Scouting, Volume 38, Number 2, February 1950 Page: 13
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"Wfoie <ut we
AGE CHANGE
<^> Yes, believe it or not, boys are still waiting
<^> for us adults to get a move on. They become
eight years of age so rapidly we can hardly keep
up with them. Without a doubt, the tremendous
influx of eight-year-olds surpassed our expecta-
tions. Packs graduated more of their older Cub
Scouts than they had realized. With these older
boys leaving, large numbers of adult Pack and
Den leaders went too. There was an immediate
need for new Dens and new Den Mothers.
This is what faced Pack No. 67 of Naperville,
111. and Cubmaster-elect Flanders. They never
dreamed they would have forty-eight new eight-
year-old Cub Scouts,, plus the twenty-five boys
they reregistered. In their letter to us they stated
they would need eleven Dens (by the way, they
plan to divide this group by organizing another
Pack soon, and thus eliminate the many problems
created by an oversized Pack). Only four experi-
enced Den Mothers remained; so the securing of
seven new Den Mothers and additional Pack Com-
mittee members became their No. 1 objective.
What they did becomes another success story.
They got together, decided on a plan and followed
it. They obtained from the Board of Education a
list of the names, addresses, and birth dates of
boys eligible to join this year. They next made
sure that essential information about Cub Scouting
reached these boys' parents. Most of this was done
on a personal contact basis.
Placing a colored tack on a map for each boy
helped divide them into natural neighborhood Den
groups. From these groups they secured seven Den
Mothers, five Assistant Den Mothers and nine Com-
mitteemen. Forty out • of the forty-eight boys
received their Bobcat pins from forty beaming
parents as those families joined the Cub Scouts.
Experience across the country has shown that in
approaching new parents we must sell our product
in the very best way possible. Then when they show
interest, tell them very frankly what they must do
to help. A clever sales letter invit-
ing parents to come to a meeting to
learn how their boy can become a
Cub Scout might be the first step.
An attendance or telephone com-
mittee is a wonderful follow-up
device.
These parents may meet on a
Den basis in different homes or at a general meet-
ing. After an informative and challenging presen-
tation on what Cub Scouting is, and what help is
needed from the parents, the Den groups meet and
decide who among them can best serve as Den
Mothers and Assistant Den Mothers. They select a
Den Dad, who usually joins the Pack Committee.
If you lose leaders due to the age level change,
try to replace some of them with parents of new
eight-year-old Cub Scouts. This will guarantee
that these new leaders will be with you for a
longer period of time and avoid another adjustment.
Another thing to be done immediately is to follow
up once again on the eleven-year-old boys who
left your Pack in September. Have they joined
Scout Troops yet? If not, why not? Divide this list
of eleven-year-olds among the members of your
Pack Committee and get each man to follow up
on a share of the families.
Another way in which you might be able to
help your Council and your community to adjust
to the age level change would be to offer your
assistance in the organization of another Pack in
your community. Overly large Packs are more
difficult to operate than those of average size. If
you've had a tremendous influx of new eight-year-
olds into your Pack, you may find it advisable to
divide them with a new Pack which you have
helped organize. Before you do this, however, get
in touch with your Scout Executive or Field Execu-
tive and ask* him to show you what to do.
One last thing to keep in mind is that your
Dens can become too large because of the large
number of eight-year-olds who may have joined.
It is far better to work with the parents to organize
a new Den than it is to fill a Den beyond the point
where you can expect successful results. Dens of
six, seven, or eight seem to work best.
The transition from the old Cubbing age level
to the new will run smoothly providing we build
for the future rather than only for the present.
CUB SCOUT SECTION
FEBRUARY, 1950
13
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 38, Number 2, February 1950, periodical, February 1950; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313161/m1/15/?q=%221777%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.