For many years, Leaders relied on "Program Helps". Each year we could get a book of themes and ideas for both den and Pack activities to go with the theme.
Sometimes we moved themes around or skipped some and added others to fit our schedule, but the monthly focus gave the whole pack something to build on and lots of fun.
In the past thirty-some years of Scouting, there have been many changes. The addition of younger boys ... first second grade and then moved to first grade ... made games and activities more of a challenge. But the hardest change to deal with is the change from fun themes to "Character points" After all, what kid joins scouting to have his character developed? It is still the FUN that kids are looking for.
This month I decided to use a theme for our meeting. Last month I challenged each boy to make a cubstruction. He was to use only recycled items. I suggested things he might have around his house like pet bottles, towel or toilet paper tubes, Styrofoam trays, used chopsticks, whatever he could find plus any amount of glue,tape, or coloring.
There was a bonus challenge to go through his handbook and relate the object to one or more advancement activities. They were to bring the cubstruction to this month's meeting and I was quite pleased with what came through the door in the hands of the youth. (Our pack includes siblings as they desire).
Each kid took a turn to explain his/her creation and earned an activity segment. (there would have been a certificate had the printer been in a cooperative mood).
I asked the kids to put their creations on a table so everyone could admire them more closely and at the end, rush over to take a picture before everything left. There was a "telephone" made with string and tubes, a number of vehicles including a tank and a rocket, a periscope, a dinosaur, a dog puppet. and even a very useful pencil holder.
Last month I planned a balloon rocket game and found it just too difficult to pull off in our one-hour time line.
Our game was also easy to do. I keep a supply of origami paper and a tin of pencils handy.
Dividing into den groups, each member of the group had paper, a pencil and shared dice ... starting with one and adding another once the game got going.
We constructed bugs. #1 = body and you needed to have a body before beginning to add other parts. #2 was a head an you needed the head before adding the mouth and feelers. #3 = feelers (two needed). #4 = eyes (2) and a mouth. #5 = legs (a bug has six) and #6 was the tail.
There were some very creative bugs.
Beware ... no one is going to stop, even after the first kids have completed their bugs. My guys have no "off" buttons.
Two bear cubs were first to finish.
A few visitors decided to join the Pack.
It is really too bad the program helps and fun themes have been shelved. It used to be so much easier to sort through those ideas and find which would work in our situation. It was also nice to have something to hand a new leader to help them on their way. Now that we can communicate by the internet, it would be so helpful to have ideas organized and ready to go ... rather than re-inventing the wheel.