October

Core Value for November: Citizenship
Supplemental Theme: Give Goodwill

Have you registered for College of Cub Scouting? If not, click here RIGHT NOW! :)

Citizenship is contributing service and showing responsibility to local, state and national communities.

Scout Law equivalent to Citizenship is 'Helpful' A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help without expecting payment or reward.

Monthly Pack Activity: Pack Good Turns

We discussed different ways to 'Do a Good Turn' as a Pack. Ideas given were: coat/clothing drive for Road Home, Thanksgiving meal scavenger hunt, visiting an assisted living center and have Scouts prepared with things to ask residents about.

During the Holiday months, it is very easy to find opportunities to Do a Good Turn. Google is your friend in this. Also, College of Cub Scouting has classes to help you find resources for service.(see link above to register)

Planning your Blue and Gold Banquet

What is the Blue and Gold Banquet? 

Most Cub Scouts celebrate Scouting Anniversary Week in February with a "birthday party" called the blue and gold banquet. In nearly all packs, the blue and gold banquet is the highlight of the year. It brings families together for an evening of fun and cheer. It's often the pack meeting for February.

The purpose of the blue and gold banquet is to celebrate the pack's anniversary, thank pack leaders and other adults who have helped the pack, and inspire the leaders, Scouts, and parents. Packs often like to invite former members and other Scouting or community leaders to take part in their blue and gold banquet.

The banquet can be like a regular pack meeting, with songs, skits, stunts, and awards. Or it can be something different and a little more special. Your pack may decide to bring in an entertainer such as a magician or a storyteller. Or you could have a video or slide show of what the pack did over the past year.

A good banquet needs lots of planning. Most packs begin to plan at least two months ahead of time. Pack Committee should select a B&G Chair so they can recruit a committee to help carry out some of the responsibilities, such as:

• What type of meal- potluck, catering, etc.
• How will the pack pay for it- pack fundraisers, charging a small fee, have a local business sponsor the dinner.
• How much food and seating- have families make reservations or RSVP
• Decorations, invitations, programs- involve the boys in their banquet. 

Invite guest to the Banquet- upcoming scouts in your area, COR, District Executives, Scoutmasters, Past leaders

Next month we will be talking about RECHARTERING. Please come with questions. Your COR should have already received the rechartering packet and will have items for you to complete. If you have specific questions, you are welcome to bring your forms and we will try our best to get the answers you need.

See you in November!

PS- If you attended Roundtable in September for Harold Bird's Arrow of Light Presentation, please complete the survey below. We would like some feedback. Thanks.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

August 14, 2014

Tonight we talked about the Annual Program Planning Conference. A description for this meeting is given below (taken from BSA website)

Also, here is the link to register for Cub-O-Ree.
Cub-O-Ree Sept. 13th 10:00am-1:00pm
Webelos Night Sept. 12th 4:00pm-8:15pm

and the link to achievements done at Cub Country and Webelos Camp. Just click the camp your scouts attended. At the bottom of the page is a link to a .pdf with the expected achievements for that camp. Make sure to check with the leaders or parents that attended to verify what was completed. :)

Your Pack's Annual Program Plan = Satisfied Cub Scouts and Families = A Lifelong Love of Scouting!

Dear Committee Chair and Cubmaster:
Let's talk about one of the key elements of all successful packs and an indicator of a potentially successful year. Of course that would be the pack's annual program plan and planning conference.

A research project done by Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana, showed that a common element of strong packs is they all have a good annual pack program planned a year in advance that is then shared with all families in the form of a calendar. The important result of a shared annual program calendar is that your pack will attract more families, and Cub Scouts will stay for a long time.

Just as an aside, the other two key elements of successful packs identified in that study were training and just having the right leader to start with.

Here is how a pack program planning conference works. A month or two before the scheduled face-to-face conference, the committee chair and Cubmaster gather the following information:

1. Key school dates
2. Community event dates
3. Your chartered organization's dates
4. Personal dates that may affect your pack's activities such as the Cubmaster's anniversary cruise
5. District and council dates
6. Collected Family Talent Survey sheets from all parents
7. Last year's pack annual plan if you have one

To maximize the efficiency of your planning, the following people should attend the conference:

1. All pack committee members
2. All den leaders
3. All pack/den aids and den chiefs (optional)
4. Chartered organization representative
5. Your unit commissioner (optional)
6. Anyone else you think might be helpful, such as other parents

If you choose, you can use a new electronic program planning conference guide for a pack to add some color to the process. This narrated PowerPoint presentation, which takes the pack step-by-step through the planning process, can be found byclicking here. 

The result is an annual calendar and plan that all parties agree upon.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps.

Before you start the planning process: Explain to the group the importance of annual program planning, why you are doing it, and the rules for the process during this meeting.

Step 1: This part is easy. Just take the dates you collected and put them into your pack's master calendar—including den meeting dates—either on a hard copy or by plugging the information into an electronic calendar on a computer. An electronic template can be found by clicking here.

Step 2: Before you begin rounding out the master calendar with things you want to do, review what the pack did last year. You might even want to write what you come up with on a flip chart or dry erase board. Ask yourself questions like, what events went well, what events didn't go so well? Did we earn the National Summertime Pack Award? The Journey to Excellence Award? How did we do with den and pack attendance? Did we participate in Cub Scout day camp or family camp? Did we sell popcorn?

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want, but don't spend too much time on this, as the key issue is planning the upcoming year. Just use this research to help guide what you might want to keep, replace, or improve.

Step 3: Do some brainstorming on activities your pack might want to do in addition to den and pack meetings. This could be things such as a blue and gold banquet, pinewood derby, family picnic, first-aid training, pet show, and so on. Remember the brainstorming rule, which is anybody can suggest anything without critique or criticism. Feedback and analysis come later, after all the ideas have been captured. Once you have a list of things your dens and pack might want to do, start prioritizing the list. Is a particular activity something for dens or the pack as a whole? Could the activity be incorporated into a den or pack meeting? And so on.

Take a vote on which activities to include on the den and pack meeting schedule, then add the activities to your calendar.

Step 4: By now, the calendar should be taking shape. It should include school and community dates, holidays, some personal conflict dates, den and pack meetings, additional den and pack activities, and district and council dates. The next step is to assign the person who will be responsible for each event, as well as den responsibilities at pack meetings. This would include names, like "Bob Smith" will be the chair for the blue and gold banquet.

If you are really ambitious, you can even put in event details such as, "Bob will send invitation and assignments to each family by January 1," and, "By November 1, we will get confirmation from the school we can use the cafeteria." Remember that good planning and preparation will lead to family satisfaction. Some of this might have to come after your program planning conference, if you choose activities now and have to recruit chairs later. However, if you know you will be doing some activities again such as your blue and gold banquet, you might already have a commitment from "Bob" by the time the program planning conference happens.

Step 5: You're almost finished. The final step is to review your annual plan to ensure you have captured everything you and your families want to do in the upcoming year. Once you feel comfortable, publish or email your annual plan to each family. A reminder that not everyone has an email account, so be sure your distribution reaches all families. They will feel much more a part of your pack and be able to plan their own family calendar with the pack's calendar in hand. Sharing the annual plan with your families could be the most important step in retaining your Scouts and building tenure, so don't shortcut this one.

Step 6: Annual program planning is an ongoing process. Review the plan each month at your pack leaders' meeting to make sure you are still on track, to recruit chairs and other help, you participate in important meetings, or to make assignments or changes as needed.

A great pack program plan leads to a great pack and den program, which leads to Cub Scouts and their families staying and growing in Scouting.

Good luck! You are taking a big step toward being a great pack!

Resources

Family Talent Survey
Pack Calendar Template 2014-2015
Pack Program Planning Conference Power Point Presentation

June Roundtable
Core Value: Courage
Supplemental Theme: The New Frontier

First, there is one thing I forgot to mention at our breakout this month. Cub-O-Ree and Webelos Night is coming up in September. Webelos are on Friday the 12th and the Bears and Wolves are Saturday the 13th. There will be no registration at the event so you must register in advance. As the "paper people" we need to make sure that the boys have consent forms signed. Don't forget 2 deep leadership and at least one person Youth Protection trained.

Recap of our discussion:

At our June roundtable, we discussed July programs. There are packs that do not hold meetings in during the summer months, however to earn the Summertime Pack Award, you must meet once a month in June, July and August and have 50% attendance. A great way to do this in July is with Day Camp.  If you still need to register for Cub Country or Webelos Camp at Camp Tracy click here.

Paperwork for camp includes: 

AHMR- Annual Heath and Medical Record (click the first download) Must have this form Part A & B for each participant. This means parents and leaders that are attending as well. Don't forget a copy of the insurance card, Front and Back

Immunization Exemption Request

Medical Care Exemption Request

Finally, we discussed the Sweet 16 of BSA safety-

The Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety

Few youth organizations encompass the breadth, volume, and diversity of physical activity common to Scouting, and none enjoy a better safety record. The key to maintaining and improving this exemplary record is the conscientious and trained adult leader who is attentive to safety concerns.

As an aid in the continuing effort to protect participants in a Scout activity, the BSA National Health and Safety Committee and the Council Services Division of the BSA National Council have developed the "Sweet Sixteen" of BSA safety procedures for physical activity. These 16 points, which embody good judgement and common sense, are applicable to all activities.

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1. QUALIFIED SUPERVISION

Every BSA activity should be supervised by a conscientious adult who understands and knowingly accepts responsibility for the well-being and safety of the children and youth in his or her care. The supervisor should be sufficiently trained, experienced, and skilled in the activity to be confident of his/her ability to lead and to teach the necessary skills and to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. Field knowledge of all applicable BSA standards and a commitment to implement and follow BSA policies and procedures are essential parts of the supervisor's qualifications.

2. PHYSICAL FITNESS

For youth participants in any potentially strenuous activity, the supervisor should receive a complete health history from a health-care professional, parent, or guardian. Adult participants and youth involved in higher-risk activity (e.g., scuba) may require professional evaluation in addition to the health history. The supervisor should adjust all supervision, discipline, and protection to anticipate potential risks associated with individual health conditions. Neither youth nor adults should participate in activities for which they are unfit. To do so would place both the individual and others at risk.

3. BUDDY SYSTEM

The long history of the buddy system in Scouting has shown that it is always best to have at least one other person with you and aware at all times as to your circumstances and what you are doing in any outdoor or strenuous activity.

4. SAFE AREA OR COURSE

A key part of the supervisor's responsibility is to know the area or course for the activity and to determine that it is well-suited and free of hazards.

5. EQUIPMENT SELECTION AND MAINTENANCE

Most activity requires some specialized equipment. The equipment should be selected to suit the participant and the activity and to include appropriate safety and program features. The supervisor should also check equipment to determine that it is in good condition for the activity and is properly maintained while in use.

6. PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT

The supervisor must ensure that every participant has and uses the appropriate personal safety equipment. For example, activity afloat requires a life jacket properly worn by each participant; bikers, horseback riders, and whitewater kayakers need helmets for certain activities; skaters may need protective gear; and all need to be dressed for warmth and utility depending on the circumstances.

7. SAFETY PROCEDURES AND POLICIES

For most activities, there are common-sense procedures and standards that can greatly reduce the risk. These should be known and appreciated by all participants, and the supervisor must ensure compliance.

8. SKILL LEVEL LIMITS

There is a minimum skill level requirement for every activity, and the supervisor must identify and recognize this minimum skill level and be sure that no participants are put at risk by attempting an activity beyond their ability. A good example of skill levels in Scouting is the venerable swim test, which defines conditions for safe swimming based on individual ability.

9. WEATHER CHECK

The risk factors in many outdoor activities vary substantially with weather conditions. These variables and the appropriate response should be understood and anticipated.

10. PLANNING

Safe activity follows a plan that has been conscientiously developed by the experienced supervisor or other competent source. Good planning minimizes risks and also anticipates contingencies that may require emergency response or a change of plan.

11. COMMUNICATIONS

The supervisor needs to be able to communicate effectively with participants as needed during the activity. Emergency communications also need to be considered in advance for any foreseeable contingencies.

12. PLANS AND NOTICES

BSA tour and activity plans, council office registration, government or landowner authorization, and any similar formalities are the supervisor's responsibility when such are required. Appropriate notification should be directed to parents, enforcement authorities, landowners, and others as needed, before and after the activity.

13. FIRST-AID RESOURCES

The supervisor should determine what first-aid supplies to include among the activity equipment. The level of first-aid training and skill appropriate for the activity should also be considered. An extended trek over remote terrain obviously may require more first-aid resources and capabilities than an afternoon activity in the local community. Whatever is determined to be needed should be available.

14. APPLICABLE LAWS

BSA safety policies generally run parallel or go beyond legal mandates, but the supervisor should confirm and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations or statutes.

15. CPR RESOURCE

Any strenuous activity or remote trek could present a cardiac emergency. Aquatics programs may involve cardiopulmonary emergencies. The BSA strongly recommends that a CPR-trained person (preferably an adult) be part of the leadership for any BSA program. Such a resource should be available for strenuous outdoor activity.

16. DISCIPLINE

No supervisor is effective if he or she cannot control the activity and the individual participants. Youth must respect their leader and follow his or her direction.

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In addition to these general rules, safety concerns in certain BSA activities, including most of the aquatics programs, have been specifically addressed in more detailed guidelines. All leaders should review and comply with such guidelines in the respective activities. Examples can be found in publications such as the Guide to Safe Scouting, Chemical Fuel and Equipment Policies, Safe Swim Defense, etc.  

Thanks for all you do for your Scouting Organization. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment and we will discuss them at our next Roundtable.