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Baloo's Bugle

 

July Cub Scout Roundtable Issue

Volume 9, Issue 12
August Theme

Circle the Wagons
Webelos Naturalist and Forester
  Tiger Cub Activites

 

PACK ADMIN & TRAINING TIPS

 

The 2003 – 2004 Themes

Just in case you don’t have your 2003-2004 Program helps yet!!

September 2003                               Soaring to New Heights

    Webelos - Communicator, Citizen

October 2003                                              Once Upon a Time

Webelos - Showman, Citizen

November 2003                          Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock

Webelos - Craftsman, Scientist

December 2003                         A Cub Scout Gives Goodwill

Webelos - Craftsman, Scientist

January 2004                                                         Home Alone

Webelos - Fitness, Readyman

February 2004                    Fiesta!  (Blue and Gold Theme)

Webelos - Scholar, Engineer

March 2004                                                Walk in My Shoes

Webelos - Athlete, Engineer

 April 2004                                                           Cubservation

Webelos - Sportsman, Family Member

 May 2004                                                          My Home State

Webelos - Outdoorsman, Handyman

 June 2004                                                                  Cub Rock

Webelos - Traveler, Artist

 July 2004                                                                       Fin Fun

Webelos - Aquanaut, Geologist

  August 2004                                         Scouting the Midway

Webelos - Naturalist, Forester

Looking through my Cub Scout Roundtable Leader’s Guide, I do not see a month earmarked for Pinewood Derby.  I’ll have to go look again!!

 

Fast Start Training on the Web

When you recruit those new leaders for the 2003 – 2004 season (or when you finally sign that parent that helped out all last year) make sure they take FAST START TRAINING right away.  My pack has a copy of the video (courtesy weaver popcorn who makes trail’s End) and a Pack Trainer (my wife!) who is ready to sit down with the new leaders but if you don’t or they are “too busy.”  National has put FAST START TRAINING on the web

www.scouting.org/cubscouts/faststart/ 

So if you can’t get FAST START TRAINING to them, have them take it n the web!!!

And after you get them trained be sure to give them a memorable induction ceremony so the Scouts can see how important the leaders are and the new leaders can feel proud -

Leader Induction Ceremony

National Capital Area Council

Props: 5 candles, candle board with two holes in top and three holes in bottom

Committee Chairperson: Before you is a ceremony board that has five candles in it.  The top two, like the alert ears of a Wolf, represent the two upright fingers of the Cub Scout sign.  They mean to OBEY and TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE.

The three candles at the bottom represent the folded fingers of our Cub Scout sign.  These three fingers stand for the three secret letters in our law; F--H--G.  These letters mean FOLLOWS, HELPS, GIVES.  They also mean FAIR, HAPPY, GAME, and, finally, they can remind us of something each Cub Scout respects: FREEDOM, HOME and GOD.

All of our leaders want to do their best to teach Cub Scouts to learn to follow, to help, to give, to be fair and happy, whatever the game might be, and to respect their freedom, home and God.

Will the new leaders please come forward?  Please repeat after me:

I,       , promise to do my best, to help the Cub Scouts in my den and in my Pack to do their best, to help other people, and to do their duty to God and their country, and to obey the Law of the Pack.

As Chairperson of Pack     , I take pleasure in presenting to you your registration cards and badges of office and personally welcome you into active leadership in Cub Scouting.  May the days ahead be happy, great and fair.

Be a S.T.A.R –

Scouter That Attends Roundtable

You Ask What Is Roundtable

Cub Scout Leader Book

Available at your Scout Shop

Cub Scout leader roundtables are held monthly on a district basis.  Den and pack leaders join for fun and fellowship while learning new tricks, stunts, games crafts, ceremonies, songs, and skits related to the theme and Webelos activity badges for the following month.  There are also opportunities for sharing ideas and activities with leaders from other packs.

After attending the roundtable each month, your leaders will come to your pack leaders' meeting well-informed and ready to complete plans for your den and pack program for the next month.

Check with your unit commissioner to find out when and where your monthly roundtable is held.

Well I guess that is what Roundtable is in pretty plain language but it doesn’t tell of all the fun the leaders have playing Cubs Scouts making crafts, singing songs (I always do at least two), cheers and other such stuff. It doesn’t talk about the camaraderie felt when you have 50 to 70 Cub Scout Leaders together all trying to bring a better program to the boys. 

 

ROUNDTABLE –

Where you get the skill to do

And

The will to do !!!

 This article was in Baloo last month but it is important and I thought it was worth repeating (especially since this is the summer).  I am still looking for activities for Character Connections.  See address below. 

WOLF CUB SCOUT, BEAR CUB SCOUT, AND WEBELOS SCOUT HANDBOOKS TO BE REVISED

 

My council recently received a letter from Alan Westberg, Director - Cub Scout Division, BSA, about upcoming revisions to the Wolf, Bear and Webelos Books.  He states the change is part of efforts to help leaders deliver a quality Cub Scouting program and to ensure that Cub Scout materials remain current and age-appropriate.  The content of the current handbooks has been enhanced. They have been updated for relevance to today's youth, appropriateness of content, ease of use, and perceived challenge to the reader. 

 

He continues, “We have maintained many of the current elements in these books that have proven successful during the past. We have eliminated topics that have become dated and do not challenge today's Cub Scouts and their families. Some specific revisions are as follows:

 

·         Integrated Character Connections (that draw on Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values) directly into selected requirements in each book

·         Infused age-appropriate outdoor program activities into both the requirements and the electives in each book.

·         Enhanced the advancement and elective trails to create a progressively more challenging pathway that logically prepares boys for the next rank in Cub Scouting and prepares Webelos Scouts for Boy Scouting

·         Reformatted and enhanced the Webelos handbook, particularly, the Webelos badge and Arrow of Light Award requirements.

 

In an effort to assist you end your leaders with the transition from the current handbooks to the new handbooks, we have created the following implementation plan.

 

·         The enhanced Wolf, Bear end Webelos handbooks will be released to the field in July 2003.

·         The enhancements to the requirements in these books will not affect the advancement trails of boys who are using the current books. They are to continue using their current books until they have completed all requirements in those books.

·         Based on availability, Cub Scouting youth members may use either the current handbook or the new handbook. As boys enter the program or advance in rank by the dates indicated below, they are required to use the new books.

-          Boys who become Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts after August 1, 2004, will be required to use the new book for the corresponding rank.

-          Boys who become Webelos Scouts after August 1, 2005, will be required to use the new Webelos Scout Handbook.”

The letter concludes by recommending that the transition information be given to your Cub Scouting leaders and families before public announcement about the new books to help alleviate any concerns regarding the need to switch from the current handbooks to the new ones.

 

Comment from Commissioner Dave –

 

This sounds really good to me.  I see more outdoor activities for our Cub Scouts.  That uses Scouting’s strengths.  I see help for Leaders in understanding how their activities fit with Cub Scouting’s Core Values and Purposes. There is an article in the March–April 2003 Scouting Magazine that begins to explain Character Connections, Core Values and Cub Scouts.  There is a BSA Bin item, # 13-323A, referenced in the article as a resource to learn more. When requested, Bin items are provided free from National to your local council. So ask your District Exec or Local Council to get you a copy. It looks like most of the brochure’s info is at http://wtsmith.com/rt/ethicsinaction.html.  There are now requirements in the National Den Award and Cub Scout Leader Recognition Plan for Character Connection Activities.  The literature stresses the point that Character Connections use the regular activities but focus on the Core values.  I am looking for activities to use as examples for my roundtables. If you have info for me on this, write me at commissionerdave@comcast.net.

 


 


 

 

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