We have a large pack as well and 30% attendance is about the normal for campouts. But 30% attendance is like around 20 families which means around 60-80 people with parents/siblings included.
I don't think its a bad turnout considering when you have to compete with parents schedules, other sibling schedules, sports and kids getting sick etc, and of course people who just don't like to camp out.


I think the biggest key is communication which gets harder and harder the larger pack you have. Get to know what parents read emails, need to be texted or called to be reminded of events. I usually sent out at LEAST 2-3 reminders for each event through the method I know the parents will see.


The "Parent Meeting" idea posted by SeattlePioneer is an *EXTREMELY* good idea and could generate more involvement from parents who don't know more involvement is needed/required. Make sure you have concrete things that the parents can volunteer to help out with. One example that we involve parents in is the campfire planning meeting. When we do a campout, usually on Saturday night we do a campfire with skits/songs/etc. Put someone in charge of it and get a few parents to volunteer to help out, attend a campfire planning meeting and help come up with songs/skits/activities to do at the campfire. The biggest thing is that when someone steps up and says they want to help, have something asap that they can take charge of and own.

Just make whatever the event is the best event you can for the kids that showed up. You cant get disheartened about attendance because of all those factors I listed above.

We have around 12 packs in our town (population around 30k) and the membership in the larger packs are around 50-60, with one that topped out at around 90 last year. There are 4 large packs out of the 12. The others are more like 12-30 kids each.

All Ranks (will do some steps at least):
Hiking Belt Loop
Collecting Belt Loop
Conservation Belt Loop
Science Belt Loop

Tigers and Bears seem to have some Tiger/Bear badges to complete and all ranks should have electives to complete, just look through the lists here:
[URL="http://www.usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/intro.asp"]http://www.usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/intro.asp[/URL="http://www.usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/intro.asp"]

One technique that would work well for a parent meeting that I have seen used for other things is bring a whiteboard with all the activities you would like to do this year, f,ex write:
Pack Campout
Pack Hike
Pack Pinewood Derby
Pack Blue and Gold
Pack Raingutter Regatta
Pack Can Drive

Have this whiteboard up in front of the parents and start with the first activity on the list and say, ok Who would like to organize the <Insert Event Here>. If no one steps up put a big X through the event and say "guess we won't be doing that this year"

If these parents have any sort of regard for their kids scouting experience they will catch on after a few big black X's through events that things don't happen unless someone steps up to organize them.
And if everything gets X-ed out, no one can really complain since they sat there and let it happen.

There is a difference between stuff they have earned and goes on the uniform and stuff that does not belong on the uniform officially or in moderation.

If someone has earned enough awards to look like a 10 star general, I say go for it! I mean they have put in all those hours and it really denotes that person as someone who has been around and active in scouting for a long long time.

People wearing stuff they didn't earn or things that shouldn't be on the uniform officially, that is a different matter.


I would think your Roundtable would be pleased with having such experienced and long standing scouters attend it.

And if your son had earned a bunch of awards to wear on his uniform, would you tell him "No that would look tacky, dont wear them all!". These adults are something for the kids to look up to and aspire to be And I bet you these adults could go through every single award and tell a story about ir or explain it to the kids that may ask them.

Am I reading the original posters rant wrong?

This one guy is stuck with leading the entire pack and doing all the paperwork for it. Her and her husband have 0 time to step up to even be the Cubmaster and run Pack Meetings. The guy is keeping Committee chair, so all her husband has to do is be the showman for the Pack Meeting and keep the kids pumped up? I assume her husband attends the pack meetings so no big difference in leading them than just sitting there.

Complaining on how this one guy doesn't plan campouts or make events great for the pack? He is one guy! Suggestions on what work he should be doing is TOTALLY different from saying "Hi, we will handle the plans for the blue and gold and make it awesome", that works a lot better than saying "You know you could do this and this and that and make it good, yes you do the work and I will just sit here and tell you what you should be doing!"

I donno, I would suggest to take a BIG step back and look at how the Pack must look from this guy and his wife's vision. They are having to fill every position and be responsible for everything. You need to actually step up and DO things, not just expect this poor couple to do everything on their own, or do things that you suggest.

I would highly recommend having a parent meeting and getting more parents to step up in your Pack. If you do not get ANY parents willing to step up and help out next year with the Pack, well then I would consider the Pack dead. Have ideas of things that the parents can step up and help out with. Be proactive by volunteering yourself to plan an event or two. Packs are only great packs if the parents put the time and effort into them. Its very hard for one couple to do it all alone.

Balloons filled with flour or water would be cool to shoot at.

Why not wear lab coats ?

Do a certificate?

Get a frame from the Dollar Tree for $1
and customize/print your certificate for your leaders here:
[URL="http://www.cyberbasetradingpost.com/docs/Create-A-Certificate1.cfm"]http://www.cyberbasetradingpost.com/docs/Create-A-Certificate1.cfm[/URL="http://www.cyberbasetradingpost.com/docs/Create-A-Certificate1.cfm"]

Can write whatever you want on them. Only costs $1 for the frame + 1 printed piece of paper.

I would definitely tell the parents that are absorbing costs to remember if they itemize they can claim ANY unreimbursed expenses on their taxes.
Anything from leader uniforms to den supplies to gas mileage to meetings/camp outs.