TRAINING TIPS

Selling the Cub Scout Program
Bill Smith, the Roundtable Guy

It’s easy enough to sell Cub Scouting to the boys. They join for fun and adventure. The uniform and the badges don’t hurt either. I know from personal experience that words like CAMP, BOWS AND AROOWS, and BB GUNS create magical images to Cub Scout age boys.  The National Council, for reason I have yet to understand, has recently been emphasizing pinewood derbies as their major recruiting tool.

The trick is that we must also sell our program to parents and our chartered partners. Not all parents will be swayed by just fun and adventure. Some may even be turned off by camping or bb-guns. We may lure a few adults by pushing our PWDs but our packs need adult help in other areas as well. What, then, will convince those parents who come to our roundups with their sons that this Cub Scouting thing is worth their time, their support and their efforts?

What sort of adults do you want to step forward and participate in your pack’s program? Who will make good den leaders or committee members? The way we sell our program determines what kind of leadership our packs will have in the future. Remember also that many Scoutmasters started out as a leader in a pack. Those parents who are walking into your roundup this month represent the future of Scouting.

Here are a few ideas you may want to include in your talk to the parents of new Cub Scouts.

Educational Goals:
Scouting is primarily, an educational program.

• The program teaches boys a complex of moral and ethical traits that promote self-reliance, self-discipline, self-confidence and self respect.
• We teach young men the duties, obligations, privileges and functions of citizenship.
• We promote healthy, drug free, growth and developing physical skills.
• We practice mental skills of judgment, problem solving, concentration and imagination.
  

Family Goals:

The family is the basis of the Cub Scout program. Cub Scouts exists to supportfamilies and help enrich family activities.  These activities promote the relationship of the family to the Scouting program and importance of the family in the development of the Cub Scout age boy. Cub Scouting gives families sets of age appropriate activities structured so that parents and other family members have considerable control of how the Cub Scout grows.

Leadership Goals:

The Boy Scout program emphasizes leadership, independence and self reliance. The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.

Citizenship training:

• From the very beginning, Scouts are taught to love, and do their duty to their country.
• Citizenship is taught in many ways: to understand how government works, to participate in representative government, to handle responsibilities.
• We expect each Scout to grow up to be a valuable member of his community.

Character development:

• We expect all members to do their best, to help other people, and to be trustworthy.
• As the boy grows older, we expect him to live by the Scout Oath and Law at all times.
• No activity, no course of action is acceptable if he violates these ideals.

Character development should extend into every aspect of a boy's life. Character development should also extend into every aspect of Cub Scouting. Cub Scout leaders should strive to use Cub Scouting s 12 core values throughout all elements of the program — service projects, ceremonies, games, skits, songs crafts and all the other activities enjoyed at den and pack meetings

Cub Scout Academic program:

A series of projects that expand a boy's ability and appreciation of 17 academicareas: Art, Astronomy, Chess, Citizenship, Collecting, Communicating, Computers, Language and Culture, Geography, Geology, Heritages, Map and Compass, Mathematics, Music, Science, Weather, and Wildlife Conservation

Boy Scout Merit Badge Program:

Specialty programs that cover an expansive array of subjects: recreational, academic, technical, public service, industrial and commercial.  Scouts choose the areas of interest, but some are required for rank advancement.

Webelos Activity Badge program:

There are twenty programs that include citizenship, athletics, geology, science, dramatics, naturalist, and more, for boys in grades 4 and 5. They supplement the standard grades 4 and 5 school curricula.

Flexible program:

• Scouting is designed to fit the needs of the individual boy and his family. Although the Boy Scouts of America has firm policies to protect its members and to ensure we achieve the aims of our program: character development, citizenship training and fitness, our methods are varied and are adaptable to many situations.
• Self paced advancement: Boys advance at their own rate. We believe that each individual should be judged, not by arbitrary standards, but whether or not he did his best.

We have a great program that can have a profound influence on the life of a growing boy. Let us work hard to recruit the best leaders.

Parent's Pledge and Cub Scout Promise A helpful flyer for parents to see their pledge and Cub Scouts to learn the Cub Scout Promise, Motto, Law of the Pack, Handshake, and salute go tohttp://www.cubroundtable.com/miscellaneous.htm

Remember for your new leaders – Fast Start training and Youth Protection training is available on-line -

Fast Start traininghttp://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/faststart/

Youth Protection Onlinehttp://www.scouting.org/pubs/ypt/ypt.jsp