19 September 2009
Cub Scouts Shakeup in 2010
Posted by admin under: program .
KISMIF.org has been the best place to find out the low-down on upcoming changes to the Cub Scout program coming next year. It’s never to early to know even though it doesn’t really affect your program this year at all. For this 09-10 year you can still use the program helps (I know my pack is), but next year, 10-11, will be different. The Boy Scouts has already launched the official information site for these changes at http://www.scouting.org/CubScouts%202010.aspx and KISMIF has gone through them to bring you the highlights. The site has more insight and background on these changes so you can browse for a while there and find a lot more info, but I’m particularly drawn to this post discussing the key points of the change.
Here are some of the key points about the upcoming Cub Scouts 2010 program (which begins September 2010) based on the information in the FAQ and the Top Hands presentation:
o Traditional monthly themes are no more.
o Monthly themes will be based on the 12 Cub Scouting Core Values.
o As with Fast Tracks, most Cub Scout achievements will be done in den meetings rather than at home. Some achievements still must be done at home.
o As with Fast Tracks, den leaders will be provided a recommended advancement schedule to follow.
o Cub Scout Program Helps is replaced by forthcoming Den and Pack Meeting Resource Guide.
o New Fast Start training.
o New position-specific training for den leaders will be offered online.
o Roundtable will continue to be important for communications and training.
I really like the position-specific training online. We just had our pack committee meeting last night. I know, I know. You’re not supposed to have the den leaders at those meetings so maybe we should call it a monthly leaers’ meeting because that’s the way we coordinate who is doing what at the pack meeting and also the best way to talk informally about everything. Anyway, I’m bringing up a new Webelos den leader, a dad who has been involved in Cub Scouts, but hasn’t been a leader. I’m pushing him to go to training and he’s all for it, but I wish I could have sent him to myscouting.org for position-specific training so he’d be up to speed sooner than waiting for a nearby district to offer training.
Other than that this change seems to be a way for the national council to exert more control over the den meetings. I’m not sure why they feel this is important since the Cub Scouts tend to be the strongest part of the organization. Perhaps the 53% Webelos to Boy Scouts loss rate that was quoted to me recently is the reason, but in almost all other ways the Cub Scout program has been stronger than most other parts and is less in need of changing than anything else. We’ll see as time rolls on what the other changes are that might improve this great tradition.
- A Themeless Transition
- More on the End To Cub Scout Themes
- KISMIF Collection for Cub Parents
- Last September Cub Scout Theme
- KISMIF Belts It Out
