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How to Keep New Packs Strong

 By Gloria Atkins, associate director
Cub Scout Division

Too many newly organized packs fail because nobody answered their questions or helped them through the first few difficult meetings. The following information, when applied throughout the year, will to help you and your volunteers assist new Cub Scout packs in planning and conducting a quality pack program—thereby ensuring its success.

Trained Leaders

Leadership starts with the selection and training of qualified and willing volunteers. Trained leaders stay longer and provide better program, which causes youth to stay longer and packs to grow stronger. It is imperative that training for new leaders, especially den leaders, be offered as soon as they are recruited, not just once or twice a year.

Commissioner/Unit Service

The commissioner or other experienced Cub Scout leader should make contact with the new pack within 24 hours of organization. The commissioner helps den leaders through the process of conducting a den meeting, understanding their relationship to the pack, determining where to get additional support, and understanding the importance of attending roundtables to help them plan and conduct a quality program for Cub Scout families.

Program Planning

Place special emphasis on the pack program planning process to ensure a well-planned program, including summer program. Cub Scouts who participate in summer day camp and resident camp are much more likely to remain in the program, thereby keeping the pack strong and growing. Complete involvement of the pack committee in the planning process is extremely important to the success of the pack. The BSA provides a detailed set of planning tools for the pack to use. Outlines for actual den meetings and pack meetings can be found in the Cub Scout Leader Book. Cub Scout program helps and the Webelos Leader Guide are available for den leaders' use in conducting weekly den meetings and for the pack committee in planning the pack meeting.

Advancement

The advancement committee should help packs with their advancement program by educating pack leadership and parents on the importance of advancement, family involvement in the process, and timely and meaningful recognition. When a pack starts with a strong advancement plan, boys and parents work together, learn together, and grow together. Informed, active parents keep their sons in Cub Scouting longer.

Camping and Outdoor Programs

District activity committees should help new packs and leaders with outdoor and camping program events until they can successfully plan and conduct an outdoor activity on their own. Research shows that when boys have an outdoor experience within the first two months of joining, they are more likely to stay in the program.

Membership Recruitment

The pack should have a systematic approach to year-round growth, including the recruitment of new boys and families every year and a plan to select quality leadership as the pack grows. Strong, consistent Cub Scout growth will require spring and fall recruitment campaigns. The plan must include ways of helping boys through transitions between phases of the program.

Parental Involvement

Make sure parents understand their role and responsibilities in the program. A brief explanation of pack structure, the parental role, time commitment, training opportunities, and resources available to help them and the pack's program will assist parents in understanding why their participation is so vital to the health and success of the pack.

Pack Budget Plan

Cub Scout packs that implement a formal pack budget plan tend to be stronger and renew their charters on time with less financial stress. Helping in implementing the pack budget plan and develop quality fund-raising activities. Pack budgets require family involvement in both the dues-collection process and fund-raisers.