Needed updates/adjustments to Cub Scouts

Every once in a while I get what I think is a great idea. From experience, I suspect most people tend to disagree with many of them. Here are a few ideas I've had lately about updates or adjustments that I think need to happen in relation to the Cub Scout program. Some of them are not at all controversial and I think would get pretty much universal support. Others, may be in the category described above, where most people will probably disagree. But I want to throw them out there anyway. 

1. We need updates to the Pack Meeting plans provided by the BSA. They are outdated in at least two important ways (and one minor one). 

First, they were created before girls were allowed to join Cub Scouts, so all the references are to boys, sons, etc. This would be a relatively simple update, but one that I think is important. 

Second, they were created before Lions were a part of the pack. Understand, however, that Lions can participate in Pack Meeting at whatever level they are comfortable. It's possible that none of the Lions would come, and that's fine. In that case, they can be left off. In my pack, however, all the Lions are younger siblings of other Scouts and they want to be involved. They would feel left out if they weren't included. Pack Meeting plans, including the advancement ceremonies, should include Lions. 

Lastly, at the time the plans were created, the themes were organized by month. Now, they are organized by the values of the Scout Law. It's a minor update to remove the reference to the month on the plan, but it just illustrates how outdated they are. 

2. In the advancement ceremonies mentioned in #1, I think that the Bobcat rank should be replaced with the Lion rank. I'm not suggesting we do away with Bobcat, I'm saying that the text of the suggested ceremonies should include Lion instead of Bobcat. I have two reasons for this. 

First, as mentioned above, because Lions are a (relatively) new part of Cub Scouts they have been left out of all the developed advancement ceremonies. They need to be included so the Scouts feel like they belong. 

Second, the way the Cub Scout program is designed is that packs do a most of their recruiting around the beginning of the school year and, if they are working diligently, most of the Scouts will finish their rank in time to have it awarded at the Blue and Gold Banquet. That means that almost all of the Scouts will be awarded their rank patches at the same time and you can use one advancement ceremony one time in the year to give them all out. Except for Bobcat. They have to do their Bobcat before they can get any other awards. So, if  you have a bunch of new Scouts join in September, they should be awarded their Bobcat badge at their very first Pack Meeting at the end of September. It doesn't make sense to include Bobcat in the script of your advancement ceremony that you will be using in February when they all earned it back in September. The Bobcat rank should be awarded in it's own ceremony, separate from all the other ranks.

Speaking of Bobcat, I would like to suggest a few changes here, too. 

3. It doesn't make sense to me to have the Bobcat badge as a rank, on par with the Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light ranks. The Bobcat is a joining badge. I would love to see the patch replaced with a pin that could be worn on the left pocket flap. One of the the biggest reasons (but not the only one--see #4, below) for this suggested change is that it would make it easier to sew the Lion patch on the shirt. Really. 

Right now, once a Scout earns all their Lion, Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf, and Bear ranks, the patches on their left pocket would look like this:

The problem is, if you have Scouts who have earned their Lion badge, that is the first one to go on their uniform when they join the Tiger den and get a new uniform shirt. But since it is below the diamond, and since the combination of patches don't all fit on the pocket, it is next to impossible to get it in the right place. I would rather have the Lion patch be a diamond shape, like the others, and sit in the top spot of the diamond, where the Bobcat is now. That means the bobcat doesn't have a place to go. But if it were a pin that could be attached to the pocket flap, it would work perfectly. 

4. Here's another problem with the Bobcat badge as it exists now. Scouts don't earn the Bobcat as Lions. They have to do it when they become Tigers. The requirements are pretty basic: saying the Scout Oath and Law and telling what they mean, etc. The very first adventure for Lions (Lions Honor) has them do basically the same requirements. They just don't get the badge. And then they have to re-do it when they join the Tiger den. 

I think what happened here is that when Lions were created, they made a fantastic program for kindergarten ages and then just threw it into the existing Cub Scout pack without much thought for how they would all fit into the existing structure. And they didn't make any adjustments to the rest of the program to accommodate Lions. 

So, here's a fix. Make the bobcat award a joining award in the form of a pin and implement my suggestion #3. Every Scout, no matter their grade when they join (even Lions), first completes the requirements for this pin. For Lions, it is their first adventure. After they earn it, they get to wear this cool Cub Scout pin. Then, when Lions move into Tigers, they don't have to re-do this silly extra rank that they completed nearly a year earlier. They just move forward working on the Tiger rank. 

5. My last suggestion is more of a needed cultural shift, rather than an adjustment to the program. I think the program, as it is outlined now, has it right. We just need to adjust our traditions to match. It has to do with how we treat the Arrow of Light award. 

It used to be that the Arrow of Light was considered the highest award in Cub Scouts. In order to earn it you had to have earned at least the Webelos rank. It was celebrated with all kinds of extra fancy plaques and arrows with dangly feathers and beads and whatnot. Just do an image search on Google for "Arrow of Light" and you'll see what I mean. Some people even said that the Arrow of Light was the Cub Scout equivalent of the Eagle Scout award. But it's not. 

The Cub Scout advancement program is not like that for Scouts BSA. In Scouts BSA, regardless of the age you start, you have to first earn Scout, then Tenderfoot, then 2nd Class, etc. There is a direct progression of ranks from one to the next for all Scouts. By the time a Scout has earned Eagle, they will have spent years working toward it. In Cub Scouts, there is a rank assigned for each grade. Regardless of what age a Scout joins, they begin working on the rank that corresponds to their grade: Lion for kindergarten, Tiger for 1st grade, Wolf for 2nd grade, Bear for 3rd grade, Webelos for 4th grade, and Arrow of Light for 5th grade. If a Scout joins the pack for the first time in 3rd grade, he or she just starts with Bear, they don't go back to earn Lion, or Tiger, or Wolf. It is entirely possible to have kids join Cub Scouts in 5th grade and still earn their Arrow of Light award, without having earned any other rank (except Bobcat). As the program exists today, the Arrow of Light is nothing more and nothing less than the appropriate rank for 5th grade Cub Scouts. 

If you look at the suggested advancement ceremonies in the Pack Meeting plans, the Arrow of Light is treated just the same as all the other ranks. That's what it is. It is not some special award that Cubs have worked toward for years on end. It is the appropriate rank for their grade. 

So, I think we should do away with the tradition of awarding fancy plaques and arrows along with the Arrow of Light rank. I have had Scouts (and probably parents) think that the homemade arrow with the dangly beads and feathers was the award. It's not. The award is the rank patch. 

That does present another problem, though, and I'm not sure how to deal with it. If the Arrow of Light award is just another Cub Scout rank, why do we have a square knot for adults who earned it as a youth? Does it make sense to do that? Should we phase that out? I tend to think so, but I don't know. I like mine.

BSA's Commitment to Act Against Racial Injustice

The BSA recently sent out a statement regarding their commitment to act against racial injustice, where they commit to the following four specific actions:

1. Introducing a specific diversity and inclusion merit badge that will be required for the rank of Eagle Scout. It will build on components within existing merit badges, including the American Cultures and Citizenship in the Community merit badges, which require Scouts to learn about and engage with other groups and cultures to increase understanding and spur positive action.
2. Reviewing every element of our programs to ensure diversity and inclusion are engrained at every level for participants and volunteers by applying a standard that promotes racial equality and denounces racism, discrimination, inequality and injustice.
3. Requiring diversity and inclusion training for all BSA employees starting July 1 and taking immediate action toward introducing a version for volunteers in the coming months.
4. Conducting a review of property names, events and insignia, in partnership with local councils, to build on and enhance the organization’s nearly 30-year ban on use of the Confederate flag and to ensure that symbols of oppression are not in use today or in the future.

I just wanted to share a few thoughts I had about these specific items.

First, a diversity and inclusion merit badge, required for the Eagle rank, is probably a good thing. I'll be interested to see the requirements and how it turns out.

Second, I'm kind of surprised that some sort of diversity and inclusion training hasn't already been required for BSA employees. There was a diversity and inclusiveness section in Wood Badge since at least the year 2000. Participants have been instructed to make one of their goals focus on diversity. A required volunteer diversity training is probably also good.

I think actions 2 and 4 are pretty closely related. Reviewing elements of programs and property names, events, insignia, etc. will be a good thing. My first thought when reading these, however, had nothing to do with the Confederate flag or Civil War related people/places. I'm in Utah, where that doesn't have a major presence. While I recognize that the spark for this idea comes from recent events revolving around racism toward the black community, I don't see much of those issues in the BSA. Certainly, let's take the time to identify and eliminate whatever we need to there. But my first thought on these two points was about all the Native American stuff in Scouting. 

There have been lots of people who have written about issues with the BSA and Native Americans. Here are a just a few:

https://www.voanews.com/usa/native-americans-boy-scouts-stop-plundering-our-past

https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/boy-scouts-have-been-one-of-the-worst-culprits-of-cultural-appropriation-Cf-Moaug90Knza6-Oz9A9A

https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/boy-scouts-playing-indians-X039STijO0q2mOW6AMEk_g

https://medium.com/@mishablaise/creating-boy-scout-ceremonies-without-taking-native-american-cultural-property-382ad880cce3

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/8/8/1409988/-The-Boy-Scouts-of-America-Has-a-Long-Way-to-Go

I recognize the historical side of Native American lore in the BSA. I think folks like Seton and Baden-Powell genuinely saw aspects of various native cultures as admirable and wanted to include certain things in Scouting for the benefit of boys from their own culture. At the same time, they held other views that we would see today as problematic. We should acknowledge that history, both the good and the bad. 

But we are living in a different time. What may have seemed appropriate in 1910, my not be now. I am all in favor of evaluating programs and property names, etc. and making adjustments to some of those things that are seen as offensive. 

Here are some specific things I think need to be revisited. I'm sure there are others, these are just the ones that, from my experience, stood out first. 

1.  Beat of the Drum adventure for Bears. The Native American crafts and dance portions of this are problematic. There might be ways to make them appropriate, but "create a ceremonial song" and "create a ceremonial dance" are big problems. The BSA should work with native tribes to find ways that kids can appropriately learn about native cultures. 

2. Ceremonies. Just Google "Cub Scout Ceremonies." It won't take you 2 minutes to find something with some faux Native American symbolism, props, dress, or stereotypical speech patterns. These are completely unnecessary. There are other ceremonies that can be used or created that won't cause the same offense. 

3. A World of Sound adventure for Bears. Cubs are led to make approximations of three musical instruments from three different cultures, but there is very little learning about those cultures or what those instruments are for or why they might be culturally important. While this one is maybe not as offensive as other issues, I think there is plenty of room for improvement.

4. Indian Lore merit badge. This one is much better than the Cub Scout adventures, because they are actually supposed to learn about specific tribes, but there are probably things that could be improved.  Making items of clothing or other things used by the tribe could be seen by some as cultural appropriation. We should be working with native tribes to make sure that these kinds of requirements lead to cultural appreciation rather than appropriation. 

5. There are plenty of Native American names used in camp and even local councils. There's a lot there that may need to be changed.

6. I think the BSA should completely eliminate the Order of the Arrow. I confess, I don't really have a lot of love for the OA to begin with. Personal feelings aside, however, if the BSA is going to get serious about "promoting racial equality" and eliminating things that will lead to offense, then the OA just has to go. There's too much history there, from names, to symbols, to dances and ceremonies. I think it would be more effective to start fresh and create a brand new organization, rather than try to change every little problematic detail in the OA. I personally like the idea of a servant leader and service society like what some old Venturing leaders created in The Corps of Discovery.

Again, I realize that the origin of this whole thing was sparked from issues of racism toward the black community, not Native American cultural appropriation. That's fine. I hope the BSA takes whatever time they need to address those issues, and I look forward to those changes. But if the BSA is going to be consistent in promoting diversity and inclusion, then we also need to take time to address issues with other minority groups, which issues are much more widespread and systemic within the BSA.

Corona virus and supply shortages

Like everyone else, I’ve been trying lately to navigate life under threat of the corona virus. I read news articles about the pandemic spreading through the country and in my state. I’m trying to deal with social distancing rules at work while my wife is now homeschooling all of the kids. Life is definitely different now. Amid all of this I keep having a thought and felt like it might be appropriate to write about here. It has to do with that delicate balance between being prepared and hoarding supplies during a crisis. Furthermore, it has to do with how we should treat others during this crisis.


I go grocery shopping and find empty shelves where stacks of toilet paper and paper towels once stood. Occasionally, I find it hard to get the supplies our family needs for our normal use in a regular week (like baby formula or wipes). When I do happen to find some, I’m torn between the need to get the resources I know my family will use and still try to be courteous to other shoppers who are searching for the same limited supplies.


There is a tendency, during times of crisis, to stockpile supplies that may be needed. We’re all seeing that play out right now. There is certainly something to be said for being prepared; my own church leaders have counseled members for years to have a supply of food on hand. And my own experience seems to suggest there is a fine line between preparedness and panic. It can be difficult. But I wonder if we might be missing the mark just a little. I have heard plenty of people tell how they are including firearms and ammunition in with their food storage. The idea being that they may have to defend their stores against everyone else who didn’t stock up and are now desperately looking to get what they can wherever they can. I just read an article today describing the run on guns and ammunition that is occurring right now.


The thought I keep having is, what if the answer to the shortages we are experiencing is the exact opposite of the natural reaction of hoarding supplies?


As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I regard the Book of Mormon as scripture. In one passage, a prophet named Jacob expresses his concern that the people of his time were too focused on gaining material wealth. The counsel he gives to his people is: “before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.” After we “have obtained a hope in Christ,” Jacob says that the Lord will bless us to obtain riches, if we seek for them. But in the process of obtaining hope in Christ our hearts are changed so that we no longer want those riches for ourselves, but “for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and afflicted” (Jacob 2:18-19).


These are interesting thoughts, but they are made all the more interesting by the verse immediately preceding them: “Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you” (Jacob 2:17).


I’ve been struck by that last line: that they may be rich like unto you. It’s almost as if Jacob is saying that when you share with others, it will not decrease your wealth, but will lift others up and all will become wealthy.  


I have wondered lately if it is appropriate to replace the word “riches” in these verses with some of the supplies people are searching for these days—“toilet paper,” for instance. Is it possible that if I share my supplies I will be blessed to not run out of them and, in fact, there will be enough for everyone?


There are similar thoughts in the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31-33). Also “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Matthew 5:42).


The Old Testament account of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath provides an interesting illustration of what I’m talking about. There’s a famine in the land and the prophet Elijah finds a widow and asks her for some food and water. The widow replies that she only as enough for one last meal for herself and her son. Elijah encourages her to share what little she has, promising that there will be enough for all three of them. Furthermore he promises that she won’t run out of food until the famine ends. “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not...” (1 Kings 17:15-16).


Now, what would have happened if the widow had refused? What would have happened if she decided that she needed to defend her supply of food and attacked Elijah?


There are other stories of miraculous occurrences centered on someone’s decision to share what meager supplies they have.


In Matthew 14, Jesus found himself among a crowd of 5,000 people who didn’t have any food. Rather than sending them all away, as his disciples suggested, Jesus decided to feed them. I wonder how many skeptics in the crowd thought he was crazy to suggest feeding everyone when there were only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to be divided among them all. But, not only were they all “filled” but the leftovers added up to more than they started with. (See Matthew 14:15-21)


In the very next chapter, Jesus feeds 4,000 people from only seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Again, the leftovers added up to more than they started with. (See Matthew 15:32-38).


Ask yourself what would have happened if those who had the loaves of bread and the fish had refused to share, thinking they needed that food for themselves.


In the book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom describes experiences she and her sister Betsy had while confined in the Ravensbruck concentration camp during WWII. They had managed to sneak a bottle of vitamin oil in with them and Corrie would give a drop to Betsy every morning, but worried at how long it would last. Corrie admitted that “my instinct was always to hoard it,” but Betsy had a habit of sharing with anyone else who was sick. “And still,” Corrie reports, “every time I tilted the little bottle, a drop appeared at the tip of the glass stopper. It just couldn’t be!” The sisters compared it to the miracle with Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. “It was one thing to believe that such things were possible thousands of years ago, another to have it happen now, to us, this very day. And yet it happened this day, and the next, and the next, until an awed little group of spectators stood around watching the drops fall onto the daily rations of bread.” This miracle continued until the very day that someone else managed to sneak some vitamins from the infirmary.


My own family history provides another miraculous account. During the early days of Utah food was often scarce. It became scarcer still when swarms of crickets devoured the crops. As the story goes, Andrew Burnham was one of the few who had a supply of flour and meal in his granary. Occasionally, people would come to ask if he had any to sell. The reply was always that there wasn’t any for sale, but anyone in need was welcome to a portion. Before long, Andrew found himself dividing his last sack of flour with a needy neighbor. The very next morning, another neighbor came asking for help. The neighbor was told of the situation but Andrew offered to see if they could perhaps sweep up a few cups. The story is that upon opening the door of the granary they found all the sacks filled with flour and meal just as they had been before Andrew Burnham started sharing. The food supply is said to have lasted as long as the food shortage continued.


I have come to believe that those of us who claim to believe in God need to step up here. We need to have the faith that miracles will happen to those who are willing to share.


Fortunately, there are those who are doing this; those stories are out there, too. I smile to think that someday, somewhere, someone will recount the story of how their supply of toilet paper was miraculously replenished just after sharing their last roll.


Now, I realize that this topic doesn’t really fit with all the other Scouting themed stuff I have reserved this blog for. But I believe Scouting embraces the principles I’ve been talking about. You might recognize the words Helpful, Courteous, and Kind.

Thoughts on the uniform

I recently came across an old article on the Bryan on Scouting blog about a troop that "allows its Scouts to wear any kind of pants or shorts they want with their uniform shirt." The reason for this is that they serve low income youth who often feel like they can't afford the pants. "These Scouts are only required to wear the official field uniform shirt and troop neckerchief."

Many of the Scouts in this troop also wear campaign hats. "How do they afford them? The Stratton hat company gave them “quite a deal” to buy the hats" the article states. 

This article, and the accompanying comments, got me thinking about Scout uniforms and I decided to post my thoughts here.

First, let's take a look at BSA policy on the uniforms. The Guide to Awards and Insignia is the place to go for questions about the uniform. On Page 5, the section titled "official policy" says: "While wearing the uniform is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged. The leaders of Scouting— both volunteer and professional—promote the wearing of the correct complete uniform on all suitable occasions."

So, it's the responsibility of Scout leaders to encourage Scouts to wear the complete uniform. 

Page 7 of the Guide to Awards and Insignia has this paragraph: "No alteration of, or additions to, the official uniforms, as described in the official guidelines or the Rules and Regulations covering the wearing of the uniform and the proper combinations thereof on official occasions, may be authorized by any Scouting official or local council."

In other words, no Scout leader has the authority to tell his or her Scouts that anything other than the full uniform is a correct uniform. This is explained further in the Cub Scout Leader Book under the section on uniforms: "The entire uniform should be worn or not at all. The pack does not have the authority to make changes to the uniform."

I have heard many people say that, because the want to relieve a financial burden from their families, they made a decision to have their pack's uniform be just the shirt. I know one Scout leader who actually asked his Cub Scouts not to wear the uniform pants because not everyone has them and, in an effort to be "uniform" would rather have everyone in jeans. 

These well meaning leaders are wrong. Sorry. 

I understand the desire to reduce the financial burden for youth who want to be in Scouting. I have five people in my family to try to outfit with uniforms and it can get pricey. But those are the rules and a Scout is Obedient. 

The other issue in the article that really caught my attention was the bit about the campaign hats, and the line that "the Stratton hat company gave them "quite a deal" to buy the hats."

The problem I see is that the Stratton hat company doesn't make official BSA uniform hats. The official hats come through the official Scout Shop and are manufactured by Stetson.

Early on in my Scouting experience I decided I wanted a campaign hat, but thought the official one was too expensive. I did some looking online and found one that looked the same but cost less than half as much. I ordered it and then bought an official BSA hat band and hat pin to make it look official. "Nobody will know the difference," I thought. 

A few years later I heard someone explaining how they saved money on a Scout shirt by buying a similar looking shirt from Wal-mart and putting all the right patches on. It's a lot cheaper that way, they reasoned. I felt like that approach was not honest because they were trying to pass off an imitation as the real thing. Then I realized I was doing the same thing with my campaign hat. So, I stopped wearing it, saved my pennies, and bought the real thing. 

When I taught Cub Scout leader training a few years ago I came up with what I called:

 

A Plan to Implement Proper Uniforming.

Step 1 - Cheerfully model the correct uniform.

Adults must set the example they want their Scouts to follow, and they have to do it cheerfully. 

Step 2 - Teach Scouts and parents what the correct uniform is and when to wear it. 

There could be lots of ways of doing this. In our new pack, the information packet we give to new families covers this topic. We also have a science fair-type display describing the correct uniform we put up at every pack meeting. Uniform inspections could be another tool to help teach the correct uniform.

Step 3 -  Teach Scouts and parents to follow the Cub Scout motto in wearing the uniform: "Do your best."

There are always going to be concerns about how expensive the uniform is. Teach them to "do your best." Their best might include having the Scout do extra work to earn the uniform. This also helps teach the value of being Thrifty.

Step 4 - Accept Scout's and parents' best efforts to wear the uniform. 

If a Scout comes without a uniform, what do you do? Be glad they are there at all. Official policy is clear: wearing the uniform is not mandatory.

If a Scout comes with just a BSA shirt, what do you do? Compliment them on how good they look in that shirt. Maybe that contradicts the "all or nothing" rule, but I'm not comfortable telling a Scout to change his shirt because he doesn't have the right pants, socks, and belt to go with it. And I think it would do more harm than good.

One final thought on uniforms.

My biggest pet peeve is when people referring to the official uniform as a "Class A" uniform and something else as a "Class B" uniform. Sorry, but those designations don't appear anywhere in the Guide to Awards and Insignia, or any official handbook or leader book. There is no such thing as a Class A or Class B uniform. There is the official uniform and everything else that is not the official uniform. What most people refer to as a Class B uniform is more properly described as an "activity shirt."

A New Beginning

I haven't actively posted on this blog in a long time. There are lots of reasons for that, but I'm not going to go into those.

I'm now a Cubmaster. My wife and I started a new family pack in our area, serving both boys and girls. So far, our daughters are the only girls, and we need a lot more families to get involved, but we're official.

I hope to post more as we get going.