PACK ADMIN HELPS

Planning Outings 101
Occoneechee Council

An affective outdoor program, full of outings, day trips, day camp, resident camp, and pack overnighters should be the corner stone of any great pack program! Something as simple as a hike down the community bike/hike trail to a long-term camping experience will bring added value and awareness to your program.

However, BSA has a number of policies on how to get your den or pack out of the “hut” and into the great outdoors!

Ten Elements of Planning

It goes without saying that without planning, we would never get anywhere! Great activities just don’t happen! Plan, plan and plan some more! It is good idea to hold a planning meeting once every 6 months to review the next 18 months worth of plans! This gives you the chance to make sure your upcoming events are being handled and are on track. It is also a good idea to ask one person to be in charge of each outing! Also keep these in mind:

• Objective: make sure your activities meet the purpose of Cub Scouting, and provide opportunities for physical, spiritual, mental/emotional & social growth.
• Theme: remember your monthly theme!
• Fun: It has to fun, or they won’t come! Make sure your plan is fun for boys and family.
• Variety: Try not to do the same thing over and over and over! Everyone loves a trip to the fire station, but by the time a boy becomes a WEBELOS, he’s been, there done that!
• Action: Boys do, to learn! Sitting in a room and listening to someone go, blah, blah, blah is no fun! Keep the action rolling!
• Boy Appeal: Scouting is age appropriate! Make sure your activity is right for your group! Don’t expect a Tiger to keep up with the WEBELOS.
• Family Appeal: Cub Scouting means family! Activities should help to strengthen and enrich families.
• Resources: make good use of all of your people, facilities, materials & equipment. Use the talents and skills of all of your family members!
• Achievement: Remember recognition! Use beads, try and complete arrow points, and achievements with your program!
• Flexibility: Have a plan “B” just in case – be prepared to change the program if needed, and remember those teachable moments!

So What Do We Do After We Plan, Plan & Plan?

• Budget, budget & budget! Make sure you have the funds and resources to work your plan!
• There are 4 general sources for funds in scouting. There are: the boy & his family, your chartered organization, the pack & the community!
• Decide how you are going to pay for your units activities and work it!

Hummmm… Resources!

Don’t go it alone! Use your family members to act as events chairman and help make the reservations, and follow up on all the lose ends! This is a great way to pull that reluctant adult in to a far more productive role in your unit.

So, Where Do We Go?

There are hundreds of great places to take your pack! Find a bike trail and take a family bike trip and plan a picnic. Go to the zoo, a museum, a concert, a play, see a battleship, or a battle field! Just take a walk! Sometime the simplest is the best!

But A Few More Things Before You Go!

TOUR PERMITS: Local tour permits are required for trips and camps when you travel less than 500 miles.  They should be filed at least 2 weeks prior to any scheduled event with your local council office. You can fax them to most (maybe all?) council offices.

NATIONAL TOUR PERMIT APPLICATION: For any trip over 500 miles one way and tours outside of the USA, a national Tour Permit needs to be filed at least one month prior to the event!

The permit needs to be in the possession of the group leader at all times.

IN TOWN TRIPS – Although some short, in-town trips may not require a local tour permit; I prefer to file a tour permit for any outing! - Experience has taught me that the first time we skip it for the den-parent bike or hike, then we bend it for another trip to the fire house, & then what’s another 25 miles to the zoo, we keep finding ways around filing the permit, until we aren’t filing them at all! As a Den Leader I always completed one and gave it to my Cub Master, even for the small trips.)

PERMISSION SLIPS - It is strongly recommended that permission slips be obtained from parents for every trip.

AUTOMOBILES:

• You need to enforce reasonable travel speed, in accordance with local & state laws.
• All drivers must have a valid driver’s license & be at least 18 years old. There is an exception that allows 16 year olds to drive, but it doesn’t pertain to Cubbies, and is way too scary for consideration! Please check the Health & Safety Guide & The Guide to Safe Scouting for additional details
• If you are using a vehicle that can carry more that 15 people the driver must have a CDL!
• Driving time is limited to 10 hours, and must be interrupted by frequent rest, food, recreation stops!
• Seat belts must be used! Except on a commercial or school bus!
• Passengers will ride only in the cab of trucks. No rear decks of station wagons! Or floors or storage space of vans! Or truck beds!
• Drive in daylight.
• Adequate property damage & public liability insurance must be carried.
• Children should sit in the back seat & make sure you obey all current guidelines for child safety seats. Make sure you understand and follow airbag safety tips.
• Do not travel in convoy.

Let’s Talk About Two Deep Leadership!

Simply stated, it is the policy of Boy Scouts of America that trips & outings may never be led by only one adult. Two registered adult leaders or one registered adult leaders & a parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required for ALL TRIPS & OUTINGS!

What does this really mean? Well it means you need at least 4 adult leaders at every outing and trip! If a boy gets hurt, two adults must accompany that child to the hospital and you need at least 2 adults to remain with the group, or you’ve just turned your afternoon hike, into a Den Meeting at the ER!

ADULT LEADER RECOGNITIONS
Two Different Types of Homes
Heart of America Council

Material: Appreciation certificate for each den leader and Webelos den leader

Cubmaster: There is something that parents sometimes overlook when they consider the possibility of serving as den and pack leaders. There are two very different types of homes. In one type, everything will always be just so. The furniture is not likely to be marred; there will be little shouting or noise except from the boy who lives in that house; and even his shouting will be subdued and experimental. His mother will seldom be troubled by the shouts of other boys, because it is not likely that they will come here. And unless something unusual happens, that is the type of home it will always be.  As the children who live in it become young men and women, the rug will never be rolled up for social occasions. They will take their noise and laughter where it is better understood and more welcomed.

But there is another type of home. This type attracts the friends of the children who live in it. They would rather bring their friends there than join them elsewhere. It is a home where children are welcome, where they learn to take care of he furniture rather than preserve it through lack of use.  It’s a home, which later will attract young adults.

It’s true – the first type of home will be peaceful, because it will be empty. Too empty, too peaceful, too quiet.

But there are more wonderful things to be sought after in life than peace and quiet. And besides, a noisy busy home does not mean that all personal comforts and pleasures must be sacrificed. Lasting satisfaction comes from the knowledge that, as each day goes by, children’s future memories of their home will be happy ones.

Most Den Leaders want the second type of home and they have started to build now, because in a year or two it will be too late. That’s why Cub Scouting is not all giving on their part. They’ll receive a finer home life and stronger family because of it.

(Call forward all Den Leaders) these people are making one of he finest possible contributions to our community by serving as Den Leaders. They not only deal with boys, but with parents too. They are strengthening the life of our community by enriching the families who live in it. They are teaching boys to respect their homes and their parents, and they are helping parents understand their boys better by doing things with them. Few community services are more important than this.

Please accept these certificates as a small token of the pack’s gratitude for your help in Cub Scouting, and the thanks of all the boys you are helping by your service. Thank you.

Leader Appreciation Ceremony

Materials: 4 candles

Scouting is made up of many things, people, and ideas. Tonight we are going to take a few minutes to reflect on some of the more pertinent aspects off scouting.

Fist – Scouting is a program. As depicted by our first candle it is a program dedicated to the development of character, citizenship, and the mental and physical fitness of our youth.

Second – Scouting is for the youth of our community. Young men, who expect to learn, gain recognition by advancement, but most of all hey expect to have fun with others of their own age.

Third – Scouting is the parents of our Scouts. For without parents taking an interest in the activities of their sons, taking to meetings, and fulfilling their part of the Scouting program, we could not have Scouts.

But, as you see, this leaves one lone candle. This candle represents the Leaders of Scouting. As I call your name would you please come forward?

Leaders, I light this candle for you, for you have been faithful leaders to us and we want you to know that your work, dedication, and tireless effort have been gratefully appreciated. For without your leadership as well as the leadership of all Cub Scout leaders. The first three candles – program –youth – and parents would be meaningless.

Thank you!

Maybe you want to present the following -

Backbone Award:

A dried turkey bone spray painted and glued to plaque or hung on ribbon for “You are the Backbone of Pack #”.

Here are two more potential recognitions for parents.  Be sincere in your appreciation and they will volunteer again!

BEST PARENT MEDAL
Grand Canyon Council

Give this special award to a helpful parent.

Materials

• Frozen juice can lid;
• Colored paper;
• Crepe streamer;
• Markers;
• Small star stickers (optional);
• Scissors; Glue; Magnet strip

Directions:

• Trace the can lid on a colored sheet of paper. Cut out the circle.
• Using a round container or cup slightly smaller than the lid, trace and cut a circle.
• Write your message on the smaller circle—like “HERO,” “BEST MOM,” “BEST DAD,” “BEST PARENT SCOUTER” etc.
• Glue the smaller circle in the middle of the larger circle. Let dry.
• Cut crepe streamer about three times longer than the circumference of the lid.
• Fold crepe paper lengthwise, leaving about 1/4” on one side. (Don’t worry if it’s not too straight)
• Glue the folded side of the crepe paper on the juice lid, tucking paper so it fits in the circle. The edge of crepe paper should be sticking out from the lid.
• Glue circles on the lid and part of the crepe paper.
• You may want to decorate the circles with star stickers.
• Cut “ribbons” out of colored paper and glue on the back of the lid so the ribbon hangs down nicely.
• Attach magnet strip on the back.

HERO’S MEDAL
Grand Canyon Council

Materials

• Stiff paper (cardboard, tag board);
• Wide ribbon (3-4” long);
• Large safety pin.

Directions:

• Fold a piece of notepaper and cut out a star shape.

For instructions on how to make a perfect five-pointed star, go to the Betsy Ross website - http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagstar.html.
The trick is in using 8 1/2” x 10” paper

• Trace the star on cardboard and cut it out.
• Decorate the star with markers and stickers. Include the word “HERO.”
• Fold the ribbon in half and glue the ends to the back of the star.
• Slip a large safety pin through the fold in the ribbon.