Pack committee?

[starwolfmom]

In several threads having to do with pack discord (notably the one about the do-nothing cubmaster) people have suggested going to the committee chair.

 

Well, in our pack the committee consists of the cubmaster and den leaders, and one or two other people. The CM is the committee chair, the Bears den leader is the treasurer, the WEbelos 2 leader is the COR.

 

I'm sure that this is not kosher, but I'm not Cub Scout trainer (I'm trained as a Boy Scout committee member).

 

We don't even publish when committee meetings are held. I had to get the information from my son's den leader, because I'd really like to approach the committee and ask some questions and make some suggestions about improving the pack.

 

What does one do in a situation like this?

 

Elizabeth

[Laurie]

Ask for the names of the committee chairman and committee members. A charter requires the following people, and the only who may hold two positions within the unit is the Charter Representative.

 

Committee Chairman plus two Committee Members

 

Cubmaster (Assistant Cubmaster required for Quality Unit, but not to have a legimate roster)

 

Webelos Den Leader

 

Cub Scout Den Leader

 

Tiger Den Leader

 

So, if you'd like to meet the committee, just ask for their names; there must be someone registered in each of the above positions.

 

 

[johndaigler]

I can't believe there's a Pack Committee out there that isn't looking for a volunteer!!

 

In our case, everyone does a couple of jobs. I'm a DL and CC and PTrainer. The CM is a DL. The PTreasurer is my ADL. The Membership Chair is a DL, etc. etc.

 

I'd love it, if all the committee positions were filled by non-DLs. The DLs work hard enough with the boys - they should not have to carry the adult burden, as well. Maybe your Pack is different, but if a parent just called me up and said, "I'd like to help. What can I do?", I'd have a list of 6 jobs from which they could choose!

 

Do they have a Pack Trainer? Once you're wearing that patch, people expect you to know the rules and rationales. I've found that most of our Leaders are less than fond of training, but listen to me more and expect me to have, or be able to find, the answers they need.

 

Do they have a Webelos-Scout liason?

An Activities Chair?

A camping/Outdoors Chair?

 

The key is to get your foot in the door; show your usefulness, and then start including yourself in the dialogue.

 

Good luck!

 

jd

[fotoscout]

Starwolfmom fear not, for you are not alone ! !

 

Many units function with a situation just like yours. It is not unusual. What you need to do is simple, recruit more people for the committee. The committee functions are not too different between CS and BS. Make the point that everyone will be better off with more people on the committee. More to the point give the Den Leaders a chance to focus on being Den Leaders, instead of trying to be everything.

 

Just tell them that you want to be a committee member.

 

You refer to the postings that talk about troubled Packs. Not all packs with weak committees are troubled, and not all packs with weak committees have weak programs. But most certainly, Packs with strong, well staffed committees have the potential to run a strong program.

 

[starwolfmom]

johndaigler inquired if my pack has any of the following:

Pack trainer, Webelos-Scout liaison, activities chair, camping-outdoor activities chair.

 

No, no, no, and no. Our pack has never gone camping as a pack (not even when my now-Life Scout was a cubbie). The den leader of the Bears got her den (which my younger son has been in since Tigers) interested in Cub Scout Day Camp, but we have get to get anyone else interested in going. When our council had a Cub Scout Healthy Hike in the fall, more than 1,000 cubs participated, but not us. Scout day at the ballpark? No, unless you want to go as an individual, but where's the fun in that? I'll fall off my chair tonight if our Blue and Gold has a 75th anniversary theme. So far, the 75th anniversary of Cub Scouts has never been mentioned in our pack.

 

As for a Webelos-Scout liaison, I may fit that role, but only because I'm the membership coordinator for my older son's troop, and I've been trying to facilitate greater interaction between his troop and my younger son's pack. The second year Webelos haven't had anything to do with us (the Webelos 2 den leader blows off every invitation we've ever made to her), but I have hope because the Webelos 1 den has accepted every invitation--so we have them in our sights for NEXT year.

 

I plan to go to the next committee meeting (some time in March) and express my desire to help the pack "be all it can be." I know a couple of other parents have expressed quietly their disappointment with the pack--maybe I can get them to attend with me. I don't want to bash anybody--I just want my younger son to have a good experience.

 

Elizabeth

[pack561]

If you are not happy with the way your pack is being run the only thing you can do, other than finding a new pack, is to get involved. I was new to scouting in September 2003 and ran into what sounds like a similar circumstance. I went to the the meetings (our committie constists of adult leaders or their reps and we have no charter support which is very common)and became more involved and probably more annoying. Go to your district round tables and get info for your district, etc.

Be careful or you will be asked to be Cubmaster, which you don't need to be qualified for, just have the heart for. Since becoming Cubmaster last spring I tried, begged, pleaded, and finially assigned committiee members, tried to increase involvement, asked for people to step up, run it with more professionalism, etc. I wound up assigning the old cubmaster the committee chair and doing the committie chair stuff along with the CM duties and den leader duties. It wasn't long before I realized he was not a do-nothing, scatter brain but some one who had stepped up and filled in longer than he wanted who was tired of running something more than half the people didn't really care about. Also almost every positive change I made to solve a problem had an adverse effect on some else who was upset.

Also on a side note, although the committee requirements are part of the charter, they normaly only work if there if the charter org. is actively involved, most of the time people just fill in people's names.

To summerize, STEP UP. It's your son's pack, you are a member of the pack, if it's not being led, then step up and lead. It's the Scout thing to do.

[Torveaux]

Sounds familiar.

 

It is usually not a matter of someone trying to hog all of the glory! LOL. Too few parents show a genuine interest in helping.

 

I was new to Cub Scouting last year and our Pack is rather small, one den for each grade, 2-9 boys per den. The Charter Org is a small private school with one class per grade with 20-30 students in each class.

 

The Cubmaster started out by casually mentioning that he needed Committee Members on the roster to re-charter and would I consent to letting him put my name down (after I filled out a form). Next thing I know, I am a Den Leader and I am soon to assume Assistant Cubmaster duties as well. Now that I am 'in' the circle I fully understand that it is simply a matter of trying to get people who are willing to devote some time and who have the program and other kids besides their own at heart.

 

If your Cubmaster is unwilling to add help, talk to the Charter Org rep. If that gets nowhere, I would look to change Packs or start a new one.

[Laurie]

What John and fotoscout describe, the way many leaders wear multiple hats, is so true in my experience anyway and in many threads here. It sounds like you and the other parents who may attend the next meeting may be just what the pack needs. A shortage of leaders is tough, so good luck, and I wish you well as you move forward in what seems a positive way. When I first asked, just prior to becoming a leader, who the committee was -- well, I was offered four different positions! I've just wrapped up my tenure as CM, but my heart is still with Cubs and this thread got my attention because it is something I too once asked. So beware -- you just don't know what role you may be privileged to fill now

[fotoscout]

This situation is one of the great challenges facing the Cub Scout Program today. With more and more opportunities for parents to be involved in their childrens lives (more sports), it is inevitable that the pool of available parents will dwindle. Add to that, the simple fact that most Moms are now in the workforce and you quickly come to the conclusion that the Cub Scouts Program has what some may define as a critical problem.

 

But I do think that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Our local soccer league was down by some 300 kids this year, and baseball is down by about 200 kids. The parents are rebelling over too much competition and coaches that are either unskilled or out to control, or both.

 

If you keep beating the drums, you will gain more leaders.

 

[starwolfmom]

The program for last night's B&G listed the pack's committee members. It consists of cubmaster, assistant cubmaster (who is the dad of a boy who crossed over last night), awards chair, popcorn kernel (the CM's father-in-law), treasurer (who is also the Bears den leader), Tiger cub coach, and the wolf, bear, Web 1, and Web 2 den leaders. (We only have one of each den)

 

There is no COR listed, although my son's den leader (and treasurer) told me that the Web 2's den leader was the COR. Since her group crossed over and she announced that she is done now, I wonder if she will continue to be the COR? There is no committee chair separate from the Cubmaster.

 

Another mom in our den is also interested in improving the program. I think we're going to attend the next committee meeting and offer to help.

 

On a related note about how this pack frustrates me, our next pack meeting is at a bowling alley on a Sunday morning at 10 a.m. (only time we could get because of league play). Excuse me? How about "duty to God"? My family goes to church and Sunday school on Sunday morning, and there is NO WAY that my son is going to go bowling instead of attending Mass. I know that we're chartered to a public elementary school and not a church, but many of the families in our pack are practicing members of their religion, and I can't imagine that bowling on Sunday morning is a good idea for them either.

 

I'm going to go and primal scream now, and then go sign up for cub-specific training (since I already have Boy Scout-specific training).

 

Elizabeth

[pack561]

If you are chartered through the elementry school the EO would be the principal. The COR could be anyone who represents the schools interest in the pack, which is that the pack follows the charter agreement,it could be either a staff member or someone in the PTO. Why don't you volunter for the postition.

 

In regaurds to the pack meeting, it sounds as if they are incorporating a pack meeting into a bowling outing to qualify for the Monthly pack meeting requirement, which is acceptable. I would question the timing of the event. When we have an event that runs into a Sunday (like camping)I started having a short service included, which runs into a snag as we have Christians, Jews, Muslims, and offshoots of all.

 

To avoid this in the future attend the committee meetings, as they are to be open to all involved parties, and voice your opinion.

[Torveaux]

Well, we have had bowling night for a Pack meeting and it was very well received. Of course, we had it on our regular Pack Meeting night.

 

If the church thing is important to you (as I hope it is to most Scouters) then I would suggest finding out if your church or a church of the same denomination has an affiliated Pack. Our CO is the parish school, but we welcome any boys, especially those from our own parish who may attend public school. This makes those conflicts go away. While we would accept boys of any faith, there are a lot of benefits to having them all belong to the same faith community. All of the boys work on the same religious medals; there are other religious awards through the Church; invocations and services can easily be non-offensive.

 

In our case, the principal is the COR. That way it stays consistent regardless of who has boys in the Pack at any given point in time. We are getting into a new era as our outgoing CM and Webelos II leader have no more boys, and our incoming CM has 5 boys including 4 year old twins. We have about 8 years of consistent, solid leadership upcoming. We also were fortunate enough to have a family move into town with a very active Eagle and two boys (8&4) so we can add more continuity and experience to our program. We are bound and determined to right the ship rather than to simply let it sink.

 

Good Luck!

[Eamonn]

I know that when it comes time for rechartering you will need to sort this out.

Eamonn

[JDickerson]

I'm a third year Cub Scout parent. The first year, (my son's Tiger year) I was an involved mom, but had very little input on the pack's comings and goings. Midway through his Wolf year, our Cubmaster took his son and transfered to a different troop for his Boy Scout years. At this point, my husband and me took over the remaining pack - just six boys and started over with the leadership. We were clueless! However, the more we followed the guidelines in the leader's book - primarily setting up a pack committee, the better the program has become. Now we have over 25 registered Cubs and leaders.

 

The pack committee meets every month and we really plan out the next several months. We're more organized and the boys benefit the most.

 

My advice is to get your committee going, even if it starts as only the Cubmaster and assistant. Go to your boy's parents and insist they help out. I found the main hesitation was "I don't know what to do". This is overcome by getting training - on a council or district level.

[cubmasterntn]

Was appointed as cubmaster last year, as my son was a first grader.

I loved the idea and jumped right in trying to plan fun stuff for my dens, and even was spending my own money to have activities as the last cubmaster left us with no budget.

 

'Lisa' moved into the area and my Scout rep appointed her over the Tiger cubs. At first everything seemed to go well, and I figured it was all hunky dory.

 

About a month later I got a call from a parent irate that she had driven 25 miles one way to find out my Tiger Leader had cancelled, this began a recurrent theme with Lisa, and on several occasions phone calls where placed to me about her language. I approached her on this, she apologised and we went on.

 

She then refused to allow a group of 5 boys to join as she nor her husband wanted anymore boys in her group, I spoke with BSA HQ and was told if she couldn't handle it I could split the group, when I mentioned this she balked and allowed the boys in.

 

Next came the Blue and Gold Ceremony, all other boys got awards...but Lisa didnt show up and to make matters worse she had the only set of keys to the church room. Luckily someone was there to let us in. Her boys where highly upset as where there parents and myself. Afterwards I drove to her house to see what happened to prevent her. Both her and her husband where halfway to drunk, and she informed me that she "Just didn't feel like coming." I was very angry, and went to my Scout rep, I advised him of the actions and requested she be removed or that I be allowed to release her and find a new leader. What I was told was that i needed to go to committee, I tried with no recourse to get committee together.

 

This year, she took it upon herslef to "appoint" her own Cubmaster. She refused to answer my calls or emails to have a meeting to plan this years activities.

 

I got a call from my scout rep telling me that I am still cubmaster, and when i explain the situation to him he tells me to meet with the Committee shair and that basically she can run her pack but she cant do anything else.

 

Do I as Cubmaster have the authority to remove her?