Packs need volunteers with Troop dedication.

[SeattlePioneer]

I began serving as an adult BSA leader in 1981 as an Assistant Scoutmaster and served as Scoutmaster from 1982-1987.

 

Currently I'm Treasurer for a Cub Pack, am Camp Director for the district Tiger Twilight summer "day" camp, am Unit Commissioner for a pack and help organize recruiting for several packs.

 

 

MANY packs would benefit from troops in their area providing some advice and support from time to time. I have our pack recruiting night scheduled for September 12th, and I'll be asking Order of the Arrow members at the neighboring troop to attend the recruiting night and help manage our rocket launch activity. That ought to be a fun service project for them, and families who see older boys taking a responsible interest in the Cub Pack should impress new boys and their families.

 

If I were a troop leader, I would aim to have a good adult troop leader aim to attend pack committee meetings and report back to the troop on what kind of help the pack might need and what the troop might reasonably do to be of help.

 

I couldn't attract that kind of help from our neighboring troop, so I've taken to attending the troop committee meetings which gives me the opportunity to let the troop know what kind of help would be useful.

[tgrimstead]

Thank you for the responses.

 

I feel drop off around the Webelos years is not due to the length of the program, but the lack of variety in the program. I've noticed at planning meeting and Roundtables that a lot of us just recycle events every year. Same activity, same month. Yes they're burnt out, but it's due to monotony. Also, the Pack has a broad span of ages. 7 to 11 is a big jump in what kids find fun. Having varying activities that are age specific with some all age fun thrown in would help. Freshen it up ever year. Pack meeting style also.

 

Yours In Cheerful Service.

 

Tim

[5yearscouter]

Definitely packs need to change things up for the years, new themes, new activities, or just activities where the Webelos are in charge of something rather than just participating the same way they always have. Like the Webelos for the Derby sell pizza, sodas/water and snacks to keep people occupied while they race, because by their 5th pinewood derby they really aren't all that into racing and building a car anymore.

or at the christmas parade, they make something cool and different out of wood and lights (it's a nighttime light parade). And one year we have a halloween party, and another year we have a spooky halloween campfire. some years we do the council family camp and some years our pack campout on our own. we even alternate things like the tiger's first go see it that the whole pack seems to always go on so it's police station visit one year, firestation visit another year, sheriff's office ambulance bay, etc.

 

We don't go to the same outings or do the same activities year after year after year.

 

Now every troop should have a webelos support/crossover/recruitment coordinator. someone who meets the webelos den leaders their first year,offers loans of troop equipment if possible, tells them some local places that are good to take webelos camping, and tries to get them a den chief. Den chiefs for webelos are more important than den chiefs for any other rank IMHO. especially by the fall of the 2nd year of webelos but hopefully earlier. Even if they can only attend 1 webelos den meeting a month or only go on their campouts with them, that would be a huge help to webelos leaders.

[Lisabob]

You know, in theory I think this all makes plenty of sense. It would certainly be nice to have more stability in cub pack leadership, similar to what many troops experience.

 

On the flip side though, when I was a cub leader I remember many, many frustrating conversations with troop leaders and district folks who had not one clue about cub scouting. Many had never been cub leaders (maybe they were cub parents, but a lot of these guys delegated cubbing to their wives.). Some of them had been cub leaders but had selective memories or had not kept up with the changes to program, or never got trained as cub leaders to start with. So there they'd be, spouting off and pontificating about stuff they truly knew very little about.

 

Unfortunately, some cub leaders would take them at their word because these folks had the air of authority and experience (read: they'd been around a while).

 

These folks really didn't appreciate being corrected, especially by a female (lots of cub leaders are women) who hadn't been "around" as long as them (lots of cub leaders are younger parents) and who wasn't as ingrained in the local scouter network (lots of cub leaders are juggling young kids and jobs and home, and don't spend as much time at scouting social events).

 

So it kind of depends on what we're talking about. A knowledgeable person who values the cub program FOR ITS OWN SAKE (sorry about the yelling) and who is willing to stay current, could be a great resource.

 

Somebody who doesn't know what they're talking about (but says it loudly anyway) and really doesn't see much value in Cub Scouts as a distinct program with multiple goals in addition to "steady pipeline to the troop" is going to be a problem and piss off hard-working cub leaders to no end.

 

As with most things, it comes down to finding the right person to do the work. Troops shouldn't presume, and packs may rightly be wary, of having "Mr. Warm-body ASM" foisted on them just for the sake of doing it.

 

[hicountry]

I found myself evolving along with my boys, now that they have aged out and are in college I have changed to the point where I have a tuff time relating to 6-10 year olds. Even in my last year as SM, I found it harder to continue to try and recruit relating to 10 yo Webelose as my boys were 17 and almost 18. I couldn't imaging becoming involved in CUBS again, my life has moved on and even though we have great meories of my boys and theri friends in CUBS that is so far int eh rear view mirror I can no longer relate.

 

Burnout.....still enjoying the free time I have since I finished being a scouter.

 

Drama....no more issues with parents, teh drama, popcorn, funds, politics, unrelaible people, difficult people, volunteers who don't do theri job or not enough volunteers etc.

 

God bless those folks who are scouters for 10 or 20 years you hear about, I don't know how they do it. I can't imageine going back to cubs after my kids have moved on to life after scouting.

 

Stigma......I wouldn't want to be a scouter involved in a pack wh's kids are now adults, while the contribution seems nice, it is sort of creepy and in this day and age of child abuse perceptions I wouldn't want o touch it myself.

[Eagle92]

Somebody who doesn't know what they're talking about (but says it loudly anyway) and really doesn't see much value in Cub Scouts as a distinct program with multiple goals in addition to "steady pipeline to the troop" is going to be a problem and piss off hard-working cub leaders to no end.

 

 

So Lisa, when did you move to my council

 

Seriously though, it took all of my self control to stop myself from slapping someone silly over their "Cubs don't need to camp" comments, and he's a friend of mine too. But he no longer deals with Cubs, and hasn't in at least 9 years.