The new Cub Scout program got a huge face lift this year as the new the advancement program was launched on June 1. Since then boys and families have used the materials at day camp, resident camp, and during summertime den and pack events. If your pack starts its program each year at the beginning of the traditional school year in August or September, you are likely already using the new program materials that will lay the groundwork for a well-organized program launch starting in the fall. However, if yours is an LDS sponsored unit, January is your calendar year.
That means you will need to plan your upcoming year’s events using the new Cub Scout program. Some of you may feel a little overwhelmed with this task, so the Advancement Newsletter has given you some ideas as you plan this program.
Annual program planning is nothing new, it has always been a common attribute of all successful Cub Scout packs. Cub Scouting’s new program materials provide every pack with a great opportunity to re-calibrate— and rededicate—its program to the values of Scouting at an annual program planning meeting.
Program Guidance
New den leader guide books now are available to support den-level programs at each level: Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos/Arrow of Light. Each of these guides maps out in great detail what materials are needed to run a high interest program for the boys in your den. After using your den level’s guide in consonance with the Cub Scout handbook to lay out a basic plan for your den-level adventures, use the range of additional support materials available, such as the Cub Scout Leader How-to Book, Den and Pack Ceremonies, and more, to add richness and depth, otherwise known as fun!
Training
New training guides for Cubmaster/Assistant Cubmaster, Den Leader, and Pack Committee (i.e., Pack Committee Challenge) were released early this year and are available through the Program Updates – 2015 and Beyond page. Online training courses for Cubmasters, den leaders, committee chairs and members, and chartered organization representatives have been totally revised with help from volunteers from around the country. Each has been divided into shorter, more targeted modules so leaders can get the training they need, in the order they want, any time they need it. With that in mind, each new training was organized around what the person taking it would need to know prior to the first meeting, within the first 30 days, and finally, to be considered position-specific trained. All of this training was developed to be implemented in conjunction with the BSA’s new learning management system. For more information, visit MyScouting Tools (logging in through MyScouting.org).
Planning Tips
As always, pack-level planning centers on major pack activities, such as pack family campouts, day camp and resident camp opportunities, and monthly pack meetings. Under the new Adventure Program, each month’s meeting should correspond to a point of the Scout Law. In addition, each plan should follow a theme to help make the pack meeting even more fun. Help for creating your pack meeting plans can be found by visiting www.scouting.org/ programupdates. The plans you will find do not have to be used in a specific order, but some do have reminders to include activities from the required adventures to help the Scouts advance in rank.
Planning is meant to be easy and straightforward: using the calendar in the den leader guide book, map out the required adventures for your rank. Be sure to look at any local issues that may impact the adventures you select, such as weather and school holidays. After you map out the required adventures, map out the elective adventures that your boys would like to complete. Bring these with you to the pack’s annual planning meeting.
Several of the required adventures have a requirement that suggests or requires completion at a pack meeting, but den-level planning should be a part of pack program planning as well. With an expanded set of elective adventures for boys to explore, den leaders may wish to consult with the boys in the den to see what they would like to accomplish. Pack leaders should work with the den leaders to plan when these activities will take place.
Program ImpactCub-Scout-Connections-rev.-6-15
Completing these tasks – planning, preparation, and training – will help your pack with recruitment this fall. New parents will see a well-planned program in place, trained leaders to help deliver the program, and will want their boys to be a part of that program. A well-planned pack and denlevel program also will encourage new parents to lend a hand during their first year, helping to develop them into future den or pack leaders.
Author: Boy Scouts of America | Advancement News
The post New Cub Scout Adventure Program—Be Prepared for Success appeared first on The Boy Scout | Utah National Parks Council Official Blog.