money? What is your take on this angle? clyde

The "scoutingweb" link that Scoutnut gave is the one we used - it really was so cute for the girls. They also made edible Camp Stew (Coco Krispies for the meat, marshmallows for the potatoes, that sort of thing) - made it in a big batch, took it with them on a mini-hike, then filled bowls and ate it with a spoon. From an outsider's view, the Girl Scouts in our area do not appear to do the outdoor-sy thing much, so this was really new to some of them. They learned several knots (square, bowline, etc.). They also made lean-to's and had to stand under them while the leader used a water hose to test it :-) Today was our last day - I'm beat, but it was fun! And get this: Tonight all our den boys (8 Webelos) are coming over for a sleep-over and swimming at our house - what was I thinking?!!! clyde

Just writing to share that we are having a really great time in GS Day Camp this week! Our theme is "Back to the Basics - Outdoor Adventure!" The girls are learning knots, making buddy burners, and laying edible campfires :-) I'm leading Music at camp - I've set it up like a real campfire program: I open and close the campfire ceremoniously each time they come, we do crazy camp songs, skits, cheers from our Cheer detergent box, give awards, just like a good ole' Cub Scout campfire! Funny thing is, I don't even have a DAUGHTER! I got "drafted" to teach Music class - this is my 3rd year and my son (Webelos I) goes to the Tag-along class - he loves it as much as I do! Just wanted to share a smile! clyde

Maybe your son could receive his "Recruiting" strip :-) Your nephew will likely do great starting as a Webelos 1. It's a perfect time for him to start because the program will be new for ALL the boys, even the returning ones. It's a lot different than the lower levels. I have a den full of over-achievers. Like your nephew, they are quite bright, most are in the gifted program at school. One in particular started with us last year as a Bear. We were told, "He's going to be the quietest one in your den." HA! He jumped in with both feet - it helped that he knew 2 of our boys, but Scouting has been GREAT for him - his parents are so pleased that he has found a place where he can be comfortable with his peers. He has a blast at our den meetings! Best wishes to your nephew as he starts on the Scouting trail! clyde

This is our 3rd summer attending Resident Camp. Our den just crossed over to Webelos, so we are going to Webelos-only Resident Camp this year. We've had these boys since they were Tigers and they've been with us to Resident Camp before - always 4 days, 3 nights. But one thing we are keeping in mind is that they are entering 4th grade now. Many of the Webelos requirements encourage more personal responsibility. So we are reminding the adults (4 adults to 8 boys in our case) to not step in at the first sign of trouble or distress. In fact, the Camp we are attending lists "increased self-sufficiency" as one of its goals for the boys :-) Beyond that, things I have done in the past at Resident Camp: 1. Get the boys up and at 'em - and get them to bed - on time. 2. Get the boys from Activity A to Activity B on time. 3. Practice an outdoor flag ceremony at home so you can volunteer your den for a morning or evening ceremony. 4. Practice a skit or two for the campfire programs. 5. Have a "grace" in mind that the boys can share. 6. Remind the boys about water - get them started in the habit now. 7. Take lengths of rope for knot practicing. 8. Teach yourself some cheers, chants, cadences, etc. for the walks between activities. Our boys were the loudest (and proudest) at camp last year! 9. You won't need to provide activities for the boys - your schedule will likely be full. But they will have free time and den time on your schedule also. Take your football and Frisbee if they want it. 10. Take your Webelos handbook. 11. Glow Sticks or necklaces are always a hit around the tents. You can save them for the last night :-) 12. I got those glow-in-the-dark plastic arrowheads at the Scout Store. Each night before bed, I gathered the boys and presented 2 or 3 each night for various reasons. "John finally earned his Swimming Belt Loop today!" "Sam was really brave to volunteer for the skit tonight at the campfire!" They LOVED getting these and it was a nice way to end the day and settle them in for the night. Enojy yourself! It is a GREAT experience for your son and you! clyde

5,000 ?! WOW! I feel like such a Cub .... Congratulations - and thank you for being an important part of this great exchange of ideas! clyde

Apparently for a long time in our Pack, we had only one DL who had BALOO training. He didn't actually do planning for any of the Pack camp-outs, but he was always there, usually did the cooking for the Pack meals. When we joined this Pack, I attended BALOO along with several other leaders. We now have 5 BALOO-trained adults in the Pack, so we're covered. We just crossed our den over to Webelos and already have some Web camp-outs planned. My husband and I have not attended WLOT yet (it is offered in October 2006, first time it has come around in 2 years), but we'll get it. I am BALOO, he is Wood Badge, we should be alright until then :-) I understand about having your hands tied, since the Council is not offering the class you need. You might have some luck contacting area Councils to see what they have lined up. I would also attend the next Roundtable in your district and plead for a BALOO leader to join your Pack on a camp-out. Your boys could also still attend Day Camp or Res Camp without having a BALOO leader. Around here, Fall is the time of year most big training happens (Univ. of Scouting, BALOO, etc.) clyde

Thanks for the inspiring post, Lisa'bob! Isn't this the reason we have our boys in Scouting anyway? As they say, if it ain't for the boys, it ain't worth doing! Sounds corny, but personally I like Den meetings! When we have a Monday night that our den doesn't meet, I miss them! I just really like being with these boys - they're learning great Scouting things and having a blast doing it! I like being silly with an opening game or exercise - I like coming up with fun activities that go along with the monthly theme - I like making a Character Connection at the end of every den meeting. My son is having a terrific time in Scouts, and we are, too! clyde

Congratulations starwolfmom! Our "BL" mag just arrived Thursday - my son has hogged it so far, but I'll have my turn! Looking forward to reading your article. I queried "BL" mag once a couple of years ago with an article idea, but alas, a similar article was already in the works for a future issue. "Scouter" mag may be a better target for me - you've encouraged me to query again! clyde

BIS: Your situation sounds very similar to mine. Been DL since Tigers with 6 original boys in our den. We are also going to use denners and we've told them the denner will have to prepare an opening activity and lead the flag ceremony. We've surveyed our boys to see what kinds of outings they wanted and tried to fit those into the activity badges. (We are not shooting for all 20.) By the dedication we've seen from these amazing boys, we are fully expecting all 8 to crossover into Boy Scouts. We want to give them a good foundation, but still remember that they're not middle-schoolers. Plus, we're also making a concerted effort to "educate" our parents not to jump in at the least struggle! I'm keeping Beavah's list close at hand. Those sound like very reasonable goals :-) As for the real "Boy Scout" skills, we'll be working on knots, fire building, making fire starters, how to set-up tents, choosing tent sites, etc. But it'll be very basic...they just want to have fun on their camp-outs! These boys have waited a long time to finally be able to go on DEN camp-outs - yippeeeeee! BTW, we've chosen WOLVERINES as our new den name! Just call us the X-Men! clyde

I think it's a great idea also. Especially noteworthy is that the boys in the article were all Cub-age. We do not live in an urban community, so our "hike" would end up being a "drive" - but I love the idea of respectfully introducing religious diversity in this way. A "Scout Law" hike would be a great tool as well. I can see where we could easily customize a hike, even in our suburban town to cover the 12 Laws. Local merchants, town leaders, religious leaders, public service workers, etc. could all be involved as we visit each on our next stop. Hmmm... now you've got me thinking .... clyde

LOVED SSS's idea of putting the parents on the spot - how fun is that?! Maybe you could give each boy a checklist as they arrive to have initialed as they move around the room doing different things. We love a good "round robin" in Cub Scouts! Something like: 1. Using the CS handshake, shake hands with 5 other Scouts and tell them to "Do Your Best!" (then have 5 little blanks for Scouts to initial when they shake hands) 2. Unscramble the following words of the CS Promise and put them in order (then have the words all mixed up on index cards on the table - leader initials when they have it in proper order. 3. I like your "digging in the dirt" idea - make it like a Law of the Pack treasure hunt! I've found the Law of the Pack to be the most difficult for the Scouts to recall. Just make the activities fun! Have the boys work with a buddy to rotate to different stations or to do different activities. Just don't make it like a competition or a race - we want EVERYONE to win :-) ScoutNut is right - this is the kind of think they will hear and use over and over, but that's the whole idea - repetition makes it become second nature to them - clyde

fgoodwin - I agree with you that we probably all go into this with the best of intentions. In our case, I guess we were thinking the boys would respond positively to the idea of doing it as a group. Interestingly, I introduced the program Monday night to the parents, saying we could meet one night a month (NOT a den meeting night)and have it finished by Christmas or so, with the CO Pastor having final check-off. I had the workbooks for "God and Family" and "Parvuli Dei" available. The parent of the Catholic boy was understandably not interested in the Protestant class - they'll look into Parvuli Dei on their own. But I was surprised that the reaction from the rest of the gang was fairly lukewarm. I had only 1 Scout (besides my son :-) commit to beginning the program with us. Another did say they will see if it is being offered at their home church; o/w they will join our class. No one else even mentioned being a part. Guess they will opt for the other requirement for #8 (e). We're still going to schedule our classes - our goal is to make the program available. clyde

Our den meets in the evening from 7 -8 pm. We do not bring snacks unless a parent wants to bring cupcakes for a birthday or something. Or maybe around Halloween or Easter, I'll bring the boys each a little candy goody bag. We have never had snacks at our Pack meetings. Most parents are ready to fly outta there by the time it's over (also meets 7 - 8 pm). clyde

Well Done WDLeader! Sending congratulations to you from Georgia neighbors - we're in the Central Georgia Council! My husband is working hard to finish his ticket - he went to WB over at the Chattahoochee Council (near Columbus, GA). He can almost say that he "used to be a Beaver!" clyde

Robby - Our Pack did a RR 2 summers ago and it was really fun for the boys. We met in the morning and the boys put their kits together and painted the boats. Then we set them in the sun to dry while we played "water games" (sprinkler hoses, water balloon toss, etc.)and had ice cream. After that, we came inside and started the races. We used actual raingutters - about 10' sections with only a couple of inches of water in the gutters. We set the "tracks" on two long tables pushed end-to-end. It was level and at about the perfect height for the boys. We did ours indoors - but admittedly, filling the gutters was a pain - used a bucket brigade, basically. Then emptying the gutters was even more of a pain :-) Outside with the water hose would have been much easier. We started off using straws for the boys to blow, but we found that many of the early attempts resulted in capsized boats. We switched to just blowing the boats without straws and it actually worked much better for us. As for awards, we did not go all out like we do for PWD. Seems like we had some small token award, but nothing fancy. All the boys did receive a little memento of the race (something "nautical"). Enjoy! clyde

Lisa'bob: You mentioned "Three Sharp Tooth Buzzards" - I found the words and motions, but is there any particular tune? Apparently it's an echo song - do you shout it like a cadence or something? It sounds like a fun one for our Cubs. We love "Boom Chicka Boom" - "Herman the Worm" - "If I Were Not a Boy (Cub) Scout" - "Little Black Things" - "If You're Happy and You Know It, Pick Your Nose!" - and of course, the all-important, ever-present "BEAVER SONG!" clydesdale115