Fixing a Unit vs switching to an established unit

[mdlscouting]

My son just got his Tiger, and I volunteered to be DL next year. Since I did this, I've done a lot of research and reading on scouting, and have learned a lot. (Prior to this, I didn't know anything about scouting outside of reading thru the Tiger handbook w/ my son.)

 

From what I can see, there are a LOT of areas our unit could improve in. It's a very new unit, only about 4 years old or so. Communication has been a huge issue for all of us, and in general things seem very disorganized. Only about half of the leaders in uniform, Early training of leaders is poor, No one using Denners, Den Chiefs, Den Flags, Pack meetings are very infrequent, etc. This isn't because the current leaders don't care or are lazy... They are just all new, and there's very little experience to fall back on anywhere in the Unit, or our associated Troop. (The Troop consists of about 5 Scouts who crossed over this Febuary.)

 

A few miles away, there is an existing scout program that is highly successful. Over 100 Cubs in it, been around forever, has 2-4 dens at each grade level. I don't know if it's all run "perfectly" by the book, but I know the CM was a former eagle, and is working on his wood badge ticket now. Lots of scouter experience in that Pack.

 

I've already emailed some suggestions to the CM, and truth be told, I'm probably getting on her nerves. In addition to being a DL, I've setup a website for the pack, just waiting on a current (end of school year) roster so I can send out email invites to it.

 

How would you approach this situation, in terms of fixing things within the current pack? Assuming that everything can't be fixed immediately, what are the areas you would focus on first? I don't want anyone to feel I'm pushing them into changing stuff, but at the same time, I want to do things right, and give the boys a great Cub Scout program.

 

Would it make sense for our pack to ask some of the leaders within the other pack to "Mentor" us? In one way, we are sort of competitors of theirs, in terms of recruiting scouts from the area, but I think they'd be willing to help us out. (And with over 100 boys, I'm not sure that growth is their biggest concern right now.)

 

I'm tempted to pick up and head to the other Pack, but My son has made some good friends in his pack, and I don't want to separate them. Also, I've made a commitment to help my current pack, and I don't want to back out on that. I'm going to give it at least one more year, and hopefully we can get things on the right track. If not, I may have to switch units. I'd really like my son to stick with scouts for a long time, and I think a well run unit is the best chance for that.

[Lisabob]

Good question.

 

There are good and bad things about being a small/new pack vs.an established/large pack.

 

On the good side, your kid won't get lost in the crowd! 100 kids in a cub pack sounds like a circus to me. I know that there are packs out there who do this well, but it just isn't an atmosphere that I would enjoy.

 

Also in a small pack, just a couple of determined/inspired leaders makes a huge difference. You probably don't have a huge "old guard" to worry about. Sometimes that's a big plus.

 

Of course you already know the downside. Organization is often looser in a small pack and there are fewer hands to help out with events. But keep in mind that many packs of all sizes struggle with high adult turn over rates, so that larger pack down the road may not be as organized as you expect it to be!

 

On the whole, because adult leadership of packs turns over so frequently, I think it is a lot easier to "fix" a pack than it is to "fix" a troop (where adults are often ensconced for decades, for both good and ill). It does help, though, if you and at least one other person in the pack leadership have a common vision of what the pack ought to look like. Pick just a couple of areas of weakness to focus on - maybe communication and one other - and come up with a serious plan to present to your pack committee (or at least, the CM).

 

Forming a mentoring relation with another established pack/troop is a great idea too. Just make sure everybody is on the same page with what you hope to accomplish from this. You don't want them to run your pack or recruit your boys away - you want them to help your pack get on its feet.

 

And finally, think about Wood Badge for next summer! I promise you, you'll get a lot out of it, it is fun, and it will make a big difference for your pack.

 

 

[Hal_Crawford]

My two cents: That your son is with friends is way more important than your perception of the relative quality of the Pack program. Pitch in and try to make things better where you can but do not try to separate your son from his buddies. We all have to step back from time to time and remember it is about the boy's happiness, not ours.

 

Try to make sure that everyone is trained, that will help. The current leaders are probably not using all the resources available. Does your district have Cub Scout Round Tables? They can be a great chance to meet other scouters and learn from their successes and mistakes. I looked at your council website (http://www.centralnccouncilbsa.com/index.html) and it is unclear but check with your DE (Bob Weatherman, if the website is up to date) and perhaps he can point you in the right direction.

 

I had some similar feelings when my son crossed over into Boy Scouts. Two things I learned: 1)The troop was the right fit for my son and that is all that mattered and 2)when compared to all the other units, not just the super troops, our troop was actually pretty good.

 

Would things have been different in a larger troop? Would my son have stayed interested, become a Patrol Leader? An SPL? An Eagle? I don't know but he did all those things in the troop that at first glance didn't look all that good. Along the way I became a Committee Chair and sat on a number of Eagle Boards. Later, as an ASM I helped with new scouts and more recently I helped add a high adventure component to the troop which I think has really improved the program for the older boys. Do I ever wish that my son had chosen the super troop? No, not for a minute and neither does he. Is that troop right for other kids? Of course it is.

 

Hope this helps. Best wishes for you and your son on the trail ahead.

 

Hal

[ScoutNut]

Since you plan on staying at least one year, these are the things I would concentrate on -

 

#1 - Encourage every registered adult to get completely trained for their position.

 

#2 - Pack meetings held monthly. The boys should be recognized for what they are doing as soon as possible after they have completed it.

 

Don't worry about denners, or den flags right now. They are nice, a good thing to have/do, but not having them does not make it a bad program.

 

Den Chiefs are great to have - if you can find them. They are Boy Scouts, not Cub Scouts. You can ask area BS Troops for den chiefs, but if they do not have any boys wiling to make the commitment you can not force them. The boys in your affiliated Boy Scout Troop are to young and inexperienced to make good den chiefs for a young Pack with problems.

 

Nothing you can do about adults not being in uniform. You are not the uniform police. The most you can do is make sure you are in uniform.

 

You might want to talk to your CM about contacting your Unit Commissioner. Your UC can/should be your Pack's mentor.

 

[mdlscouting]

It's kind of funny that you mention turnover as kids age out. About the time my son goes into Webelos II, I've got 2 more Tiger cubs lined up to follow in their big brother's footsteps. So, whatever pack we go with, I'm gonna be around it for a long, long time.

 

I'm gonna do my leader specific training at the first opportunity I have, and I'd like to do Wood Badge as well. Not sure when it is offered next, but I know I need to do the leader specific stuff first.

 

 

I think what I'm going to focus on is communication first, and a good Pack Schedule second. I think if we can lay out what we have planned for the whole year, and communicate it well up front, that will go a long way toward getting things going in the right direction. And, it will be a great tool for the cub roundup as well.

 

 

 

 

[Novice_Cubmaster]

What's the situation in your pack as far as a Committee & Committee Chair?

 

The CM and the Den Leaders primary focus should be toward the scouts.

 

The CC and Committee (if there is one) should be handling infrastructure like communications and webpages, scheduling a place for pack meetings, & planning events.

 

In a small pack, the CC and CM will probably decide most of the pack's operations - including everything on the schedule for the year - monthly pack meetings, campouts, the PWD, etc. THey'll also define expectations - like uniforms for leaders, training, pack dues, popcorn sale participation & incentives, etc.. Not exactly the way it should be, but these are the two people that should be able to figure out a plan. But they will need bodies to make it work.

 

NC

[ScoutNut]

Suggest to the Committee Chair that a Pack Secretary is needed on the Committee. As the Pack Webmaster you could include a Pack calendar on the website.

 

Make sure you check with your local council on their rules and policies for unit websites.

 

 

[lrsap]

I am my son's W2 DL, and from the sound of it you are just like I was four years ago. I was totally new to scouting when I signed on as my son's Tiger DL.

 

One thing I would warn you of that was not specifically addressed is the danger of over-committing. Since I have been a Scouter I love the program, the ideals, everything. But early on the love of what I was doing lead me to saying yes to EVERYTHING that was offered. The worst piece of advice I ever received as Scouter was the Spring of my son's Tiger year. "Sure, you can be a Wolf Den Leader and a Cubmaster at the same time." I was just too new to realize how bad that advice was.

 

Some people have more capacity to volunteer than others, and I would never dare assume anyone's other than mine or infer that someone is not "volunteering enough". The time a Scouter gives to scouting is a gift. If you love what you do, no matter the load, I say go for it. But if you are doing so much that the load feels like the stress of a job, there is your hint you may be taking on too much. Another good indicator is your family time. Scouting, ESPECIALLY Cub Scouts, is a program designed to strengthen the family. If you start to feel your Scouter duties are taking too much time AWAY from your family, listen to that voice inside telling you so. It's probably right.

 

 

[mdlscouting]

I'm not sure who the committee chair is, or if there is anyone in that role other than just as a placeholder for the recharter. This may be due to the lack of communication, but as far as I know, there isn't anyone actively doing the Committee / Committee Chair duties, and all of that is falling on the CM, ACM and DLs.

[Hal_Crawford]

Does your unit have a Unit Commissioner? This is a district level volunteer who is there to help units to be healthy and grow. This person might be able to work with your CO and unit leadership to get better organized. If you don't know then a call to your DE should provide some guidance.

 

My son was in a pack with no active committee, CM did it all. He was also registered as COR. He liked it that way and it worked OK but it was not good for the long term health of the pack. When he left I became CM for my son's last year in the pack. I knew I could not do what he did. I was fortunate that there was someone willing to be the Committee Chair and to organize an active committee. It was a rocky year as we learned by doing but it laid the foundation for the next CM and CC.

 

Hal

[Lisabob]

Ah. First, lrsap's advice is really good. It is easy to get sucked in way over your head.

 

Second, at a bare minimum, a functional pack needs a functioning CM, Committee Chair, and some Den Leaders. For rechartering purposes you also need a COR (charter org representative) who serves as a liaison between the pack and the CO - this is supposed to be appointed by the CO, and some CORs are more active than others. Ideally, you'll have someone who is active in the CO and who also understands scouting. If you have no idea who this person currently is, call your council office and get hold of your unit's roster. Then invite whoever is listed as the COR to a meeting.

 

These absolutely need to be separate people, not 2 or 3 all wearing multiple hats. Besides lrsap's advice about over-committing, it actually weakens (or prolongs weakness of) the pack. Other parents see that they don't have to do anything because you're already doing it, or they're reluctant to volunteer because they see how much of your time you put in and they don't want to do that.

 

Third, you will have a much happier CM if she has a committee chair to help her!

 

Talk to your CM and amp out a strategy together. Since it sounds like the two of you are probably the main active leaders in the group, you want to be on the same page. If you have a Unit Commissioner, this is a great person to offer advice too.