My kids love Cub Scouts, and I have decided to start a Pack that can include my children. I have Lions and Tigers and girls in my family, which the local chartered organization doesn’t choose to include in their packs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been chartering Wolves, Bears, and Webelos for more than a hundred years; but they are not chartering after 2019 and so there is a very well served population that’s about to be a very large underserved area.
As I tried to find a pack for my kids, we tried a pack about 15 minutes north of our home, and then switched to a pack that is 30 minutes to the south. It’s a pretty good fit for my kids, who are not eligible for any of the packs in my home town. (The bonus about this Pack is that I have many good friends on staff that I met through Akela's Council, and they truly understand how to run a good pack and make it fun for the Cub Scouts.)
For months, now, I’ve been saying that I’m going to help to establish a new pack in Orem, Utah. So far, I’ve been to a few meetings, and I’ve talked to some friends.
My roundtable buddies have agreed that we’re in. I’ve been talking to friends, and there are a couple people in my ward (area) that are ready to help and who want their sons to continue. A couple people in my neighborhood have said they are in although they have no children of Scouting age; but they love scouts and are eager to continue serving.
The Cub Scout year is recommended to begin as kids end school and begin summer break, and I want to be well established by June to take advantage of the fantastic summer opportunities.
I have been learning about community units (that's the terminology in our council for any pack not chartered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Community packs that are chartered by any other organization can include girls, and younger kids in lions and tigers). One of the advantages of registering my children in a community pack is that I can learn. The pack leaders I am with now, know that I intend to leave them eventually, and they share wisdom all the time. They want me to succeed and are generous.
At roundtable I am still fully engaged in learning, and just volunteered to teach a breakout session. This gets me in to the roundtable planning meetings, and I am networking with other great Scouters.
I have been to Akela’s Council, and my husband is going this summer to get that level of training as well, since he is willing to be a leader in our pack. He has been wood badge trained and has held Cub Scout positions; but he is sure that he will be better for the pack after Akela’s Council. I agree completely. ** Akela’s Council is ALL ABOUT the Cub Scout program. If you are interested in knowing how to run a quality program that delivers the promise of fun, adventure and character development for 5-11 year-old Scouts, Akela’s Council can launch you in the right direction by immersing you in the purposes, methods and excitement of Cub Scouting. In 2019, Akela’s Council will run June 19-22 and will fill in any gaps in your Cub Scout toolkit. CLICK HERE
I will go to University of Scouting. I am part of several Facebook groups dedicated to scouting and Cub Scouting. I have gone to a couple meetings about the future of Scouting in Utah. I have been gathering information.
In August, somebody at a meeting mentioned the William D Boyce scouting award for starting a new unit, and they said there was a document online with step by step instructions for starting a new unit.
Here are links to three documents that I found, not sure which one they actually meant.
https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/commissioner/pdf/522-990.pdf
http://scoutingwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/522-025_WB_sm.pdf
https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/04-515.pdf
According to these guides, successful new units are organized in these steps:
- Identify the prospect.
- Approach the prospect.
- Make the sales call.
- The organization adopts the program.
- The organizing committee meets.
- Help the organizing committee select and recruit unit leaders.
- Help train the leaders.
- Help the unit plan and organize programs.
- Recruit youth members and provide parent orientation.
- Complete the paperwork. Attend the first meeting. Present the charter.
They say that you can’t skip steps and expect a long-lasting pack.
I honestly don’t know exactly what these steps mean; but I will learn. I intend to follow these steps and establish a Cub Scout pack in Orem, Utah.
I will share my efforts and experiences right here.
~ By Merinda Reeder who is a Cubmaster from Pack 466 in the Orem District, Utah National Parks Council. She serves on Roundtable Staff, attended Akela's Council in 2017 and served on Akela's Council Staff in 2018.
To see other articles by Merinda, CLICK HERE
