beardad Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Our Pack has a "no drop off" policy. It is spelled out to the parents when they join, and during the first meeting of the year, so there are no surprises. Most Parents like it better this way. and we seem to always have a few extra hands if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Turtle Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Really depends on the parents and the meeting logistics. Some parents stay because they will be back soon anyway. Others leave because they live nearby. I had one Den with GREAT parents; they all did something (lead a game, teach a class, hand out snacks, plan a trip)and sat away from the boys most of the time. I was happy to have them. I had another that they were a great distraction, offered nothing but criticism and interference. I wished they would dump and go. There is no set answer but agree that the first few meetings they should hang around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 This one family is the least of your problems. With a Pack of 9/10, that has, for the last 1.5 yrs+, had no parent help, and you as the CM/CC, and only den leader, this Pack is doomed to self-destruct. Before you start trying to require new families to stay at meetings, you need to sit the current families down and give them a hard ultimatum. Help out or fold the Pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noname Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 Scoutnut- I appreciate your input. I've met with the parents, that is why we have so few- the rest quit! I have no men, they are all at home playing videogames. Lastly I have begged council for help and got the answer- Hang in there! it'll get better. The mix is 5 cubs and 4 webeloes. Largest den has 3 wolves. To put it into perspective I have 2 webeloes II. The football folks have all of the 5th grade boys but 2. That is what Im up against and If I allow drop n Go from the beginning I doubt they will be much of a help later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 What do you expect your council to do? They, like you, can not force parents to volunteer. They, like you, can not force people to register with your Pack. Your Charter Organization (CO) owns your Pack. Are you getting any support from them? Do you know who your Charter Organization Representative (COR) is? Are any of your Pack families members of the CO? Can the CO provide any volunteers? One thing your council might do is to get your District Executive (DE), and your Unit/District Commissioner, together with the head of your CO, to see if they can talk the CO into helping it's own Pack survive. However, if your CO is hands off, or leaning toward not chartering a Pack any more, it might have the consequence of giving the CO a reason to pull the plug, and drop their charter. Which is something no DE is going to want to happen. You might talk to your District Commissioner, or Unit Commissioner if you have one, to see if they have any ideas on how to motivate your Pack's families, or ideas on how to reach out to new families. As volunteers who have worked in/with Packs they might have some been there/done that experience that can help. Perhaps they might be able to put you together with a Boy Scout Troop that has Scouts interested in being Den Chiefs. Again, realize that they can not force Boy Scouts to be Den Chiefs for your Pack. Edited to add that there is no BSA requirement that volunteers be male. Your Cubs have mothers, grandmothers, aunts, etc. If the dads will not help, recruit other family member who will.(This message has been edited by ScoutNut) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewmeister Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 The issue of securing volunteers is good fodder for discussion beyond the drop and go question. But again, if it is an important issue to you, as the unit leader, that you have parental involvement at that level, you need to decide whether you are going to put forth the effort to get that involvement and if you don't get it what you are going to do (step down or live with it). There are many methods that work for getting more volunteers and it is a solution that tends to build upon itself (i.e., more volunteers lead to more volunteers). But, if your unit has a culture of being a one-person show and parents are willing to quit rather than be involved, you may, as ScoutNut correctly points out, have more fundamental issues that need to shake out. I understand the desire to stick with something and not see it fail, but if you are truly the only adult who cares about and is willing to put time into Scouting within your unit, perhaps that is a sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noname Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 thanks to all. Women make fine leaders as well. We picked up a few more wolves so our pack is 1/2 wolves and a new leader to boot. The drop and go kid will be joining us as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Turtle Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Mom's are really better at volunteering for cubs but already area sacrificing elsewhere. I have at Pack meetings may speeches about: -Telling Dad's that time is flying buy and the time to make memories is now. -That we will back them up, provide support, and teach camping skill if needed. -The need for male role-models as well. -That it makes you a bit of a hero in your boy's eye. -To man up and just do it. -That is really a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey H Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 "I have no men, they are all at home playing videogames..." I agree that you have no "men." Focus on those that will volunteer and build a baseline from that point. Our Pack does not require any parent to stay beyond the Tiger Den age. However, we do have decent parent support for each of our Dens which really helps our Den Leaders. Our Den Leaders are pretty good about asking parents to help out which keeps them around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acco40 Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 I thought I'd point out a few errors. Weird how the Den Chiefs used to run the Dens in the 50's and 60's and the Den Mom and Den Dad supported them. I believe there was requirement that the Cubmaster needed to be male and I think there were only Den Mothers during this time frame. Dens met after school and of course dad was at work and mom stayed at home. I need other parents to stay just for the 2 deep leadership requirement. There is no two deep leadership requirement for den meetings. Two deep adult leadership is only needed for outings. (This message has been edited by a staff member.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akela125Sunnybrook Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 In my pack we have an Akela (head leader), Kaa and Bagheera (assistant leaders), and a YAL (Youth Activity leader) and thats its. we run 20 Cubs with 4 adults. Parents do not stay for any of our meetings typically but if we have on-goi ng issues with any Cub we inform the parent and in rare circumstances we call the parent in to monitor their child. We do invite parents in for special events or badge presentations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akela125Sunnybrook Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 In my pack we have an Akela (head leader), Kaa and Bagheera (assistant leaders), and a YAL (Youth Activity leader) and thats its. we run 20 Cubs with 4 adults. Parents do not stay for any of our meetings typically but if we have on-goi ng issues with any Cub we inform the parent and in rare circumstances we call the parent in to monitor their child. We do invite parents in for special events or badge presentations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fehler Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Huh? What program is this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howarthe Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I am a den leader, and when parents ask me, "do I have to stay?" I say: you are welcome to stay, but you do not have to stay for the den meeting. You do need to attend the pack meetings. Your other children are also very welcome at all of the pack meetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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