TRAINING TIP

Go To Pow Wow

What Is Cub Leader Pow Wow?

Pow Wow is designed to be a day of learning, while having fun. Simply stated, it is the finest one-day supplemental training offered in the BSA - guaranteed to give you confidence and skills necessary for an exciting program. This training offers a variety of courses designed to give additional information on specific areas of Cub Scouting.

Some of the methods touched upon in basic training are treated in greater depth in Cub Scout Leader Pow Wow. There are no prerequisites as this training is intended to enrich your program experience.

Who Should Attend?

Pow Wow is designed for everyone involved in the Cub Scouting program. Add pizzazz to your den or pack program - GUARANTEED!

The Pow Wow season is upon us!!  Looking at the Pow Wow dates that are submitted for Baloo, I see there are three main times for Pow Wow – November, January an March.  The first is here – these are the Pow Wows that aim to get everyone a great start and fire them up for the year.  In January we try and combat a mid year lull and give you stuff to keep you excited through the summer and then get you started on the right foot in September.  The March Pow Wows are your first info on the coming year of Scouting.

Pow Wows are one of the things that keep me in Scouting. They are always fun and always hands on.  I love seeing brochures for Pow Wows with 30 plus sessions and lots of fun and games.  I worry about Pow Wows with only a few sessions and the descriptions read like a long day of dry training sessions.

Pow Wow is where you, the leader, get to be a Cub Scout.  Where you get to play the games, where you make the crafts.  To use my roundtable slogan – You get the will to do and the skill to do.

So if you have a new leader who needs friendly nudge or an experienced leader who needs new ideas – GO TO POW WOW!!  They are for everyone!!

Unit Leadership Enhancements

Tucked away in Chapter 28 of my Cub Scout Leader Book are 15 Unit Leadership Enhancement Outlines.  These are short reviews of Training Topics.  It is intended that one of these be reviewed at every pack committee meeting.  In a few minutes you can review an entire facet of Scouting (e.g. Pack Meetings or Cub Scout Camping) and get the answers you need.

So the next time your Pack is struggling with something  (or better yet – before they struggle but you sense something amiss e.g. Annual Program Planning or Family Involvement) turn to chapter 28 and see if there is a Unit Leadership Enhancement exercise you can do to set your Pack back on the right course!!!

B.A.L.O.O. Training

Excerpted from Northern NJ Council and

Boston Minuteman Council

What is B.A.L.O.O.? It is an acronym for Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation. A basic outdoor training to understand the laws of BSA camp programming and acquire the skills & confidence to plan Cub Scout camping, by increasing your knowledge of the resources available from BSA, and to carry out a Cub Scout camping activity. You will be learning how to run a successful Cub Scout camping activity using national and local council standards as guidelines. 

B.A.L.O.O. is fun and learning that prepares pack leaders to plan and carry out "entry-level" outdoor experiences. Ask a boy why he wants to be a Cub Scout, and nine times out of 10 he'll answer "to go camping." That's why Cub Scouting has introduced B.A.L.O.O. training, so boys, along with their parents or some other adult, can participate in a successful overnight camping experience.

 A pack camp-out, at a location approved by the local council, is a great way for families to have fun and build confidence in outdoor skills. This kind of camping isn't the rugged high adventure outing geared toward older Boy Scouts. It's what you might call "soft camping," where families can simply drive up to a campsite and pitch a tent within a few feet of their vehicle's rear bumper. The emphasis is on family fun activities that don't require lots of advanced outdoor skills.

 How do you get started? A member of your pack committee needs to attend B.A.L.O.O. training. The B.A.L.O.O. session will give your pack's outdoor activity leader the tools to conduct a safe and successful overnight.

First there are sessions about the why and how of Cub Scout camping—planning, equipment, meal preparation, campfire programs.  Then there are hands on sessions about fire safety, stoves, and lanterns; first aid and sanitation; nature hikes and games; and cooking. Scattered throughout the training are plenty of the four S's: songs, stunts, stories, and showmanship. With proper planning and your BALOO-trained leader, your pack should be set for a fun and exciting weekend event.

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