There are three Pack meeting left in our school year for Cub Scouts at our Pack. Wow, what a year it has been. It’s not over yet, but it’s winding down and we have accomplished so much. Every year is completely different. I have no idea what next year will bring. Do I have a plan. Yes, in general.
Today, I went to the Scout Shop and started poking around. I picked up several items, but put them down. I figure that I will get them on Friday. I need to get my son his Webelos Tan Shirt & green pants, myself another shirt along with all the correct patches. I thought about getting him a Webelos Hat, but they have a cool hat with lights on it. It’s Blue with the BSA logo on it. It should work just fine for Scouts and also family camping. He loves flashlights…;)
Secondly: I also went upstairs to where the District Execs hang out. I had a really good talk with one of them. It was about how Troops operate and work. This is about some of the local ones within my District. One’s that my son and others “might” go to when they crossover in 2013. Our Pack has been a feeder pack for two Troops and it’s my job to make sure that the Pack has Troop involvement so the boys can make up their minds on which one to go to. Can I influence the boys? Sure. Do I want to? No, not really.
By that I mean, I am not going to play favorites. It’s not my Scouting experience that is at stake. It’s theirs. Which brings to me to an odd cross road. This morning as I was getting ready to head out I listened to Cubmaster Chris’s Podcast “An Hour a Week #256″ In there, CMC talks about how he is working through issues of how he has prepared the Cubscouts for Boy Scouts. Did he do it right? This was also commented to my by the DE today. Though, it was in a fashion of how the boys made the transition from the Pack to the Troop and did not realize the difference and that made it hard for them. They ultimately left Scouting because it was not Cubscouts.
Now, this is two different people who both love Scouting, but are geographically apart. I suspect the DE does not know about CMC. It got me thinking. There are Trail to First Class. Trail to Eagle and a Crossover. But, there really isn’t any Webelos to Boy Scout Trail. (that I am aware of). The parents/Den Leaders are just doing their best to get the boys through the meeting and requirements. In Boy Scouts, it’s the BOYS who do it. It’s almost like waking up on your 18th birthday and POW, your a legal adult but in someways still a kid that is learning.
I do not have an answer to all this. However, it’s made me realize that I need to pay attention to it. I need to call it out to the boys and parents within the Pack that it’s going to happen.
Finally, I have two things that I am going to do (hopefully) at the next Pack meeting besides what is already planned. We are going to have another Uniform Inspection. It’s going to be the Adult Scouters and Scouts. The Adult Scouters are also going to do the Flag Ceremony. This should show, how a uniform needs to look like and also how a Flag Ceremony is performed. Along with that, I am going to re-introduce the Beltloops to the boys. I did it last year and blogged about it. I am also going to explain the BSA Family Program. I believe that my Webelos I Den Leader has been working with it for awhile. I also think I bought a copy of it. Since Cubscouts is a Family program, this should help spark things for the whole family to do. I know that sometimes I just try to think of things to do and I just sit there. The one great thing is that it’s spring and it’s Baseball Season. A lot of the boys are in Baseball, even LaCrosse. This allows them to make more new friends and do other things. I completely encourage boys to do that. I told them last year that if there are things that excite you outside of Scouts, that more than likely it will count for rank advancement within Scouting. It’s not ALL or NOTHING. It’s Everything.
Overall, Scouting should not conflict with outside interests. Those interests can include Scouting. It’s an additional outlet to help boys grow and learn. It’s year round with seasonal things thrown into it. Learn the system within Scouting (by this I mean Girl Scouts, Campfire, Blue Bird, Venturing, Sea Scouts. Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts) and you and your son/daughter will flourish.
Remember, it’s a game with a purpose.
