From: stolz@fnusgd.fnal.gov
Subject: Re: Jesus vs. Scouts Final Chapter!
Organization: P.S.C.
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:11:51 GMT

Hello again Todd -

>I have appreciated all comments in this thread and feel that I can now
>reconcile with my Lord on this one.  I feel since Scouting has so much to
>offer my son and his fellow cub scouts in every other aspect that I must 
>maintain a tolerance in the area of religious awards.  I can see that the 
>BSA in a very real sense does not promote any particular faith in any of its
>activities.  I appreciate its emphasis on spiritual growth and to really
>study and learn about one's religion.  I must allow my Lord to work
>through this effort and trust that all such religious undertakings will 
>eventually lead to a better understanding of Lord Jesus.  As a Christian, I
>must actively defend my Lord against any and all attacks upon his 
>sovereignty, and to teach those who are ready to hear his message.  But 
>these activities must be conducted entirely outside of any "scout" setting
>so as not to be construed as any teaching or indoctrination of the BSA.
>
>How does that sound, guys?

I can understand and appreciate how difficult this 'decision' is for you.  My
father-in-law, an absolutely wonderful person, still has a hard time grappling
with the realization that his 'best-loved' son-in-law is Jewish rather than
Christian.  Thank you for being open-minded enough to listen to and ponder
all the posts and e-mail replies I'm sure you've received.  

>BTW, I have now been "promoted" to den leader as everyone else has backed
>out!  HELP!!!  We haven't had one den meeting yet.  I am going to Basic
>Leader Training this weekend but will probably want to have at least an
>hour and a half long den meeting before then.  I don't have any activities 
>information yet and would appreciate any ideas for a first bear den meeting 
>activity.  I know some of the boys need to work on their bobcat badge and 
>our den has been selected to perform a song at the next pack meeting.  I am 
>supposed to get the list of boys in my den very soon (I think there are 7 or
>8 boys) and I plan to ask that person a lot of these questions then.  But 
>again, HHEELLPP!!!
>

I haven't been a Bear den leader yet, but I have run 2 Webelos dens, and have
also spent 3 years as Cubmaster.  First meetings can be a bit tough - mostly
on the new leader (the boys just want to have fun).  I like to have either my
first or second meeting be a parent & boy meeting.  There is a Parent Survey
form available thru BSA - if your Pack doesn't use them, ask your Cubmaster
or Den Leader Coordinator to get you one.  I insist that my parents fill them
out and turn them in - and I use them when I need to find a skill (Art for
instance) that I don't have.  It sounds like some of the boys already have
their Bobcat, while others don't.  I would suggest that getting Bobcat for all,
along with any necessary prep. for the upcoming Pack meeting, has first
priority.  If you do have a mix of do/don't have Bobcat - you might 'pair-up'
the don'ts with the do's, and let the boys teach the oath, law, etc to each
other.  Give the 'teachers' detailed instructions on how to teach (ie. read it
out loud from the book, then have the 'new kid' read it twice, then have the 
'new kid' try from memory one line at a time, etc).  The hardest things for you
to remember are likely to be: 1) these are third-graders and their attention
span is likely to be AT MOST, 10 minutes per task; 2) the kids KNOW that this
isn't school - their energy level will be appallingly high; and 3) you will
need to find a careful balance between keeping the meeting relaxed enough so
the boys are having fun, and yet disciplined enough so that they aren't wrecking
the furniture and knocking pictures off the walls (I didn't MEAN to throw the 
Frisbee that hard Mr. Stolz!).  As for songs, there is a standard Cub Song book
available (hopefully) wherever you buy you Scout uniforms.  Some of my favorites
are - Bingo, Do Your Ears Hang Low, and (probably not the title) He Had 10,000
Men.

The boys should always bring their Bear books to den meetings, but I recommend
you also have a couple of Xerox copies of certain things - its very rare for
every boy to remember his book!.  I have always planned my entire year by
paging thru my son's book, and picking activities that fulfill requirements in
the book.  This is easier to do with Webelos that Bears, but it's still a good
place to start.

Oh, I forgot to mention this earlier.  If you don't have anyone who will join-
on as an asst. Den leader, then REQUIRE one parent to be at each den meeting
on a rotating basis.  Don't ask them which week is good, assign each family a
week, and tell them to swap among themselves if they need to.  I assign these
parents a standard job - 'Sargeant-at-arms'.  It's their job to handle safety
and discipline while you handle the 'program' for the meeting.

If you get any (other) good ideas - you might want to post them ...

>Yours in Scouting,
>
>Todd Stevens
>stevenst@iaserv.b1.ingr.com
>

Mike Stolz
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