ScoutStuff.org’s Be Prepared Newsletter provides news, tips, and other useful information about Scouting and the outdoors. Information is for all program ages, including Cub Scouting.
This newsletter is emailed every month.
BSA Be Prepared Newsletter
August 10, 2010 4:34 pm
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Posted by nancy davis
Baloo’s Bugle – June 2010 (Hoop-De-Doo!) Theme
May 8, 2010 2:59 pm
The new Baloo’s Bugle is available. Baloo’s Bugle is a helpful monthly unofficial newsletter with games, activities, ceremonies, puzzles, crafts, and other ideas for den and pack meetings. This one covers the June 2010 “Hoop-De-Doo!” theme.
This issue has another helpful Bill Smith article about annual planning and some of the changes coming up as Cub Scouts 2010 is implemented.
There also is a helpful article about pack and den newsletters.
Click here (link) to download Baloo’s Bugle in pdf format or here (link) to download it in Word format.
Leave a Comment » | Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Games, Hoop-De-Doo!, Newsletters | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
Reaching the Email-less
August 26, 2009 5:53 am
Email lists (e.g., Yahoo Groups) are a great tool for keeping members of your pack informed about upcoming events and activities.
There is also a way you can make sure that your pack announcements go to those families who don’t have email but are set up to receive text messages (SMS messages) via their mobile phone.
Most wireless carriers have an SMS gateway which can be used to send a text message via email. For example, an AT&T wireless customer with the cell number of 555-555-5555 can receive emails to 5555555555@txt.att.net as text messages.
More carrier SMS gateway addresses are listed at the eHow link below.
[Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
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Posted by Mike Newman
Free Web-Based Communication Tools
August 23, 2009 4:56 pm
William Hooker is a KISMIF.org guest blogger from Concord, North Carolina. He is a Wolf Den Leader in the Central North Carolina Council and is a first-year Cub Scouter.
A stumbling block of many Cub Scout packs is poor communication. It is hard for a pack to operate effectively without good communication among den and pack leaders and also with den and pack families.
Fortunately, there are several free web-based communication tools available that can be very helpful. None of these requires any skill at HTML or web design.
For safety reasons, it is generally not recommended that you put very specific information regarding your pack or den’s upcoming activity times and locations on a publicly viewable web page. All of the web-based products listed here permit your pack to restrict what information is made public.
Scoutlander is a free web-hosting service with features specially designed for BSA units permitting packs to be divided into dens, troops into patrols, etc. Scoutlander makes it simple to email the members of one den or the entire pack. Permissions and calendar entries are divided similarly.
MyScoutLink, by Synchronous Technologies, Inc., is web service marketed to scout organizations, but it appears to be based on a generic model that would be suitable for many types of organizations, from homeowners’ associations to yoga clubs. Although MyScoutLink has many of the same tools as Scoutlander such as the ability to share pictures, calendars, and email, it does not permit division into den subgroups as Scoutlander does.
Other free web-based communication systems that are available include Yahoo Groups and Google Sites.
Are there any web-based communication systems that have worked well for your unit? Let us know in the comments!
[Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
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Posted by Tony Hooker
Baloo’s Bugle – July 2009 (Be a Sport) Theme
June 5, 2009 6:38 am
Baloo’s Bugle is a cool monthly unofficial publication with games, activities, ceremonies, puzzles, crafts, and other ideas for den and pack meetings. This one covers the July “Be a Sport” theme.
For Webelos Scout den meetings, this Bugle also has activities for the Aquanaut and Geologist Webelos activity badges.
This issue has lots of great game ideas and also features a thoughtful essay by Bill Smith on BSA intraorganizational communication and whether Roundtables are still needed today.
Click here (link) to download it in pdf format or here (link) to download it in Word format.
Leave a Comment » | Aquanaut, Be a Sport, Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Games, Geologist, Science | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
Baloo’s Bugle – April 2009 (Jurassic Pack) Theme
February 26, 2009 5:49 am
The March 2009 Baloo’s Bugle (by Commissioner Dave) is available for free download. Baloo’s Bugle is a monthly unofficial publication with games, activities, ceremonies, puzzles, crafts, and other ideas for den and pack meetings. This one covers the April “Jurassic Pack” theme.
For Webelos Scout den meetings, this Bugle also has activities for the Family Member and Sportsman Webelos activity badges.
And this issue also has tips for den leaders, info about Pow-wow/University of Scouting, and suggestions for effective pack communication.
Click here (link) to download it in pdf format or here (link) to download it in Word format.
Leave a Comment » | Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Den Meetings, Family Member, Jurassic Pack, Sportsman | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
Pack 19 Spring 2009 Schedules
January 16, 2009 5:18 am
Our pack 2009 winter/spring schedules are now complete.
Here are a few things to note:
- Our pack meets every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. In a typical month, two weeks will be den meetings, one week will be a joint pack field trip, and one week will be pack meeting or pack event.
- We have a campout or a Saturday hike every month of the year.
- Our 5th grade Webelos Scouts graduate into Boy Scouts at our March pack meeting.
- The schedule flyer is distributed to our pack families and is also used whenever recruiting opportunities arise.
- We also distribute a pack newsletter to our families each month.
1st-3rd Grader Schedule (pdf)
4th-5th Grader Schedule (pdf)
1 Comment | Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Newsletters, Recruiting | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
Every-Week-Together Packs
November 18, 2008 5:16 am
Most packs fall into one of two categories:
Once-a-Month-Together Packs. Once-a-month-together packs have den meeting schedules and locations which are independent of each other. A Webelos den may meet every Monday afternoon from 4-5 p.m. at the den leader’s house while a Wolf den meets every Thursday evening from 6-7 p.m. at a nearby school. Generally, the only time they all meet together is at the monthly pack meeting which is the same evening and location each month (e.g., the last Monday of the month from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at a nearby church).
Every-Week-Together Packs. Every-week-together packs have den meetings at the same time and same location each week (e.g., every Monday from 6-7 p.m. at a school or church). The pack meeting is held once a month at the same time and location as the den meetings. During den meeting weeks, each den meets either in a separate room or in separate areas of a large room (e.g., a cafeteria).
When I was a Cub Scout in the early 1970′s, most packs were once-a-month-together packs. Dens were run by den mothers who usually held den meetings in their homes after school. Most of the time, boys from different dens would not see each other until the monthly pack meeting.
Today, most well-functioning packs in my area are every-week-together packs.
Here are some reasons why packs may choose to meet at the same time and location each week:
- Cub Family Convenience–Many families are very busy these days. There may be multiple siblings each with their own set of activities throughout the week. Having Cub Scouts at the same time each week can make life less complicated for a lot of families.
- Leader Convenience–Cub leaders are often lead very busy lives. They frequently are also volunteers for other organizations and have their own children’s needs to balance as well. Every-week-together packs can be less demanding on a volunteer’s schedule.
- Leader Communication–One of the most common problems that packs confront is poor leader communication and coordination. Having all of a pack’s leaders at the same location each week can help leaders stay in touch with each other and know what is going on.
- Coordinated Event Opportunities–If all dens meet at the same time and same day of the week, it can be easier to have a coordinated pack event such as a special activity day, derby, or field trip since it can be scheduled during the pack’s regular weekly meeting time.
Leave a Comment » | Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
Example Pack Newsletter
September 29, 2008 5:03 am
Here is an example pack newsletter like the one we do each month. It has announcements about what is coming up this month, what we did last month, rank badges that have been earned, FAQ’s, contact info, and other good stuff to know.
The example is in Word format so it should be pretty easy for you to modify it for the needs of your own pack or den if you would like to.
As you can see, it’s not very complex. One nice thing about it is that it is easy to copy and paste the text into an email to be sent out as well.
Updated: 09-29-2008 8:58 a.m.
Leave a Comment » | Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Newsletters | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
Attendance Sheets
August 28, 2008 5:56 am
Our pack has grown quite a bit over the past year. To make it easier to keep track of who is in attendance at our pack events, we use these attendance sheets. All the boys’ names from the attendance sheets are entered into an Excel spreadsheet which is then emailed out to all our leaders.
We make note in particular of who has missed at least the past two events so that we can be sure to give them a call to let them know that they were missed.
Most people like to know that someone noticed that they were not there. Telephone calls to check on absent boys can be a big help with Cub Scout retention.
As you can see, the attendance form our pack uses is pretty simple. You can download it and customize it for your pack or den at the link below.
Link (Word)
Leave a Comment » | Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings, Retention | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
3 Things Families Want
August 13, 2008 5:32 am
Here are 3 things that Cub Scout families want from their son’s pack:
1. Active Fun. Most parents will not bring their boys to Cub Scouts if they are not having fun. They just won’t. Make sure that the boys in your pack get to do games and other active fun stuff.
2. Well Organized. Parents like packs in which the activities are well planned and which have good communication between leaders and with scout families. They want to know that there is a plan for what the pack will be doing and that the plan has been well communicated. Email, phone calls, schedules, and newsletters all help with communication and organization.
3. Advancements. Boys should be earning their rank badges as the year progresses, and they should receive recognition for the advancements they have earned. There should be a clear plan (which gets carried out) for who in the pack is responsible for recording advancements, for turning in the required paperwork, and for presenting the badges at the appropriate time.
Leave a Comment » | Advancement Management, Communications, CUB SCOUTS, Pack Meetings, Retention | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman
