Packs that have stopped recruiting

[CNYScouter]

I took over as District Commissioner in June

We are getting ready to do recruitment nights at our schools.

 

It has come to my attention this past week that there are two cub packs that do not want to recruit this year.

Both units are small with about a dozen Cubs

One Pack has a 2nd year WEBELOS Den and a Bear Den.

The other Pack only has a 1st and 2nd year WEBELOS Dens.

 

In the spring both of these want to fold when the WEBELOS 2 dens age out

The younger Cubs would then have to join another Pack.

Neither of these Packs has done any type of recruiting in 2 or 3 years and do not want to do a recruit night again this year.

 

I have an ADC trying to setup a meeting with the current Pack leadership to discuss their situation but so far they are unwilling to do this.

 

I would like the DE and I to meet with the IH and COR for the Charting Organizations but my DE hasnt responded to me about his availability.

 

On one hand I dont want to see these units fold.

But with the attitude we are seeing in these units I dont know if sending new youth and parents to these units is a good idea.

 

Any suggestions?

or is it too late for these units?

 

[VigilEagle04]

While it is sad to see any unit fold, there are some other questions we may want to ask. The first of these, is there a stable pack in the area that can pick up the slack? Especially one that usually recruits at the same school(s) as these other two packs. If there is, then the only real concern I would have would be that you're just dwindling unit numbers.

 

If there are no other packs in the area, you could consider two different options. Continue what you're doing and try to get that meeting with the COR to see if it's the organization that doesn't want it anymore, or if it's the unit leadership. If it is the unit leadership, they are most likely the ones leaving with the 2nd year WEBELOS. If you can find some adult volunteers to step in and take the reigns, then the pack may be able to survive with some proper recruiting.

 

the second option here is to go ahead and start shopping around for another CO. It is important to know, you may not get it fixed right away and may miss your school nights for them, but you can work to make up for it later.

[perdidochas]

Sounds like these packs stopped recruiting a few years ago. I think it's up to the CO. If they want to continue, then the packs need to get new leadership (Cubmaster on down). If they don't, well let them fold.

[Pack212Scouter]

Sounds like the current leadership of the Pack took over a few years ago and decided that they didn't want to bother with the "extra stuff", but just get their boys through. Kind of sad, as it is self serving. If this is the case, these people should have never stepped up to the positions, however it may have been the case at the time that no one else would. It also sounds like your DE may not be doing his job either if he is not responding. Our DE attends/speaks at ALL the school nights/boy rallys unless the unit specifically does not want him to do it because they do it themselves. I would say at this point, a meeting needs to be held with the CORs and they almost need to be treated as start-up units if the COR wants to keep them. It may even be necessary for you or the DE to organize the boy rally. The key to it would be that you still don't have a unit unless some of these new parents are committed (and hopefully experienced) to running the unit properly. At least with new unit start-ups you have a few people that are committed to running the Pack properly, that will be hit or miss out of recruiting. It sounds like a really tough situation.