Thoughts about Join Night

I have been doing what I have been doing for the past three years as Cubmaster/Recruitment guy.  I like this time of year, cause I get to reinvent myself and try things differently than before.  However, this year, I have fallen into a RUT.   I do have the benefit of reading and following others within my Internet Roundtable on how they do Join Nights and their successes.   Bad thing is that they blog about them too close to ours that I am not able to change it up.  Ugh.  Point in fact is Kevin Devin’s few latest postings.  Here, Here, Here, and Here.

I have done some of these over the year.  Business Cards were good, just have not gotten them out this time around.  Each year we do do a Join Night 11×85 2011v4 flier.  This one is based off our last years with new info on the back.   One thing that I realized is that this layout really sucks up the INK!  Ugh.  Next year and for other flyers we are going to go off the BSA PPT Template.  So much better.

The great thing is that our Council will print these off for us for free. It’s in Black and White, so that’s just fine.  This year, I wanted Color so I did it off our Xerox Phaser 6280.  Yup, I am plugging my companies product. (Something I normally do not do.)  I wanted to have color on these since Color Sells!  This is the first thing that Parents will see when they are sent home by the kids.  However it’s pretty exspensive.  Next year I am going to print Monochrome and use colored paper.  That will be cheaper.

So, I have been to one Back to School night, two more are slated for after Join Night.  It went well.  Got a few Parents and boys interested.  The flyers went out and I have heard good things.  Even from my son who says that a friend is thinking of joining.  Also, a few other parents who are already in the Pack will be bringing their Tiger son to join.  It’s always good to have those set-ups.

After the Join Night we have a hike in a local State Park that is just down the road from us.  It’s really a mixer for the families to get to know eachother, get the boys on the trail and talk about nature and Leave No Trace.  One of the Committee Members got us a spot for free (usually $75, but since we are Scouts….).  The Park Rangers are going to come talk about nature, trails and LNT.  So, those who come, will get stuff!

So, Join Night is almost in the bag.  I am excited.  My next couple of topics will cover, Webelos Woods & District Training .

Finally, if your so inclined to join those who are in SCOUTNATION on Google+, please follow this link.  It will get you into G+, linked with me and I will then get you hooked up with everyone else.  The great thing about G+ is it allows for deeper conversations within the Circle.  It’s almost the hidden conversation about Scouting.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Read Full Post »

Cubscout Training

As Training Chair for out District I am in the middle of setting up our October Training Blitz.  Myself and the Program Chair/CS Roundtable Commissioner will be teaching the Cubscout section this year for the first time.   We are looking forward to it.

Last year I pushed and made it pretty well known within a few people that I wanted certain trainings.  Guess I pushed hard enough that I got the head job.  No worries.  So, I am a training junkie. If you follow this blog you know I took and then Staffed Wood Badge.  While that is important, the other trainings are also important.

I am bringing this up since at our Pack Committee Planing meeting last night, training was brought up.  Since I have the records for our District, I sent in what we had to the Committee Chair and Treasurer and Membership Chair.  I know that the council records do not really reflect what we all have, but it only shows most of us have the basics.
As I was forwarding the information to the CC, I went online to Myscouting.org and looked at what I had.  I had more than the basics. While you cannot see all of it, I do have Hazardous Weather and a few more.  I also have Tiger, Wolf and just took Webelos.  I have half of Bear done, which I need to complete.  I also have Pack Trainer, Committee and District Committee.

The Webelos training took about 30 minutes.  It was informative.  Did I learn anything?  Not really, but I was reminded of what the program is supposed be about and some ways to accomplish it.
Point being, is that online training for Cubscouts is easy.  It is all the training you need? Nope.  It is a great starting point.

Hence back to the October Face to Face training our District is putting on.  Having that face to face time is valuable.  It does several things.  First, it helps you network with other adults who signed the Adult Application and was forced to drink the Kool-Aid.  Second, it helps to show the new Scouters where to go for help and other resources.  Finally, it’s the meeting that will tell them what they need to know outside of online training and books that they can read.  Meeting people and having them tell you where all the COOL places to go and who to talk to get get free stuff is invaluable.    Do you need both?  Sure.  Can you survive with just online. Sure.

The Cubscout Leader training is just the first line of training that a Scouter will go through if they continue with the program and into Boy Scouts, Varsity, Venturing or Sea Scouts.  Yes, those other trainings do take time out of your weekend or weeknight, but just like going to school or college your there to learn something so you can be better at what your position within the Unit.

Did I know that in 2008 when my son Elliot went for his first Pack Meeting that I would become the Tiger Den Leader, Cubmaster, Troop Guide @ Wood Badge, Pow-wow & PTC Instructor and finally District Training Chair?  Nope. I had not a clue.  Point is, all the training that I have gotten has gotten me here.  It is helping me provide for the boys in the Pack and in other units within the Council.

So, take the time to take training.  Those who are providing it have been in your boots and do it for free.  Also, take the online training. It’s good information.  It’s also very simple.  Besides, from what I hear most online training taken at myscouting.org is done between 11pm and 2am.

Yours in Scouting!

 

Read Full Post »

Gathering Activities for Cub Scouts

The key to hopefully controlling or attempting to control Cub Scouts before a meeting, is to play a Game.
Where our Pack meets is at the school gym.  In that gym there is a door.  In that door is a room.  Within that room there are balls, scooters, hoops , hockey sticks and other things that bounce.  Every meeting, each Scout runs to that room and pulls out something and plays with it.  To me, it’s really not gym class and they are not in school so they should not be in there.  It also bothers me that the boys do not respect the School’s property and think that “we are not in school, so rules do not apply to us” type of thinking.

It’s one thing that I am going to bring up at the Annual Pack Planning Meeting.  Boys don’t go into the room.

Suffice to say, having a gathering activity is what is needed.  In the past, I have been somewhat successful.  paper airplane flying the farthest contests, throwing paper balls towards a mouse trap area and setting them off and other ideas .

I recently found a website that has a lot of ideas for Skits, Songs & Games.  I have picked the Ah Soh Gi game for maybe Join Night.  But, it’s now in the rotation.  I will also use the Ring of Fire game that was played at our Disc Golf Summertime Activity Event.  Ring of Fire is basically the boys standing in a circle around a Disc Golf Hole and trying to get their Disc’s into it.  Those who accomplish it, get to take a step or three back and try again.  This is repeated until the last Scout gets their Disc in.  They win.  It’s an elimination game.  It’s a skills game.

While Mike Rowe will tell you that he learned a lot from British Bulldog, we need to have safer games in general.  Many of the boys in the Pack do not like things flying towards them and others have a medical condition that if hit would cause serious injury.  Hence, my cause for worry.

Also, the boys like to play Tag a lot.  Usually it’s Toliet Tag or something not very Scouty.  I generally stop these because of the non-scouty part, but also I had one boy fall flat on his face and smack his teeth on the ground.  It resulted in a lot of pain and I thought he chipped a tooth.  He was fine afterwards, but it has stuck with me.

So, here is another game that is a game that they need to pay attention to, but is a lot of fun.   Ah Soh Gi Game.  There is a video on the website that shows how to play.

++++++++++++
Everyone sits in a circle, and learns the 3 commands and their movements.

1) Ah! – the person says “Ah” loudly, and puts their left or right hand across their forehead in a saluting motion, with fingers pointing at the person next to them.

2) So! – the person says “So” loudly, and puts their left or right hand across their chin in a saluting motion, with fingers pointing at the person next to them.

3) Gi!– the person puts both arms together in front of them in a clapping motion and points to someone else, anywhere in the circle.

The phrases must always go in that order, and each phrase needs its correct hand motion. You go when you are pointed at by someone next to you using “Ah” or “So,” or by someone across from you using “Gi.” When you are “Gi”ed at by someone you start the sequence over again.

When someone makes a mistake (ie, goes out of order, uses the wrong hand motion, hesitates in confusion for too long) they are out.

When someone gets out, each member of the group puts a hands in the middle with thumbs up, and calls “You’re outta here!” – like a baseball umpire.

That person leaves the circle and the group closes in the space. The person who was on right side of the exited person starts the sequence again, by saying “Ah!” and pointing to the left or right.

The game continues until there are two people left.

Read Full Post »

The Den Leader Book

I am not a Pack Trainer.  I am a Trainer in my day job and somehow I got sucked into being the District Training Chair.  So, why have a picture of the Pack Trainer patch on the blog?  Well, it’s simple really…I am in the middle of creating books for my Den Leader Teams.  I have seen and heard of these being a Wood Badge ticket item.  This also includes “building a Unit Library.” We have all seen the Song book, Cook Book Ticket items.  Those can really be amazing.  At first, I thought..huh? really?  But then I started seeing a few and they are really good.  I guess it’s because those people really put the time into it and made it to what they wanted.  It wasn’t a cut/paste/slap it together job.

So, I I figured that I could and needed to do the same, but with a Den Leader Book.  My fear with library’s is people running down to the Council office/store and loading up on a bunch of books and calling it good.  Well, not me.    While I am not completely done, I have a good start to it.

I am making one for each rank.  I should be making one for the Committee Members as well.  The Den Leaders will contain the, Pack Calendar, Den Leader Guide, Budget, Tour Plan info, print outs from the National website from their rank’s info and all the den meeting lessons from it as well. (Yes, they are downloadable.) It will also contain our current Journey to Excellent, Pack Meeting Duties for each den and many other items.  The Webelos will have all that, and the Activity Plan sheets included.  There will be a list of Beltloops and the Segment program list too, in everyones book.  This will help stop confusion and misinformation about what to do within the Den and Pack.

Image via Wikipedia

What will also accompany this book is a CD of all this information on it.  Actually, two CDs since there are generally Two Den Leaders.  Both can have the Softcopy and one the hard copy.  This will allow for both Den Leaders to send off info to Parents as needed.  It can cut down on printing costs and keep info at their fingertips.    Our Pack has a Website via Google, so I am hoping to load all that information to there.

The main thing is that all this information will be provided not only to the Den & Committee, but also to the Parents.

Right now, I am working on the Webelos I book, since my son is a Webelos I.  The Arrow of Light book, will be similar.  Tigers, Wolves and Bears the same but without Webelos info.  It will be my hope that the current Den Leaders will use the book, add on to it and then transfer the book to the incoming den leader as they crossover.  That way, knowledge is transfered to them.  Notes about what they did, what worked, what did not work and so on.  It will make the incoming Tiger Den Leaders job easier.  And YOU WANT THE TIGER DEN LEADER’S JOB EASY!

Read Full Post »

The Annual Pack Committee Planning Meeting

  The Annual Pack Planning Meeting is upon the unit that I am a Cub Master for.  This will techincally be our first real meeting since I came on board in 2008 as Tiger Den Leader.  When I ascended into the position of Cub Master, I followed what the previous Cub Master did.  He was still around as Committee Chair.  The Treasurer turned into the Committee Chair we have today.

I have grown since becoming the Cub Master.  It is not all due to Wood Badge.  Wood Badge does not teach you how to create a ceremony for Arrow of Light, Bobcat or other rank advancement.  It does not teach you how to put on a Pack meeting, nor deal with parents and grumpy Cub Scouts.  There is not a book called “Cub Masters, Tag your it!”  When I took on the Tiger Den Leader position, I quipped to my wife “I am going to be Martha Stewart of Crafts when I am done.”

That being the case of being Cub Master, I followed what happened the year before.  First Join Night…Wow….All eyes on me. Yup.  I whipped through the year ok.  I was always pulling stuff out of left field and stumbling.  Here is one of my first Pack meetings after I was on my own. I remember that Pack Meeting.  I made a Mom cry.  Yeah, it was good.  I still keep in touch with her about her son.  He’s a Webelos I now.

So, fast forward to Summer of 2011.  We are soon to have our meeting and I have been reading, writing, emailing and Googling a lot about this.  A lot of emails between myself and others about what’s going to be presented.  We have a lot to be proud of and a lot of challenges coming up for this year.  I think that I am ready.  Once it is completed, I will blog about the results and publish many of the documents.
So, what are we going to discuss.  This is where the Team comes together.  The Den Leaders and Committee are a team.  We provide the direction for the Pack, Parents and most of all the Scouts.  We will have a budget, annual calendar, Journey to Excellence, Den Leader Guide, Monthly Pack Meeting agenda’s and more. (Yes, it’s really a Wood Badge ticket.)  Hopefully our Unit Commissioner will be there for part of it. (Hint hint hint).

Image via Wikipedia

I have goals for this upcoming year.  One is already taking shape and going. Good sign.  We have several dads who are stepping up to be Committee Members.  Two ladies are stepping up as Den Leaders.  We have several members who will be leaving because of Arrow of Light, but that is the normal cycle.  Change happens.  Deal with it.  In the immortal words of my Wood Badge Scoutmaster “It is what it is.”

What I like is that my friend Arlen, who is currently not at Gilwell Field, but Philmont’s Training Center, is kind of in the same boat.  He is taking a class that I was supposed to be at. “Strictly for Cubmasters.”  Our families would have met, and my wife would be able to swap stories about me doing Cub Master stuff and having Mrs Arlen (sorry, don’t know her name) laugh out loud in agreement.  When I say same boat, I mean he did this recently and blogged about it.  Am I going to still it? Yup!  Great ideas are stolen and used!

So with all of this information digested, we will have our meeting in mid-August.  I suspect great things to come out of this meeting.  This year is going to be stellar.  We will be that team and all reach to create greatness for our Scouts.  When they smile and have fun, then, we succeed.  There is no i in Team.  Unless you work for Apple.  Then you can put i in front of anything.

Read Full Post »

How to put on a Bike Rodeo

In an earlier couple of posts I said I was going to talk about how to put on events.  First up is the Bike Rodeo.  The Bike Rodeo was our first Summertime Pack event.  I do this for two reasons.  First, to end the year correctly and then to hopefully recruit other boys for the following year.

So, how to plan.  In my current unit, as Cub Master, it’s all me who generally comes up with ideas and plans.  (That’s changing this year).  This event was a multi-purpose event.  First, I wanted to have Troop involvement.  We had Den Chief’s and they could help out.  Think EDGE.  I also wanted the Troop to come because it gets them in front of the Pack and parents and shows them that Boy Scouts can do it themselves and not have parents do it. (Boy led method).

The main objectives that I wanted to cover are found within the Bicycle Beltloop.

1. Explain the rules of safe bicycling to your den leader or adult partner.
2. Demonstrate how to wear the proper safety equipment for bicycling.
3. Show how to ride a bike safely. Ride for at least half an hour with an adult partner, family, or den.

As for the Pin:

1. Participate in a pack, den, or community bike rodeo.
2. Demonstrate how to repair a flat tire on a bicycle.
3. Give a demonstration to your den or pack on the proper use of safety equipment and gear.

While the Cub Scouts didn’t do a lot of the Pin, the three were basically satisfied.

Out of all of those requirements…..here was my list to the Scoutmaster.

Bike Stations:
Registration form/certificate? Station (Simple name/phone and bike info in case of getting lost/Serial #)  They need to get a stamp at each station to show completion so they can get a segment/beltloop?,Bike Inspection-basic care, Bike Rules & Safety,Helmet Inspection
Bike Course  (medium & advance)  There is a loop at Stephenson so maybe a race?  This would help the faster kids not plowing over the slower/smaller kids.

He took it to the SPL & PLC and they worked on it and came up with 90 minutes of fun for a Cub Scout Pack.  They had 6 stations and a course that helped teach boys & their brother/sisters about Bikes and how to be safer.  One thing that my son found out is that his brakes & shifters were broken.  While they were safe to operate, we would have never would have known.  So, we got them repaired later.

So, my big piece of advice for Cub Scout Packs who want to plan something like this….GET A BOY SCOUT TROOP TO HELP.  Give them the requirements and let the Boys do it.   Also, I believe that the SPL walked into a Bike Shop in full uniform and asked for a donation for prizes that were given away.  Yup, he got one!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Read Full Post »

Catch the Leadership Dream

During Wood Badge there were several people who were video taping.  It was a great thing.  This is our opening activity which set the stage for the whole course.  All the Troop Guides participated and it was completely awesome.  The Troop Guides went back and forth a few times on the delivery, but from the beginning of when we first met, we were on fire.

Watching it really takes me back, but it still holds true to what I believe.

(You might want to click on the video and open it at the youtube website since it’s kinda squished in this blog)

Read Full Post »

Out Moving

I learned yesterday that our Pack got the 2010 Quality Unit Award.
We also got the 100% Boys Life as well.  The latter is generally easy.  The Quality Unit Award is a bit harder only because there are goals to be meet.

To me, it means that the Pack Committee and Den Leaders are working together to bring a quality program to the boys.  Yes, it is another patch to put on the uniform.  It however symbolizes that that unit is doing something correct.  It’s doing something above and beyond the normal.  It also means that the Leadership within the Unit is actively looking for other things to do.  If you do different things, then there is not a chance of the unit getting stuck.  Remember Scouting is a Movement, not an Organizations.  Organizations sit still.  Scouts are constantly moving….Keep it Moving!  Scouts has OUT in their name.  OUT MOVING!

I am looking forward to the Journey to Excellence for 2011.   I suspect once the year is completed we will be scoring pretty high.

One of the other awards that I knew we got, but finally got the certificate/ribbons was the Summertime Pack Award.  Along with it, which I did not know was the National Den Award.  I am very happy to have both.

The Summertime Pack Award is really a good program that should be used at every Pack.  It keeps the Scouting Spirit alive and the boys reminded about Scouting.  It also is a great recruiting tool for the Kindergartners and others who want to join.  Having this program will also allow the perspective parents to see what the Pack does.  We have earned it for the second time for my three years in the Pack.  I plan to earn it each year.

Read Full Post »

3 things to do

It’s a new year, and way over 99 years to go to the 200th Anniversary. So, let’s get started. I have three non-Pack 221 related projects on board.  This is what happens when you keep going to Roundtables and networking with Scouters in the Council, your home District and other Districts.

 

 

 

 

 

I some how volunteered to help out with Friends of Scouting in my District.  Which when I look back at it,  I think great I get to give a dumb speech to parents who already went through Popcorn, Re-chartering and paying Pack related dues.

Not so fast…..  It’s not a dumb speech.  It’s an important speech.  The talk itself can be boring, but you need to inject yourself into it.  Bring it to life for those you are speaking to.  Yes, it’s about 10 minutes, and public speaking is one of the most feared things to do.

As the Cub master, it is my position to be the public spokesman and Master of Ceremonies for all things pack related.  So, why can’t I do FOS?   I know a lot about the Cub Scout program and Scouting in general.  I get myself involed with re-chartering and the basic details of the Pack finances.  I also attend as many roundtables as I possible can.  I have gone to Wood Badge and Pow-wow to learn a lot more about how to have fun.  I can do this.

Every District has there challenges. Raising money is tough.  However, if you are  Enthusiastic about Scouting and can inject it into the 10 min talk, then the FOS speech will go well.

Secondly:

I am off to a Roundtable in the Inland Northwest Council.  I am actually going to help out on a Wood Badge ticket for , Phil Peck a Bobwhite!   He will be able to knock out one ticket item in one night!  I am pretty excited!

The two things that I am going to talk about is my experince with Wood Badge and how I learn about Scouting.  Meaning, podcasts, blogs, twitter, facebook, websites & forums.  This will becoming from the Cubscout perspective and from a Scouter outside the District and Council.

I am very excited to do this for several reasons.  I get to help a fellow Wood Badger finish a ticket item.  I get to see how Scouters operate in another Council. I also get to talk about Scouting and all the various ways I use the Internet to learn.  It is because of the Internet that I met Phil via Twitter.  I was on business in his town and was able to meet up for coffee at Starbucks.  I think we met for an hour, but there are so many similarities it was like we knew each other for a long time.

Finally, and not least….

 

 

 

WOOD BADGE WE1-492-11.  It is in April/May for Cascade Pacific Council!  We are currently half way to getting a FULL group of Wonderful Scouters!

Our first meeting as Staffers is on January 15th.  This is a huge honor for myself.  In talking to those who staffed it in the past, they learn more about Wood Badge than going through the first time.  Love that.  Bring on the Kool-aid.

The only sticking point that I forsee in this whole Wood Badge course is that Scoutmaster Jerry is there with me.  I think he is angling for………… some medium sized water animal that builds dams and lodges…….

I will be happy with whatever patrol I get, since they will be mentored by a BEAVER!

Yours in Scouting…….

Read Full Post »

Respect

The third Monday night is our Pack meeting.  I look forward to those with somewhat of fear and excitement.  Fear because it’s all me up there and I have to deliver.  Fun, because I get to be up there and do whatever I want to do.

I blogged about this Pack meeting on Dec 6th.  I had a plan and I basically stuck with it.  My point for this meeting was to tie in Scouting for Food, Scouting, how we treat others and ourselves.

If you read the BSA December Cubscout Pack plan, I basically used it as a guideline.  I had the Cubmaster Minute/Closing and played the game.  We also say Cubscout Vesper’s.

The that I used was for the boys to take cardboard boxes three-four at a time pushing against each other and relay them down the gym floor while holding them.  The boxes I brought were small blocks, so I gave everyone 7-8 of them.  It took some of the boys a little while and others immediatley got it and get started.  The lapse was, some started before I said go.    Not a problem.  All the boys figured it out and went with it.

Once all the boys had a chance to go through the process, I brought them into the half-court circle in the gym and started my talk about Respect.  I really tried and not preach to them, but ask them about what Respect meant to them.  I asked how they would show respect.  I also asked them if walking the boxes down the gym needed for them to show respect.

They boys responded pretty well.  Some talked about how using a shopping cart would have been better.  I pointed out that using the buddy system is sometimes is better than using a shopping cart since you might not have a shopping cart.  Plus you have to work together.   Some said there were too many blocks.  Which, I explained using the buddy system and communicating with eachother you could have figured out another way to make it work.

I then switched topics in how we help as cubscouts other people.  A Webelos I chimed in with Scouting for Food.  Exactly.  I asked what SFF is all about.  Several boys resoonded.  Yes, we do this as a service to others who are less fortunate than us.

I also asked, do we help eachother within the Pack?  Yes, said the webelos.  We put the SFF bags out to all the houses for Us, Bears, Wolves and Tigers.  Exactly.

Working from these points, I started to remind the boys about the Cubscout Promise and Law of the Pack.  I explained that we as Cubscouts are looked up to when we are helping others.  I also explained that our uniforms are a symbol of respect.  I explained that having a clean, tidy uniform that is tucked in and looks good shows respect.

It was then that I brought out five patches from our Council that is no longer available.  It had the words Character Counts on it.  These were patches that were in our shed and not used for 5-7 years ago.  I used these to award the best looking boy in uniform at that time.  My form of uniform inspection.

A strange thing happened.  They all started straightening their scarves, tucking in shirts and saluting.  Along with being very quite.  As I handed out patches, one hoping that the boy would continue coming and being neat, but also that they would be an example.  It was an encouragement for all of them to try again.

I reserved the last one so the boys would behave for the rest of the meeting.  I would award it to the one who showed respect.

I think that the mesage was taken as it was given.  Showing respect is something that needs to happen all the time.  Slip-ups are ok.

I like the idea of having fun uniform inspections.  Reward the boys for doing their best and they will show their best.

Finally, the ending ceremony of the meeting.  I had the lights dimmed, handed out the electric tealights aka lightsabers and started:

This is the season of lights. It is the time when the days are shorter and the nights are longer. But somehow the world seems brighter. Thousands of homes burn candles to light the way for the Christ child. Thousands more have candles burning to commemorate the miracle of Hanukkah. Thousands will be lighting the candles to symbolize the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Even the stars in the winter sky seem brighter. But the most brilliant glow comes from the spirit of goodwill that you live all year through the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack.

We then closed with Cubscout Vespers and ended the meeting.

It was a good meeting. Respect, Scouting for Food and many ways we celebrate Christmas.

Read Full Post »