rules for running a cub scout pack?

[corey]

hi,

im corey and im trying to save a cub scout pack.

i just wanted to know what kind of rules do u have to follow?

such as fundraising and going on camp outings.

i was also wondering if anyone had advice for me to follow.

[frank10]

Wow, that's a wide open question... and I'll let others fill in the how to run a pack part of it... I'll start with the REQUIRED to be a scouter...

 

First, read, know and live by the Guide to Safe Scouting ( http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/ ) (click on "on-line" to read it).

 

Second, take the online youth protection training at found at http://olc.scouting.org/ (you are required to take it with in 90 days of signing up with the pack but take it now).

 

After taking the above steps, stick to your guns. Don't let anyone tell you these rules are optional, they are not they MUST be followed both to the letter and in spirit.

 

The second link above also has lots of other great training.

 

[infoscouter]

Corey - you want to get your hands on a copy of the Cub Scout leader Book. It has most of the policies and procedures you need to run a pack.

 

This is the national council web site about Cub Scouting:

http://www.scouting.org/nav/cs/l-main.html

Click on the resources for new leaders link.

 

This site - run by volunteer scouter is very helpful:

http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/

 

This site can also be helpful:

http://cubmaster.org/virtualcubscoutleaderbook.asp

 

Please give us some more specifics about your pack and what you can do to help.

 

Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

[Novice_Cubmaster]

Corey,

 

Per Wingnut, make sure all leaders are trained. But that won't help you save a pack with problems. It would help if you could give some reasons why your pack needs saving.

 

We went through a stretch where our pack had a 75% turnover in leaders & lost a lot of continuity & sense of "how it works" -- here are a few things we learned the hard way.

 

The one thing I would stress is communication & feedback. Make sure you have a leader's meeting every month. We do ours a week or so before the pack meeting, so all the show & tells, advancements, upcoming events get on the agenda & any necessary emails, xeroxing, etc. get done in time.

 

Make sure you have committees to handle events like the Blue & Gold, Holiday Party, campouts & popcorn sales. Try to get parents to take on the majority of tasks that don't require a uniformed leader - let your den leaders & the CM focus on the program. The better you define these tasks, they easier it is to get volunteers.

 

Because Pack Meetings are typically monthly, you need to start planning events & getting the word out about 2-3 months in advance. You may have council/district events that you'll need to cover in our 1st pack meeting.

 

Make sure all den leaders know what the year's goals are: When you expect new scouts to have earned their Bobcat, when you expect Webelos 2's to start visiting troops, etc.. What your fundraising (aka POPCORN) goals are for each scout ($60-65 is a figure often used as a ballpark avg annual cost per Cub - in our council, that works out to each scout selling $175-180 of popcorn).

 

Take attendance both at Pack & Den meetings. Make sure that if a scout misses a couple meetings in a row (pack or den), somebody contacts the parents & finds out what's up. Sometimes you'll find a situation that needs some attention.

 

PS - You can make "taking attendance" fun. At the 1st Pack meeting, have the scouts make a "token" with their name & den number. At subsequent Pack meetings, put the tokens at the entrance; when scouts arrive, they put their token into an "attendance box". You can then pick names out of box to choose game leaders or the selected scout gets to pick a song or cheer. But more importantly, look at the tokens that didn't get in the box

 

If the leaders & parents all know what's expected you can put on a good program & the scouts don't lose interest.

 

NC

[packsaddle]

The good advice already given covers much of what I would have said. I'm interested in the nature of the problem with the pack. Is it lack of enrollment, lack of leadership, lack of volunteers? Anything else?

I successfully saved our pack years ago. I did it by organizing the resources at hand and making the existing families aware of everything. Get your committee working and build it so that you don't have to do everything. Make sure that all the leaders are trained. If you make your DE aware of the impending demise he/she may provide some help with training, etc., but don't expect too much.

 

If possible put your program together and make it available as a full year of events and dates. I distributed this as a pack calendar. Make sure the boys always have fun at pack meetings and special events like derby days and B&G. For regular pack meetings tap into the resources you have available. Every year in the fall, I'd have a fire safety program and the local fire chief would come in with gear and extinguishers and we'd go outside and extinguish a few fires of different types. I'd get a local guy to bring his snakes for a program on reptiles. Life snakes always hold attention. The local wildlife office can come in with a 'mystery' night where they can guess what kind of wildlife a skull or pelt came from. Just a few examples.

For the derbies, we'd have special 'tune-up' nights where all the parents and boys could bring kits and tools to help each other with construction, 'secrets' of speed, etc. The derbies were all-afternoon events with hotdogs and all the trimmings as well as bake sale, etc. ALWAYS get photos into the local newspaper, even if they're slow being printed. I made special full-color certificates for every boy as well as the winners. And the entry fees paid for small trophies for everyone. The boys crave that instant gratification of all kinds of awards, etc. Use the events as a means of recognition of EVERY boy in some way.

KNOW THEIR NAMES. Speak to each of them individually every chance you get and make them know you care. Mean it.

They boys like the usual stuff: fire, water, things that shoot, icky things, etc. Use this to your advantage.

If they are unruly, get them to help you with a 'problem' you're trying to solve. If you've made that connection with them, they'll fall over themselves trying to help solve the problem. Food helps too, both as pacification tool and incentive.

Don't ever sell them short, just because they're little. They usually want to try anything...you just have to keep it safe.

I really miss the cubs.

[John-in-KC]

Welcome, Corey,

 

For your Program People (Cubmaster, Den Leader, ADLs): First, love young people. Second, want to have FUN with young people. Third, have leaders take the right training for the program:

- Youth Protection

- Cub Scout Fast Start

- New Leader Essentials

- Appropriate Den Leader Specific Training

- Appropriate outdoor leader training (BALOO, Webelos Outdoor Leader)

- Safe Swim Defense (planning a safe pool party).

 

Away from formal training, go through the Guide to Safe Scouting, and look at it as pertains to Cub activities.

 

Then, get a copy of your Councils' program planning kit. Build a multi-layer calendar: Integrate school activities, Pack activities, and Den activities. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO DO FUN THINGS!!

 

BSA has a pre-planned program, with monthly themes: You don't have to invent from whole cloth, rather, find things in your local area that fit into what's already out there. ScoutNut posted this in a thread I started a few months back (thanks, SN!): http://www.bacarrowhead.org/roundtable.htm Lots of Cub related stuff here. The 2004-5 RT Guide and Helps should be parallel to what will be for 07-08 program year.

 

Attend your District Roundtable. Other Scouters are there, and the job of the RT Commissioner is to give you, the unit serving leader, a 30-60 day "heads up" on the program. It's also a chance to learn from others!! I really like learning by others mistakes.

 

An important person to contact is your Unit Commissioner. He or she should be an experienced Scouter who can help you find resources. Start with your District Executive (a professional) and ask who your UC or District Commissioner is! Then, pepper him with questions!

 

For your Committee, you need, at a bare minimum...

A Chairman

An Advancement/attendance person (in a perfect world, he/she will be computer savvy, lots of good support software out there)

A Treasurer

An Activities Coordinator (looks for FUN things for kids to do)

A Pack Trainer (the most experienced Scouter you can find).

 

Their training should be:

- Youth Protection

- Cub Scout Fast Start

- New Leader Essentials

 

For the activities person:

- Appropriate outdoor leader training (BALOO, Webelos Outdoor Leader)

- Safe Swim Defense (planning a safe pool party).

 

For a ready-made fundraiser, fall in on your Council's popcorn program. As you get experience, you can go to free-standing fundraisers (such as Christmas wreath sales)

 

Finally: Ask area Troops for Den Chiefs (Boy Scouts who want to serve as program assistants in Dens). From experience, I'd ask for young men who are 13-15 years old, are at least First Class Scout, and who will work together with an adult for the success of eight "little brothers." At the same time, ask those Troops for an ASM to be a "Cubs-Boys" coordinator.

 

Bottom Line: Your program will be a success, if you set a goal of having FUN. Hide the motor skills and cognitive skills stuff behind having FUN, and the youth will have a blast and want more!(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[eagle-pete]

Cory

 

If I were you, I would make sure to take the first step and get fully trained myself.

 

Training is the key. You will find that training solves many problems both for struggling units and for well established ones. Follow the advise of the above posts.

 

Beyond that, I would need alot more information from you to advise further. You didn't provide much in your post. I would need to know the following:

 

(1)What is your Scouting position in the pack?

(2)What other leaders are already in place and what training have they received?

(3)What are some of the issues you see? You said, "I'm trying to save a Cub Scout pack". What are the problems the pack faces and what do YOU plan to help with?

(4)What would be the "ideal" pack for you (what is your vision)?

 

I would need the answers to the above questions in order to help you with specific issues.

 

Keep this in mind... You are not going to solve all their problems by yourself. They will have to take some ownership and resolve alot of their own issues. But you can get things started in the right direction.

 

Eagle Pete

[Jeffrey H]

Corey,

 

Before you attempt to save the Pack, make sure the Pack has re-chartered. Sometimes troubled Packs do not re-charter on time.

 

--Jeff

[ChuckSt8er]

I recently gave a session on Cub Scout Annual Planning at our Council's Annual Leader's meeting in Central VA. I believe that a strong Annual Planning session can be the key to establishing the right rhythms, priorities and principles that can prevent the "Oh no, we forgot to ______" discussions that crop up during the year.

 

You can find the presentation at www.hovbsa.org under the "Super Saturday" link from the main page. Download the PPT presentation to see what we covered.

 

Ditto on all the advice given above. They've covered the fundamentals - - this can help you give structure to the type of program you want to deliver based on your Unit's historical strengths.

 

Good luck, keep your eyes on the prize, and be a beacon for all that Scouting can offer boys and their families.

 

YIS,

 

Chuck