TRAINING TIPS

Outdoor Program Planning
Bill Smith, the Roundtable Guy

It’s time to plan the details your pack’s summer time program. Shake off those wintry blues and get to work on the golden opportunities that wait your boys out doors.

One great way to do this is to give each boy a solid opportunity to earn the Cub Scout Activity Award. Just in case you don’t have a copy of the Official PamphletNo. 13-228 in font of you, it is here, printed in blue with a few of my comment interspersed in black with tips on the hows and whys.

Tiger Cubs, Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts have the opportunity to earn the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award. Boys may earn the award in each of the program years as long as the requirements are completed each year. The first time the award is earned, the boy will receive the pocket flap award, which is to be worn on the right pocket flap of the uniform shirt. Each successive time the award is earned, a wolf track pin may be added to the flap. Leaders should encourage boys t o build on skills and experiences from previous years when working on the award for a successive year.

Requirements

All Ranks: Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos Scout resident camp.

Rank-Specific:

• Tiger Cubs: Complete one requirement in Achievement 5, "Let's Go Outdoors" (Tiger Cub Handbook) and complete three of the outdoor activities listed below.
• Wolf Cub Scouts: Assemble the "Six Essentials for Going Outdoors" (Wolf Handbook, Elective 23b) and discuss their purpose, and complete four of the outdoor activities listed below.
• Bear Cub Scouts: Earn the Cub Scout Leave No Trace Award (Bear Handbook, Elective 25h) and compete five of the outdoor activities listed below.
• Webelos Scouts: Earn the Outdoorsman Activity Badge (Webelos Handbook) and complete six of the outdoor activities listed below.

Outdoor Activities

With your den, pack, or family:

• Participate in a nature hike in your local area. This can be on an organized, marked trail, or just a hike to observe nature in your area.

• These activities make great den outings.

• Participate in an outdoor activity such as a picnic or park fun day.

• Every great Cub Pack I have seen does several of these every year.

• Explain the buddy system and tell what to do if lost. Explain the importance of cooperation.

• One more example of Preparation for Boy Scouts: teaching him to Be Prepared.

• Attend a pack overnighter. Be responsible by being prepared for the event.

• Get a few BALOO trained people on your pack committee right away. Plan a couple camp outs each year.

• Complete an outdoor service project in your community.

• These may be something like Scouting for Food or decorating graves. I hope that your pack regularly does these sorts of activities.

• Complete a nature/conservation project in your area. This project should involve improving, beautifying, or supporting natural habitats. Discuss how this project helped you to respect nature.
• Tree planting or picking up litter make good pack or den projects.
• Earn the Summertime Pack Award.

• By now, your plans for your summer program should be just about complete. It’s time to confirm that all activity leaders are set, your tour permits are ready and promotion is on going.

• Participate in a nature observation activity. Describe or illustrate and display your observations at a den or pack meeting.

• This could be anything from participating in an Audubon Christmas Bird Count to something as simple as choosing a patch of lawn, forest floor, or even the trunk of a tree in deep woods, and studying it closely. Or try a pond or wet land habitat.

• Participate in an outdoor aquatic activity. This can be an organized swim meet or just a den or pack swim.

• Certainly swimming works here, but also think about boating or how about fishing? In any case, remember Safe Swim Defense , No. 34370 and Safety Afloat, No. 34368

• Participate in an outdoor campfire program. Perform in a skit, sing a song, or take part in a ceremony.

• Well, you just can’t have a camp out without a good campfire program. Packs that don’t sing put on skits or ceremonies are missing out big time!

• Participate in an outdoor sporting event.

• Wow! An afternoon of soccer, softball, Frisbee or sack races. Who will bring refreshments? 

• Participate in an outdoor Scout's Own or other worship service.

• This can be at a Scout activity or with his family at a religious outing.

• Explore a local city, county, state, or national park. Discuss with your den how a good citizen obeys the park rules.

• This may likely be an activity a boy does with his family on vacation. Coordinating and recording may be critical on this one.

The award requirements are detailed in the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award brochure,.

As a final thought, there are some essential procedures that Pack leaders must follow in order to make this Award Program work so that boys and families benefit from it.

Planning: If these activities are not built into your pack and den plans, they won’t happen. Set the dates, recruit and support the leaders, make the budgets and secure the permits.

Promotion: Make sure that everyone knows about it and has it on their calendar or PDA. Get it on your pack news letter and web site. Remind everyone with skits or run-ons at pack meetings.

Recording: With things being done at pack outings, den meetings, Tiger Go See Its and family outings, you will need someone in charge of records. This is an excellent opportunity for another parent to become a hero in the eyes of that Cub Scout son. Theodore Roosevelt Council has a form that might be helpful.

Be sure to check out Bill’s “Unofficial Roundtable Site”

http://wtsmith.com/rt.html

If you wish to contact him with a question or comment, go to http://wtsmith.com/rt/gnolmm.html