devaney_scouts

I ahve run Cub Scout Day camp as Camp Director/Program Director both. My first year we ran the Webelos in a seperate day camp, last two years we are running a webelos program within the cub's Day camp. I prefer the later. We have two day camps and a twilight camp and doing the Webelos within the cub's camps gives more opportunites for boys to attend. If they can't make one week, they may be able to make the other. I run the Webelos program seperate, but try to find speakers for the Webelos dens that also fit the theme for the camp. this year our theme is West Virginia Heritages and we are focusing on things that the webelos need for pins, plus belt loops the cubs can earn, plus archery, BB and swimming. The hardest thing for me with webelos is adult volunteers. Many parents feel that they aren't needed at this age and if they have younger kids they want to go with the younger ones. I advise starting to recruit and train your den walkers for your Webelos now. I run 9 dens of 12 to 15 boys with 2 to 3 adults minimum per den. The webelos comprise dens 1 2 and 3 and spent the first three rotations working on a Webelos pin a day. Your local tv station or radio station may help by coming out for communicator. Engineer is fun at camp and science is great to do. Send me a PM with your theme and email and i can see what I can gather for you to send. Good Luck.

First, it needs to be a pack you can work with the schedule and fits your child's personality, has trained leaders, follows two deep leadership and offers all scouts an opportunity for growth. There are two pack in our small town with very different personalities that meet different nights, we recommend visiting both when a parent inquires about our pack. We also try to do activities with the other pack several time a year so kids from our school, who go to that pack and vice versa still get to see school friends who are involved in scouting and interact with them and the others. Trained leaders and motivated parents are a big part of the program though. Visiting a committee meeting is a good idea, and i would ask a few questions 1.) Do you have problems getting volunteers? 2.) How many kids went to day camp? How many parents volunteered to help at day camp? 3.) Is there a division of responsibility between the dens so all parents/scouts are given opportunity and motivation to participate? Being a proactive parent is the best way to ensure that your child is in a pack that "fits" and if the first pack doesn't fit, don't be afraid to try another and if it works better, fill out a transfer form. I would rather lose a scout to another pack than lose a scout to not scouting. Good luck

My husband took over our pack just 2 years ago and I am the comittee chair. He has a very easy way to stop parents like this: He hands them an adult leader form and asks them to fill it out, buy a uniform, attend training and get involved. Most will either put up or shut up. His tactic when they speak about another pack is to say, " Not every pack is for every boy. If your son would be happier in another pack, explore that option. I would rather lose you and your child to another pack than to loose you to scouting completely." We have two packs very close in our town and each has a very different personality. Ours is much more outdoorsy and camps and hikes, the other is more academic. Whenever we are approached by a new family, we tell them to check out both packs before making a decision. You will always have unhappy people, the trick is learning when it is important and when it is just them. Try to ease the pressure on you and your husband by getting your leaders trained and setting up a comittee. The easiest way to get voluteers is to ask people to do the things they are good at. We also assign our yearly events to different dens for completion. Tigers host the Rocket Day, Wolves host Blue and Gold( an elective to plan and help decorate a party), the Bears host Crossover and the Webelos are in charge of Pinewood Derby. This way all of our parents get a chance to help and year to year there is a learning group and a group that has already done it to use as a resource. Hope this helps, Good Luck.

Webelos pin requirements require boys to earn belt loops to complete them. Some of the boys may have already earned some of the required belt loops. In my opionion, it never hurts to have a boy repeat a step. It increases familiarity and knowledge and that is what the program is built on, repeating and increasing knowledge. From Tiger to Webelos, we just expand on the same topic each year.

OUr pack runs a Feb 1st to Jan 31st charter year. Programming runs August to June. When we register parents are given a letter that give the following details. Cost now, Just to register scout until recharter. Boys life now, Just to subscribe until recharter. Our dues are payable by October 31st. No dues, no rockets, no pinewood cars etc. Dues are $45 and we give them a list of what that covers. We also note that den dues are additional and for den activities above and beyond what is covered by the pack dues. Some dens have minimal dues, some have a system where everyone takes turns providing items.. We have found that this eliminates our need to harrass everyone when recharter fees are due. We also announce REPEATEDLY that if there is a family that needs to make payment arrangements or have a scholarship, they need to speak to our treasurer and cub master. Those are the two people who will make those arrangements and we can keep them confidential.

With regards to the rosary patch, I asked as my family is Catholic in a predominatly non catholic area. As to a pack doing religoius awards, it is my understanding that a charter organization has the right to require participation in specific events. Our pack is chartered to a Presbyterian Church and we offer the God and Country program to all scouts who want to participate. We hold it at a seperate time than regular meeting times to accomadate all of the boys. My three are working on or have done their rank levels for the Catholic Religious award. Back to what chartered organizations can do, the new scout registration form tells parents that the Chartered organizationagree to use the Scouting program in accordance with their own policies. Faith is also a recognized core value. I would give non catholic parents an info sheet on what the group is working on and give them the option to opt out and work on their family's personal religion's award during the same time period if they felt strongly about not participating

Our theme two summers ago was "Sea Ventures" We make raingutter regatta boats as a craft, 1 day to build, 1 day to decorate, 1 day to race. We made costumes, pirate bandanas that the boys stamped themselves to wear, dens named different piratey things, foamie birds for on their shoulders. Congrats on helping with camp. I have been a Camp director for 3 years, and run 7 accredited camps. My husband is my range officer and attends with me and having someone else in the house who" gets it" is better than anything else you could imagine. Good luck.

What is a rosary patch? We live in West Virginia and as Catholics are the minority. No one here has heard of the Rosary Patch, is it a council item or church sponsored item? We are chartered at a Presbyterian Church and have done Light of Christ with our oldest, and working on it with the next two on our own with the help of our church and would be interested in more info please :*) Thanks