National Summertime Pack Award

[ManyHats]

"A pack can qualify for the National Summertime Pack Award certificate and streamer by planning and conducting three pack activitiesone each in June, July, and August."

 

Ok that part is easy. I started putting info in a spreadsheet I found online. We had 3 events in June. When I entered the info in it listed a couple scouts as having earned the individual award already. I just assumed they had to attend 1 each month.

 

"Boys who participate in all three pack events are eligible to receive the National Summertime Pack Award pin."

 

How do you count it when you have more than 3 events? 3 Sumertime Pack Events or 1 each month like the Pack award?

[ScoutNut]

I would go with 1 per month. The point is to be active all summer, not just in June. Three activities in June will not get the Pack a streamer either.

 

Having multiple events each month gives all of the boys plenty of opportunity to find 1 they can attend each month. Wait until the end of August and see what it looks like then.

 

 

[Scouterclaude]

I believe the intent is to have the scouts active all summer in scouting. The way we are going to do it is count the scout active for the month if they attend at least one activity in that month. Attending three activities in one month and not attending any more for the rest of the summer doesn't qualify.

[Pack212Scouter]

We've always counted if they attend an event every month of the summer. There is also a Cub Scout Outdoor Activity award that is sewn on the pocket flap and go partially with these.

[ChaiAdventure]

We do one Pack event in June, July and August, but for June and July, I give the boys credit for day and resident camp as well. That however, only counts for June and/or July credit.

 

As a side note, we do not have a lot of the boys earning their summertime pack awards since they have busy summers and do not schedule around Pack events (which I have no problem with at all knowing that burn out is more dangerous than the summertime pack award is worth) IMHO.

[Arrowhead]

Last summer I read the National Summertime Den award requirements into the National Summertime Pack award. I was desperate to round up at least fifty-percent of my pack to attend the events I scheduled during each of the summer months. Happily, I breathed a sigh of relief when we barely made the quota during August. Only later did I discover my misinterpretation of the requirements.

 

Definately schedule more than one event during each of the three months to provide the guys ample opportunity to earn the award. I'm not one for bending the rules, but if there was a Scout who made it to several events during two months, and just couldn't attend during one, I'd be hard pressed not to grant him the award. That's also assuming he was enthusiastic about the award, not just his parent's desire for another feather in his cap.

 

Best regards,

Eagle 1977

[ManyHats]

In the past we have not had 3 events in one month. I think everyone in our Pack assumed it was 1 a month. I was surprised the Excel spreadsheet had several blanks for each month and listed the scouts that attended all 3 June events as having earned the award already. I'm sure that's because it's harder to make it automated for 1 from each month.

[PACK15NISSAN]

Pack212Scouter,

 

I don't know if it differs from council to council, but in our council Day Camp and Resident Camp can't be counted toward the Summertime Pack Award since they are Council and/or District events not Pack events.

 

I would be careful about counting these events before talking to council because it could nulify the award(s). We had to turn a boy down for the award because of this very reason last year. He attended Resident Camp thinking it would count for July but we couldn't count it so he did not get the award.

[SctDad]

I have a questions about this.

 

What counts as activities. What types of things count.

[PACK15NISSAN]

We do 2 outings per month to give the boys the option of what they want to do and to provide alternatives because of family vacation schedules. We usually do a hike each month, we do a baseball game in July, we are planning a swimming party as well. We have done small service projects in the past but the turnout was so small it made a lot of work for a few people and the leaders ended up doing more than the boys.

 

Pretty much anything you can think of as long as the entire pack is invited. You could do a campout, fishing, or even a belt loop day where you get together at the local park and have stations set up to work on different belt loops. The possibilities are almost endless, you just can't do anything that breaks the G2SS or that excludes a specific group (like having an activity badge day where Tigers, Wolfs, and Bears wouldn't be able to attend).

[ScoutNut]

The purpose of the Summertime Award is to keep Packs active over the summer months. Attending your council's summer resident, and/or day camps certainly meets that purpose.

 

Any event, or activity, that is planned, advertised, promoted, attended, etc, by the Pack qualifies. Saying that a council summer camp does not qualify because it is a council event, not a Pack event is like saying that a 4th of July parade would not qualify because it is a town event and not a Pack event.

 

There was a Cubcast in 04/2007 where the Assoc. National Director of Cub Scouting talked about the National Summertime Award. He specifically included Council/District Summer Camps in a list of possible activities Packs could do to earn the award.

 

If you are concerned, consult your DE. Personally if my council did not accept Day and/or Resident camp for the Summertime award, I would complain BIG TIME. It is not at all fair to the boys, or to the Packs who are promoting the Summer Camps to their families.