Information, Observation, and Inspiration for Scouters
October’s here. Across the great deciduous forests of the north, the leaves are changing and crisp camping weather is here. Sunsets are earlier too, leaving less time to set up camp in daylight and more things for committee chairs to think about as the month progresses.
The big one that comes around this time of the year for most units is charter renewal. Continue reading “Committee chair timeline: October”
Cub Scout packs are making plans to get their programs going for the next year of fun and excitement. Join Scouting nights are getting scheduled and all the recruiting materials are being updated. But Scouting’s raw material is membership, for without the boys we don’t have a movement!
A pivotal committee function at this time of year is the membership coordinator, whose job is to register all of our new Scouts and re-register the returning boys for another year of fun. Often, though, we find that this important job is either being done by other committee members or by a new parent without a good understanding of the process. The responsibility for unit membership really is a separate task which calls for a dedicated individual to handle it.
When a new parent steps into the role, there’s usually a lot to learn about the membership process, and when it’s a parent new to Scouting they have to learn a little of everything! Continue reading “What Cub Scout membership coordinators need to know”
Cub Scout leaders are among the most committed of our adult leadership. They way overspend their “one hour a week” planning and conducting weekly den meetings and field trips, planning pack meeting participation, scheduling meeting rooms, sending out newsletters, wrangling parents to do stuff, recording and submitting advancement, collecting dues and fees, arranging snacks, purchasing craft supplies, and giving up the hope of using their dining room table for dining, for a few years anyway. They are dedicated to seeing their Scouts have fun, advance, and get the most out of the program.
Then why is it that their kids don’t seem as likely to cross over to Boy Scouts? Continue reading “What’s up with Cub leaders’ kids?”
By now, hopefully you’ve had a chance to complete your troop’s annual Journey to Excellence scorecard and turn it in to your district professional. Generally, these are due by December 31st, in order to qualify for the award and help your district and council qualify for theirs. (The district and council JTE awards depend in part on units turning in their scorecards.)
When Journey to Excellence was developed by a team of experienced Scouters and national council staff, it was intended to be a flexible system, in order to reflect current BSA initiatives and to be a better predictor of the quality of a unit’s performance and program. Continue reading “The changing journey”
Committing to become a den leader (or other adult leader in Scouting) means not doing it halfway, otherwise the boys don’t benefit as much, and the adults don’t have as much fun either.
Sure, accepting a leadership role is a big step, but it’s not usually something you can do just a little bit. It’s normally a one-year commitment (unless something unforeseen comes up, like moving out of town or changing jobs) and there are specific responsibilities of leaders in various positions. Sometimes, these can be shared with others, but it rests on you to ensure that they are taken care of.
The good thing is that once you get going in your position, you’ll establish a rhythm and things will fall into place, so you don’t have to keep figuring out how to do new things. Continue reading “Don’t do it halfway!”