See this March 21, 2024 Video for Ideas and Resources about How to Plan Your Best Year Ever in Cub Scouting – the program includes:

• Key Guidance on Activities (Like: It’s Why Families Join and Stay!)
• Planning Methods – Surveys and Sharing
• Ways to Help Your Den Leaders
• Budget, Awards and Other Tools

Resources for All of the Above are here.

The Cub Scout advancement program will be updated for the 2024-25 program year -- so, effective June 1 or the 2024-25 School Year/Program Year.  Initial Details are posted here:  www.scouting.org/program-updates/cub-scout-program-updates-announced/. Also FAQs and More.

New Handbooks are evidently appearing in Scout Shops and at scoutshop.org (beware - they are still selling the Handbooks that will be out of date.)

Things you Might do if you want:

• Buy and browse one or more of the New Handbooks.  (The "Adventure Resource" QR Codes and Links evidently don't go "live" until June 1.)
• Review www.scouting.org/program-updates/cub-scout-program-updates-announced/. Also FAQs and More.

Things You Need To Do / Must Do Now About This:

• Nothing. 
• Continue with the current Handbooks and Resources.  
• This doesn't take effect until the new "program year", which for most everyone except the overly ambitious (lighten up!) is the start of the School Year.  So even though "June 1" is the "start date", summer is still a time to "finish up under the old program", plus (again, lighten up!), Summer should be a time for pure fun activities.  Spring too!

Things You Should NOT Do Related To This: 

• Don't "over-stock" loops and pins and Handbooks, because the Handbooks will change for sure, and many -- maybe all -- of the loops and pins will change next year for the 2024-25 School Year/Program Year.
• Don't "hand down" your 2023 "Rank Meeting Plans" to next year's den leaders ... the Advancement Plan for the 2024-25 School Year/Program Year will be significantly different.

What are the Possible Committee and Commissioner Roles Supporting Units, Leaders and Youth:  Scouts, Scouters and Scouting Units are part of a worldwide brotherhood of Scouting, and we gather together at National, Territory and Council events, Multi District events, District Events, and events just between Units that connect to do things together. The Atlanta Area Council organizes units in Clayton County and South Fulton County as a District called “Southern Crescent”.  Districts are responsible for carrying out four standard functions: program, unit service, membership and finance.

• The program functions concentrate on helping Scouting units through training adult volunteers, youth advancement support, camping promotion, community service promotion, multi-unit activities (such as camp o rees, cub twilight camp, scout fairs, pinewood derbies, shooting sports events), and recognition of youth and adults, all of which activities are “unit support” to help units do more.
• The unit service function of “commissioners” provides coaching and consultation by volunteers for unit adults to help ensure the success of every Scouting unit -- so commissioners stay abreast of and/or are involved in nearly all district unit support functions, and have a communication function to ensure units know of good program support opportunities -- all designed to support Membership growth and retention.
• The membership function strives for growth through new members and leaders joining existing units and (where needed) growth through the organization of new Scouting units – this must work closely with unit service and program areas (like training, activities and commissioner service) to help units be successful.
• The finance function supports units in fundraising and can help with financial practices, and sees that the district provides its share of funds to the total council operating budget.

Paid professionals, including District Executives and District Directors, support these functions.

In our "Ways to Volunteer in the District to Help Units" page are some ways that volunteers can help "beyond" just one Unit through these functions.  Want to Help?  Contact the District Chair or District Executive or take this Point and Click Survey, as nearly every role could use more help, assistants, potential successors.  Also, teams can form based on interests, plus new services, events and programs may arise if someone has the passion for it ... contact information for current district leaders and committee and commissioners are found in the "Adult Leader" section of the Roster.  email the webmaster if you need Login information.

Want more Scouts in Your Scouts BSA Troop?  See this Scouts BSA Recruiting Ideas video for a review of best practices used by growing Troops.

See atlantabsa.org/cub-leader-training for Cub Leader Training dates in the Atlanta Area Council.  Your local Cub Leader Trainer has a number of dates that may be added to that, in one location or another ... maybe your Pack's location.  Those 2024 weekend dates might be:

• May 5, 11, 12, 18, 19
• June 1, 8 (@VSC), 9, 15,16
• July 6, 7 (@Bert Adams), 20, 21, 27, 28
• August 3 (@VSC), 17, 24 (@VSC), 25, 31 (@VSC)
• September 1, 7 (@AT Adventure Quest, Cherokee YMCA camp on Lake Allatoona), 8,
• October 5, 6 (@VSC), 12 (maybe Spooky Ree), 13 (@VSC), 19 (maybe Spooky Ree), 26 (maybe Spooky Ree)

Weeknights will also be available if there is interest. More at southfultonscouting.com/node/4640.

Highlights of the most recent District News were these (click links for information): Atlanta Area Council Scouts BSA Troop Program Resources ... Opt In, Opt Out ... and from the week before: What's On This Website? ... Now Streaming -- 2024 Cub Scout Recruiting Plan Reveal ... Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.