Huge Increase of New Cub Scouts

[mt_goodrich]

I am on the district's training team.

Last Saturday, we had scheduled a Cub Scout Specific training day and didn't expect a lot of folks. Cub Scout Rallys were just beginning and we have another full day of training scheduled in two weeks. It was mainly for the training team to teach from the new Cub Scout training syllabus for the first time and get some feedback.

We were expecting five to ten folks.....we had over 35!

In speaking with these new adult Cub Scout volunteers, we began to see of picture emerge.

1. Several local elementary schools, that in the past didn't allow Cub Scouts to recruit or hold rallies, were allowing rallies to be held.

2. Some packs are seeing huge numbers of people attend these rallies and are averaging 30 new Cubs per rally.

3. Parents stating that with the economy and such, Cub Scouting is actually less expensive of a family activity in the grand scheme of things.

I was at the Scout office yesterday and was shopping in the Scout Shop. I noticed a lot of parents shopping for Cub Scout stuff. I spoke to one of the sales folks that I know very well and she even said that they have noticed a large increase of parents coming in and buying not only Cub Scout uniforms, but also, uniforms, etc. for adult leaders. She told me that they are sold out council-wide on Cub Scout shirts and are waiting on shipment next week. Said there is a list she has of people to call when those shirts get in.

Anyone else know if this is just a local thing or is everyone else getting more Cubs joining?

[wagionvigil]

Lets hope this is a National Trend!

[mt_goodrich]

I hope it is a national trend.

Here at work today, I have been approached by two different co-workers who know I am involved in Scouting asking if I can locate Cub Packs for them....what is going on? (Not that it is a bad thing).

[christiejay]

Our DE said that our local Join Scouts Night had the highest attendance he had seen in the last few years ...

[mt_goodrich]

Welcome Christie!

Our DE told me the same thing this morning. Funny thing is that he is brand new and is actually headed to "new person" training next week. I know the district has been pulling in big numbers of new boys, along with the schools allowing Scouting back in. He said that the folks at Council are giving him a hard time saying that he has already set the bar high for himself for the rest of his career. I think it is funny. He is a young guy and just a couple of years out of college...but real sharp.

Hope others are doing well.

[wagionvigil]

He is correct because he will always have to have the Plus 1 next year just like a troop or Pack.

[ccjj]

I hope that happens here, the big increase. The pack I am with registered 12 Tigers, 2 Wolves, and maybe a Webelos Scout. Now, that does just about double the pack so thats great!

We had a Cub Scout Leader Training yesterday. I had 4 trainers (needed 6 but....) and only 3 trainees showed up. Another district had a training on Thursday night, and had 6 people show up. We are having a hard time getting the leaders to training.

ccjj

[Billiken]

Our district's traditional membership is up 14% from the same period in 2007.

Our corresponding pack recruited 6 new 5th graders (WEBELOS II) and went from 7 to 16 4th grade WEBELOS.

(This in an area seeing a decline in population.)

[DadScout]

I can't speak for our dist or council but our pack just took in over 25 new boys. 19 Tigers and the rest scattered to Bears and WEBELOS. Now the problem is getting the adult leadership for them. I'll know more about dist/council numbers after our membership meeting.

[riverwalk]

It's been very good in several areas. A great thing. Cubbing sometimes sees peaks and valleys, but this start is good. It is then incumbent on Scouters to get these newbies trained quickly! I encourage Units to seek out veteran Scouters to be Pack Trainers (as a coach) to get them to find training soon. This is key.

Join me and others that think the Cub program has got to stay fundamentally strong, as that's where most Boy Scouts will come from.

[mt_goodrich]

Because of the increase in new adult leaders, along with Cubs, we added an additional training day for Saturday, October 11th. We are asking for pre-registration, if possible and so far we have just at 20 folks signed up.

[wagionvigil]

I was at the service center yesterday and I wa told our number of Cubs is up also.
They only thing that bothers me is that we are introducing too many "scout" sctivites into the Cub Program and the kids have nothing to look forward to.

[FrankJ]

Is it introducing scout activities to the cub program or moving cub ideas to the scouting program? One of the things our scouts like is the ability to control their program. If the adults become so risk averse that feel they have to be in the middle of things & in total control (AKA cub scouting) I can see why the program suffers. And no I am not advocating ignoring safety guidelines or implying Wagionvigil wants to do this either.

I am doing the same things I was doing in scouting (more years have passed than I care to admit, but less than for others), and I am not bored yet.

[wagionvigil]

WHat I have seen in most every thing involving kids today from Scouts to sports to band is to push them into doing things that were not done at certain ages years ago. I can give you a for instance using my band back ground.
WHen I was a kid I started playing and instrument in 5th grade aaand joined Jr High Band in 7th grade
we did two concerts and 3 parades a year. We could not wait to get in the High School Band to do the games etc.

Now they start in 4th grade join band in 6th grade and do 4 concerts a year a 10 to 12 parades. They do not wan to go to the high school they have done it all.
We are starting to see some of this in Scouts by moving up things. I joined scouts from cubs at the Beginning of my grade 6 year. Now they join in some cases as early as the beginning of 5th grade
A Webelos can cross over now as soon as he has the A o L regardless of age.
Probably just me but we are pushing the too early. IMHO

[FrankJ]

Ridiculous Troops
THE Wolf Cubs have been instituted in order to provide training for boys of eight to eleven, to help Scoutmasters to keep their Troops composed of boys over that age.
I saw recently once again a "ridiculous Troop," largely composed of little chaps in big hats and baggy shorts grasping staffs twice as tall as themselves. "Why?" I asked the Scoutmaster. : Can't get bigger boys to stay in the Troop," was the reply.
I thought it was very unlikely he would be able to do so if he continued to try to mix big lads with "kiddies." I had hoped that, with the institution of the Wolf Cubs for this very purpose. We should have seen the last of these unfortunate attempts to make up numbers with youngsters who cannot do the work nor maintain the prestige of Scouts.
However, the Wolf Cubs are going ahead now, and will, I hope, before long take in all the small boys and that " ridiculous Troops" of Scouts, as they have been described will be no more seen.

Baden Powell 10-1916

The topic drifted a bit. I am glad we are seeing more cubs. We need to make the program work so the want to become scouts. There, back on topic.

[kwildman]

Our council added a lot of support for recruitment this year backed by the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL team). Our pack has never had problems recruiting and ours was typical of past years but numbers for other packs within the district were up significantly.

Training adults is important but RETENTION is the thing that needs to be focused on. Yes you got the kids in and signed up but if you don't have a good program and get the kids AND their parents involved early they will likely drop out. It is also very important to do instant recognition and make sure that they advance. The promise of scouting should be the same except for how it is delivered to the different age groups. Camping for example - family camping for cubbies, webelos camping, and boy scout camping.

[wagionvigil]

Just got my Monthly Membership report from Region. Northeast and Western are showing an increase in cubs and Tigers . Central and SOuthern are showing a Negative. I know our council cubs are up 33% over last year.

[wagionvigil]

This is fantastic. I have a news letter from NER and I am just going to give you a few numbers.
These are just Cub Increases from Last year this time These are August and September totals 2008 verses the 2007 AUgust and September Recruiting
Potomac Council 337.50%
Penns Woods 199.38%
Westmoreland Fayette 168.80%
ARea 1 94.39 %
ARea 2 98.31
ARea 3 100.13
ARea 4 169.75
ARea 5 141.56
Area 6 108.40
Area 7 135.03

[mt_goodrich]

Zowza!!!!

We held another NLE/Cub Specific Training last Saturday using the NEW Cub Scout Leader training manual and had 30 folks show up...which is amazing.

Our numbers are way up over last several years.