how would you handle this

[Lisabob]

bear dad,

 

Glad to hear you are leading the way in terms of training. It can be challenging to get other adults to commit to attending, but generally speaking, it is worth pursuing with the rest of the pack leadership. Otherwise you will be the only one who has the knowledge, and that can put you at odds with others in terms of vision for where the pack is headed, and also how to get there. Plus it puts a big burden on you, personally (if you are the one and only BALOO person, for example, guess who gets to go on every pack camp out! What happens if you are sick, or working, or whatever.)

 

Couple of things you might try to see about getting others to commit to training.

 

1) personal invite and offer to go together to some training session. It is surprising how many people wouldn't go alone, but will go if you go.

 

2) team up with the CM or CC or both, so the training message is coming from multiple people and not just from you. Some would say 'oh that's just bear dad' and blow you off, but when asked by the CM or CC or both, those same people might sign up for training after all.

 

3) If your pack has a unit commissioner (district volunteer assigned to help your unit identify resources and set up a solid program), your commissioner could be invited to visit an upcoming pack leader meeting to extol the virtues of whatever upcoming training is approaching. Sometimes hearing it from an outsider helps and a good UC is the 'voice of experience' on stuff like this.

 

4) Round Table. If you can get even one or two other pack leaders or parents to go to your district round table with you, they will (hopefully) meet and be impressed by the knowledgeable and friendly scouters in your area. They'll also be more receptive to attending a training session if they've met some of the folks who are likely to be part of the training team (many of whom often attend Round Tables too). If you are really sneaky, you will even let the Round Table folks know that Joe Smith from Pack 123 is coming to next week's RT and Joe needs to be told about the upcoming district Cub Leader Training (or BALOO, or whatever).

 

Good luck, and keep on doing what you are doing.

 

 

[Scoutfish]

I agree with ScoutNut: There is a chance that dad doesn't like the idea of having to drag out and go to scout meetings or fork over the basic dues .

 

A parent can sway a kid easily:

 

"Hey son. you wannna go hang out and do cool stuff? Lets go to scout meeting and learn all kinds of cool skills and stuff!"

 

OR

 

"Do you really wannna go to thos dumb ol'e girly meeting and make construction paper teepees? Besides, you guys should be camping anf hiking or doing cool stuff like that!"

 

I've seen it before, just not in those exact words.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[bear dad]

Lisa Bob,

thanks for the insight, as all the stuff about getting trained, just found out tonight that the upcoming Baloo training that I have paid for already has been cancelled.

Apparently that had some other training that had been postpond and they changed that date to one that Baloo was to be held on. People have already got upset, people on training staff told the higher ups that there packs are planning on going camping in spring that need training.

I just can't catch a break.

Although I am planning on going to another training for Webelo specfic least I will have that done.

 

[DYB-Mike]

Bear Dad,

 

Sorry to hear about the cancellation thats a tough break. Hopefully youll get a refund.

 

A bit of advice if you havent been told already dont hesitate to look for training outside of your District or Council. You may find another District or Council offering just what youre looking for at a time that works for you. There is no rule that you must train in your District or Council.

 

Good Luck.

 

YIS

Mike

 

[Oak Tree]

Scoutfish,

 

If I gave any offense, I apologize. I did indeed realize that you were discussing a hypothetical situation, and I intended for my response to be to that same hypothetical person who might be considering doing the den shooting. I probably should have started the entire post with the sentence "Here's how I'd respond to someone who was planning that."

 

bear dad - I know the thread has wandered from your original question - such is the nature of this and most internet fora.

 

To answer your original question - have any of us had the same type problem? - I'd say yes. I remember one family leaving our pack, they didn't state why, but I felt like it was because we told them they couldn't bring their camper on pack camping trips. People come and go, and you can't please everyone. Still, we try to aim for something that is fun for as many as possible, and if we succeed at that, the program grows.

[Scoutfish]

Nah , it's cool Oak. Thing is:

What I am thinking, what I write, ewhat you read and what you understand are 4 different things. I have to keep teiining myself that the problem may very well be on my end in the way I am saying what I say.

 

Even something as simple as a misplaced or forgotten coma can totally change the way a sentance is read. Add in that my big ole fingers hit the wrong keys or too many at once....well, I'm surprised that more people don't misunderstand me sometimes.

 

I take back what I said to anybody who thought I might have been implying them. I was kinda ill about it, but that being ill might just be my own fault.!

 

[ScoutLass]

We are told each year at Pow-wow that most boys join cub scouting because they think we want to camp all the time. It is how the program is sold. Even the little sheets of paper we hand out at the schools have a boy in a canoe on them so naturally this is what they boys expect.

 

Now, you don't have to go camping to satisfy this. Go to a local park for a den meeting and practice setting up and taking down tents. The boys will have a ball. Alternately, plan a a whole day and run a 'camping skills seminar' either at a nearby campsite or at park. Practice tents, first aid, setting up logs for a fire. Even if you can't have a real fire put on a campfire program with skits. The boys have blast even if they didn't get to sleep outside. It keeps them hooked until you really can go camping.

 

If pack finances are a problem, an outdoor seminar doesn't have to cost anything. have the boys bring their own lunches or assign each boy an item to bring which you can cook on a grill at the park. (hotdogs, chips and drinks or whatever). Give a local troop a call and see if any of the guys want to come over and teach the cubs some outdoor skills, such as shelter-making. The cubs love it when the Boy Scouts hang out with them.