Mulling something over

[AlamanceScouter]

Can I get your thoughts on something......

 

I am contemplating what my next role will be in Scouting after my Webelos II's cross over next March or April. One thing I have been thinking about is trying to get Scouting started back at our local Salvation Army. Our SA has had Scouting over the years but it has been lead by the officer and when he leaves it goes away until the next one who is interested starts it back up. It really bothers me that we don't have a steady program serving kids in that area. I know the SA fairly well because I am an advisory board member.

 

I have been thinking about trying to start it back up with just a Webelos I and II group. I think to be affective I would need to concentrate one a den or two rather than an entire Pack. Frankly, I don't think I could pull together enough leadership for an entire Pack. Maybe after some success with the Webelos we could look to expand. I am thinking that I could get the boys ready to cross over to some of our local Boy Scout troops when the time comes. I know recruiting would be tough.

 

Any thoughts on this? Have you ever seen a unit with just a Webelos group? Heck, for all I know the BSA might not allow it.

[SeattlePioneer]

Four years ago I took on the task of rebuilding a pack that was down to a single boy/ That boy was a WebI, and he was coached by the Cubmaster, the only remaining active adult.

 

I began rebuilding the pack by organizing and leading a Tiger Cub Den, and expanded with a new Tiger Cub Den each year. Four years later we have four Webelos IIs who I'm hoping will be crossing over into Boy Scouts in February, and we have a pretty good cadre of adult leaders developed over time.

 

It's a LOT harder to recruit Webelos than Tiger Cubs and Wolves. And Webelos Scouts and families are going to be gone in a year or two, leaving you without a functioning pack.

 

I like my strategy of starting with Tiger Cubs, but making a try at starting both a Tiger Cub and Wolf Den would be worth considering.

 

You need to start with a carefully devised recruiting plan to insure that you will have the boys you need, and you need a well though out strategy on how to get the new parents involved RIGHT AWAY as well, in my opinion.

[Eamonn]

My thoughts for what they are worth.

For any new unit to have half a chance of surviving it needs a good solid foundation.

In Scouting the foundation comes in the form of people. - A group of people who will work together to get things started and hang around at least for a couple of years until the unit can bring more interested adults in.

A lot of times DE's and members of the District Committee will want to see a new unit listed as started that they rush things through. Which is a big mistake because when the unit fails not only do they no longer have the unit but have also lost the boys and the adult volunteers.

Starting a new Troop with just a Den of Webelos can and does work.

One of the better Troops in the area where I live started with a Den of these little guys about 12 years back. Like most Troops they have had peaks and valleys. They are now on the third SM.

They started with a group of adults some who took on as leaders and others who were willing to support the Troop as Committee members.This meant that even with the high turn over of SM's that the Committee was there and willing to do what was needed to ensure that the Troop survived.

If you really do think that there are not enough interested adults and you are going to be for the most part a one man band? Then maybe starting a new unit isn't the best idea.

We all want to do the best we can to serve the youth we have. The Lads we know and see week in and week out. - There is nothing what so ever wrong with that. Scouting works and has worked because adults over the years have worked with and cared for the Lads who are there.

But when it comes down to starting a new Troop, the picture changes a little, it becomes more about working for the youth who are not there and maybe are not even born yet. - This then becomes all about the strong foundation and roots that the Troop has.

 

Mulling things over is a good thing.

Much as I hate to fall into training lingo. Mulling gives you the opportunity to come up with a vision think about goals and all that other good stuff.

As your mulling you might also want to ask yourself "What do I want to do?" -"What am I good at?"

If you really want to work with the youth members and be a hands on leader? Maybe starting a new Troop is not the best idea?

Maybe thinking long term you might want to get some time in working with Boy Scouts, find out what works and what doesn't, develop some of the skills that maybe you don't have and work with a more experienced group of Boy Scout leaders and Committee members.

 

There are Troops around that are very successful that have started out with a Den of Webelos Scouts and a couple of willing adults. If that'd what you believe is what you want to do and you believe will work? Please don't allow my thoughts to dampen your enthusiasm's.

I wish you nothing but the very best and all the luck in the world.

Ea.

 

[ScoutNut]

If you are starting a new TROOP, then a group of Webelos, or rising 6th graders, is a good start.

 

However, if, as you seem to suggest, you want to start a new PACK, then starting with just Webelos is going to be a tough road.

 

Not only is it harder to recruit at the 4/5th grade level, but your entire Pack has one foot out the door with no one coming in to replace them.

 

As for feeding local Troops, any 5th grade Webelos you recruit in Aug/Sept are not going to be able to cross to a Troop until the end of 5th grade (unless you have some that hit 11 years old before that). Most Troops will not take in brand new, and very inexperienced, Scouts at the beginning of summer. Aside from the logistics of adding numbers to their Summer Camp list (unlikely), many are gearing down their activities and do not hold weekly meetings. The result is that these Scouts will not be actively involved in Scouting until school, and Troop meetings, start up again in Aug/Sept. The odds of them staying in the Troop at that point are much lower.

 

It makes better sense to start at the bottom, and build a good foundation.

 

If I were starting a Pack from scratch I would start with recruiting the heck out of those new 1st graders.

 

Tigers are eager to join, and up for anything. If you utilize Shared Leadership, along with a few experienced leaders to guide/encourage/enthuse, you can "grow" your own "crop" of volunteers each year for the following years.

 

 

[AlamanceScouter]

Thanks for the advice..........good things to thing about.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Scout Nut,

 

 

Yes, if the plan is to use Webelos Den to start a new Troop, that is a promising plan.

 

 

I would consider the impact a new troop would have on other Scout Troops in the area. That's not a bar to starting another troop, but you might wind up with two weak units that would both fail withing a few years.