Bear den plans

[AlamanceScouter]

Has anybody else planned out their Bear den meeting yet? At least through completing the achievements for the badge? It looks to me the earliest that I can get my group there will be last week in February. Historically we have presented the rank badges earned at the B&G in February.....we are going to have to rethink that.

[Scouting4Ever]

It is the same way with the Wolf plans. I had originally planned an extra meeting in October, but after looking at the plans, I noticed that the first meeting was pretty easy as was the second. They had almost all electives. I combined the two and eliminated the extra meeting.

 

The boys will stay on track to get their Wolf Rank at the B&G in February.

[Scoutfish]

If you look at some of your achievements, some of them share like or similar ideas.

 

You can save time and get ahead without pushing it by sometimes letting the meeting that ends an achievement also be the start of the next achievement.

 

Let them overlap.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Have you looked at the den meeting plans in the new "Den and Pack Meeting Resource Guide"?

 

The den plans are geared for completing rank award requirements by February doing two den meetings per month starting in September.

 

You can purchase the Guide at your local Scout Store, or online. You can also find the den meeting plans on the BSA National web site -

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/CubScouts/Leaders/DenLeaderResources/DenandPackMeetingResourceGuide/BearDenPlans.aspx

 

 

[AlamanceScouter]

ScoutNut, yes, that is what I am referring to. As I lay it out, with our Pack's schedule at least, I can't get it done until the last week of February. Granted, we will take the week of Thanksgiving off and 2 weeks over Christmas break.(This message has been edited by AlamanceScouter)

[trainerlady]

The Den & Pack Resource Guide is just that a resource guide. A VERY, VERY highly recommended resource, but a resource none the less. The purpose of the book as presented to me at the Philmont Training Center and in webinairs is to serve as guide to insure advancement and some level of uniformity across the country in program deleivery. Remember that Bears have options, so do Webelos, in what is covered. As long as you cover the required number of achievements from each section you're fine. You can substitute a family for a family, a country for a country, etc. If you look at the "required" list whittling isn't covered. What Bear cub doesn't want to earn that Whittling Chip and get his very first pocket knife?

 

You could double up an achievement or 2 in one week by doing a field trip to a local nature center or museum in addition to your regular den meeting (this goes for all levels of the program). Let the professionals do some of your work for you. In my area several sites do Cub/Webelos activity days where the kids can get an achievement or activity badge in a couple of hours for a small fee.

 

You can't get into police stations in my area, so doing the Law Enforcement section isn't an option. Our Bears have always had to do something else for that section.

 

You can also assign homework, have families work on requirement 10 at home. Watch a TV show/movie then discuss it. Do a puzzle or play a board game or build something without a TV going. A very easy weekend of family activites, heck a couple of hours of family time and and achievement is done. Spend Well, is another easily accomplished one at home. A trip to the grocery store to compare generic and name brands, figure out the cost per person for a meal (info on your cash register slip) and discuss how bank accounts work. That's 2 Family requirements done in short order. This would free up a couple of den meeting for other requirements more suited to den instruction.

 

Keep up the good work. You are doing what I wish every leader would do you're planning ahead and preparing for the meetings. You'd be amazed how many calls I get at my Scout Shop looking for something to do with the den an hour or two before the meeting. Hopefully the Resource Guide will help these folks out a bit. Also visit your local Roundtable and ideas there too.

[Eagle92]

Trainer,

One of the things we did with new leaders who came into the store was show them the old Program Helps that the new book replaced and all the other resources. I would tell them that,

the BSA doesn't say 'Thank you very much for being a DL, you're on your own now.' Instead

we say 'Thank you for being a DL and here a bunch of resources to help you, Program Helps,

Leaders' Handbook, and How To Book among the others. #1 book I recommend is the Program

Helps as it is the lesson plans for all of your meetings; everything is laid out for you

 

Program Helps were such a big hit, I had GSUSA leaders come in and buy them for their troops.

 

 

Also I hope you stockpile advancement in January, may want to get the order in Dec, that way you may get them in time.

[trainerlady]

Eagle92,

 

Took care of the advancement items in June and August. I hate getting caught with my pants down. For the little bit of extra time it'll take to count them at inventory, it'll be worth it to hve them there when needed.

 

You're right BSA doesn't say thank you enough to any of its volunteer. Somrthing we need to work on.

[AlamanceScouter]

Thanks for the replies.

[ScoutNut]

AS, as I said, the plans in the Resource Guide are based on 2 den meetings per month. If you are cutting back on some meetings, but still want to follow the plans, and want to have all/most of your Bears done by February, then you simply have to add a third den meeting into some months.

 

Since you are taking off three weeks, add back three meetings. Do meeting 1-3 in September, 4-6 in October, 7 in November, 8 in December, 9-10 in January, and 11-12 in February.

 

Keep in mind that it is perfectly fine to NOT to be finished with the rank award requirements by February. Cub Scouts have until the end of the school year, or even a bit longer if they really want, to finish the requirements, and earn the rank award for their Cub level.

[bbender]

One other idea for consideration in Pack Planning is: if your dens aim to complete Rank Advancement by the Blue & Gold Banquet, think carefully about when you really "need" to hold your Blue & Gold Banquet.

 

The reason I note this is that for Wolves and Bears (and any Packs that take most of September to form and get on track), there is pressure to get it done by February and some Dens and Families stress about it, either now while planning, or in January/February when trying to get it done "in time".

 

It doesn't have to be that way.

 

Here's a "Keep it Simple, Make it Fun!" notion: hold your Blue & Gold Banquet in March!

 

As near as I can tell, the top reasons for doing the Banquet in February beyond "we've always done it in February" are:

1) Because "Scouting Anniversary Week" is in February, so the Banquet is a "birthday party" for Scouting.

2) Because we want the Webelos II Scouts to Cross Over sooner. Or maybe Webelos II Den Leaders want that!

 

Let me address reasons why it can be OK to do the Blue & Gold Banquet in March on both counts:

 

1) For Birthday watchers, if you do your Blue & Gold Banquet after February 8, you're already doing it after the Birthday of Scouting!

-- I'm sure that Scouting will forgive you if you did the birthday celebration a few weeks later or even in the next month.

-- Scouting doesn't pout about things like that. Scouting will be plenty gracious that you even remembered with a belated birthday party. Plus Scouting is kind, helpful, etc., so it knows this helps those Den Leaders and Families.

 

2) Not only is March plenty of time to let Webelos II Scouts get into the program before Summer Camp comes around, but if your Troop wants them earlier, consider this:

-- Go ahead and let them participate with the Boy Scouts in those March Troop Meetings -- just do it as further official visits for Arrow of Light.

-- There isn't a rule that says you can "make one but only one" visit to a Troop Meeting or Outdoor Activity. So if the Troop wants them, go ahead and make multiple visits!

-- We did that last year with a Web II who joined in early November and needed to "stay in" Cub Scouts to get AoL. He was a frequent visitor at Troop Meetings post B&G.

 

We've done B&G either in late February or mid to late March (our school has Spring Break in early March), and either way worked fine for the Crossovers into Boy Scouts, but late March was MUCH less stressful for Den Leaders and Families.

 

And Scouting didn't pout about the late birthday party . . .

 

Just food for thought.

[Eagle92]

Just curious, why is BnG such a big deal for advancement? Growing up, we got advancement every month in that pack, and last year advancement was given every month with my son's pack.

 

So what's up?

[shortridge]

Why just two den meetings a month? Except during holiday times, etc., we always had three - one a week, with the pack meeting on the fourth week.

[bbender]

On the two questions, I'll comment a bit:

 

First, on Eagle92's note about "why is BnG such a big deal for advancement? Growing up, we got advancement every month in that pack, and last year advancement was given every month with my son's pack", a few comments:

1) If/when someone earns a rank before Blue & Gold, there is no reason on G*d's green earth not to recognize them early at the Pack Meeting after they earn it. Or, frankly, also at the Den Meeting too. And at a school assembly. It's all good.

2) That said, it is fair to say that in many (not all, but many) Packs the Blue & Gold Banquet will be more heavily populated with families (and extended families) than other Pack Meetings.

3) It is a cool thing to be able to recognize the completion of Badge of Rank by the Scouts at that BnG event that is in many (not all, but many) Packs the most heavily populated event.

4) Note that even if a Scout has be presented with the Badge before the Blue & Gold Banquet, that does not in any way prohibit further recognition at the Blue & Gold Banquet.

-- When Michael Phelps gets his Gold Medal after drying off at the Olympic Pool, he can still get a Parade when he returns to Philadelphia, and even recognition if he appears at his old Pack's Blue & Gold.

-- Even though he got the Gold Medal or Wolf Badge at an earlier event.

5) While we don't want anyone to get a badge they didn't earn, it is a good and nice thing to recognize the Scouts for having accomplished the rank.

-- That is better in front of a bigger crowd as opposed to saying "yea you other 7 Bears . . . soon you'll get your Badge . . . when you're done".

 

So, it is a good and nice thing to have the biggest event include that biggest recognition of rank accomplishment. And that's why I encourage thinking about March for that event.

 

 

On shortridge's note about "Why just two den meetings a month? Except during holiday times, etc., we always had three - one a week, with the pack meeting on the fourth week", sure, and some Dens even met on the fourth week PLUS the Den Meeting, but . . . here's the rub . . . not everyone can meet that schedule, and . . . it's OK.

-- Kids and families can have an awesome Cub Scout experience on 2 Den Meetings a month. And now the Guide supports that.

-- Would more meetings be better? Sure. And the Guide supports that too with 30 some meetings in each year, many of which meetings can be spread across two meeting dates. And that's before you really work in all of the Belt Loop and Pin stuff!

-- But is it good to get more kids involved in a solid Cub Program that has two Den Meetings a Month? Many think so.

-- So the Guide supports that, to make it a more solid program for those kids.

 

YMMV. But gets good mileage in many necks of the woods.

 

Bert Bender

Pack and District Trainer

South Fulton District, Atlanta Area Council

Mo' Betta Meetings!

 

[Scoutfish]

My pack is a 9 month pack, yet we still didn't have any problems with scouts earning rank by the time B&G came around.

 

 

But , we didn't make a big deal of them having it done. Matter of fact, it wasn't a goal thatw e set out towards.

But it was cool if it was done by that time.

 

Now, that's figuring that the scouts atttend 98% of the meetings or so. No, not an exact number, just a reasonably close guess.

 

The cool thing is this though, scouts who did not attend all the meetings for whatever reasons, had time and oppertunity to get rank by the last pack meeting in May - which happens to end our 9 month "active" season.

 

Now, even though we were a 9 month pack, we still had plenty of time..if you keep track of it.

 

Like I said earlier, you can combine meetings.

 

As wolves, we took a field trip to our local police dept. We also had a flag raising ceremony while there. In the end, a scout can accomplish:

 

Achievement 3 "What makes America special"

sub-achievements f and i

 

Achievement 7 "Law Enforcement"

 

All but sub-achievement c

 

Achievemnt 11 "be Ready"

Sub-achievements a - e

 

Achievement 24

Sub-achievemnts b and c

 

Having a denner help "plan" that field trip to the police dept.

 

No, we don't try to cram as many check-offs as we can into every meeting, but in reality, talking about what to do nd who to call during an accident? Either police or fire....so it naturally fits. The police dept has a flag pole. By having the scouts raise the flag and having a ceremony keeps the scouts busy and allows the late showers extra time while also letting the police relations officer a few extra minutes to get ready based on how many showed up.

 

So if you scan ahead, you can groups some achievemnt activities into smaller related groups.

 

This way, you can kill two birds with one stone, and you don't have to rush the scouts or take the fun out of it by having to crack a whip. (This message has been edited by scoutfish)