ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Dave Holloway – Pow-Wow reminder (Sat 11/4 at Stonybrook Middle School)
  • Information is on the Crossroads website (www.crossroadsbsa.org), and new this year, you can register online, too (https://webportal.crossroadsbsa.org)
• John Harkey
  • National BSA has created a new quality award to replace the Quality Unit Award – the Centennial Award.
  • All units should hear from their Unit Commissioner over the next two months to set up a time to introduce the new award, its guidelines, and to establish the criteria for earning the award.
  • The new award is goal-oriented, with units setting their own goals with help from the District and the Council. Unit goals should help District and Council meet their goals, etc. The Council and District will provide historical data to each unit to assist in goal-setting.
• Nat Baker – Del-Mi District Executive
  • Council is putting on a Venturing ski trip on 12/28-29 (Venturing is for all youth – male and female – ages 14-20). Talk to older siblings, church youth group, etc.
  • Annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign – please register for a district presentation. This year the district is looking for units to take part in the presentations. There are new recognition levels for units – see the website (www.del-mi.org/finance/fos/) to register and for more information.
• Chuck Harris
  • Always need help for Eagle Boards of Review
  • Sign up for Wood Badge (fewer spots in 2007 than in 2006!)

TONIGHT’S TOPIC: Developing Parent Involvement

• From tonight’s attendees, almost all involve their parents in Den Meetings
• From tonight’s attendees, less than half involve their parents in Pack Meetings
• How do you get your parents involved in Den Meetings?
  • Just ask them
  • Ask the parents to focus on their specialty – either their hobby or their job, or other interests that can contribute to your den meetings
• There is a profile form provided at School Night – it can be a good source of information about your Pack’s parents. Ask the Committee Chair and Cubmaster to share it with your Den Leaders, too.
• What happens when your seasoned, experienced leaders (Cubmaster, Committee Chair, committee heads, Treasurer, etc.) move on to Boy Scouts? How do you plan for that change?
  • Look at developing younger leaders (leaders from younger ranks – Tigers, Wolves)
  • Look for the people that are always there and always participate, and approach them face-to-face
  • Establish a transition deadline so people can prepare
  • Make time to train and educate everyone ahead of time, before the transition.
  • Changing “cold turkey” could spell trouble for a Pack
  • Resort to honesty – lay it on the line, that the Pack could fall apart without the leaders, and the leaders are leaving on such-and-such date
• Start parents out on one-time committees, and then try to build them up to be leaders
• Emphasize to parents at School Night that they are joining with their boys – Scouting is not a babysitting organization
• Start the Tiger Program with strong parent involvement – divide the meeting leadership up among the Tiger parents, and provide them all the information they need to run a successful den – coach them. Then, don’t let them get uninvolved as their boys advance in rank.
• Make sure your leaders are trained – your trained leaders will provide a good example to your Unit’s parents of what training resources are available to make leadership easier
• Have a Trainer or Training Chair
• How do you get parents/new leaders to go to training?
  • Offer to watch their kids!
  • Emphasize how exciting it is
  • Have an experienced leader actively recruit other leaders and parents and be the Pow-Wow (substitute any other training opportunity here) training coordinator – makes the idea of going to training less daunting to those who’ve never gone
  • Share what you’ve done/learned
  • Recognize everyone who goes to training in front of the Pack at Pack Meetings
• Recognize and thank ALL parents who help out in ANY capacity during your Pack Meetings
• Can you have too much parent involvement?
  • Sometimes
  • The “old goats”, or “over-mothering” instincts
  • Try to use them to your advantage, ask the parents to help out, assign them roles
  • Don’t shoot down their ideas, turn it to an advantage – a positive contribution
• What resources are available to help leaders and parents?
  • Cub Scout Leader How-To Book
  • Program Helps
  • Internet

TONIGHT’S TOPIC: Outdoor Winter Activities

• Cub Scouts can camp as long as it does not drop below 25degrees
• Cub Scouts can earn the Polar Bear Award (look it up on the Internet for specific requirements)
• Family campouts
• Ice skating
  • You can get the Council insurance rider to cover this (the rider is free from the Council)
• Sledding
  • You can get the Council insurance rider to cover this (the rider is free from the Council)
• Hiking – do seasonal hikes, so Scouts can see the seasons change
  • Pick age-appropriate distances
• Go to caves – some in southern Indiana have camping opportunities, too, and it is much warmer inside the cave than outside in the cold
• Camp Kikthawenund has cabins available for winter camping
• Swimming (indoors) – some schools have open swimming
  • You can do family/open swimming (without the three divided BSA swimmer zones) as long as there is a lifeguard on duty
  • With no lifeguard, you must segregate the pool into three areas (Swimmer, Beginner, Non-swimmer)
  • Take the Safe Swim Defense course available online at www.del-mi.org/training/
• Other activities
  • Monster Trucks
  • Sporting events
  • Museums, etc.
• Winter preparation
  • Warm drinks, water
  • Warm clothes, layers, dry clothing to change into afterwards

October Roundtable Attendance Award

• Andre Paree-Huff, Pack 108, won a new tent from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

November Topics:

• Den Gathering Activities
• Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award