New Committee Chair Person

[ctabor2]

I am in a pack somewhere in Ohio. We have a new committee chair person who has decided that it is his job to run the pack instead of the cubmaster. There is several people aware of this but no one is sure how to handle it. Somehow his son skipped a whole rank over the summer and not even the cubmaster is sure if this is allowed. This person is changing rules, policies and anything he sees fit to change and is ripping the pack apart. Last year the pack seemed to run fine but this year is a nightmare. No one knows when we are doing stuff or times because is doing a newsletter system on e-mail that not everyone is getting this e-mail which is causing a lot of confusion within the pack. I need help and input on this situation!

[Stosh]

Get your COH and DE involved, they need to know what is going on.

 

A Cub can "skip a rank". It depends on their school class and age. Scout application dictates this. If for some reason a boy does need to repeat a grade he can use his age to determine level of scouting. If he comes into Tigers having been held back because of his schooling his school class and age might be almost a whole year different than his classmates.

 

I have a September birthday. I went away to college at age 17.

 

My daughter has a September birthday. She turned 18 at the beginning of her senior year and turned 19 soon after going to college.

 

Did my daughter flunk a grade? Nope, we decided to have our kids get an extra year at home before school started for them. My daughter could thus read at a 2nd grade level in kindergarten and graduated Valedictorian of her high school class.

 

Although birthdays only 3 days apart on the calendar we attended school a whole year apart relative to each other.

 

A boy in her situation could have started Boy Scouts a whole year earlier than I did if you measured by age instead of grade level.

 

I was lousy at math, so I hope it makes sense to everyone.

 

Stosh

 

 

[ctabor2]

No that is not the case. This father say's that his child went though the entire wolf book during the summer and therefore can start as a bear when the rest of the bears are older than him and in the next grade.

[Basementdweller]

Time to find a new Committee chair

 

 

I would get a cup of coffee with him and your COR and explain to him that simply ain't how it works.

 

Because jr is going to be a webelo at 8 and can't cross over till after 10 years old. Boy is gonna get bored and quit

[shortridge]

In a way, it is the CC's job to run the pack. He or she does the administrative side; the CM does the program side.

 

More details about the policies, rules, etc., that the new CC is changing would be helpful.

 

As far as communications goes, just because not everyone gets an e-mail message doesn't mean it's the sender's fault. Spam filters do funny things sometimes. A backup paper newsletter distributed at pack meetings with dates and information wouldn't cost a lot.

[ScoutNut]

Nope, no can do.

 

This is Cub Scouts, not Boy Scouts. The level a Cub is in is based on his age, or grade, not on weather or not he has completed the requirements for an award, even a rank award.

 

If his son has indeed completed the entire Wolf Handbook over the summer, than he is eligible to receive his Wolf rank award. He is still a Wolf Cub Scout however, and attends the Wolf den meetings. Perhaps the Wolf den leader can make him a Denner, and he can help the other Wolf Cubs in his den.

 

He is NOT a Bear.

 

The youth application describes the qualifications for each Cub level. The Cub Scout Leader Book does also. You can find information on the BSA Cub Scout program on the BSA National Web site, along with online training -

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Leaders.aspx

 

Every registered adult in your Pack needs to be trained, and learn BSA policies and procedures of how the program is to be run.

 

I strongly suggest you talk to your Charter Organization Representative about this person. I think that a change of CC's is in order, and it is up to the COR to do that.

 

BTW - the emailing is not a bad thing. The only problem here is that the den leaders are not following up on the emails by going over the info with their den families, and possibly handing out hard copy reminders.

 

[ctabor2]

Talking to the farther is as good as talking to a brick wall. He thinks he is correct and every body else is wrong. He says he went to council and they said "He can skip wolf". He has a history of snapping at committee members or parents of children in the pack.

[ctabor2]

I forgot to post that the cub master seems to not have the balls to stand up to this person so everyone else in the pack feels like they are being run over! If things go unchanged the pack may find itself coming to a end!

[John-in-KC]

1) This is a matter for the Cubmaster, the Chartered Organization Representative, and the Institutional Head. They can get advice from the Unit Commissioner and the District Executive.

 

2) From what you say, this does sound outside the bounds of the program. If they are, you may be approached to be the next CC. Are you ready to take that duty?

 

3) You may opt to transfer your child to a neighboring Pack.

 

I wish you well.

[ctabor2]

1.) I am here for the kids.

2.) I will do whatever needed to protect the pride and honor of scouting!

3.) Read the last post about the cub master!

4.) I came on here for friendly feedback and more information so I can be fully ready before taking this issue to the next phase

[perdidochas]

Your new CC is right in that his son can earn his Wolf Badge over the summer. However, unless he meets the age/grade requirements, he will be a Wolf this year.

 

 

From Scouting.org:

 

If a boy completes the Wolf badge early, may he begin working on the Bear badge?

 

No. In the Cub Scout program, all boys in a den work toward a badge that is geared to their level of development. If the Wolf badge is completed before the end of the program year, a boy may work on electives to earn Arrow Points, but he may not begin working on the requirements for the Bear badge. His work on the Bear badge will begin the next program year, when he graduates into a Bear den.

 

 

 

To be a Bear you have to be Third Grade or Age 9.

[ScoutNut]

ctabor2, I do not think that anyone has been unfriendly here.

 

You are obviously not the CM, or the CC. Are you a registered den leader, committee member, or an unregistered parent?

 

You really should talk to the CM before going over anyone's head. If you don't feel the CM will listen, or do anything, contact your Pack's Unit Commissioner. If you do not know who that is, call your Council and get the contact info for your District Commissioner.

 

Ask the Commissioner to talk to the CM, and the COR.

 

The COR, and the Head of the Charter Organization are the folks who "hired" the CC, and are the only ones who can "fire" him.

 

If your Charter Organization is unwilling to change the CC, and the CC is unwilling to follow the BSA program, your only options at that point are -

 

To move to a Pack that follows the BSA program, and possibly take many of the current Pack families with you.

 

To start a new Pack at a new Charter Organization.

 

[eisely]

Doesn't this thread belong under the cub scout category of subjects?

[ctabor2]

I need as many facts as I can get that I can bring to the CM but if the CM will not do anything about it then I will go to the COR. I am not going to back down or run to another pack. This pack is fine but has this one issue that I want to solve and move on.

[ScoutNut]

If your Charter Organization ends up backing this man, there will be no way to "solve" this issue. You need to acknowledge that possibility, not ignore it.

 

Again, I recommend that you get your Unit, or District, Commissioner involved. Helping units in situations such as this is what they do.