Suggestions please

[troop_358_potlatch]

I thought about posting this in the cub scout category, but would like to get as many suggestions as possible.

I am the Cub Roundtable commissioner. I am planning on giving the pack that has had the best attendence at r/t a gift next May. I am keeping track of those who attend and what unit they are from. My question is what would be a good gift to give to the pack that was best represented at r/t?

[Fat Old Guy]

A flag that has flown over the US Capitol.

[Overtrained]

A certificate to the Scout Shop.

[SM406]

I would like to suggest a similar gift given to me.

 

Get an empty box of Cheer detergent and fill it with slips of paper with as many Cub Scout cheers you can come up with. Now you have a Cheer Box. We have used mine at pack meetings where a leader or a cub will pick a slip from the box and then teach the cheer to the pack. This way the cubs learn new cheers and we do not end up doing the same cheer month after month. Also, this is a home made gift which most of the time mean more than store bought items.

 

SM406

 

[KA6BSA]

For years our district had the tradition of a "trophy" which was passed on each time as a prize. It wasn't a store-bought trophy but started out as a home-made wooden stand with the district flag emblem painted on it or a district patch stapled on. Each pack had the honor (and duty) of adding some significant item to it to mark their winning. One time it was a plastic fish (a trout I think... that pack was leader at the local BSA fishing derby) another time a fake coon tail to signify that pack's participation in a prioneering re-inactment, you get the idea: humorous is fine along with a Scouting theme. After a few awards of this trophy it started to become a really interesting collage of stuff and everyone wanted to take it home! There is also the added advantage that you do not have to go asking for money to do this kind of prize. Our own Roundtable does not expect to get any significant money for its operation, so buying a gift certificate means either the Commish does that as a "donation" (which isn't really fair since he is already volunteering many hours of his time) or you would have to pass a hat around which many volunteers don't like... they probably have already donated plenty of cash through FOS. In three years of experience myself as RT Commissioner I have always avoided asking the participants for money because I think it turns them off enought to reduce attendance. I really like the idea of the trophy that they take home and add momentos to and then bring back for the next winner. Maybe somebody can think of the exact name for it, at the moment I can't.

[hops_scout]

Sounds like a cheer or spirit stick to me:)

[Gidget]

Just a question for you. Does your pack have the highest number of people attending, or, do they have the best attendance because, using the number of adults that could be there your pack has the highest percentage of leaders attending?

I was in a pack that had 6 leaders. (13 boys) All 6 leaders attended RT - 100% attendance. Other packs received awards for attendance because they had more people attending, but, based on the actual people that should be there, we had the best attendance in the district, and never were recognized.

That was a hard thing for our pack to swallow.

[troop_358_potlatch]

You bring up an excellent point Gidget.That is something that I had not thought of. I will get together with the DE and District Commissioner and discuss it with them. I know that the pack my son was in has 2 leaders, the CM, ACM, and the CC. Even if all of them came to r/t, it would not count in the #s as much as a pack with the 5 leaders that a pack needs. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[KA6BSA]

There is also the question of whether the attendance of the Commissioner or his RT Staff counts on the attendance sheet. I think of course it does because they are there not somewhere else. But others say it isn't fair... for example I had perfect attendance for 3 years as RT Commish and I was an ASM with my troop the whole time, so they said it didn't count as attendance by my troop. But I didn't see anybody else volunteering to take over my job just to get that advantage for their unit!

[Eamonn]

Not to change the subject but....

Our Scout Exec. Has been with us for about 3 years. This guy is real big on rewards and incentives. We have all sorts of stuff that he hands out for Sign up night and Webelos Scout Crossover, you name it he will give away a camp chair or a sweatshirt for it.

Needless to say all this stuff comes at a cost to the Council.

I do question why? To my way of thinking we are rewarding people for things that they would do anyway. I feel the same way about Round Table. Do we need to reward people for attending? We do have one District in the council that offers Cub Bucks for all that do attend and at the end of the year they have an auction for stuff that everyone brings in. I have in the past donated a pile of old Pow Wow books. Which they tell me someone was pleased to win.

Eamonn

[Fat Old Guy]

Eamon, you bring up an interesting point. Why do we give awards for things that we should be doing anyway? Why do we have "Cub Scouter Training Award," or "Scoutmaster Key" or any of those things that recognize us just for doing our jobs?

 

If we all were doing what we were supposed to be doing, there'd be no need for special recognition for anyone for just doing their job. Unfortunately, most Scouters don't go to training, many unit don't send someone to Roundtable. There's a unit in my district that hasn't sent anyone to Roundtable in nearly a year, their mailbox still has stuff in it from January.

[NWScouter]

A good gift would be go to a unit meeting and serve a ice cream sundae to everyone there. Using those big tubs of ice cream it shouldn't cost you no more than $20 for even the biggest unit. It also honors the Scouters that showed up because they get the credit for the treat.

[Campfire Fairy]

FatOldGuy-

It's pretty much a proven fact that positive reinforcement works, and I highly doubt that the results are limited to kids and teenagers; adults respond just as positively to rewards and incentives. While I do agree that it's silly to spend the money for prizes for something a person does because he or she wants to, you can't honestly say that you don't like hearing a "Good job" or getting some sort of appreciative comment because of your presence or effort. That being said, I like SM406's suggestion of a Cheer Box. Though it might be cheesey, it's practical, thoughtful, and cheap, and I can pretty much guarantee the kids would enjoy it.

[Fat Old Guy]

" you can't honestly say that you don't like hearing a "Good job" or getting some sort of appreciative comment because of your presence or effort."

 

I get great satisfaction from knowing that I did a good job. I politely accept kudos but take them with a grain of salt. Far too often, I've seen poor or mediocre performers told "Great job" and given rewards and awards, rewards and awards that should have gone to others (usually not me).

 

There are very few whom I trust enough to believe their "Good jobs" and two of them are my children because they are brutally honest ("Dinner sucks tonight, Dad!").