{"id":5557,"date":"2021-06-01T07:00:31","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/focus-on-fun-family-and-the-future-six-tips-for-cub-scout-summer-activities\/"},"modified":"2021-06-01T07:00:31","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T12:00:31","slug":"focus-on-fun-family-and-the-future-six-tips-for-cub-scout-summer-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/focus-on-fun-family-and-the-future-six-tips-for-cub-scout-summer-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Focus on fun, family and the future: Six tips for Cub Scout summer activities"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/p>\n

Hello, summer! We\u2019ve been expecting you \u2014 and especially your long days, warm weather and break from school.<\/p>\n

Most Cub Scout packs slow down in the summer. Dens don\u2019t meet, advancement pauses and packs schedule outdoor activities instead of traditional monthly meetings.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great chance for volunteers to take a break from the routine and enjoy time with their family.<\/p>\n

But Cub Scouting doesn\u2019t have to take a total pause for the summer. Many successful packs plan ways to get together with the only real purpose being to have fun. They might have a barbecue in a local park, visit the zoo, attend a baseball game or play at the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to provide an opportunity for the families to get together, to see one another, to create some memories and enjoy themselves,\u201d to quote from the latest issue of the Advancement News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Summer officially begins on June 20, which makes now the perfect time to start finalizing your pack\u2019s summer plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes the reward is not the belt loop or the pin,\u201d Advancement News<\/em> writes. \u201cThe reward is seeing friends, being silly, just having a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Hanson\/BSA file photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip 1: Forget about working on requirements and advancement<\/h2>\n

By the time summer arrives, your Cub Scouts are now officially the next rank<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Tiger is now a Wolf, a Wolf is now a Bear and so on.<\/p>\n

While nothing is stopping you from starting work on those next Adventures during the summer, that might not be the best approach.<\/p>\n

If you start working on the next set of required Adventures<\/a> during June, July or August, any Cub Scouts who join your pack this fall will be starting from behind.<\/p>\n

So in the spirit of making sure all Cub Scouts are working on the same Adventures as the other Cub Scouts in their den, most packs save the required ones for the fall, winter and spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cAvoid required Adventures, and look to do activities that focus on building your pack community,\u201d says Anthony Berger, national director of Cub Scouting.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Hanson\/BSA file photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip 2: Aim for about three activities over the summer<\/h2>\n

During the school year, your pack and dens might be getting together every week for meetings and events.<\/p>\n

But during the summer, it\u2019s probably a good idea to slow down that schedule. Berger recommends planning about three activities over the course of the summer.<\/p>\n

That might mean one per month in June, July and August, or it might mean a less balanced schedule. Go with what works best for the families in your pack.<\/p>\n

By the way, if you do successfully hold three events over the summer \u2014\u00a0one per month \u2014 your pack is eligible for the National Summertime Pack Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Cub Scouts and their families explore science at Nauticus, a maritime-themed science center and museum in Norfolk, Va. (Jonathan Adams\/BSA file photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip 3: Consider a \u2018big annual trip\u2019<\/h2>\n

When Berger was a Cub Scout volunteer, his pack took a \u201cbig annual trip\u201d each summer. Unlike in Scouts BSA, Venturing or Sea Scouts, where a big trip might be a week or longer, a big trip in Cub Scouts could be a day trip that requires a moderate drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsider what kind of local attractions you have within a two- or three-hour drive,\u201d Berger says. \u201cYou may have a zoo, an aquarium, a national park or monument. You may even have a theme park.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be sure to ask about group discounts when planning and purchasing tickets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe annual pack trip became the highlight of our program year,\u201d Berger says.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pack 772 performs a skit at Camp La-No-Che in Paisley, Fla. (Todd Anderson\/BSA file photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip 4: Participate in your council\u2019s Cub Scout day camp<\/h2>\n

Another highlight of a Cub Scout\u2019s summer seems obvious but is worth mentioning anyway: Cub Scout day camp.<\/p>\n

Check your local council\u2019s website<\/a> to learn about what will be offered this summer. Most Cub Scout day camps are operated during the day and last either one day, four days or five days. Some councils also offer a twilight camp option, which starts in the early afternoon and wraps up around dinnertime.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Summer is a great time to sit down and think about what\u2019s ahead. (Michael Hanson\/BSA file photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip 5: Schedule your pack\u2019s annual program planning conference<\/h2>\n

Summer is an ideal time to hold your pack\u2019s annual program planning conference.<\/p>\n

This event, which is covered in a helpful online training at my.scouting.org<\/a>, is where adult volunteers in your pack create the schedule for the upcoming Scouting year, which begins in the fall.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re picturing a bunch of volunteers huddled around calendars inside a windowless church basement, think again.<\/p>\n

In the spirit of Cub Scouting, Berger recommends turning this event into something fun and memorable for the entire family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis, too, can become a fun pack activity,\u201d Berger says. \u201cHolding it at a park, having a cookout or even hiring some entertainment can turn your program planning conference into a program planning party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
W. Garth Dowling\/BSA file photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip 6: Hold a Back to Pack party<\/h2>\n

Kick off the Scouting year in style with a Back to Pack party, where everyone in the pack reunites to reconnect, share favorite summer memories and get ready for the fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings everyone back from summer just before school starts and before any new families join,\u201d Berger says. \u201cThe key step is to contact each family and invite them to the event.\u201d<\/p>\n

This can either be a formal pack meeting or an informal afternoon of fun in the park.<\/p>\n

During the event, pack leaders can talk with other parents and family members to see who in the pack might make a good leader for the fall. Berger says the summer is the perfect time to plan ahead and consider who might make a good leader in the coming year.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember that returning parents are much more likely to agree to serve in a leadership position if asked,\u201d Berger says. \u201cThese events provide an opportunity to have more casual conversations with parents and get to know them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn even more in this Roundtable video<\/h2>\n

Watch this<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hello, summer! We\u2019ve been expecting you \u2014 and especially your long days, warm weather and break from school. Most Cub Scout packs slow down in the summer. Dens don\u2019t meet, advancement pauses and packs schedule outdoor activities instead of traditional monthly meetings. It\u2019s a great chance for volunteers to take a break from the routine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5557"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5557\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}