TRAINING TIP
Ideas for
a GREAT Pack Meeting
and
Getting a Little Help While You’re at it
Pac Sky Council
I found this great
bit of advice on the Pacific Skyline council Website,
http://www.pacsky.org, and thought I would
share it with you. It fits real good as you should be preparing for your
Annual Program Planning Meeting and looking for ideas to spice up each
months Pack Meeting Show. Commissioner Dave
Pack Meeting Essentials
Family oriented — must be
fun for the whole family
Good meeting site and
logistics (however, don’t be afraid to use alternative meeting sites
during the year)
Invest
in a small sound system
Establish a strong theme
for each meeting and have fun with the theme
If you have more than 10
kids, set up a rotation of activities/games whenever possible
Always give out awards;
make every kid receiving an award feel like it’s their special moment
Always recognize new Scouts
and any kids just there checking the pack out along with their parents and
any other family members
Keep meetings to between
one and one-and-one-half hours
Involve the dens in the
program (parents are there to see their kids in action)
ü
Have dens help with set-up and clean-up
ü
Rotate responsibility for opening and closing ceremonies
ü
Ask dens to put-on a skit or lead a song at least 2 or 3 times
during the year
Have meeting program done
well in advance of the meeting; review draft program with pack committee and
solicit their input
Have handouts covering
upcoming pack activities (a hike, Scouting for Food, etc.)
Have
a good gathering activity
ü
“Find someone who” scavenger hunt game
ü
Have Displays (Pinewood Derby cars before the Pinewood Derby
races)
ü
Feather games
ü
Find someone with a coin in their pocket game
ü
Have an area set aside where kids can learn and practice knot
tying
ü
Nature scavenger hunt outdoors during warm weather months
ü
Put out stamps on a table which kids can go through (and
ultimately keep) as they arrive
Don’t be afraid to bring
in outside talent
ü
Someone with interesting stories about your community’s
history
ü
A local community figure or athlete
Recognize adult leaders
as often as you can
ü
Mention a successful den activity that a den leader led during
the month
ü
Tie recognition to event (recognize popcorn chair when popcorn
awards are presented to Scouts)
ü
Have den leaders help with awards presentations
ü
Have activity/program chairs make announcements and help with
recognizing Scout participants
ü
Special recognition at first pack meeting of the year and at
the Blue and Gold dinner
ü
Develop some type of “Spirit” award that is presented to a den
each month
Offer one or more games for
Scouts and siblings to play
Cubmaster’s minute
Optional program items for
a Pack meeting:
ü
Songs
ü
Craft project
ü
Story
Uniform inspection in
January
Dim the lights whenever you
can to add a special effect to opening and closing ceremonies
Visual presentation – it’s really a Pack show not a Pack Meeting
ü
Ask one or more parents to take pictures or videos at your
pack meetings.
ü
Power Point presentation of various pack pictures taken during
the year, set to music
ü
Show a compilation of some of the videos taken at pack
activities.
Pack
meeting theme/location ideas:
ü
Conduct a campfire program at a local park; roast marshmallows
afterwards
ü
Raingutter regatta pack meeting with a fun pirate theme
Walk the plank (kids walk
forward blindfolded on a 2x4) pin the tail on the pirate game
Raingutter regatta boat
racing area
Area where kids can make
paper pirate hats and hooks
Magnetic fishing game area
ü
Pinewood derby pack meeting (if you don’t have a track,
partner with another unit which does)
ü
Hold a pack meeting in the dining/activities room of a local
senior community (works best around Christmas) and invite all of the seniors
to attend.
You can hand out door prizes
in a raffle fashion (seniors love raffles)
You can donate a Christmas
tree and help the seniors decorate it that evening
Scout families can bring
holiday treats to share with seniors
Scouts can adopt a senior and
send that senior a Christmas card (you should see the Scout’s face when the
senior sends a return card addressed to that Scout)
You can also sing Christmas
carols with the seniors and offer various holiday crafts activities
ü
Hold a pack meeting in a local park during a warm weather
month and tailor the program accordingly. You can also work with the
city/county to have them suggest a service project which could be performed
just prior to the start of your pack meeting (i.e. Service project from
6:30-7:30; pack meeting from 7:30-8:15)
Ideas for your in the Park
Meeting -
Knot tying
First aid
ü
Capture the flag game
ü
Conduct a pack Olympics
ü
Conduct a pack bike rally
ü
Native American theme with a local Native American dance team
and/or storyteller.
ü
Teamwork theme with a rotation of games designed to cultivate
teamwork within each den:
Treasure hunt outdoors (den
works together to solve clues)
Kim’s game
Team shuffleboard
Cub Scout knowledge relay
race
ü
Model rocketry theme (make the rockets at your pack meeting
and then shoot them off the next Saturday morning)
