So 2020 has been a challenge across many fronts, while adults have more words and outlets to express their anxieties and concerns, our kids have fewer outlets and tools to cope with the schools shutting down and their lack of being able to see their friends. I feel that Scouting is well adapted to continue to serve scouts and their families with educational and engaging programming while doing it in a safe and respectful manner.
Over the summer we eased our way back into scouting meetings. All of the meetings were held outdoors in a local park. The first meeting was focused on sanitary habits like wearing masks, covering our coughs, and practicing social distancing.
Just as our schools and workplaces have had to make tough decisions about when and how to bring people back for in person meetings, we had to do the same for our new year of scouting. Advancement was a challenge during the spring and most scouts needed the summer to complete their rank. So we wanted to have a plan that would offer some resiliency. Since it is unknown if the school will be available for our use for any meetings, we have instead decided to plan a full year of activities outside.
In some ways, this gets us back to the “roots” of scouting anyways, does it not? Compared to so many parts of our lives which have gone virtual in the past months, so long as we are permitted by the public health department, we will continue to meet in person and outdoors. Compared to the increased prevalence of screens in the days of our lives and our kids lives, regularly scheduled outdoor activities are a good break.
This plan presents its own challenges – inclement weather, shorter days, and Wisconsin has this thing called winter. To address the temperature and daylight issues, we moved the pack meetings from Monday nights to Sunday afternoons. The kids will also be reminded to dress appropriately for the weather. We also hold no illusions that the winter meetings may be shorter, but even a short meeting outside can be productive. If need be, either due to temperature or logistics or by a new public health department order or, we can move the meetings to virtual. Knowing that this is part of the plan, if we need to move to virtual, I’m confident that we can do it better than in the spring.
Den meetings too, will be outdoors on Sundays at 3:00 as well. In the park, the dens can take plenty of space and can spread out from each other.
Our calendar of pack activities and events for the year are as follows:
August:
Awards Ceremony and Fall kick off meeting
September:
Paper Rocket Blast – Here is an example of the design.
Because we do this event every year, the pack has two launching “systems” with bicycle pumps and electronic launchers. We normally do this indoors, so launching them outside, we can really see how far they can go.
October:
Pack Meeting – Building a “mock” campsite. We will discuss the elements and layout of a campsite and then work together to set up tents and a rain fly.
Outing/Service Project – Performing minor repairs and clean up at the school playground.
November:
Pack Meeting/Outing – Meeting at Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee, learning about the history there, and then placing flags at some of the graves.
December:
Pack Meeting/Outing – Holiday Hike – Each of the scouts will collect a pine cone and decorate it with inspiration from their family’s holiday traditions/beliefs. We will go on a hike and decorate a tree along the trail with our ornaments.
January:
Outing – Sledding at the local sledding hill
Pack Meeting – Make neckerchief woggles. It always bothered me a little bit that the cub scout uniform always implied that a new woggle was needed every year when this isn’t the case. Instead, if we made them, this would be one less expense that families would have each year for scouting.
February:
Pack Meeting/Outing – Meeting at Firestation
March:
Pack Meeting – Pinewood Derby – when we surveyed the scouts this summer this was far and away what they said they missed the most from the stay at home orders in the spring.
Outing – Pack hike at the Lakeshore State Park, our closest state park.
April:
Pack Meeting – Outdoor cooking
Outing – clean up school grounds/playground
May:
Pack Meeting – first aid
Outing – Memorial Day Parade
June:
Awards ceremony/crossover/Blue and Gold Banquet
Hopefully this provides a plan that can be resilient to whatever the rest of 2020 throws our way.