PACK ADMIN & TRAINING TIPS
Want a Pack or Den scrapbook in a hurry?? Want a
pile of Pack pictures to help with recruiting?? Want a way to get those Tigers
working on their Family scrapbook?? I’m sure you know achievements and
electives and Activity Badge requirements where a photograph may be great to
show at Pack Meeting. Anyway, when I read this suggestion, I thought it would
be great to use to have 100’s of pictures for your “Join Scouting Night” to
show the new boys!! You could do as suggested and have everyone take their
whole roll of film on one day or give them cameras before a week at camp or
before an especially busy Scouting week. Great idea, Thanks !! CD
A Day in the
Life
Pack 561, Valley Lee, MD
For the "Lights, Camera, ACTION!"
theme I bought a disposable camera for each Cub Scout in my den and handed
them out at the first den meeting of the month. The assignment was called "A
Day in the Life of Den 2." On the Saturday following the den meeting each Cub
Scout took his camera everywhere he went, taking pictures of people and things
important to him. At the next den meeting I collected all the cameras and had
the film developed. When all the pictures were back we put together a
scrapbook of our individual adventures! Using a scanner, each scout received
an electronic copy of the scrapbook.
***Getting
Started***
This is the month that most units
kick off their new year. Why is it that some units seem so much more
successful than others? What is their key to success? Let me give you some
ideas:
First off, get organized-----this
doesn’t start in September. Your unit needs an annual planning conference,
preferably in June, to plan the upcoming year. Look at the monthly themes,
discuss what your unit will do and set dates for yearly events such as Blue &
Gold and Pinewood Derby. Look at the council calendar. Know when your
Webelos may be camping and take advantage of Cub Programs offered to
supplement your unit’s program.
Make your recruitment night fun----
Remember, when the boy goes home telling his mom and dad what a good time he
had, it has a favorable impression on those who are just thinking of joining
scouts. Have activities for children to do while parents are getting their
required information of the cub program. Play games, sing songs, make a simple
neckerchief slide (I don’t know of any Cub Scout who hasn’t lost at least one
of his slides). (With the Soaring theme for September – do something
with Kite Flying – make kites (See item on “20 Kites in 20 Minutes in this
month’s Baloo), give lessons on flying, have a competition – what ever you
feel fits best for your area and pack)
Keep your information session
simple and have handouts for parents. Make sure they have a name and number
of someone within your unit to contact should they have questions or just want
to talk.
Get trained. The Scout
Leader Essentials Course, and Cub Scout Leader Position Specific Training
courses have excellent videos and lots of useful information. Every adult
volunteer within the scout program needs to take the appropriate “Fast Start
Training” for his or her position This is now available on-line at
http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/faststart/,
this is a great first step. New Leader Essentials answers most of those ‘How
do I get started questions’ about Boy Scouts of America and how three levels –
Cub Scouts, boy Scouts and Venturing work together. Cub Leader Specific
Training gets into the information specific for each position. In addition,
Youth Protection Training should be taken every 2-3 years as recommended by
national. And don’t forget
Roundtables---these monthly
training sessions offer program ideas a month in advance using the monthly
themes for cubs. You get to play Cub Scout and experience the ideas
from your Cubs point of view!!
Get to know your support people
and their role. Who is your Chartered Organization Rep? Did you know
your district provides you with a commissioner? Who is your District
Executive and when can you contact him for questions and problems? Understand
that you don’t have to do this job all by yourself. There are ones out there
in the scouting community that can help, offer advice and sometimes even just
listen. Get to know your Roundtable Commissioner, he/she can be a
tremendous source of ideas and you might even be able to get the Commissioner
or a staff member to come help you run a den meeting!!
Are you on the Internet?
Get connected! There are always a few good sites at the back of Baloo but
there are hundreds more!!! I could spend many pages just listing websites
supporting the scouting program and offering ideas.
Always Be Flexible.
Sometimes the best plans will go awry. It is truly not the end of the
world. Laugh it off and go on to something else.
Have fun! If we look like we are
having fun, then others will have fun also.
Pack Adults’ Meeting
September is the month to orient
all Pack adults (hopefully those thinking about being pack Adults) on the Cub
Scouting Program. Make it entertaining while you explain your goals,
organization, plans and needs for the year. Be specific on financial
contributions and expectations of the family for support of their son.
Highlight training opportunities. And make sure the boys and their siblings
are having fun doing something Scouting related while you talk!!
21st
Century Wood Badge
Taken
all the basic training?? Been to Webelos leaders Outdoor Training?? Then go
for the gold - 21st Century Wood Badge, the advanced
leadership training program for ALL adult leaders of the Boy Scouts of
America. Established in 1919 by Scouting’s founder Robert Baden-Powell, Wood
Badge has been the training ground for hundreds of thousands of Scouters
throughout the world. It is the only internationally recognized training
award.
Through the years, Wood Badge has evolved to provide leaders with the skills
they need to strengthen today’s Scouting programs in meaningful ways. The
latest version of Wood Badge represents the most significant changes in the
program since the early 1970s. Building on the past, understanding the
present, and looking to the future, 21st Century Wood Badge stands
ready to provide leadership for Scouting and leadership for America.
The 21st
Century Wood Badge course brings together leaders from all areas of
Scouting—Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing.
Reflecting the best of nearly a century of Scouting experience, 21st
Century Wood Badge also, draws upon the most current leadership models used by
corporate America, academic circles, and successful outdoor leadership
organizations throughout the country to provide leaders with the skills to
bring their units’ programs to the next higher level!!
Recognize your Committee People
and All Your Units Volunteers
One of
the best ways to keep your leaders and other volunteers coming back is to
recognize them for all their efforts. The Committee Chair and Cubmaster
should take care to see that all leaders who have completed the requirements
for official recognitions (Tiger Leader, Den Leader, Webelos Leader,
Cubmaster, Cub Scouter) receive them. But what about all those other people
who help you out?? The Blue and Gold Chair? The picnic chair? The Mom or
Dad who is always there to drive? The travel coordinator or reservation maker?
It is important to recognize these people, too. Here is a ceremony that does
just that -
Wingman (Top Gun) Award Recognition Ceremony
Viking Council
Need: Space Derby award, model or toy plane that has been made into an
award, or other homemade award item.
Props: A ‘Top Gun’ poster, or model airplane, or some other special
gift or award or certificate. (Optional: Edited videotape of first five
minutes of the movie ‘Top Gun’.)
Instructions: Show movie clip if you have one, or explain what happens
in the first five minutes where Maverick rescues the pilot who has been badly
shaken up and is flying off course.
AKELA: "Can anyone tell me what 'flying in fingertip formation' means?
(Wait for response.) That is where the lead pilot is out in front like your
middle finger (hold up your hand) and the other planes or 'wingmen' escort him
by flying just behind on either side and then others just behind them, etc.
"The
purpose of this formation is to help the lead plane complete its mission. His
eyes are set on the target, and he is not supposed to have to worry about
enemy aircraft sneaking up on him. The wingmen protect him by scanning the
surrounding skies for danger, and engaging the enemy in combat, if necessary,
to protect the lead plane and allow him to complete his mission and provide
support. They help him stay on course. On other missions, the wingmen become
the lead pilot and need wingmen of their own to complete their assignments.
"We
have a lot of goals, or missions in life, and in order to succeed we need to
have 'wingmen' or good friends who help us stay on course and protect us from
the 'enemy'. We also have many occasions to be 'wingmen' for someone else who
might be straying off course. We can gently guide them back into formation by
providing support and alerting them of danger approaching.
"Some
of the dangers you need to help your friends avoid are drugs, stealing,
cheating, swearing, and other 'enemies' that will prevent them from completing
their mission in life or throw them off course.
" Will
(name ____________) please come forward? Tonight, we present an award to an
excellent 'wingman'. It is the TOP GUN 'WINGMAN' award for your help
with …. To be a Top Gun pilot is to be among the best in the world. Being the
best does not always mean being the leader. In this case, being the best means
being a great 'wingman'. Your devoted friendship has elevated you UP THERE
WITH THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!" (PRESENT AWARD)
New Emergency Preparedness Award
My pack decided at its Annual Program Planning
Meeting that we are going to go for 100% of our Scouts and Leaders earning
this Award. It is that important. And its all on the web – almost no
paper!! CD
The Boy Scouts of America has announced it is joining
with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure the nation’s youth are
prepared for any situation. The United
States Department of Homeland Security is supporting the Boy Scouts of America
in developing a campaign to help citizens across the country prepare for
emergencies of all kinds. The new
initiative—Emergency Preparedness BSA—builds upon the organization’s
well-known legacy of emergency and safety training.
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is pleased to
partner with the Boy Scouts of America to promote preparedness for both youth
and adults,” said Michael
Brown, undersecretary for emergency preparedness and response.
“By continuing to build upon the foundation of the department’s Ready
campaign, we will work together to explore additional ways to make emergency
preparedness information available to Scouts and Scouters alike.”
Roy L. Williams, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts
of America, said the initiative is the most recent in a long line of community
service projects Scouts have undertaken in support of the nation. “From its
very inception, Scouting has taught our nation’s youth to do their best, to do
their duty to God and country, and to be prepared,” said Williams. “The
emergencies of today’s world demand more than ever that our young people and
adults be trained to deal with many different situations, both as individuals
and families.”
When youth participants and adult volunteers fulfill the
requirements for the new Emergency Preparedness BSA award, they will earn a
pin and recognition certificate. For every level and age group, there are
age-appropriate tasks and curriculum for members from Cub Scouts and Boy
Scouts to BSA adult volunteers.
Age-specific requirements include:
·
Taking the Red Cross First Aid for Children Today course,
·
Joining a safe kids program such as McGruff Child
Identification,
·
Building a family emergency kit,
·
Completing Scouting merit badges such as First Aid and Emergency
Preparedness,
·
Developing a pack or troop preparedness plan, and
·
Taking first aid and CPR courses from appropriate agencies.
“The Department of Homeland
Security has three essential missions: preventing a terrorist attack, reducing
our vulnerability to an attack, and third, being prepared to respond quickly
and effectively,” Brown said. “We see the BSA and its membership being key to
all three missions.”
“We look forward to a strong
relationship with the Department of Homeland Security and helping our members
be prepared,” Williams said.
For more information about
requirements for the new Emergency Preparedness BSA initiative, log on to the
Boy Scouts of America’s official Web site,
www.scouting,org and push the Emergency Preparedness
button
