What makes a Pack?

 

For those who have seen or read "The Jungle Book", it probably comes as no surprise that a lot of the symbolism in Cub Scouting aligns really closely with Rudyard Kipling's classic series. What you may not know is that the founder of Scouting, Sir Baden-Powell, was friends with Kipling and this alignment is no accident at all.

In our handbook, we teach about Akela, and the importance of finding a mentor to lead youth in every setting. Whether it's at home, school, your religious institution, sporting events, social clubs, your Scout Den, or the Pack; the influence of present adult leaders creates the very fabric upon which the story of our children's lives are written. Take a second right now and think about your childhood and you will undoubtedly find at least one core memory from an adult who fundamentally influenced your life in a positive way, just by being there when you needed them. It's not always about how much we can give as adults to our Scouts, it's about the simple act of giving if we're able. 

Packs are varied in their composition, but in essence they consist of 1 or more dens of elementary-aged children (usually split by grade level), and a cohort of parent volunteers to guide them. The "activity level" of a Pack is almost entirely based upon the involvement level of those parent volunteers and you can find a whole range of different levels across even our district, and especially our council and the nation overall. There are some Packs who struggle to coordinate regular Pack meetings, and others who have committees to coordinate other committees. But the commonality among all of this is that the control of that activity level, which translates directly to how involved our kids can be and how much fun and learning they get to have; all of that control is in our own hands as the adults of the Pack.

I won't lie to you, some of the volunteer positions take a LOT of work. But what isn't always apparent is a lot are either low-calorie or only involve small bursts of activity and a lot of down-time in between; and every single one of these positions is critical to the overall success of the Pack. I've personally spent a good amount of time in a few other non-profit organizations at all kinds of levels from "just tell me what to do" to board of directors, and I've found that the positions here are very agile and similar in that you can find anything really that fits your interest. 

Here's a current list of our openings for your consideration:

• Cubmaster
• Assistant Cubmaster
• New Member Coordinator
• Awards/Advancement Chair*
• School Liaison*
• Day Camp Coordinator*
• Summer Event Chair*

* These positions fall under the "not quite as intense" category and are great candidates for folks who don't have as much free time as they'd like in their lives right now

Quick note: every position comes with a free friend! No really, the goal here is to have you shadow someone who is rotating out of the current position so you can "learn the ropes". Who couldn't use a new friend?!?!?!?!

I really do hope you'd consider. I can tell you that I am not a typical "rah rah" type of person but I do appreciate the way this group has allowed me to find my own place and pace. I would love to talk to anyone about any of our openings as one new-ish volunteer to another. I'm the guy who hangs out in the Wolf Den with the abnormally exquisite beard and the absolutely stunning Savannah Bananas hat. Come say hi and let's chat about anything from Scouting to Bananaball!

If you're immediately interested in any of these positions, shoot us an email at pack1910cubscouts@gmail.com