Cub Scout Pack and "busy parents"

[SSScout]

Welcome to our virtual campfire, SR70..  Sit ye down on an elog and enjoy the fellowship.

The answer to your concern, as in much of Scouting, is:  "It Depends".  The Cubs want ( and appreciate ! ) safe adventure, fun stuff, learn something new, get some bling. The Cubs that are blessed with parent(s) that are involved with them (not just "putting in time") will be the ones who we will want to pick out our Assisted Living Facilities.  The others? I will refer you to  Harry Chapin's  ""Cats In The Cradle""...

B&G is meant to be a ""Happy Birthday BSA"" party.   It can be most any time of year, but usually in February.   Pot Luck in the church social hall?   Fully catered sit down dinner at a hotel?  Picnic BBQ in the park?   I've seen many wonderful festive types.  Table/room decorations?  Magician?  Balloonman?  State Parks Scales and Tales?   Den skits?  Lots of types of entertainment. Up to you, or at least the organizer.  Cost?   Again, "It Depends"....   One year, our B&G Chair (he and his wife corralled everyone.... school cafeteria, crepe paper, table take home decor, really nice job, Steve and Katie)  , contacted Outback Steak House, they did a really nice  semi catered dinner (salad, steaks, potato, dessert....) which we picked up.  When our treasurer asked for the bill, the restaurant manager said "no charge !"  and everyone went home with a meal or two extra left overs !  

Awards?   Webelos Crossover?   Folks include that, but again, "It Depends". A large Pack might have too many awards to make it work.  I favor doing the Web/AOL Crossover a separate special event.  Maybe some SHORT  special awards at your B&G, but make it predominantly a fun time, not an ""official""  time....

Sit down with whatever passes for your Pack Committee (not just the CChair) and talk about it.  Busy Parents?   We are not here for the parents. We are here for the kids.  What are the parents here for?  All BSA can do is offer OPPORTUNITIES.  

Good Scouting to you.   See you on the trail....

[Eagledad]

Great post SSScout. We also learned about making the birthday party less official and more fun. We moved our cross overs and Webelos/AOL ceremonies to other meetings. That gave more room for fun and made those ceremonies more special for the scouts. Families today struggle to find opportunities for fun family nights out. Give your families that opportunity.

Barry

[fred8033]

18 hours ago, DuctTape said:

wow. seems like a lot of pack meetings to me. no surprise then the amount of questions/issues from cubmasters I see here. I wonder if one solution is to extremely lessen the number of pack meetings, move more to the den level.

Also, not ever den leader is as committed.  Not every den stays well structured.  Sometimes the pack meetings were the only meaningful content the cubs got over several months.   IMHO, it's part of providing a variety of options to help the cub have a good scouting experience.  ... but then again ... if it were me ... I'd cut cub scouts down to two years.  BUT, that's me ... and a very different topic.  

Edited January 5, 2022 by fred8033

[Armymutt]

13 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

...Note that our den meetings were also only Monthly which I know is a bit unique.  

To me, this wouldn't work.  I need it to be a regular thing if I'm going to stay interested.  I am very subject to inertia.  Even the 3 weeks off for Christmas is causing me to lose interest in the Pack.  Something else filled that Tuesday night void and now I have to re-spin back up.  Working on my son's PWD car is helping, but I'm going to need more help to make the January pack meeting fun.

[DuctTape]

1 hour ago, fred8033 said:

Also, not ever den leader is as committed.  Not every den stays well structured.  Sometimes the pack meetings were the only meaningful content the cubs got over several months.   IMHO, it's part of providing a variety of options to help the cub have a good scouting experience.  ... but then again ... if it were me ... I'd cut cub scouts down to two years.  BUT, that's me ... and a very different topic.  

Den leaders not being committed sounds like a major issue. I see a parallel here to a troop where the SPL is trying to do too much b/c the PLs aren't. If the cubs arent getting a good scouting experience due to uncommitted den leaders, I am not sure a pack meeting can really bridge the gap. I am sure it is better than nothing. The den meetings are the bread&butter of the cub program. But wow! If this is the reality I feel badly for the cubs and the cubmaster.

 

I also agree that cubs is wayyy too long. However I have seen the age for cubs moving into a troop as too young in many cases. IMO the age/grade exception for AOL should not be there. 

[fred8033]

2 hours ago, DuctTape said:

Den leaders not being committed sounds like a major issue. I see a parallel here to a troop where the SPL is trying to do too much b/c the PLs aren't. If the cubs arent getting a good scouting experience due to uncommitted den leaders, I am not sure a pack meeting can really bridge the gap. I am sure it is better than nothing. The den meetings are the bread&butter of the cub program. But wow! If this is the reality I feel badly for the cubs and the cubmaster.

At least with troops, you usually have a committed SM and others to help keep momentum and quality.  

Den leaders step up usually with little knowledge of cub scouts and little knowledge of just how much work it is.  I'd say 50% of den leaders are in that situation.  It's common to the point of being normal.   It's why mixed programming does help.  

In a way ... I think fondly of the 1950s stories I hear where a den mother would be waiting for the den to walk over after school to have a weekly den meeting.  Easy timing.   Pre-electronics.   Den meetings I'm sure had lots of outdoor run-around time.  Kids then head home for dinner.  

 

2 hours ago, DuctTape said:

I also agree that cubs is wayyy too long. However I have seen the age for cubs moving into a troop as too young in many cases. IMO the age/grade exception for AOL should not be there. 

Agreed.  Younger cubs just don't do as well.  Also the maturity these days is different.  A ten/eleven year old is not as comfortable outside in nature as a kid from 40 years ago.   

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by fred8033