Timeline of a boys life

[jim236]

Some time ago I stumbled across an idea for leader recruitment that involved creating a timeline of a boys life on a long roll of paper but I didn't make a copy of it to use later. The idea was to mark age milestones on a roll of paper and rip off the sections of a boys life we have very little influence over. Such as, take off the section after the age of 18. You would just keep taking off sections until there's only a small section left. The point was to show the parents in the pack how little time we have to influence our son's lives and the best way to do that is to get involved as a leader. I'm not sure I'm recalling this correctly so if anyone knows what in the world I'm trying to describe please reply back with the whole thing.

 

Thanks!

[dg98adams]

That's about it....

 

I have used this one at the 1st Pack meeting....if you do it as a closing ceremony you should get some parents as new den leaders or assistants and maybe yet find a Dad that was a Scout.

 

I used a roll of receipt paper (4")

Unroll 100'

 

Marking off 100 years (Mark 7 feet as the age the cub is now).

 

Remove the 0 to 7 feet , and mention as a prent you have prepared him and will continue as "Akela".

 

Tear off the last 30-35 years (time when the parents are gone)

 

Mark the age he finished scouting at 18 feet (tear off the paper between 18 to ~60).

 

I make a remark, that this is the period when all the things you asked of him, he is now asking of his children and maybe they are entering Cub Scouts.

 

Mark the age where he will enter Boy Scouts (10-1/2 to 11)

 

At this point you could only have the short piece (6 to 10-1/2 or 11)

 

I say, "This is the time period where your son is most influenced by the adults and youth around him. As a parent you want the best...and in Scouting, the adults and fellow Scouts strive to reach that goal. The confident, young adult you want your son to be is evolving right now.....that's why it's so important to help us, help your son, as Akela, a den assistant, den leader, popcorn Kernal, event planner or .......... (say nothing here)"

 

 

Put the "prized piece of paper" in your shirt pocket and return to your seat.

(This message has been edited by dg98adams)

[Melgamatic]

[copied entirely from the intranet. i bet they don't mind us sharing. ]

 

Adding Machine Tape Demonstration for Adult Recruiting

 

You need an 8-10 foot long piece of adding machine or calculator tape.

 

Mark off the tape in ten year increments with 0 at the left end and 100 at the right. Use large numbers so parents can see from the audience. Roll the tape back up, so that the 100 is in the center of the roll.

 

For the presentation you will need two helpers to hold the tape in front of you so you can point at various points on the tape.

 

Start out saying:

 

With the current advances in medical technology it's very likely that your son will live about 100 years. (Have your helpers unroll the tape in front of you, so the whole time line is visible.) "Here's a time line of his life."

 

If you're 35 now, statistically, you'll likely live until you're 75 or so, when your son will be about 50.(Rip the tape off at the 1/2 way point and hand the end to your helper. Let the other half fall to the floor -- very important dramatic effect).

 

"This represents the years you and your son will have together in his lifetime."

 

"And he's probably about 8 or 9 now." (Rip of the tape slightly below 10 and let that piece fall to the floor. Hand the end to your helper). So here's the time you have left together.

 

How old do you suppose your son will be when he goes away to college (or you decide its time for him to be out on his own)? 18 - 20? (Rip off the tape someplace in this vicinity. Let that chunk fall to the floor. Hand the end to your helper).

 

This is the amount of time you have left with him at home.

 

When he's about 13 - middle school age - his friends start to become a much bigger, maybe the major, influence in his life." (If you can - assuming you have teenager - make a comment about how you know this from experience.) (Rip off the tape someplace in this vicinity. Let that chunk fall to the floor. Hand the end to your helper).

(Take the very short piece of tape from your helpers and hold in it front of you, and thank your helpers.)

 

"This is the time you have left to be the major shaping force in your son's life. You can show him how important he is to you by becoming involved in Scouting with him. Scouting is a remarkable opportunity for you and your son to share a great variety of fun, exciting and positive experiences.

 

Experiences that give you that opportunity to help him grow into an adult that you'll be proud to point to and say: 'That's my son - he's a good person.'"

 

(Go on to talk about volunteer opportunities in your unit and how parents can participate in them.)

[dg98adams]

Mel,

I knew someone would find it.

[Eamonn]

This helps select quality leaders how?

Ea.

[mdlscouting]

Well, it may not aid in the leader selection process, but I can definately see how it would prompt some parents to step up and volunteer, when they may have hesitated before.

[AlabamaDan]

Well I think I like it. I've been having a real problem with parents not volunteering and helping us out. I'll try anything.

[jim236]

Thanks dg98adams and Melgamatic! That's what I was looking for.

[FScouter]

I cringe every time I see or hear of that stunt. Laying a guilt trip on parents really isn't much of a recruitment method. It ranks up there with waving a sign-up sheet in front of the group and hoping some one will "step up".

 

Hows about approaching the person you want and asking, face to face? Is that really so difficult?

[ScoutMomAng]

To get parents to volunteer...I VOLUNTEERED them! This is what I did and this is what we as a "committee" thought about it.

 

At the Christmas Party for our pack, I had designed "scrolls" for each parent of each boy in the pack. Each scroll said this (or something similar):

 

You have been granted

The position of

Blue & Gold Banquet Committee Chair

 

Your responsibilities consist of:

Organizing your committee to hold regular meetings prior to the Blue and Gold Dinner.

The Blue and Gold Dinner will be held on

21 February 2009 at 2 - 5 pm

In the gymnasium at ****** (insert location)

You and your committee will decide

Decorations

Set up

Invitations

Food

Deserts

Games

Congratulations on your new position with

Cub Scout pack 816

 

If you feel you are not capable of holding this position you may switch positions

With any other member in the pack that is holding one of these scrolls. You may not give your position away to any person already registered as a leader or any person already holding multiple positions within the pack. You MUST have one position within this pack, other than parent.

 

Cub Scouts is a VOLUNTEER organization and every parent must volunteer their time to help this pack run smoothly and not cause burn out.

 

If you need assistance with your position you may ask Committee Chair, Cubmaster, Den Leader, or Treasurer (or any other names you can insert)

 

 

Every parent that did not have a position in the pack was given a "scroll" as a Christmas gift from the current leaders! Positions consisted of committee members and committee chair for each major position in our pack. "Experienced" parents (those that have been around at least a year) were given chairperson positions and newer members were given committee members. (committees were: B & G, PWD, Raingutter Regatta, Bike Rodeo, etc. Things we do every year as a cub scout pack)

 

Our cubmaster at the time thought it would run parents off.

Several leaders thought it might help if we assign parents small jobs or one time jobs. Some were unsure of how it might end up. My thought? If it ran them off they had no business being in our pack and could go elsewhere and sponge off of some other pack leaders! If it meant I didn't have to plan another Blue and Gold or Pinewood derby but had to help advise...so be it! The time was coming near that I needed to move on...my youngest son would soon be leaving the pack.

 

So, what happened? Every parent was greatful for their positions! Not one traded their positions with another. So far every event has happened on time with very little input from the same leaders that had been planning the events for the past three years, with the exception of one. Our bike rodeo, which is suppose to happen in two weeks will more than likely have to be put on hold because the guy I chose to be the committee chair has done what he does best...PROCRASTINATE! A new parent has stepped up and taken the reins of the project and the committee, though, so I don't have to plan it, our cubmaster does not have to plan it, and neither do any of our already overtasked leaders and registered committee members! Will the rodeo happen? I believe it will. Will it happen when we originally planned it? Probably not, but at least it will happen!

[Keystone28]

Yeah, that clinched it for me when we went to join my oldest up for scouts! If done correctly, it is a very powerful tool!