FOCUS

Cub Scout Roundtable Planning Guide

Cub Scouts enjoy a month of entertainment, with dens practicing skits, songs run-ons, and applauses as part of their advancement.  They enjoy making costumes and experimenting with clown make up as they prepare to share their talents at the monthly pack meeting when the ringmaster (Cubmaster) calls them to the center ring.

CORE VALUES

Cub Scout Roundtable Planning Guide

Some of the purposes of Cub Scouting developed through this month’s theme are:

ü       Family Understanding, Cub Scouts and their family members work together on their projects, costumes and advancements.

ü       Respectful Relationships,  Working together in their dens each Cub Scout learns that he is part of a team that must work together to be the best it can be, whether presenting a skit or playing a game.

ü       Fun and Adventure, A circus is always fun and exciting.  As boys prepare for the pack meeting, they will discover new and exciting things to do.

The core value highlighted this month is:

ü       Compassion, Clowns wear their emotions on their sleeves, inviting the audience to share in their feelings.   As the Cub Scouts go through their achievements, they learn that each of us has different strengths and weaknesses, and they learn to lend a helping hand when they can.

Can you think of others??? Hint – look in your Cub Scout Program Helps.  It lists different ones!! All the items on both lists are applicable!!  You could probably list all twelve if you thought about it!!

COMMISSIONER’S CORNER

I received a “New Den leader’s Kit” to help prep for our Summer Roundtable.  It is really great. Make sure you get enough for all your new leaders.  There is a “Program Helps” pamphlet for September, October and November.  And a special edition based on a theme of “Bobcats All” In “Bobcats All” there are plans for Wolf and Bear Dens to earn their Bobcat badge while doing fun stuff and a plan for a new Webelos Den to earn their Bobcats while completing the Sportsman Activity Award!!  There is a CD with all the Fast Start Training sessions and on the CD is an Adobe (.pdf) copy of the viewers guide for you to print out.  The viewers guide is neat.  It has plans for the crafts the boys are making in the Den Meeting that is occurring on the Fast Start tape.  So if your new leader says, “Hey, that doesn’t look too hard.  Maybe I’ll try it.”  You can tell the leader, here are the plans to do that.  We are going to add Pack and Roundtable calendars to our kits before we pass them out.

At Summer Roundtable we, also, reviewed Fall Round Up and Year Round Recruiting.  The new “Fall Round Up Resources for the Pack” is another great kit every pack should use.  The new emphasis on peer-to-peer recruiting, “My Best Friend is a Scout,” is sure to help you recruit.  National is really behind this plan.  So much so that National Council and the Regions are funding the recruiting incentives being offered to the boys and units through this plan.  Get on this wagon and have your Cubs bring in their best friends!!!

Just before typing this section I checked out http://www.joincubscouting.org/ It is up and running. Work this into your recruiting efforts.  It opens with the Wolf talking to you.   There are four games for boys to play right on the home page.  And a link to find a pack.  Put in a ZIP Code and it brings up your local council and a list of packs. 

In the Philadelphia area there is a coordinated recruiting effort with Channel 10 (who is carrying the Olympics.) for advertising and recruiting with a toll free number to call.  All the council’s in the Channel 10, Philadelphia area, are sponsoring this effort.  They have an Eagle Scout on their Sports staff.  The people who answer the toll free number (We have been told it will not be a tape) will contact the appropriate council to give them  the person’s name and info.

Every once in awhile I get a little comeuppance (Probably more often than you think) for things I have done wrong or even right.  I do appreciate the letters you send telling me when I am wrong.  It lets me know that you care about your Scouts.  This month there were two events I need to tell you about –

Whittlin’ Chip Cards –

Commissioner Amanda

I was reading your publication and saw your article regarding Whittling Chips and how it is tradition in many places to remove a corner of the card for bad or not-learned-well-enough behavior.  Actually, at a "National" training session I attended in April, it was announced that this practice is not acceptable to BSA and should be stopped. This practice is considered a form of humiliation and / or harassment to the boy in question because it singles him out and publicly shows his bad behavior (the defaced BSA card).  In addition, since the boy had to "learn and earn" the Whittling Chip he should know the proper way to handle his knife.  If he is not following directions and / or handling his knife properly, the Whittling Chip should simply be taken away and it must be re-earned. The thought is that a boy with bad behavior or improper handling techniques should not be wielding a knife at all.  The two do not mix well.  My experience is that the boys lose their corners more for goofing around than for not understanding the proper technique. 

As a Day Camp Director with an aquatics program, I subscribe to the same thought, a boy who cannot follow rules and listen to this leader should not be anywhere near water - (or handling a knife.)

At this training, I learned there are a few things we do and have done for years that National frowns upon - the tearing of the Whittling Chip card is just one.   Naturally, I have shared this info with my Scouters.  Thought you'd like to know. Commissioner Amanda

The other is a funny story.

While at Philmont, I bought a copy of the “Live From the Tooth” (or Philsongs II) CD.  This is a collection of Philmont Campfire songs sung by former staff members.  One of the songs on the CD is the “Apples and Bananas” song.  Complete with the verse for each vowel.  Well believe it or not, old Commissioner Dave had never heard this song before buying the CD.  When I heard it, I instantly said – A CUB SCOUT SONG!!!  Well, as you have guessed – every other Cub Scout leader with whom I have spoken knows the song!!  None of them believe me that I never heard it before.  So when I ask for input for themes, please send it. I still have a lot to learn.

Pictures

According to the Santa Clara County Council Pow Wow book these month’s had similar theme’s, so you might want to check old Program Helps, issues of Baloo and old Leaders to see what they have –

May 2000 – Abracadabra!

Jan. 2003 - Strike Up the Band

Also, be sure to check the July 2004 issue on the August 2004 theme, Scouting the Midway.  I recall putting in a lot of circus stuff there.

And talking of Pow Wow Books.  It is that time of year again when my books are running out.  I will need new material for this year if I am to keep bringing you quality issues of Baloo.  Last year I received many fine Pow Wow books.  I can make the same offer again this year – I will trade one of the Pow Wow Book CDs from our Pow Wow for one of yours. Now if you are a regular Baloo reader you probably have noticed that I lean on certain books more than others.  The keys to getting your Council’s Pow Wow Book into Baloo are – Having it organized either by theme or with a theme section for each month in each chapter (songs, games, cheers, …).  Also, Word or HTML files that I can edit directly helps.  When a CD has all Adobe (.pdf) files I must print it then OCR scan it before processing.  This becomes very time consuming.  Many months I don’t have the time to do that or to read through books not organized by theme looking for theme material.   Thank you in advance for your support in helping me to get a lot of new books.

Commissioner Dave