Pack Meetings

For me I think that pack meetings are probably the hardest part of being the Cub Master.  Due to his work schedule my predecessor was pretty much just doing awards and treats.  With his crazy schedule I don't blame him at all.  When I became Cub Master I wanted to take Pack Meetings to being something fun for the whole family.  That's what I remember them being as a child.  No I wasn't a Cub Scout, but my family has been heavily involved in Scouting since before I was born.  So for me a pack meeting should go as follows:  a flag ceremony, opening prayer, announcements, an activity for the whole family (parents rarely participate, but siblings do), awards, retrieving the colors, a closing prayer, and treats.  One thing I often forget to do, as I'm in the middle of running things, is to take pictures.  It is great to have pictures of your activities.  We use them to make a video of the previous year in review for our Blue & Gold Banquet.  We also try and throw them into a Dropbox for parents to view and download.  It is fun having those scouting memories!  Plus, it is helpful in remembering what you have done, what was successful, and maybe what wasn't.

I get flustered sometimes on the standing in front of a group of people talking.  I often feel like I say the wrong thing or something just really stupid, but the boys don't care.  They just want to have fun at scouts!  At the end of the day, that is my goal - to make it fun.  I want the boys to want to come to scouts.  I may make a fool of myself from time to time, but it isn't about me.  Since the end goal is for the boys to have fun, I try my best to come up with pack meetings that fulfill that.  I haven't written down all my pack meeting plans anywhere, so I am going to do my best to write up the different themes we have had and what we have done.  After my first pack meeting I had one scout, whose last meeting it was, tell me that he was so sad to leave because that was the best pack meeting ever.  It made me realize I was on the right path with what I was doing.  It makes the planning, and the stress that often comes with it, worth it.  Hopefully what we have done and found to be successful will help you.  Just remember, at the end of the days it truly is all about the boys.