AKdenldr

First son grew out and past Boy's Life, even once he was in the Boy Scout edition. Second son, who is a reluctant reader, takes it to bed. He likes all the gear, the rescue stories, and I just saw him read the service article (inner city) from this month. I think the magazine reinforces his view of himself as an adventurer through scouting. I liked the short stories that ran about two years ago. I used BL in my den programs about twice a year only, but it was high interest when I did. I always had back issues in the car when I transported to camp. When I had new scouts I'd run by the scout shop and pickup a couple copies of BL to hand over as a joining gift. That was well recieved. None of the Packs or Troops we have been involved in have included BL as part of the dues. It has always been extra. My dens would run about 70% subscribers.

Cool to see someone so excited about getting their kid into scouting. Our position has been (prior to about 12 yo or so) is that our sons don't know what something is until they try it. How would a 6 year old boy know what cub scouts (or fiddle, or soccer, or Sunday school) is like unless he does it? In the early years parents lead their children into activities and programs that the parents value. The trick is to watch your child's response to these things and encourage what they enjoy and have aptitude for. But, don't wait for a flier....go find out what is going on in your neck of the woods. Perhaps you have a spare evening or weekend to give a hand now? Wouldn't that be cool if by the time your son was a cub you had some experience as a cub volunteer? Think about it.

Sit down with the boy and dad at the same time. Go over the remaining list of requirements and what the options are. If they choose to do the teaching at home, set a date for him to come and demonstrate to you his knowledge for signoff. (Readyman is not that hard for a 5th grader.) Then call it good and your best effort. He'll get a lot of FA in Boy Scouts if he continues and hopefully he will. Thanks for your service to the boy. -- AK

I would not hold the first boy back, since it is not what he wants. I would discard the notion that the bridging for either boys needs to take place at the B&G in Feb. Or that they need to bridge at the same time. We had a combined den like yours due to a den colapse. We had 5 old WebII boys bridge in Feb and then another set of faster tracked young WebI boys be awarded their AOL at a pack picnic and 'received' at their troop in May. Talk to the troop. If they want to take first boy now let him bridge now. However, if they want to take him in a class of cross overs from other packs, can he visit and participate for now and cross over at cross over time? Then talk to boy's family and let them have input. With regards to your late joiner and your web I, 2 scouts is not much of a den. Can you join in the current Bear den's activities with some pull outs for webelos activities? Bear den might be done with achievements for their bear badge right about now and on to belt loop and electives. After all in May your Web I will be joining that big batch of Bear boys. Best of luck -- AK

Great Alaska Council has an opening for a DE: Denali District (Anchorage).

The whole FOS presentation improved for our pack and me personally when our pack stopped boring the Cubs with the adult conversation. We played a wide area game in the gym while the parents met in another room with the commissioner for the FOS presentation. Donations went up dramatically, but that could have been coincidental. The Cubs had a blast and leaders didn't resent the intrusion to the program as much. I'll bet that this can be implimented at the troop level even easier. The biggest problem I see with my council's FOS appeal is a lack of transparency into the finances. This might be affecting their success with this fundraising. When I look at competing non-profits asking for my money, I see a real differnce in the quality of the data, reports, and communication provided. Other non-profits also ask more often, and in different ways. -- AK

Okay, I'm looking at the BoyScout Stem / Nova materials online. I can't find it documented, how does one become a Stem / Nova mentor? -- AK

Just take time with the signatures and all will benefit. This is a great example that just came up this week. We have a batch of brand new tenderfeet who are on fire for signoffs in 2c and 1c. Boy comes up to for signoff on 2c 3f (build a fire and light a stove). Says "I did this in new scout program at camp". Leader says "I didn't see you do it, did you actually light the stove?". Answer was no. Leader says, "well bring a stove to the patrol meeting tomorrow we'll all do it together, BESIDES LIGHTING STOVES ARE FUN." Add-on for the patrol meeting was scout demonstrating his stove -- taking it outside to light and all the boys assembling and lighting. Then talking about the safety points in the book. And, they did have fun. Boy and leader could have gotten into the lawyery dissection of the written requirement -- but instead they improved the program and everyone's learning. -- AK

Backroads, I've been reading your post with interest. Although the topic has strayed, I'd like to post on the original thoughts. You are on target to become the effective registrar for your council with the things you were doing (logging incoming documents), and the other things suggested here (emails). It will help to remember you have inherited the relationship of previous people in your position had with the volunteers. Those volunteers had their pack registration for camp lost. Moneys lost. Applicatons lost etc. Rudeness, no information, bad information. The volunteers didn't get involved to do paperwork and find it a distraction from their calling to work with kids. Some of them just don't do paperwork well. Some work in places where the paperwork flows a lot better than the BSA council office. Some are totally new to the organization and are Amazed at how much they have to learn about BSA paperwork and the council office to get anything done. None of them know the problems with the system and national that you have. And they should not have to know. In many of the processes you are getting the paperwork at the END (hopefully) of a LONG already process of tracking down information from a number of folks who are only in contact 1 night a week (at most). To have to follow up or redo after that is a headache. The volunteers are very busy putting on the program (and jobs, and kids) and the paperwork is just one more thing to get done. Thank the voluteers for their service. Practice the Scout Law in dealing with them. Take ownership for solving the problems and communicating the resolution of those problems. And once you have a good process, document it all in good desk procedures. You will become known as "the one to talk to over there". Then you be working with the relationships that you have developed. Best of luck in your job, and turning it all around. -- AK

I think any group that runs on Volunteer Power can use training occassionally on "recruiting, valueing, and retaining volunteers". There is a real talent and art to this. If you can find an expert from outside of scouting (perhaps someone in the non-prof management field) all the better, pair them up to talk in conjunction with a leader from a unit that does this well (if you have one). -- AK

In the den ping pong blow. Set up one boy on each end of rectagular table. Hands on table or behind back. Ping pong in the center - compete with each other to blow off table. In pack had success with front/back game. Take a deck or more of cards scatter in room front side up and down. Divide group into two teams. They turn over card for their team in place on the floor. No moving the card. A few adults monitoring the game can make some changes to keep the game moving. Works well with all age levels. -- AK

Thanks all for your help. Just wanted to give you a six month or so update. Well the brownie troop is doing very well. There was a parent meeting and all the mothers talked about their vision and goals for their scouts. New leader (one of the former cub moms) stepped up and with the cooperation of all is pulling together an active program. Size issues were taken care of at bridging time and group is now down to a manageable size. Lots of field trips, camping, hands-on and outside experts. New leader is trained and has good help. I was at one event girls having fun, learning, and getting dirty. Terrific.

True boys become more distracted at this age with other activities. But, Webelos is an 18 month program. I found with my dens (8 boys each) that it was slower going with earning in the 4th grade year and then by the end it was like a snowball rolling down hill. In the end we could have gone for that heavy sholder thing. Because even though I didn't intend it, all the partial little things we did as a den over that year and a half started to add up. Plus the scouts just became more capable as they grew. I did do some catch up events outside of den meetings, but mostly around the required items. I did delegate to the parents (handyman, family member, and the faith piece.) Good advice on these boards about having the boy present his work to you for signoff. I liked to think of the rank awards (wolf, bear, webelos, AOL) as meeting the minimum standards of participaton and accomplishment -- really the den/pack program should offer more than just one chance to do an activity and fun and rewarding activities that don't even fit a requirement. For example, camp more (a lot more) than twice in the Webelos years, go for more than one hike etc... Summer camp helps quite a bit with achievements. And, it is not a bad lesson in life for a boy to see the rest of the den be awarded for accomplishments they did not earn. Espcially if he made a different choice for his time. Connect with your boyscout troops now. They may be offering something (like readyman) for your scouts to go to with their folks to take the pressure of the WDL. Have fun. -- AK

Lets hear it for Tandy Leather! Hope you have one in your area. I've taken 3 dens there and encouraged other den trips. They do it for a small fee (I have the boys pay) that must just cover cost of the supplies. My local store actually had a Scouter who would come for us with all these great scout stamps. He was an Eagle and would talk about the adventure of scouting while he worked with the boys. We did pocketknife cases. Have the boys put their initials on them. This is a true keepsake of their boyhood. -- AK

Done this. Our lesson was the foil packet method taught at Baloo took too long for a large group and used way way too much foil. Yikes! We converted to dutch ovens. A few can feed many. Spagetti casserole or Chili with cornbread topper followed by cobbler worked. What level is your den? If Webelos tie it to the program, "this is how Webelos do it". We cook and eat together. If younger den you might find the parents undermining by providing snacks and treats son will eat (therefore not hungry, therefore doesn't like it.) So some parent education is important. Borrow from the boy scout program and involve the boys in menu choice. Might want to practice at some den events first. Cook hot dogs on a hike followed by bannana boats. Dutch oven desert at a longer den meeting, etc... Good luck, a great change for your pack. -- AK

Great Responses and thoughts.... Anyone else?

As I am moving into boy scouts, on my mind is the differences in boys over the years as they grow. It takes a lot to provide a program that covers broad interests and abilities. Thought it would be a fun discussion. I'll start: Tigers: Big deal is loosing a tooth at school! Car seat and booster seats for go-see-its Don't know the family phone numbers 7 or 7:30 bed time change of clothes at school for accidents G movies Webelos: Big deal is braces Big enough to sit in the front seat Might have a low end cell phone Learning how to send emails on family account 9:30 bed time Young Scout: Mid age boy scout: Girl friends at school Texting Has own email Thinking about that learners permit Late Teen: Drives himself to meetings and campouts -- AK

From last week, walked by a little cub at school (whose name I don't know), he was taking popcorn orders at a parent open house. "When are we doing sock wars again?"... My last Pack activity on the way out of the Pack. -- AK

Around here the push is cub recruitment, with the support of the DE. Troops do an single open house, if they do that. (But their doors are always open for visits.) Webelos leaders have to work pretty hard to get meaningful visits and events in. Half the Webelos boys choose not to bridge. Then the first and second year scout attrition rates are high. Very few den leaders attend roundtables, so they do not develop relationships outside of the Pack. They will tend to look closely at the troops where the pack graduates bridged. Most packs are centered at a school and are chartered by a "Friends of" organization. Most Troops are chartered by a church or fraternal organization. Relationships are less formal and there is not much help going back and forth. -- AK

Depending on your size you can do awards at a pack activity. The secret is to announce that it will happen. Often this will increase attendance. Highly successful for us was on the last night of cub camp between the dinner and campfire. We have also handed out participation patches (scouting for food as an example) at the event. Also good. -- AK

I think you OWE it to the families that crossed over with you to tell them about your personal family decision. My reasoning is that most likely they stayed in scouting because their experience with you led them to believe it would be worthwhile for their son. Besides, what's the other option -- lots of gossip asking where you and your son are? A sense of abandonment on the part of the boys for who you were the CM? You can be privately upfront with each family with much character and integrity. -- AK

Beware of inentended consequences! I like the blue cards. The blue card puts the responsibility for his program in the scouts hands. If he looses cards, has to find them, has to replace them, has to make phone calls to adults ... well isn't that a great learning opportunity? A little adult effeciency in making a change to something automated will lose youth effectiveness. If camp counselors and mba counselors have difficulty managing a paperwork load, perhaps there are other low tech solutions that will assist? (Labels, paperwork night at camp, etc) In addition, I'm skeptical an BSA IT solution can be implimented well.

Everything everyone else had said is great. I would add: get the Webelos den leader handbook. Very worthwhile, lots of great active ideas in the book. Have fun with the boys.

As a Web den leader I pushed the boys to look at the pin requirements. If you are on the swim team as a forth grader and earn yet again the swimming belt loop -- what challenge is that? However, if you are that spacially challenged non-athletic boy who trys soccer and earns his beltloop that is a differnt ball of wax. -- AK

I think this is a great idea. A good idea for packs with a big brother troop. Would stengthen relationships. Also might enable multiple son volunteers who have a foot in scouts and cubs and with outdoor skills step in as Web den leaders. Also could be adjusted to packs with no relationship: just do meetings at several different troops. You could wrap your activity pins and the troops' merit badge counselors into the rotation. Somewhat like, for the next six weeks while we are working on Readyman we will be meeting at troop XX. Then when we move on to Geology we will be at troop XXX. Back to pack location for citizenship etc... Takes a lot of coordination and knowledge of how troops work, but could address two goals in the Web program -- transition and local experts. Great thinking Fred. -- AK