Great Family Home Evening Lesson

For Activity Days, my daughter came home with this game.  The paper says it is from, "Primary Days Super Activity Days and Socials" by Mary H Ross.

We did this for Family Home Evening and it was a HUGE success.  One of our best in recent months.  

BEARS stands for "Be Enthusiastic about Reading Scriptures."

She had this spinner.  

We all had our scriptures in front of us (me helping my four year old) and turned to the beginning of the Topical Guide.   My daughter would spin the spinner which gave us which standard work to look in and then holler out a subject. (Tithing, Jerusalem, Kindness, Faith, etc.)   We would frantically find the subject in the Topical Guide and then look for a scripture from the standard work that had been chosen.  

Then, it was a race to find that scripture.  The first person to find it won the round and then they would read the scripture out loud.  

This help page (below) was useful for my kids who often didn't know if a scripture listed in the Topical Guide was in the New Testament, Old Testament, Doctrine and Covenants or the Book of Mormon.   

Not only did this have us actually using our scriptures and learning where to find specific "books" (Genesis, Mark, 1st Nephi etc.) but it also lead to great gospel conversations about what those scriptures meant.  

Great game.  So grateful for good Activity Day leaders.  

Why I am an Awesome Scout Leader

Back when I had just one little baby, under a year old, I was asked to work for my church with the children in Primary (for my LDS readers who know what Primary means.)   At this time, one of my assignments was to make sure that Cub Scouts was running smoothly, that we had good Cub Scout leaders and the boys were progressing up the Cub Scout ranks.  (I was the 1st Counselor in the Primary presidency.)  We lived in a strange area and while we had parents who wanted their boys to participate, none of them were willing to be the leader, so I ended up being a Bear and Wolf leader for several months until we found someone who could do it.

Before I do anything, I read everything I can get my hands on before I start.  When I cook a new recipe, I read the whole recipe, often get out other cookbooks and compare recipes, and then cook.  If the recipe uses a term I am unfamiliar with, I learn the term and read more than one example on how to do it.  I often call fellow cooks and ask them how to do things.  The same applied to my Cub Scout assignment.  I read the whole Bear and Wolf book.  I called various friends who had worked in Cub Scouts.  I went to the Scout store and asked questions.  I scanned the shelves and asked more questions.  By the time I was done, I understood what the objective of Cub Scouts was and how to best help the boys progress up the ranks of Cub Scouts.  I wanted the boys to feel like they had accomplished something good and worthwhile.  Since that time, I have worked at various times as a Cub Scout leader and been very impressed when it was run correctly, what an amazing organization the Cub scout and Scout program is.  (I know, I shouldn't end the sentence with a verb.  I am too tired to rework it.)

Anyway, recently, I was called to work with the 11 year old Scouts.  This is easy for me because I have a son who is an 11 year old scout and I had read the whole book when he got put in.  Our group is currently quite small, just four boys and they are good boys and come from families who want their boys to do scouts.  Three of these boys, need just one more thing to become 1st Class Scouts and that is to complete an orienteering course.  Do any of you know what that is?  I didn't until I read the term and then set out to learn about it.   Here is what Wikipedia says: Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.^[1]


So, it was up to me, to come up with an orienteering course for these three boys--me, stay at home mother of four kids, who uses a GPS to get everywhere.  I was up for the challenge but truth be known, I did grumble a little at first.  


I first had to relearn how to use a compass.  I then bought a book on how to set up a fun, worthwhile beginner orienteering course.  I read other books about orienteering to make sure I really understood what the objective of the activity was.  I then ordered compasses for all of the boys as Christmas presents.  I then had to actually make the course.  Then, my four year old got the stomach flu and put me a day behind and many hours of no sleep behind as well.  So, today, was the big day.  I spent about an hour and 1/2 hiding flags around our neighborhood, calling friends asking their permission to walk through their yards, recording compass readings, counting my steps between flags and other such "orienteering" activities.  I was stopped by various friends asking me what in the world I was doing.  I then discovered about 1/2 way through, that I was holding flags with metal in them next to the compass, which messed up their readings and I had to start over, but again, this had to be done for these boys and I wanted it to be worthwhile and fun.  So, I did it.  And, I am dang proud of myself.  I have learned a ton (which is one of the reasons why I love being a Mormon, being asked to do things I didn't know about and I learn them) and I am hoping the boys learn and remember them as well.  And maybe just maybe, if any of them get lost, (which I DON'T ever want have happen) but if they do, I hope they will remember their compass skills, taught to them by me and they can help themselves, if they indeed have a compass on them.  But more likely they will just use their GPS on their cell phones if their cell phone doesn't have service where they are. . .
But, I must say, that this is what I love about Scouts because I get to be part of teaching the boys new things and important things that add to their self-confidence.  Any new skill teaches self confidence and self-confidence is the GREATEST skill to have.  Whenever I associate with any person, man, woman or child, I hope to help in their self esteem (let's help build up not bring down people) and Scouts is a great place to do it.   And, there you have it, that is why I am an awesome scout leader.

Cub Scout Helps

I was asked about two weeks ago to train some new Cub Scout leaders in my area.  I compiled the following information for them and thought I would pass this info on to all of you out in blogland.  I don't consider myself an expert at all but having had the calling three times, I have figured a few things out.  So, for what it is worth, here it is:

Cub Scout Helps:

1. Sit down with the book and go over it page by page.  Really familiarize yourself with the book.  

1. Just before a boy enters your troop, go to their house with their book.  Make sure your troop number is written inside the book (so the parents know what to buy when they go and get the patches).  Go over the program with them and their parent.  Encourage the parents to start working on 3a (making a two week health chart) and 4e (the month long chore chart).  These are the biggest obstacles for the boys getting their wolfs.  If they can get them passed off early, when they are still really excited about it, the rest is pretty easy.  Explain to the parents that you will do all you can to help them get their wolf/bear but when it comes down to it, it the boy’s and parent’s responsibility.  I also encourage them to set aside time in the month to work on it.  (In my house, we often use Sunday afternoon or FHE.)  

The boys also need to pass off their bobcat, since we don’t do that in our church.  I encourage the parents to do that as part of a family home evening instead of trying to do it during den meeting because of the child abuse requirement.  I think parents should be the ones addressing those issues with their boys.

I also tell the parents to send the books with the boys to den meeting with either a paper  telling me what they passed off or bookmark the pages so I can easily record them. 

Important terminology:

Beads:  A boy earns a bead after they have completed three achievements.  When they get their wolf or bear, they will have four beads.  Wolf: yellow beads.  Bear:  red beads   In our troop, they are awarded at Pack meeting.  (Some wards give them at den meeting.)  

Arrow points:  Boys earn as part of their elective requirements.  Once they have done 10,  they get a gold arrow point.  After that, each 10 things get silver arrow points.   They don’t have to do everything in the elective to earn an arrow point.  For every item they do (a,b,c, etc) they earn toward their 10.  Also, if they do things in the requirement list that is “extra” (for example, Requirement 1 they only have to do one of things f-l.  If they do more than that, I count those toward arrow points.  

Belt Loops:  In the back of the book, it lists the areas a boy can earn belt loops.  You should have the book that tells the requirements to get each thing, but basically, if they have played the sport, they can earn the belt loop.  Encourage the parents to buy the belt for a place to store the belt loops.  (I have only known a few boys who actually are willing to wear the belt.)  

Den Meeting:

We do it twice a month and take one week off before Pack meeting.  Again, I encourage the parents to help their boy pass things off during the week that we don’t have den meeting.  

We do ours directly after school and the boys are usually hungry.  I always have popcorn in middle of the table waiting for them.  I let the boys play for about 10 minutes and then have them sit around my table.  We start with a prayer and then I try to focus on one of the “character connections.”   We then do the planned activity, and then if we have time, let them play for the last few minutes.  Again, they have been at school ALL DAY and so I want to have plenty of play time and just be able to have fun together.   

Some successes I have had:

1. Frisbee golf (fulfills the Ultimate belt loop)
2. Making take home pizzas (8 c for wolfs, 9c for bear)
3. Airplanes (see attached page)
4. Trash pick up :I brought home gloves from my husband’s office and we just went over to the park.  (wolf 7d, bear 6g)  
5. Bike obstacle course (wolf 9 d and e, bear 14)
6. Planting bulbs:  (Wolf elective 15c Bear 6b--its a little bit of stretch)  If they plant the bulbs in gravel instead of dirt, they boys can’t overwater them and the grow wonderfully. 
7. Touring the fire station.  The men at the one close to our neighborhood are wonderful with the boys.  
8. Home Depot has a wonderful man who teaches classes about tools.  He is wonderful.      He also taught the boys about plants in the spring last year. 
9. Bird feeders: Wolf elective 13, Bear 5 a and b (see attached page from family fun):  The boys loved making these and all summer, I noticed birds eating from them.  
10. A tour of the Police Station.  (Bear 7b)  

Some failures:

Early on, we did a lot of field trips; one time to the land fill and one time to the recycling facility.  Both times, we drove for a long time and the tours were just not that great.  I wouldn’t do it again.  

For the collecting things I gave every boy four quarters to start a coin collection.  None of the boys finished it and the boys didn’t find it all that exciting (even though I was very excited about it. :) )

For wolf requirement 5 a (make something useful out of wood) and elective 7a (learn how to walk on stilts), I had the boys make stilts.  The pattern I had was not so good and they were too heavy for the boys to learn how to walk on them.  I would do it again, if I had a really good pattern but the whole thing took a ton of time and was not very fun.   

The scouting store has a lot helps available but personally, I have found that if I just work directly from the cub scout books, I have had a lot more success. 

Recording Info:  

See included paper.  I spent years looking for a paper system that I liked and was easy to read.  This is my favorite.  I circle the required things and “x” the electives.  So, when figuring out arrow points, it is easy to read.    

It is important to keep a record of what the boys have passed off with you.  Boys will lose their books and you want to know what you need to work on to help them pass things off.  

When the boy is a few months from moving to the next age, I e-mail the parent with a list of what remains for the boys to pass off.  The parents seem to like this and usually the parents are great about helping them get everything done before they need to move on.        

Combining the Faith In God with Cub Scouts:

I have not been super good about doing this except coming up with a Joseph Smith first vision family home evening lesson (see included) that I taught the boys and then sent home with them to do with their families.  When the boys are Bears, if they do the Faith in God requirements, they can earn their Religious square knot patch.  I am hoping to work more on this with the boys this Spring and hope to have most of my Bears get it now instead of during Webelos. 

My sister-in-law does a point system that encourages the boys to wear their shirts and bring their book every week.  After they have acquired so many points, she lets them them buy stuff from her with the points they have earned.  (She just goes to a dollar store and sets a bunch of things out).  I've never done that, but am considering adding it this summer.