PACK ADMIN HELPS

Annual Program Planning
Circle Ten Council

Year Round Program

THE BASIS OF A SUCCESSFUL PACK

Program planning is a simple but critical part of your pack's success. Throughout the process remember your goal is to deliver a high quality program to each boy and his family. It should be fun, exciting and focused on the purposes of Cub Scouting.

Setting an annual program plan provides direction and sense of satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment in a job well done. Planning also makes the best possible use of your valuable volunteer time.

Planning Steps:

One of the most important responsibilities of the pack committee is to keep the pack operating with a first-rate, year-round program. The quality of the program will depend largely on the pack committee giving the Cubmaster, the Cub Scout den leaders and Webelos den leaders the help they need.

Cub Scout program planning includes four steps, dependent upon one another, which usually guarantee a strong pack program. The steps are:

• Annual Pack Program Planning Conference
• Monthly Pack Leader's Meetings
• Monthly Den Leader Meetings
• Monthly meetings of each den leader with the den chief

Steps to having a great
Annual Program Planning Meeting

SET A DATE TO MEET - Set a date in August with the committee, including the Den Leaders and Webelos Leaders.

CHECK MEETING DATES - Before this time check with your chartering organization and school calendar to find available dates for pack meetings. They should be at the same time and date each month.

REVIEW LAST YEAR'S PROGRAM - Which activities worked and which did not? Decide what activities and special meetings you would like to do again. Also determine whether or not your budget was adequate for them.

SET NEW MEETING DATES - Review the available pack meeting dates with the pack committee and set dates for the coming year. Write pack meeting dates in your council calendar (extra copies are available through the Service Center for your committee members and den leaders). Be careful to avoid holidays and school breaks.

SET COUNCIL AND DISTRICT DATES - Review the council and district calendar and mark dates on your program schedule for district and council activities: Webelos Woods, Pinewood Derby, training sessions, and important meetings like roundtable.

SET SPECIAL PACK DATES - Set the dates for special activities your pack will be doing during the year and put them in your program calendar. These may include:

• PackFundraiser (Product Sale)
• Blue and Gold Banquet
• Pinewood Derby
• Friends of Scouting
• Summertime Activities
• Webelos and Tiger Graduation

Since June 1, 2003, adults giving leadership to a pack campout MUST complete the Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO). Please check council calendar for upcoming BALOO training sessions. (This is not required for council-run programs)

SCHEDULE YOUR MONTHLY COMMITTEE MEETING - Select dates for and schedule monthly meetings of your committee to meet and plan out the next month's activities and meetings (i.e. in September you should be planning for October). You should have a committee meeting every month.

SELECT A MONTHLY THEME - Select monthly themes from the Program Helps or choose your own. Write them in your annual calendar so everyone knows what the month's theme is for both Cubs and Webelos.

SET A BUDGET - Based on the meetings and activities you have planned for the year, number of boys who are likely to advance, and the number of youth and adult members of the pack, figure out what your approximate yearly expenses will be. You will need to plan enough fund raising activities to cover these expenses.  The Budget Planning Worksheet will help you calculate and plan your annual expenses and income to create a budget.

DISTRIBUTE THE PLAN - Cub Scouts and their families will better participate in meetings and activities if they have a copy of the calendar. Every family should receive a copy of the annual calendar so they can plan accordingly.

These are the basic steps your committee will need to follow to have a complete annual program plan and calendar. This calendar will help insure that everyone in the pack knows exactly what is happening from month to month during the year. More important, it will help you plan in advance and avoid being caught off guard by rapidly approaching deadlines.

Remember that September brings *** Join Scouting Night and the start of a full year of activities. When you go to Join Scouting Night, if you have a well thought-out plan and distribute it to your members, new and old, you will find it is easier to recruit not only boys but also adult leaders.

For more information, I encourage leaders to take a look at Jamie’sgreat resource for Pack Planning for the year. Her Annual Program Planning Workbook resource can be found at http://www.cubroundtable.com/miscellaneous.htm .  Be sure to check out Annual Program Planningby Jamie Niss Dunn, Pack Trainer, Pack 512, Blaine/Coon Rapids, MN, Cub Scout Training Chair, Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner, 3 Rivers District.