Moxie Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 :rant: Ugg! I'm the Den Leader of our group. Everyone in our group can meet on Thursday nights except one kid. Of course it is the kid that didn't bother to come to half the meetings last year anyway. I hate to move our meeting to the weekend because I don't like busy weekends. How in the world do you juggle all of the different activities and sports and still have a consistant meeting time?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Thursday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I would send out an email saying that it will be Thursday because that is the only weeknight that can accomodate the most people. You can't please everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 :rant:Ugg! I'm the Den Leader of our group. Everyone in our group can meet on Thursday nights except one kid. Of course it is the kid that didn't bother to come to half the meetings last year anyway. I hate to move our meeting to the weekend because I don't like busy weekends. How in the world do you juggle all of the different activities and sports and still have a consistant meeting time?? From what you've said, I can't see any reason not to continue to meet on Thursday. I assure you, if you move the meeting to another night, one of the other boys will have a conflict. I've never seen it fail. And there is absolutely no way I would hold den meetings on a weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I would send out an email saying that it will be Thursday because that is the only weeknight that can accomodate the most people. You can't please everyone. yup. and I'd refer the kid that keeps missing to another pack if they need a different meeting time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pajama Mama Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 If you change the night; the kid still may not get there. Then how annoyed will you be? Don't change for one person who barely gets to the meetings anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Yeah, but how do I not change it? If I don't change it, I'm basically kicking this kid out of scouting (and trust me, his father's girlfriend will make a stink). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 How is referring him to another den or pack kicking him out? Have you polled the other parents about other nights? I wouldn't change it if it will cause conflict to your own schedule or others that are regular attenders. If he really wants to do scouts with your den, his father can change his schedule! Yeah, but how do I not change it? If I don't change it, I'm basically kicking this kid out of scouting (and trust me, his father's girlfriend will make a stink). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pajama Mama Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I would do as Peek suggests. Help them find another group. How many other parents/scouts do you have? If you have 10-12 other kids(and parents) you will never make everyone happy. I would guess more kids would miss if the meeting was on the weekend. If my son was still in Scouts and he had a Saturday morning meeting; I would have a really hard time getting him up. I wouldn't relish the thought either. Weekends are for family outings and going to church(for us). Ds went to special events for Scouts on weekends. But regular meetings- never. You are so nice to try and make everyone happy though:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 :rant:Ugg! I'm the Den Leader of our group. Everyone in our group can meet on Thursday nights except one kid. Of course it is the kid that didn't bother to come to half the meetings last year anyway. I hate to move our meeting to the weekend because I don't like busy weekends. How in the world do you juggle all of the different activities and sports and still have a consistant meeting time?? Sounds like it is Th night to me. I'd set my "limits" as in no weekends and/or no-whatever-night-YOU-have-an-important-commitments. Then, I'd try to accomodate EVERYONE. Since that can't be done, I'd choose the night that was bad for the one(s) who had not demonstrated a history of making scouting a priority. Sounds to me like I'd just go with TH, with an invite to the boy to come whenever he can. (Caveat, I would NOT choose a night/day that was the ONE DAY A WEEK the child had religious services (not family night, youth group, whatever, but the actual Fri, Sat or Sun or whatever that the child had the main weekly worship. I'd make that a first priority, even if it meant less than ideal scheduling for the rest of the kids.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HayesW Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 We don't "do" weekend activities, and have switched GS troops and missed meetings due to that fact. We had a room mom schedule a meet the parents night on a Sunday night at 5pm. We didn't go. It wasn't a big deal. It's just how we do things. Send the parents of the one kid who doesn't come an email BEFORE you send one to everyone else. Let them know that Thursday night is the night that worked for the vast majority. Offer them names and phone numbers of other troop leaders to contact. So sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 If you have meetings on a weekend day, that will affect your campout planning and campout activities. No weekend troop meetings! Let girlfriend make a stink. Let her make it right out loud in front of everyone there. Just smile and nod and let her rant. Give her enough rope to, well, tie herself in a good scout knot with it. And leave the meetings on Thursdays anyway :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Tell them Thurs. is the only night available to you. We don't even give our Scouts an option... lots of boys end up missing meetings for various activities, but they come when they can. You can't please everyone all the time, looks like it's his dad's girlfriend's time to be not pleased :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Let girlfriend make a stink. Let her make it right out loud in front of everyone there. Just smile and nod and let her rant. Give her enough rope to, well, tie herself in a good scout knot with it. And leave the meetings on Thursdays anyway :) yup. Bring a bottle of Glade airspray and spritz it as she rants. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 :rant:Ugg! I'm the Den Leader of our group. Everyone in our group can meet on Thursday nights except one kid. Of course it is the kid that didn't bother to come to half the meetings last year anyway. Do it on Thursdays. It's the day that fits most people. Why sacrifice the people who show commitment in favor of somebody who barely engages? Announce the meetings for Thursdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 (and trust me, his father's girlfriend will make a stink). And this affects you how? Her tantrum is between her and her therapist. NOT your problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 What we always told/tell incoming leaders. YOU are the leader, you meet when it's good for YOU, period. You can't please everybody, it's not gonna happen, so don't try. As cubs we always met on Sun. afternoons. It worked for us. Weekdays didn't. With your group, Thursday works. :o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 If she wants to make a stink, then she can start her own group. period. Not your problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Thursday. Weekends - too many boys would miss - things come up on weekends. Keep the weekday that works for YOU and the majority of the families. You can't please everybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 :rant:Ugg! I'm the Den Leader of our group. Everyone in our group can meet on Thursday nights except one kid. Of course it is the kid that didn't bother to come to half the meetings last year anyway. I hate to move our meeting to the weekend because I don't like busy weekends. How in the world do you juggle all of the different activities and sports and still have a consistant meeting time?? I firmly believe that the den leader gets to pick the time/date/location of den meetings unless you are in a pack where everyone meets at the same place and time. If you have a time that works for most, go for it. If you change day and time, odds are, there is someone else that it won't work for. If the other family can only come to half the meetings, make sure they know what to work on at home so they don't fall behind. If they would like to lead a second den at that age and have two dens that meet up at pack meetings, give them all the support you can to do this. It is a great way to grow a pack. If there is no way they can participate on the night that works for everyone else, offer to help them find another pack that has meetings that might work better. I choose not to take offense if famiiles are busy and can only make a portion of the scouting activities. We all prioritize our family activities differently. But I also don't let the less involved parents dictate terms to the rest of the group. [but take this with a grain of salt. I'm a little fed up with families who want activities and skills provided by scouting but aren't willing to offer anything other than complaints. I politely asked a Boy Scout parent to wait in a room other than the scout leader room a few nights ago because I needed to discuss a bunch of committee issues and I'm pretty tired of this parent being a good idea factory for everyone else and a constant complainer of how it is the fault of a bunch of adults that his son isn't progressing in rank. ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Yeah, but how do I not change it? If I don't change it, I'm basically kicking this kid out of scouting (and trust me, his father's girlfriend will make a stink). When my oldest joined Cub Scouts, I was told that the Tiger Den was full. I could go on a waiting list (which already had several families) or I could become a den leader of another den. I chose to become a den leader so my kid could join. By the end of the month, I was the only den leader of the surviving den. You simply say that Thursday worked the best for most of the families. If the scout can't make it for a couple months, you can work with him to help him keep up. If they'd like to start another den that meets at another time, you will help get them up to speed. Then offer the two days and times to all the scouts that rank and let them choose what fits their families the best. Recruit more scouts since you now have even more ability to support that age group. If they say that they can't commit to being leaders, then you simply say that other nights don't work so well for you. There is a nifty website to help you find packs by zip code. You can offer to help them get contact info for other packs. If you live WAY out in the country, they could look into Lone Scouting. Or they could just take a break from scouting and come back when it fits their schedule better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I would send out an email saying that it will be Thursday because that is the only weeknight that can accomodate the most people. You can't please everyone. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Let them know that the day/time isn't working for one of the potential returning scouts. That way they can back you with encouragement to lead a second den or contact numbers for other local packs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.