Pack Refreshments

[MT Pockets]

I'm wondering what everyone else does for pack refreshments? This is my first year as a den leader and one of the areas that I would like to improve upon or ditch altogether, is the refreshments that are served at the end of our pack gatherings. I'm not totally convinced that we even need them. It seems that it's turned into a junk food pig out fest. The only thing that people are bringing in, is boxes of twinkies, Ho-Ho's, chips, (bad)cookies, donuts...you get the picture. I was under the impression that we are supposed to be teaching these youngsters to be healthy and strong? seems counter productive to me.

 

With that said, if you are serving refreshments, what are you serving? and does anyone have any ideas on something better?

 

YIS

 

[Lisabob]

We were part of two packs. The first one served juice & cookies at the end of each pack meeting. It gave the kids a little time to run around while the parents chatted about whatever. Sometimes this was good (pack business got taken care of before most people left) and sometimes it wasn't (kids didn't have a great space in which to be rambunctious and sometimes sugar-fueled behavior was unwelcome).

 

The second pack did not serve end-of-meeting refreshments. It wasn't an issue. Nobody ever said "well Johnny won't be returning unless you bribe him with sugary treats."

 

So it is partly a matter of what is the norm in your pack, and whether you think changing that norm would be a problem. Personally, I reached a conclusion very similar to yours and I wasn't sorry to find that the second pack just didn't bother. Are you part of your pack's leadership? If so maybe you want to bring this up while you guys are planning for next year.

 

 

 

 

[MT Pockets]

We don't serve refreshments at the weekly den meetings, just at the monthly pack gathering. It just bothers me that it's deteriorated down to plain crap food. At home we make a real effort to avoid this junk, and there, it just a junk food free for all. Not that I care to dictate what others feed little johnny at home, but there seems to be no thought, or care put into what is brought, they just do it because they have to and it was cheap. My wife usually make a yummy homemade treat to share, but I also understand that not everyone has the time and resources to do that.

 

Yes, I am part of the pack's leadership and plan to bring it up. I was curious as to what everyone else was doing.

[Lisabob]

Actually I think you'll find a lot of parents are relieved to drop it. THose store-bought sweets, in addition to being bad and bad-for-you, are really not that cheap! On rare occasion I've resorted to that when my son "forgot" until 10 minutes before some event that he'd signed me up to provide cookies. At the local grocery stores, a box of a dozen frosted sugar cookies costs about $3. Yikes! That adds up if you have a big group or you're doing it every month.

 

 

[AlFansome]

We served snacks and junk at the end of our Pack meetings for years. When I became CM and a new CC started at the same time, the committee decided to eliminate the snacks both as a health/sugar thing right before bed and also to eliminate an unnecessary expense.

 

Nobody cared at all that the snacks were gone. IMHO, they are unnecessary and counter to what we should be modeling to the boys.

[Eagledad]

I've never seen it in our district. Not that it isn't done, we have 33 packs and I certainly have not attended even half of those packs' Pack meetings. But it isn't typical.

 

Barry

[ManyHats]

Our den tries to rotate who brings snacks. It's usually better when the den leaders take care of it, because it's healthier and centered around something we are working on (Example Bear - make a trail mix). But that's a big expense for the leaders to do it every time. We even had someone bring in MREs once.

Pack events vary depending on the timing and the theme.

Popcorn kickoff - popcorn and juice boxes

Oct campout - foil dinners and decorated cupcakes (elective for some)

 

[ScoutNut]

Each of our Pack meetings are hosted by a den. One of their responsibilities is to provide the snacks for the end of the Pack meeting.

 

A few years back we discussed the issue of snacks, and their lack of quality, at our Committee meeting. We decided to keep the snacks, but to go for healthier ones.

 

Now we usually have fruit juice, fruit, veggies, crackers & cheese, pretzels, etc. Only sometimes are cookies and brownies provided. Depending on the theme of the night we might also have popcorn, nachos, or some other type of food.

 

 

[AnniePoo]

We typically only have refreshments at the end of one pack meeting, the one right around Christmas. We ask everyone to bring about a dozen cookies. Then we freeze the leftovers and bring them out for the Pinewood Derby a month or so later.

 

Most of our dens do not have snacks anymore, and everyone seems fine with it. Our Webelos I den meetings are at my house, with 4-5 kids, and I usually cut up a 3-pound bag of apples and they devour those. Last week I had grapes & baby carrots out as well - depends what's on sale at the grocery store.

[MT Pockets]

I'm definitely for healthier snacks, or none at all. I see it this way...they are only there for about an hour, after dinner time I might add, so the little darlings should be able to go that long without.

 

 

[shortridge]

I've seen the same thing at my daughter's preschool, where kids and their parents bring in snacks on a weekly rotating basis. Some weeks the selection is healthier than others. But for the most part, in my experience, kids will eat whatever's put in front of them as long as you call it a snack.

 

The first time that it was my daughter's turn, she and I brainstormed and brought grapes for the first day. We bought two large bags for eight kids, and they devoured them. Not a one left. Ditto for apple slices and oranges. She wants to do blueberries, but it would cost a mint to feed all those little ravenous wolves until they're back in season.

 

As a Cub myself, we never had pack refreshments, and I don't recall den refreshments, either.