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Saturday, February 4^th, 2023

For the Cubs we are hoping to offer a Lion program as well as Tiger Elective Adventure: Stories in Shapes & Tiger-iffic! For Wolves, Wolf Elective Adventure: Adventures in Coins and Wolf Yo-Yo. For Bears, Bear Elective Adventure: Marble Madness & Yo-Yo. For the Webelos/AOL Elective Adventure Art Explosion & Game Design and for Webelos Elective Preview Adventure Protect Yourself Rules & Yo-Yo too!

Recently I was asked what I thought was the biggest challenge facing Scouting as it relates to Cub Scouting. Ironically my answer was the Troop. 

Hi I am Jason Grant Pack 715 Committee Chair & Council Advancement Committee Chair Cub Scout representative. Now that the "Shock & Awe" has been delivered let me say no singular Troop or Pack is to blame for this challenge yet we all must bear some responsibility. The history & long standing mentality of "Feeder Packs" has lulled us into a complacency that has endangered our growth & future sustainability. The outside pressures of pandemics, economics, & social issues have weighed heavily on our Council resulting in the loss of units & districts as we know all too well. Thus leaving Packs with no Troop to feed or Troops with no Packs to feed them.

This situation must force us to move beyond the "Feeder Pack" mentality. As leaders we must recognize the opportunity to seek out new relationships that benefit first the Scout & their family. Not every Troop has the same agenda or mentality, each has its own personality & make up. Just like each of our Cub Scouting families are unique we must work harder to find them the unit that will best serve their uniqueness thereby keeping them in the program which is our ultimate goal.

This works both ways for the Pack & the Troop. The Troop needs to seek out Packs in their area. Provide them with Den Chiefs that way you are proactively deciphering those best suited for your Troop while building a relationship with Pack leaders & their families. Not only that but the individual Scout can earn the Den Chief Service Award (https://www.scouting.org/awards/awards-central/den-chief/). The leadership skills developed in this role are great building blocks or stepping stones for those younger Scouts working toward First Class.

One of the required adventures a Webelos must complete to earn their Arrow of Light is the "Scouting Adventure". This adventure provides us with the opportunity to develop that relationship between the Cub Scout & the Scout. Requirement 2 asks the Cub to visit a Troop with their parent or guardian &, if possible, den members & leaders. We as leaders have to make this possible not just for this Adventure but for the Webelos den, their families, & the program itself.

To conclude I am including a link to the Webelos-to-Scout Plan (https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/troop-resources/recruitment-marketing/webelos-to-scouts-transition/). This link provides a year long agenda for activities/goals for both the Pack & Troop to ensure a great working relationship between the Packs & Troops in your area. Remember we must start to travel outside our comfort zones letting go of the "Feeder Pack" mentality, transitioning to a community of Scouting that places the needs of the Scout & their family first. If we can work together across community boundary lines we can be sure the growth of scouting will be realized by the retention of Scouts that didn't make it past the crossover bridge. 

Yours In Scouting,

sbuswell@nopl.org or 315-699-2032 X3004.

Sunday CLOSED

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