Tag: Pack Committee

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Agreement without argument

megaphone_200It seems like every time you turn on the news or look at the paper, you see a story about how our national elected leaders seem to be incapable of getting any work done. Far worse than what was labeled as the “do-nothing” Congress of the Truman administration, our representatives seem to be constantly in a tug-of-war with each other. Very little gets done as a result, and even issues that make sense for the majority of the people fail because a wrench gets tossed into the works and the gears of governing stall.

Reaching a consensus doesn’t have to be that difficult. It takes the willingness on the part of all parties to settle for less than everything they want, and allow each other to hang on to their key principles.

At times it seems like the discourse at our unit committee meetings sounds a bit like the debate on the floor of Congress, but it really doesn’t have to. Continue reading “Agreement without argument”

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Advancement True or False

rulings-tom-falseThere’s a lot of misinformation flying around in our world today. Entire websites such as Snopes and Politifact are dedicated to determining the credibility of news reports, claims and rumors that are put forth online and in the media every day.

Of course, Scouting is not without its misinformation and urban legends, and it’s up to us to know what’s true and what’s bunk.

With that in mind, here’s a quick “true or false” quiz on matters of advancement, and specifically on the board of review process. Answers follow the questions. Continue reading “Advancement True or False”

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What Cub Scout advancement chairs need to know

Cub_ranks_210Last month we explored one of the essential but often neglected committee functions in a Cub Scout pack – the membership coordinator. In this article we’ll look at another position that’s essential to smooth operations – that of the advancement chairperson. If you’ve recently taken on advancement for your pack, you’re finding out that it’s an important job, but be assured that it’s not overwhelming once you learn what’s involved.

Advancement is one of the eight methods of Cub Scouting, and it is one of the most visible. Cub Scouts is all about fun, and while they’re having fun the boys are also doing things that lead to advancing in rank. It’s through advancement that the familiar symbols appear: rank badges, Progress through Ranks beads, arrow points and activity badges, as well as the supplemental awards such as Academics & Sports belt loops and pins.

Since boys like to receive recognition for the things they’ve earned, and since families like seeing their boys receive them, it’s important for the pack to make sure that they’re promptly awarded. This is where the pack advancement chair comes in. Continue reading “What Cub Scout advancement chairs need to know”

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What Cub Scout membership coordinators need to know

youthapp_200Cub 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”

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Conflict management and unit parents

We’ve recently discussed some situations you might run into on your troop or pack committee where members have a difference of opinion and you, the committee chair, need to step in and help resolve it. What happens when one or more of your parents blindsides you with a gripe?

Parents who aren’t as involved in Scouting as you are sometimes don’t understand the program as well, and can see a unit working normally as being dysfunctional. Friction can also develop among parents, or even between boys, and the people “in charge” are looked to for a solution.

Frequently, these problems arise as the result of an incomplete understanding of Scouting’s mission, aims and methods. Continue reading “Conflict management and unit parents”