What happens during the summer?

[Its Me]

Looking at my schedule, I have den meetings planned up through April. Our kids finish school on May 27. Do we hold an end of the year party? Do we continue to meet every other week during the summer? Most of my boys will reach Wolf rank by the Blue & Gold banquet on April 16. I would expect nearly all to reach rank by late may or early June. Do we focus strickly on electives during the summer or do we start on our Bear requirements?

 

 

[Marty_Doyle]

What does you Pack do, historically?

What is the PAck year?

Ours follows the school year - September to June. We plan Pack summertime events for June, July and August. A pack picnic in June, after the June Pack Night, which we treat as a graduation. Cubs move up to the next rank at that time. (The Tigers have actually had their own gradustion at a district event in May (a tradition left over from when Tigers were not really part of the Pack)).

Most Cub Scouts have earned their rank in the period from B&G (in February) through graduation. Sometimes earlier. Sometimes later. The Pack will allow boys to work on the rank associated with their current rank over the summer, as long as we know in advance, but the rank should be earned by the following September Pack Night, since the boy has moved up in grade and therefore rank. They start the next rank, at the choice of the den, either in September, or after graduation, usually related to wheteher the boys are going to summer camp.

After rank has been earned, there are still arrow points, Academic & Sports belt loops and pins, religious emblems, BSA Family, World Conservation, Conservation Good Turn, Leave No Trace, Crime Prevention, Emergency Preparedness and US Heritage awards that can be earned at pretty much every level by Cub Scouts. Webelos can earn more activity badges, aiming for Heavy Shoulder and Super Achiever awards.

Summertime is usually a little less structured, due to vacations, summer camps, etc. If you can continue to get most of the boys to meet weekly, work out with the CM which path you will follow. Also, look into the National Summertime Award for the den as well as the National Den Award, if you are active the whole year.

[EagleInKY]

If your pack doesn't have a summertime program, work on selling the Pack Committee on the concept. It's the best retention tool you can come up with. Face it, the boys are confronted with lots of fun opportunities at the beginning of the school year. When mommy asks Johnny if he wants to continue Cub Scouts, you want him to answer "YES!". To do that, Johnny needs to remember the fun things he did all summer - the pool party, the rocket derby, Day Camp, Resident camp, the baseball game, whatever it is you can do.

 

The goal for the summertime pack award is not overly strenuous. Three activities, with 50% participation. Put together some fun, family-oriented activities, and they'll show up.

 

We tried doing a couple of Den activities through the summer, but it was hard. The commitment just wasn't there. But, those same boys were very involved with the Pack events that were held.

[fotoscout]

Yes, by all means have a party! Why miss the opurtunity?

 

We do pretty much the same thing that Marty just laid out. We let the den leaders decide it they want to start working on the next rank through the summer or wait until September to get started. At the Wolf rank, I let my boys earn extra arrow points during the summer. We started the Bear program in September.

 

Since school doesnt end here until June, we have regular meetings until the end of June. Our Pack family camping trip is also scheduled for June.

 

July and August each have one Pack outing scheduled for each month. Usually, one of the two of them is a flop, and it doesnt seem to matter which month or what the outing is. The second outing is a local minor league baseball game. This is always well attended! I try to plan monthly den get togethers, although this is very tough. Our August week at camp is planned around the various vacation schedules so many of us are gone on family vacations for much of July, so we never seem to get half of the den at the other summer meeting.

 

Last year for the first time in 10,000 years we established a Pack schedule for Cub Scout Summer Camp Activities. My den had a great showing, this year we are hoping for a better turnout. We scheduled a Cub Parent weekend, Day Camp week, Resident Camp week, and a Family Camp Weekend at the Council camp. Families are free to sign up for any or all of them.

 

If you follow the guidelines for Summertime Pack and Den Awards, you'll be doing well. You can always do more if you want to, but that will give you a good bit of continuity going into next year.

 

[Bob White]

There are a number of things to do in the summer. Start, as others have said by stting goals to meet the pack summertime award. Have a Pack Family Camp, take part in the council family camp, your local Cub Day camp, Cub resident camp and Webelos resident camp. Have a pack cook-out, An ice cream social, meet for a 4th of jusy celebration at a local park. Go to a rodeo. Have a beach party. Have a outdoor movie night.

 

Have a pack meeting at the end of May to graduate the scouts to their next den level (we would give them their new neckerchiefs and handbook). Recognize the den leaders with a nice certificate.

 

There is lots to do all year round.

 

Bob White

[Mike_Fossler]

I've never understood why there is this tendency to stop scouts for the summer. Summer is the time to do outdoor activities! I Baseball games, hikes, bike rides, fishing, all can be done during the summer, and the kids will love it.

 

Plus , remember that parent pay for a full year of scouting. If you don't have a summer program, they deserve a refund.

 

Mike

[acco40]

We had den and Pack activities in the summer back when I was involved as DL. I believe they still do to a lesser extent. The question I always had was about grade levels. The Cub Scout program is grade level based. I had a few Cubs who didn't finish their rank requirements by June due to apathy, lack of attendance, etc. I never could find a definitive answer to when does a boy change grade; in June (end of school year) or in September (start of school year)? I kind of fudged it to the boys advantage. If a boy completed the 2nd grade but did not yet start the third grade I gave him the option of working on finishing up Wolf (if needed) or starting Bear requirements. It was rare a boy did not finish his rank requirements by June but not unheard of.

[ScoutNut]

You do not have to have regular Summer den meetings in order for your boys to start work on their Bear requirements. All the boys need is their Bear book.

 

Remember, most rank requirements should be done with the family. Summer is the best time for families to complete many of them.

 

Like many of the others here, we hold den meetings right up until the end of the school year. At that time we hold our Graduation Pack meeting. The boys receive their new neckerchiefs and books. In June we go to a minor league ball game. Lots of fun & fireworks. July is camping month. We are doing a Cub Family Campout and some are going to a Council Summer Camp. August will be a end of Summer picnic. We haven't yet decided on a theme for this. Dens start holding regular meetings again after school starts at the end of August.

 

Talk to your Pack Committee to see what your Pack has planned for Summer. Then talk to your Den's families, tell them the Pack's plans and find out what they want to do. Maybe they would be interested in meeting as a den once a month. Maybe they will feel that monthly Pack activites will be enough given their Summer shedules.

[Laurie]

We used to stop meetings in March, be then we lost 30 boys last year. I was already unhappy with a 6-month program as opposed to a 12-month program, so I pushed (gently) to extend the year. Last year, we didn't plan much in advance, but we did have a family overnighter at council camp, sent 5 boys to day camp, held 2 carwashes, held a flag ceremony for a local senior community at their request, and some den leaders decided to extend meetings since the boys and their families were enjoying the extras. The first week in June ends the school year, so we held a big picnic/barbecue that week, then had the activities named above.

 

This year, we have more of a plan. We hold den meetings until the end of May (though in March we drop one meeting per month to give leaders a break, and then in June stop all den mtgs). We have pack meetings from Sept (roundup) through June. As meetings as possible are moved outdoors to take advantage of nice weather and because the boys have been inside long enough by the time of the meeting. We have 2 camping trips, day camp, an outside outing all planned already. We are currently discussing with families adding on about 3 more outings. The calendar is year-round, and we have built up the pack yet, but we now have something to promote. This year, as we find scheduling problems, conflicts in the community, etc, we make note of that and are already addressing it for next year. In fact, we have already begun to plan camping and hikes for next year; we learned that we need more time.

 

Good luck, and have fun! I love summer with Cubs.

[Fat Old Guy]

We would have our last pack meeting in May and then in June, before school let out, we'd have our campfire ceremony.

 

Our campfire site was deeeeeep (at least to little kids) in the woods and they'd have to gather at the edge of the woods, on the far side of a creek. The CM would come out of the woods and ask who was ready to cross the bridge to the next level of Cub Scouts. In the old days, Tigers would go first and do the necessary stuff (Promise, shake, sign) and be welcomed to Cub Scouts. The rest would follow. The path to the campfire would be lined with uniformed adults and Boy Scouts holding the Cub Sign up as a call for silence. After everyone was seated at that camfire, it would be lit in a dramatic fashion.

 

Skits, songs, and jokes would be scattered throughout the night. Last minute awards and ranks would be presented. Adult recognition would be given. Finally, the fire would die and Scout Vespers would be sung and everyone one would file out, feeling kinda sad that another year had ended. (sniff)

 

We always had a fairly ambitious Summer program including hikes, picnics, swim parties and other activities but not many Cub Scouts would show up. I never understood why. Kids spend most of the summer sitting around saying, "I don't got nuttin' to do."

 

Do stuff. Don't limit it to the weekends. Go to minor league baseball games. Visit a Navy base. Go on a bike hike. Fishing tournements are popular. Star gazing is also fun.

 

 

 

 

[eaglewings2002]

Generally our pack has one activity per month. I try to have my den meet once a month for something like bowling, swimming, etc (not a regular den meeting).

 

I did just want to add that if it is something that requires advance payment I advise you to collect in advance from the parents! We have been seriously burned by advance ordering of tickets and then the families bow out. Once we were left with 15 baseball tickets at $10 a pop. It is so easy just to say sign up AND pay by xxxx date, and let them know there can be no refund unles they find someone to buy their tickets. It avoids a lot of trouble and misunderstandings!

[John-in-KC]

My local school district runs 20 August to Memorial Day. For the pack I was CC and ACM, that was the period of weekly Den meetings and 4th Thursday Pack meetings.

 

In the summer program, we ran:

 

District Day Camp. We encouraged all Cubs to come. We encouraged graduating kindergarten students and their families to join as Tigers.

 

July 4 parade.

 

August cookout and Raingutter Regatta.

 

Our Council also has Bear Overnight Camp (1:1 parent/child ratio) at our Council Cub World, and we also run a 4 day/3 night Webelos Camp.

 

John