Pack meeting ideas

[New master]

Looking for some ideas on pack meetings. Just last week I took over the pack. Guess I should give a little history. I've been acm for the last three years. The old CM was very head strong and was his way or no way. Many of our scouts don' t make the meeting. Most of the input I've gotten is the meeting is boring. Unfortunatly I have to agree with the parents. So any input on how other pack meeting go that would be great . It's time to make the pack fun again!!!

[Akecheta]

Ask the scouts what they want to do. For our Pack Meetings and Activities we try and keep it fresh. We always have the standard B&G and PWD but anything goes for the rest of the year. We rotate in plenty of camping, cabin camping in the Winter, and activities with the county conservation board. We have gone to the zoo, the science museum, baseball and football games. We have teamed up with a local bike shop and club and put on a bike rodeo for our CO which is a school PTO. We have gotten local speakers from the Red Cross to talk about Emerency Prepardness, School of the Deaf to talk about disability awareness and a local outdoor store to talk about purchasing the right camping equipment. We have also done indoor rock climbing, roller skating and next year we are going to the Sky Zone which is a trampoline center. We also will rotate in every year a Raingutter Regatta, Space Derby or a Rocket Blast. Keep it fresh, keep it interesting, take advantage of local resources in your area.

[RumRunner]

I would also suggest making a bit of a point to state that meetings will be "different" from now on. Not to say that you should publicly disrespect the former CM or trash-talk about the way he used to do things, but something along the lines of "we're going to make a few changes to the way meetings are run," or "we want to open it up to some new ideas and find out what you guys think would be exciting".

 

The parents will pick up on what you're saying without you specifically needing to say it, and the boys might hear that and take an interest in coming back to see what's different.

 

Our pack meetings have traditionally been a mixture of administrative and planning info for the parents/families (which, admittedly, the kids probably find a bit boring), mixed in with some activities and maybe a speaker or presentation for the kids.

 

How often do you have a pack meeting?

[New master]

We meet once a month. This month our activity I plan on having the boys make ice cream in zip lock bags! I did it with my weblos at camp last summer.

[New master]

We meet once a month. This month our activity I plan on having the boys make ice cream in zip lock bags! I did it with my weblos at camp last summer.

[Scoutfish]

I'm gonna be blunt:

 

Our pack meetings used to suck! The were dull, boring, monotonous affairs.

 

Our former CM was a great and caring person, but dull. "Bueller...Bueller....Bueller..."

 

So the very first thing I did when I took over as CM was to follow Robin Williams example in the movie "Good Morning Viet Nam"

 

I came in loud, obnoxious and not caring what the other adults thought about it!

 

Okay, we spend all our lives being told to grow up, act our age and be serious.

 

As the new CM, it is your job at pack meetings to stop being so serious, stop being so serious looking , and be less serious in how you carry on.

 

Don't flat out abandon it, just scale it back alot. Time to laugh, goof off , be a little bit silly and burn off energy.

 

As CM, you are the emcee of pack meetings. Your crowd is in the 7 to 11 year old mindset. That means you have to get into the 7 to 11 yar old mindset.

 

Learn songs, learn storis, get the boys up and running around and burning off built up energy.

 

THis is how I see it: After my first year as CM, a new parent asked me and the CC what the difference between our jobs.

 

I said that the CC handled all the boring buisnes side of scouting and my job was to make sure leaders understood the program during den meetings and that during pack meetings, my job was to get the boys all riled up so the parents could get them to bed!

[New master]

Thanks for all the response. Scoutfish you hit it right on the head!!!

 

Now for a new question .

 

We a have a husband and wife leader team.

 

They are doing an ok job, but they have a son who will be a tiger in the fall. They think they are going to lead that group also. Anybody else have leader taking on two groups. They will have weblos 1 group in the fall. Our committee kinda feels we should let some new parents lead the tiger group.Any thoughts.

[SeattlePioneer]

Look at the people available and interested in doing the job. Pick the best one.

 

Webelos one is a big job if it's done well, as a genuine transition between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with several camping opportunities.

 

If it's done as another year of Cub Scouts that is NOT desirable.

 

In my opinion, Tiger Cubs is the best of the years in Cub Scouts UNLESS someone is doing an excellent job as a Webelos Den Leader as described above.

 

I observed a very busy Pack Committee Chair of a large Pack who took on being the Tiger Cub Den Leader too. Her son recruited twenty of his buddies to be in the den. She was a busy lady that year!

 

If they are only doing an OK job you might not want them in either job.

[New master]

Seattle I can't agree with you more!!

 

We have set the bar high for our weblos 1 this year. Myself and the assitanent have pushed the boys hard . Because next year when they cross I want the boys to be ready ! We have taken the boys on a couple of camping trip and gave them response ability to plan the trips.

[Brewmeister]

We won't "let" a volunteer handle two dens. There's no reason new parents can't step up.

 

However, having the current leader be an unoffical ADL for the Tiger den can go a long way toward getting another parent to take on the role, knowing that a mentor is there who has gone through the program.

[Scoutfish]

Well, you will find out that some volunteers do indeed wear two hats. Depending on which hats they are it is a non issue other than only having 1 offical registered title.

 

Having an experienced Tiger DL is an awesome thing. The new Tigers will get a quality program from day one without having to deal with a trial and error session or somebody doing things wrong.

 

Another thing to look at is this: While there "shouldn't" be a reason for people to wear two hats, reality dictates that it happens often.

 

Maybe you have 45 parents who do absolutely nothing. You can ask them to help out, but you can not make them. Some people are too scared, some are too lazy , some wouldn't do it if you offered them $40.00, valet parking and a free cup of coffee.

 

So, in the real world, you will have a small core group of people who end up doing almost everything and another small group who help often, and a huge group that will do nothing at all - ever!

 

As a CM myself, I am flexible that I can do other stuff. I could run the Tiger den too if need be because during regular den meeting nights, I do not have anything to do anyways, but to offer to help if a den needs me.

 

On Pack meeting nights, the Tigers would be there with everybody else. Since I am not doing individual groups stuff, it means I am leading everybody...including the Tigers.

 

A few years ago, we had a great ACM who was in reality the Webelos II den leader. On paper he was a ACM and he had an on paper Webelos DL too. The on paper Webelos II DL was in reality a den secretary/treasurer.

 

So titles were one way, leadership was another, but the boys themselves got a great program by great leaders.

 

Plus you know, as a former ACM, you were just like the VP of the US; Not much to do unless the CM couldn't do his job. That and you organize the religious awards program..which in truth is kinda odd since the rules, requirements and such for the religious award is outside of scouting anyways.

 

 

So with a mom and dad duo, One could be Tiger DL - with all the required parent guides since Tigers dos not require an ADL.

 

The other Could be Webelos DL- and get a third parent to be another ADL.

 

Speaking of which, there is not a maximun number of ADL's you can have. Not that I think you will ever have that problem anywyas.

My son's Wolf and Bear years, there were 24 active boys in his den. We had a DL and 3 ADL's. Still too big of a den to be effective and too much on the DL ( paperwork and keeping up with advancement) but just showing you can have more than one ADL per den.

 

 

 

 

As long as the two dens do not meet at the same time on the same night...it shouldn't be a problem.

 

 

[Deaf Scouter]

Think along the lines of a theme and hands on activity. Having a science fair and each den creates a science experience that other scouts do. Ours was watching copper pennies turn shiny again after being emerged in vinegar. Indian theme in the gym and stations to play an indian game. Halloween party with stations of games again along the lines of spooky with a costume judging contest. Get the book on planning pack meetings as its loads with ideas as well.. *winka

[ScoutNut]

Tiger Leaders - Personally I think having an experienced leader take on the Tiger den is a GREAT idea!

 

You have someone experienced in leading, Cub Scouts, and the Pack, so you don't get newbies running in the opposite direction afraid they will be asked to be leader, or a brand new leader with no clue what they are doing.

 

Ask ONE of the Webelos leaders to change and take on the Tiger den, and the other Webelos den leader to pick a new assistant Webelos leader from the den families.

[Brewmeister]

Regarding meeting ideas, it works well to have a game for the first half and then do business and awards.

 

We have done "minute to win it" games, "fired up for camping" where we had different stations where you could set up a tent, make smores, etc; a "team cub" tournament with team building games, etc.

 

Just make sure that games require ALL people to participate....scouts, siblings, and adults.

[New master]

Thanks for all the insight!! We had our first pack meeting with, myself and my assistances. We made ice cream in zip lock bags!!! The boys had a blast!!!