Council through our Wabash Valley District will host at Camp Wildwood in Terre Haute a Cub Scout Leader Training on April 8, 2017, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, for more information contact the Terre Haute Service Center 812-232-9496.
Later in the month, they will host Outdoor Webelos Leader Skills Training (which is similar to IOLS but specific to Webelos Leaders) April 22-23, 2017 at Camp Wildwood from 9 am (Sat) – 12 pm (Sun) – For more information contact the Terre Haute Service Center 1-812-232-9497. You will likely need to plan to stay overnight. OWLS is very important in the new Webelos advancement program. The increased emphasis on outdoor skills and working as a “patrol” require a Webelos Den Leader have more knowledge than the old advancement requirements. Get ready for the 2017-18 Webelos Den Program by getting trained now.
Since about the 1972 revisions of the Cub Scout program, I am led to believe, Cub Scouting had de-emphasized outings, specifically camping. This was part of a larger misadventure to make “scouting more relevant to the modern era” by making scouting more urban.
In Boy Scouts, this led to an immediate membership collapse and a re-introduction of outdoor programming a mere five years later.
Cub Scouts didn’t revise as quickly. Their revision re-introducing outings came only in the last 24 months.
Yet, when we give Boy Talks at the elementary schools each fall, the most successful speakers are the ones who emphasize the outdoor programming. They bring backpacks or tents and talk about simple outings. They talk about campfires and marsh mellows.
I have written before about my time as Cubmaster. We would hold three pack camp outings each year: October, May, and Summer Camp at Belzer.
More than any other activity, the boys would ask me, “When is our next campout?” An answer longer than “next month” was met with universal disappointment.
Yes, we camp with Cub Scouts because they find it fun.
The Cub Scout needs to learn at his own speed through new stresses as part of a larger community.
We camp because the basic of society and community are all present. The comforts of home are removed. He learns about himself without realizing lessons are being taught. He just sees fun.
From Pack 358’s Delaware Tribe’s Cubmaster Sharla Merrick:
The Boy Scouts of America has announced modifications to Cub Scouting that make the program more flexible for busy parents, den leaders and Cubmasters.
The BSA gathered feedback from den leaders who had delivered the new Cub Scouting program for a year. What they learned was that some den leaders had difficulty fitting into their program year all of the adventures required for advancement. This resulted in boys not advancing. After a thoughtful and deliberate review, the BSA has released some modifications to address this concern.
What are the modifications? Some adventure requirements that previously were mandatory will become optional, in a move intended to give Cub Scouters more control over their den program.
The changes, which take effect today (Nov. 30, 2016), were approved by the National Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts of America.
The fine-tuning reflects the BSA’s three-step approach to new programs: Launch. Learn. Modify.
Cub Scouting’s fall 2016 modifications, an overview
First of all, you won’t need to buy any new materials. The new requirements will be posted in a free addendum available at scouting.org/programupdates. This will supplement the handbooks in current circulation and for sale online and in Scout shops.
While the overall feedback from den leaders about the new Cub Scout program has been very positive, some den leaders said a number of the new adventures had requirements that were too difficult for dens to complete within the Scouting year.
The number of new Cub Scouts is up in many areas of the country, but rankadvancement rates have not kept pace, meaning the BSA’s team of volunteers and staff advisers wanted to react quickly to eliminate what might have become a roadblock for some dens.
A national volunteer task force developed a solution: Make more of the adventure requirements optional, giving dens more flexibility to match their unique needs.
The modifications are designed to ensure that adventure requirements are achievable by today’s Cub Scout dens within a program year. This means they are achievable by all Cub Scouts, regardless of background or socioeconomic status.
Most of the modifications involve the number of requirements that must be completed, reducing the mandate to a number achievable within the limited time available to many dens. This is done while retaining the rich program options that allow leaders to build strong programs adapted to their needs.
The changes increase den-level customization. Units that can handle more content, perhaps because they meet more often or for longer periods, can — and should! — keep the optional requirements part of their program. On the other hand, those that have struggled to finish the requirements will welcome these changes as a way to meet their needs.
With the modifications, dens should be able to complete one adventure in approximately two den meetings.
The transition should be seamless, with leaders able to use revised requirements as the den begins any new adventure.
A report from District Pinewood Derby Chair Bill Buchalter:
I would like to remind North Star District pack leaders to contact me if they need a track in the upcoming Pinewood Derby season. My email address wbbuch1@comcast.net is the best way to contact me about arranging a date.
We will have another Scoutmaster Specific Training tonight (Wednesday) and another on December 7th. This is required for all Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters.
We will have an Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS) on Saturday. This is required for all Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters.
Webelos Den Leaders and Cubmasters who participate in the IOLS training will also get credit for Outdoor Webelos Leaders Skills (OWLS). They will get two certifications for the price of one.
Den leader training is available tonight.
Troop and pack committee Training will be offered on December 7th, too.
When my son began working as a 12-year old den chief, a Boy Scout helping a Cub Scout den, I did not know what to expect. When the meeting was over, I asked him what he thought about it. He said very slowly and deliberately with a pause between each word, “It was like herding cats.”
Many first time den leaders have the same feeling after their first den meeting.
One of the first lesson is that any good den leader can have is how to implement a system that encourages good behavior.
That night between 7 and 10pm a FREE block party will take place at the Boone County 4-H fairgrounds. Anyone can attend. This includes Food, Activities for the Kids, Historical information about the counties and much more. Bring a can food item to donate to the Caring Center, Bring a book to donate to the “Boone Counties little Library” and a favorite picture of your location in Boone County.
When: Sunday, October 30, 2016
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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