Ideas to save our Pack

[eaglewings2002]

Hello,

 

 

It's been a long time since I have posted here. I am a committee member and Wolf leader for what was a decent size pack in South Louisiana (not New Orleans, but in that Council). Then Katrina hit. Our part of town was not as seriously affected as the side near the lake, but all of our families took damage of some kind, many serious, some have not returned to town at all but most simply are not interested in Cub Scouts right now.

 

After the storm, as soon as school started back we began meeting as a Pack. None of the dens had enough boys to meet separately, so we were meeting every week with den-type meetings and once a month as our regular pack meeting. This worked pretty well except that most times the person in charge of planning that week would get distracted and not plan anything. I did my best to have emergency plans but usually we were just winging it. The BOYS were having fun - flag ceremony, games, then a snack. Sometimes just running around but they were loving it. But the parents got bored with it and were unwilling to help make it better.

 

Now unfortunately the parents who were putting in the most time, our Asst Cubmaster and his wife the treasurer, have left the Pack. They are going to a church program they believe is better supported, as he says he does not feel the Council cares about the Cub Scouts right now. It seems true - we have not gotten much if any support from Council since the storm, although they claim to be working to rebuild the program. But the point is we have lost 2 of our most dedicated people AND their son from an already devastated Pack.

 

Our Cubmaster lost everything in the storm and is understandably unable to do as much as a Cubmaster would normally, although he IS giving it the best he can right now, bless him. Our Committee Chair works out of town and is often held up by the horrendous traffic around here these days. So most of it falls to me....however I have 6 children and can not do much myself.

 

We have asked for more help and we really can't ask for more...everyone is going through whatever they are going through and is doing what they can, I think....we can't ask for more money, we will try a fund-raiser in the spring but our finances are shot...I think the most of the parents don't care but every Tuesday my boy gets up and puts on his Wolf uniform to wear to school and I can not let the Pack die if I can help it.

 

We are going to have a parent meeting in a few days to talk about possible solutions and I said I would write to you folks to see if you had any wisdom to offer. One idea I had was to have a meeting type get-together once a month then a field trip type thing once a month, maybe having parents take turns and each plan one, rather than trying to meet every week for now, and try to get back to normal next Fall. I don't know what else to do, it is all so overwhelming. I hate to see anything happen to the pack but I don't see how we can go on like this much longer.

 

We never even got a fall round-up and get no interest in having one now from Council and have no idea how to go about doing it ourselves. We have one Tiger Cub and he is the son of the CC.

 

Thanks for any advice you may have!

[SemperParatus]

Thank you. Your post has made my day and put a smile on my face. Knowing that there is such dedicated scouting leaders as yourself in an area of such devastation and turmoil is inspiring.

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I like your ideas of having a scaled back meeting schedule until some normalcy returns to your area.

 

Maybe also consider:

 

1. Sharing the load with another pack in the area that is likely experiencing the same things you are.

 

2. Reaching out to the community to get leaders (without children in the pack) and former scouts (or current boy scouts) who may have time to give your pack.

 

God bless you for keeping scouting going in spite of the severe challenges you must face.

[bbng]

Are you familiar with Pack Helps? The den and pack meetings are all laid out for you; add the people and supplies, and you're meetings are done. I wonder if this would be a help to you in saving time on planning.

 

I echo Semper and wish you success. It seems to me that it would be easy, perhaps even necessary, to put Cubs on hold for a time, but I'm glad to hear you are hanging in there and that as a result of that the boys are having fun. What a blessing to them you are, and in turn to their families, and even to us as we read of the bright spot in hard times.

[eaglewings2002]

Well....

 

I just received word that our CC has transferred his membership to another Pack, just days after sitting with us brainstorming ideas and sounding gung-ho and helpful. We need 5 boys to recharter, we have 3. So I guess that's it. Thanks for the help.

[Cubmaster Jerry]

That is very unfortunate. However, maybe not as much as it may seem on the surface. While it seems as if your particular Pack is having to fold the fact that there are other Packs in the area that are doing well enough to sustain themselves provides an avenue for you and other boys in your Pack to continue in scouting. No one likes to see a Unit fold, but in the end it may be better for you and your son to transfer (as is now apparently necessary). It will certainly be less stress and work for you as a leader.

 

As far as the lack of help you received from council, I can't say that is unexpected. Their hands-off approach often leads to them taking the easy road rather than the difficult one. As sad as that may be.

 

Good luck and keep on Scouting!

 

CMJ

[ScoutNut]

I am very sorry to hear about your Pack.

 

However, please do not blame this on lack of help from your council. Remember, the whole area was devastated. More Packs, Troops & Crews than I like to think about. The council itself, & the professionals that work there, were also all affected. Your council had (& still has) a LOT of work to do to rebuild.

 

Unfortunately, your Unit is not the only one which has had to fold. As sad as it is, you should be thankful that there are are viable Packs in your area you can transfer to & that none of the Cubs in your current Pack lost their lives in the storms. Perhaps in the coming year or 2, when the area gets closer to being "normal", your CO might be able to get the Pack up and running again.