[Deleted]

[Guest]

[Deleted]

Edited March 30, 2018 by Guest

[Just_A_Guy]

I'm currently a Cubmaster.  It could be argued that I've never "caught the vision" of Scouting--I have a lot of beefs with BSA National and my local council; and I think a lot of the Cub Scouting traditions and expectations are not particularly workable with boys in 2017 (those pack meeting plans from National are awful.  I would have hated them as an eight-year-old, and I hate them now.)  And though I'm not a bleeding-heart liberal, I'm more than a little uncomfortable with the pseudo-Indian lore that so permeates Cub Scouting.

That said:  If you start with the premise that you are running an activity group for third grade boys and then use the BSA curriculum as a resource (but not a dogma) in building your program; I think you'll find that you can have a lot of fun with your boys and teach them some cool stuff while still satisfying the rank advancement program and keeping the parents happy.

By the way, I just got out of a 3-day child abuse conference where two of the days focused on sex offender psychology and grooming practices.  For all the BSA's absurdities--their youth protection training really does represent evidence-based best practices.   Two-deep leadership is a monumental pain in the neck; but it's also a very good idea given this world we live in.  Your scout committee/primary presidency should be making sure you have the adult backup you need; and ultimately they really should be calling an assistant for you.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Just_A_Guy

[anatess2]

THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY!

I have been a Bear Den Scout Leader for 3 years now.  AND I LOVE IT!  Yes, I didn't like it at first because I left my tomboy days in my childhood and now I'm embracing my full girly girl.  I have 2 sons and my husband - who is currently our Scoutmaster - is the awesomest Scout Leader on planet earth... okay, maybe 2nd only to his Dad  - so he took care of all the scouting stuff for my boys while I go do girly girl stuff.  So they called me to be a Bear Scout Leader knowing absolutely nothing about scouting.

But, now I got it down pat and it is super duper awesomest!

I don't know why your Webelos don't meet on the same night as your Bears... the entire Pack should be doing scouts together but in separate dens - Wolves, Bears, Webelos.  Some of the requirements you can do together with other dens.  On those days when you're working with requirements without the other dens, you will need to ask either the cubmaster, the primary 2nd counselor (she's over scouts), or one of the Bears' parents to lead the den with you.

The wierd sexual harassment thing is a Boy Scouts requirement... they have been sued too many times about it that's why they impose these rules such as watching that video and instilling 2-deep leadership.

Pocket knives are a boy's best friend!  It's like a whole world unlocked before them!  I have 2 boys and they got their pocket knives at 8 years old on their birthdays.  It's like a "right of passage" kinda thing in my family.  They got their first rifle at age 12 for the same reason.  So, 9 year Bears are more than old enough to handle pocket knives.  Carving with a bar of soap or whittling some soft wood into a spoon teaches the kid how to master handling his pocket knife.  So, you're wondering, why do they need pocket knives?  Many many reasons - my kids are now teen-agers, they have at least a dozen pocket knives each, one for different purposes... like they have specific pocket knives they take fishing - they got a separate knife to cut lines and another knife to filet fish, etc.  They also have different knives for camping - for food prep, for cutting rope, for chopping branches for the fire, etc. etc.  Anyway, pocket knives need a certain mastery to know how to handle them safely.  And it needs Practice Practice Practice!  Hence... the soap.

Anyway, the way we do Cub Scouting in our ward is like this - We meet every Wednesday. 

First Wednesday is always Pack Meeting.  So we're meeting as a pack and not as a Den.  This is when we do things like - Blast Cars (So so so fun!), Raingutter Regata, Pinewood Derby, Blue and Gold Banquet, etc.  So, when I got the calling, the first thing I did was get the list of Pack Meeting Activities so I can leverage the Den Meetings with the Pack Meeting.  For example - I work on the Bear Claws (pocket knives) the month before the Pinewood Derby so I can use their Pinewood Derby Cars to fulfill one of the carving requirements.  Do you see?

2nd and 4th Wednesday we have Den Meeting.  This is when I do most of the requirements for the adventure we're working on.

3rd Wednesday is homework day.  We don't meet as a Den on this day.  This day is for the Bears to complete requirements that involve their parents - like creating and running through your family's Emergency Plan.  This is also a week for the Bears to do field trip type activities - like visiting the Zoo - in lieu of homework.

So, the Bears Requirements is only 7 Adventures - 6 fixed, 1 elective.  So, I planned each Adventure so it can be completed in one month.  So, you can complete all those in 7 months.  So you got 5 months to play around with.  What I did was, we only meet during the School Year.  When they go on Summer Break, we don't meet as a den anymore.  We only attend the Pack Meetings.  So, that's 3 months of you not having to work too hard on your calling!  And then, instead of just 1 elective, I do 3 electives.  So that covers the entire year - 6 required, 3 electives, 3 months off.

Now, the great thing about Cub Scouts is once you create your entire year's plan, you're pretty much done with planning.  Because you can just use that plan over and over and over every single year.

So, here's an example of the plan I have for the past 2 months - April and May.  We worked on Critter Care and Super Science elective:
Critter Care:
Week 1:  Pack Meeting
Week 2: I brought my zoo into the Church - a ball python, 2 map turtles, 2 parakeets, 3 silkie chickens, 3 modern game bantams, 1 dog.
                I then presented 3 interesting facts about each one of them (my 14 year old son actually did the talking - he owns most of these pets and can tell you a quadzillion facts about each one).  My son then asked the Bears to try to get my dog to do tricks.  Then I showed a youtube video about Rabies.  This knocked out Requirements 2, 4 and 6.  I then asked them to pick one of the pets to take home.  I, of course, talked about this with their parents the month before so they're prepared to take home what they like.  So, for the next 2 weeks, each Bear babysat one of my pets.  That covered requirements 1.
Week 3:  Instead of homework week, I took the kids to the animal rescue center and had a short tour and they asked some questions, left a donation, etc.  Took care of Req 7.
Week 4:  They took the pets back to Church so I can take them back home.  We then made a poster of the pet they cared for... pretty simple - I just had them paste a picture of the pet at the top of a small trifold poster, they wrote 3 interesting facts on one fold, a list of the things they did to care for the pet on a daily basis in the middle fold, and then 3 things about the pet that benefits mankind on the 3rd fold.  This completes all the requirements.

The next month was Awards Pack Meeting where they get the belt loops for the stuff they finished in the last 3 months.  So, when they did the Award Presentations, the Bears showed off their posters before they received the awards.

Super Science

Week 1:  Awards Pack Meeting
Week  2: We didn't meet at Church that Wednesday.  Rather, I asked them to meet me at Church that Saturday because I took them to the Museum of Science.  They have this really cool show there where they have all these stuff on Static Electricity... they have this thingamabob that you touch and then your hair stands up... etc. etc.  So that took care of Req's 1-3
Week 3:  No Den Meeting, no homework.  Free Day!  Yeay!
Week 4:  We're gonna do 3 demonstrations - 1.) egg on salt water, egg on sugar water, egg on water and oil - we observe whether the egg sinks or floats and then explain why  2.) this super cool color-morphing demonstration that is so simple - just put whole milk on a styrofoam plate, put a few drops of liquid food color in the middle, then take a q-tip and dip it in Dawn soap, then dip the q-tip onto the milk... MAGIC!  Well, yeah, you have to explain what happened, of course.  This is super duper awesome and fun.  3.)  color-layering - I have 4 different concentrations of sugar water that I drop 4 different food colors.  Then I super slowly pour an ounce of each color onto the test tube starting with the highest sugar concentration first then layer the other sugar concentrations super slowly on top of it... you'll see each color one on top of the other.  Then, after that, shake it and see what color you come up with... Explain what happens.  And that completes all for the requirements!  Super Simple.

 

Easy peasy!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS CALLING!

 

Edited May 18, 2017 by anatess2

[Vort]

Bananafax, my feelings about Scouting were somewhat similar to yours. Not quite so negative, but I don't have lots of fuzzy warm Scouting memories. As my three older sons progressed through Scouting, and as I was called on to assist them, first as a father and then as a Scout leader, my attitudes have changed quite a bit. I am now something of a fan of Scouting. And of the Scout programs, I think that Cub Scouts might possibly just be the best and most useful.

I second what JAG wrote above. See yourself as leading an activity for second- and third-graders. Do cool stuff -- cool for nine-year-olds, that is. Maybe that's carving a bar of Ivory soap, or maybe it's helping them build a racer. The Scouting materials give some good ideas, but you don't need to limit yourself to them. You are preparing the boys to spend the next three years (after Webelos) in Boy Scouts, going on campouts and doing some very fun stuff. Have fun with the calling. Enjoy the boys. I understand your negative attitude and, to some extent, I sympathize. But don't let that hold you back.

Unimportant note: "Webelos" is an invented word, and it's both singular and plural. For example, when addressing a ten-year-old Cub Scout, the appropriate things to say is, "You are a Webelos." There is no such word as "Webelo", even a Cub-Scout-invented word.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Vort

[my two cents]

For it to feel more meaningful, include some of the Faith in God requirements in your planning*.  It seems to get lost too often with the boys (and sometimes the girls) but the Church has it for a reason.  As far as the separate night/two-deep issue - rotate the parents to help you and/or get welfare recipients to cover the babysitting.  No one should have to get a sitter just to magnify a calling.

*if I had a son in scouts - I would expect this as a parent

 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Bananafax said:

This is going to be the rant-iest rant that ever was.

Three weeks ago I was called by revelation from my bishop to be the "Bear" Scout den leader (3rd graders). I didn't like Boy Scouts as a kid, and I've carried those feelings into adulthood, but I accepted the calling because it was from God. At the time, I thought the reason was to prepare me for my potential son-I only have a daughter. My wife was at least 6 weeks pregnant.

Two weeks ago I was sustained in church. Also, my wife had a mid-late first-trimester miscarriage.

Last week, the church announced that it's stopped it's support of scouts aged 14 and older, which is the only scouting I remember.

I feel like I'm in over my head when it comes to this calling. I've always been somewhat uncomfortable with the idea that the church is tightly affiliated with scouting -- especially how scout leaders are called by God. 

I've never understood how teaching 3rd graders to whittle a bar of soap with a pocket knife is going to help "perfect the saints". The church does not set any of the requirements for scouting, it's all a third-party program, so any direct results from cub scouts could be applied without incorporating the church. Let's not forget that if scouting does any sort of purpose, that purpose somehow only applies to 8 to 14 year old boys only. Girls have never been allowed into scouts.

On top of that, in order to accept this calling I had to go through a really weird sexual harassment prevention training course, and I had to have a background check into my criminal and legal history. It doesn't help that if any of the boys decides to wreck my life, they just need to claim that I sexually harassed them. It would only take a rumor from a young boy or another counselor to ruin my entire life.

It doesn't help that the church withdrew partial support of scouting last week -- how long until this calling is phased out of the church?

The cub-master and her counselors(?) are really serious about scouts, and I'm just not there with them.

I only have two (maybe three?) Bear scouts in my den, and I do not have a co-leader. In order to hold meetings, I have to have another adult there with me, meaning I have to be there on the same nights as the WeBeLoS (that's the one true way of writing that). My wife works those nights, so I have to make arrangements with a babysitter in order to fulfill my church calling. On top of that, I work 10 hours on those days, essentially meaning that my day consists of work and scouts.

I can't rant to my wife, because I don't want her to think I don't believe this calling isn't from God, so I'm just going to release this to the internet.

TL;DR - Called to cub scouts; I don't feel like I'm doing anything for anyone

A few thoughts.  

First, I am sorry about the miscarriage.  I have been through that experience.  Give yourself some time to mourn and recognize that you are in mourning.  I say this because I think the backdrop of miscarriage is going to have an effect on how you feel about many, many things for a little while, including why you feel over your head in this calling.  It sure had this effect on me when it happened to me.

Second, as for your feelings towards Scouting - I love scouting, and it is a big part of who I have become, but I admit it is an acquired taste.  I think the reason it is in the Church is as a backdrop so that children can spend time, and develop meaningful mentoring relationships, with Church leaders.  Children need lots of support and mentoring to grow up right.  Scouts is (or was) a way for this to happen.

It is kind of a weird time to be called into scouting, with the Church's decision to break away a little.  Just hang on and do your best with what you can.

As for the abuse prevention stuff, it is standard scouting protocol, and I had to go through it as a scout leader.  If you are worried about false accusations and that kind of thing, just make sure you always have another adult with you when you are around the kids.  Your ward should have called an assistant pack leader or something for this very reason.  Almost invariably, accusations of sexual harassment arise when a leader spends a lot of time alone with the kids and no other adult witness who could explain that nothing inappropriate happened.  If you avoid doing this, your problem is almost certainly solved.  

Good luck!

Edited May 18, 2017 by DoctorLemon

[JohnsonJones]

I have been a scout leader directly in the past, and now though not really directly involved unless I wish to be as I am more in an administrative position in regards to scouting, all total I suppose I have over 20 years with scouting.  I think Scouting is a great program, but one that is often NOT used the best by the church.  My rundown to someone new to scouting would be as follows...

1. Youth Protection.  Do this, ESPECIALLY two deep leadership.  This is NOT just for the boys protection, but ALSO for YOUR protection.  The more adults you have around you, the less any false accusations against you will hold water.  At the same time, the more adults you have around the boys in a GROUP (so, as youth protection points out, no letting adults wander off alone with boys), the more protected the boys will be if there ARE any predators...which leads to the second item...

2.  The LDS church is very ODD at how it does scouting in some areas.  This is completely tradition.  For some reason, parents, and many scout leaders think this is supposed to be a baby sitting service.  IT IS NOT.  PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INVOLVED with their boys.  Parents are actually supposed to be at Den meetings AND Pack meetings (I know, so many parents do not show and treat it like a baby sitting service instead).  Parents can EVEN SIGN off their boys on requirements in Cub Scouts.  It is supposed to be FAMILY oriented, and parents are supposed to be HEAVILY involved with their boys. 

Leadership and Parental involvement follow a pattern in scouts, with cubscouts being 20% done and lead by boys and 80% by leaders.  Parents should be involved around 80% of the time.  Boy Scouts should be 40% boy led and done with 60% led and done by leaders.  There should also be around a 50-60% involvement with parents.  The ones we will not participate in after 2018 is Varsity where it's supposed to be 60% boy led and 40% leaders and parents, and Venture where it is supposed to be 80% boy led and done and 20% leader and parents (Basically the boys do everything and the leaders are there to make sure no one gets killed).

3.  There is training, specifically leader specific training.  DO IT.  This training also has advanced stages, and similarly to scouting, adults can also have their own program which can teach you more about how scouting is supposed to work (and many times it doesn't because leaders do NOT get trained appropriately).  Leader specific training is the base level that everyone should have.  Imagine flying on an airplane and your pilot has their private pilot's license (not instrument, so they really can't fly by instruments, nor even their commercial pilots license...how would you feel.  With Leader Specific training you have your private pilot's license...not even your commercial license yet...just enough knowledge to fly and hopefully not kill yourself).  You can also take Baloo to teach you out door skills with scouts (and you are supposed to have this if you do any outdoor activities, which you should), and then you have Wood Badge, which I feel every scout leader SHOULD take as it truly helps comport what scouting is really about and what it should be like.

4.  If you are bothered by scouting in general, you can also focus somewhat on the religious requirements and the church's program in that regard.  Too many scout leaders forget that the LDS church has a religious element for their primary age children and youth.  Next, the VERY basic item of scouts is the Oath and Law.  This should be the base that you form everything else you train them in about.  If you are not instilling in them to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent...the rest of the program really isn't worth squat.  You need these core values in the scouts.  This is what the program is REALLY about, to teach the boys these values while trying to do fun activities which help them grow in responsibility and leadership.  They also need to know that they have a duty to God and their country, That they need to help others and need to keep themselves in the best physical shape they can, follow the church in their morals, and try to also learn and remain mentally sharp in school and activities.  This leads to the last and final item.

5.  Don't be your typical LDS Scout leader.  Park Rangers groan when an LDS troop or pack comes by as these seem to be the most prone to violate rules and break items and get in serious trouble.  This is because Scout leaders are NOT the example of scout values that I mentioned in 4. above.  The scouts do not value the itmes in 4 above.  They forget the very foundation upon which scouting is supposed to be built on.  Too many scout leaders do not realize that the scouting program is to be built on the values and morals of the Oath and law.  Instead they do things like you mentioned in your original post where they just do things to do them.  Scouting is FUN with a purpose.  That purpose is to use the Oath and Law to instill moral values in boys and help them develop responsibility and leadership.

If you have questions you can PM me.  I tend to be gone for long stretches at a time to various things, but it also appears anatess2 also has experience in this regard and probably would be more than willing to answer questions as well.