Apathetic council???

[boleta]

These are common feelings at the beginning of your Scouter career. Only the executive staff of your council is paid. Everyone else is a volunteer. BSA has a great organization but it is very dependent on TRAINED volunteers. Even those that will do the training are volunteers!!

 

As a District Committee Chairman, I must say that only 3 or 4 out of 20 CORs attend our monthly meeting. All others- the Training Chairman, the Advancements Chair, the Finance Chair, the Membership Chair... are Scouters who want to be involved at the District level. The CORs have all the potential power in voting on what the District will do, but they don't participate as they should.

 

Multiple attempts to get CORs to attend have failed. Asking units to appoint an assistant COR who is a scouter who is interested int the District Committee hasn't worked. Announcing at Roundtable that we haven't seen your COR hasn't worked. Asking people to step up to the District Committee hasn't worked.

 

And yet we have a great District. We have made Quality District for the past 4 years. We make our membership, finance and unit targets because of the very hard work of those that do participate.

 

Congratulations on being a new Cubmaster. You will do a great job because you are interested and want to do it right. Do what I did as Cubmaster 7 years ago- attend Roundtable, get trained, attend your District Committee meeting as an observer (it is an open meeting), get more training and have fun with your program (not in any order). Get one or two of your fellow Scouters in your Pack to do the same.(This message has been edited by boleta)

[PatrickMN]

Hello Cajun,

The current cubmaster is probably very happy to have an eager assistant, so don't tread too lightly.

 

The one thing I did not see mentioned in the message thread and I think it may be helpful, is the availability of Fast Start Training for the Cubmaster position. Many sites have links to Fast Start training and I would guess your council has the links as well. If not try USScouts.org or the national council website...

 

You can be a positive force - most of this info should have been readily available to you from folks in your pack - den leaders, the committee, etc. Once you have the info make sure you share it with the others in your pack. Go to roundtable as discussed above and bring some other leaders with you.

 

When your council has a Pow Wow or University of Scouting, be sure to attend as supplemental training.

 

Let me step back a little. The training continuum in BSA starts with Fast start training for your position and youth Protection training, both of which can be accessed on line.

 

The next training is Cub Scout leader basic training, usually 3 hours or so. This can be delivered one on one or in a group setting. BSA has been trying to encourage units to have their own trainers so the training is available when it is needed.

 

Once you have the basic training you will have access to position specific training - Cubmaster in your case - which is another several hours.

 

Beyond that, councils usually offer Baloo training (required for pack camping) and Outdoor Webelos leader training, (similar in content and purpose).

 

Every month districts offer supplemental training in the form of a leader roundtable. This tends to be very concrete and valuable information specific to the cub Scout themes for the next month.

This is also where units receive most of their communication from the DE as well as information about fundraising, scouting for food, camps and other activities.

 

Every fall many Councils offer a huge supplemental all day training event called a leader Pow Wow. Sometimes councils can go a step further and conduct simultaneous training for Venture Crew leaders, Bous Scout leaders and cub scout leaders. This is typically called a University of Scouting.

 

Wood Badge is the peak of the training pyramid offered by the Council and it is advanced leadership training.

 

Beyond that the National Council conducts training seminars every summer at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.

 

I hope the Fast Start training is something you and your Webelos leader friend look inot right away.

 

Yours in Scouting,

PatrickMN