1. Annual Cub Scout Pack Program Planning Tom Pahl, Pack 597 Mustang District

2. Class Objectives Introductions –Me –You How Long have you been in Scouting? Cub Scouts? Boy Scouts? What Positions? What do you want to learn, what objectives do you have for this class? My Objectives: –Answer your questions to the best of my ability –Explain what is an Annual Pack Program and how planning for it could / should work for Cub Scouts

3. Pack Plan Elements of a Pack Plan: –FUN is first and foremost –Events –Details –Costs/Budgeting –Responsible organizers / planners –Recorder / Secretary / official copy –Published – what is sent to everyone

4. Pack Planning Meeting Summertime is a good time –Keep people thinking about scouting – year round –Make it a party! Food is friendly and social –Host can be anyone, but Committee Chair or Cubmaster are good choices –Leave 2-3 hours for discussion items and general brainstorming Don’t forget Calendars for planning: –School Calendar –Chartered Organization Calendar –Sports Calendar, etc.

5. Pack Planning Meeting Things to Bring to the Planning Meeting: –Calendars for dates –Cub Scout Program Helps book: Use the monthly themes for ideas and “Old Faithfuls”! –Last year’s plan for what worked and what didn’t work – The Good, Bad and Ugly (GBU) –Any issues from last year – make sure that they are discussed or mitigated (GBU) –FUN!

6. Pack Planning Meeting Outcome from the meeting will be a Pack Plan and agenda! Pack Plan is your roadmap to a successful year in Cub Scouts – parents are busy too Don’t be afraid to make changes as necessary – update the information and websites

7. Pack Planning Questions: –We don’t have a pack plan for this year – is it too late? No, but get started NOW. –We want to make some changes to our pack plan, but people don’t want to change – what can we do? Delegation is the key to dissension / discussion. –No one has time to make a Pack Plan – what can we replicate in our pack? Email and plagiarize from others

8. Sample Pack Plan

9. Second Sample Pack Plan

10. Sample Pack Plan Month by Month Agenda/Program Awards –Some choose not to have them every month –Save them up for more awards – more boys receive awards -- Be mindful of timing issues / delays (Log jam effect) Pre-meeting activities –Keep the boys occupied until the meeting starts (sparklers) –Set up chairs if needed / parental involvement

11. Sample Pack Plan Song –Can’t be underestimated! Everyone loves cheesy Cub Scout songs! There are plenty out there – books or on-line. Flag Ceremony –Tigers later in the year –Have a standard ceremony which is distributed to all leaders – on-line resources such as www.usscouts.org/cubscouts/ceremony

12. Third Sample Pack Plan

13. Detail on Pack Plan Dens should keep their own calendar –Merge with Pack calendar –Avoid Conflicts (Scout Tuesdays) Detail to the level that is needed –Everything can be planned out in advance –The more you plan ahead… The better the activity will be! -- Involve your “helper” parents – they want to help but fear the commitment.

14. Ideas for Places to go Camping! –BALOO trained – OWLS for Webelos –Beautiful camps – Northern Star Council is lucky –Nothing like a campfire and scout vespers to finish the evening Mill City Museum Science Museum/Sleeping with Dinosaurs MN History Museum Nature Centers (Three Rivers/Ramsey Co.) Pack Bowling! Park at MOA/Waterpark and Grand Rios Bell Museum / Raptor Center Others?

15. Ideas for Speakers Magicians Visiting Science / Wizards (3M, etc) Excel Energy demonstration Bug guy Raptor Center (visit there too) Congressman – citizenship (keep it short!) Mayor – City Council (Flag Ceremony)

16. Summer Our plan only goes through the May Crossover Plan for the summertime activities during the months of March through May At least two activities per month almost assures the summertime activity award and keeps the boys and adults thinking about Cub Scouts – Camping counts.

17. Summertime Activities Memorial Day Parade A Baseball Game (Saints or Twins have scout deals) Twins Overnight – lots of fun! Resident Camps Splash Party (reserve a park, squirt guns, water balloons, etc.) All pack swim event (Shoreview community center, YMCA, Ramsey Beach, etc.) 2 Liter Bottle Launching Pack Picnic / Combine with Ice Cream Social or Bike Ride Service Project (Pack Cleanup) Vertical Endeavors (indoor climbing – a blast! ~$20/boy) Fishing event Estes Rocket Launching Pack Camping Rain gutter Regatta Space Derby or Rocket Launch Pack Planning meeting with committee –Some do it the last committee meeting

18. Conclusion Pack Planning –Have a good plan for the entire year –Have fun making your plan! Summertime Planning –Start thinking in the spring about your summer –Make the plan and let it go! Questions?

19. Closing Have I covered all of your questions? Are there any follow-up questions? http://www.pack597.org/schedule.html –Pack Administration Handouts

20. Helpful Internet Sites http://www.macscouter.com/EXCELLENT material! http://www.scoutxing.com/EXCELLENT material! http://boyscouttrail.com/EXCELLENT material! http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/UK Scout ideas – Very Good material! http://www.scouter.com/default.aspGood site for Material http://www.cubmaster.org/Good site for Material http://www.scoutorama.com/Good Material http://www.woodbadge.org/Wood Badge Website http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/resources/34304/index.jsp Online Program Helps! http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/resources/Official Cub Scout Info http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/Scouting Magazine online http://www.scctv.org/Suburban Cable Channel (Tiger go-see it) http://www.scouting.org/BSA official website http://www.trails-end.com/Popcorn site http://www.northernstarbsa.org/Northern Star Council http://www.scouting.org/forms/Every BSA form! http://www.nccs-bsa.org/National Catholic Committee on Scouting http://www.troopmaster.com/Software for managing your pack http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle/insignia.htmBest Insignia Site! http://www.goscouting.org/Camping for Northern Star Council http://www.fastpine.com/Pinewood Secrets http://www.scoutstuff.org/Official Scout catalog http://trax.boy-scouts.net/Spreadsheets for tracking progress for Dens

21. Thank you! tpahl@foleymansfield.com