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
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.
