The Southern Sky District Roundtable Commissioner is Jan Baland.

What Is a Roundtable? Don’t let the name roundtable fool you.

It isn’t necessarily round, and you don’t need a table.

It’s a training know-how show.

It’s the single most important function of the district.

It’s the Cub Scout program in action.

It’s your most effective medium for getting the program to the unit.

It’s an information source for leaders.

It’s a meeting where leaders can discuss and share what works in their dens and packs — success stories!

It’s Cub Scout leaders having fun while learning.

Roundtables are a form of commissioner service and supplemental training for volunteers at the pack level to give them an example for pack and den meetings, information on policy, events and training opportunities, ideas for crafts, games and ceremonies, and an opportunity to share experiences and enjoy fun and fellowship so they will be able to provide a stronger program for Cub Scouts.

The functions of a roundtable are to

* Provide unit leaders with the will to do; the morale, enthusiasm, inspiration, and vision that periodically renew the desire to carry on.

* Provide unit leaders with the skill to do; skills, techniques, information, program ideas, and the know-how that makes a unit operation successful.

Roundtables are designed for all pack leaders — Cubmasters, den leaders, Webelos den leaders, and their assistants, as well as den leader coaches, pack committee members, and prospective leaders.

Unit commissioners attend roundtables in which their leaders are involved. This may mean dividing their time between roundtables for Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders.

The secret of good planning for Cub Scout activities is the wise use of monthly themes. A theme is simply a big idea or emphasis around which den and pack leaders work out things for the Cub Scout dens to do from one pack meeting to the next.

The theme simplifies the planning of den and pack meetings. It gives the den a focus for their work and play during the month and brings them all together at the pack meeting with activities related to a single theme.

The monthly theme helps open the door to fun and adventure by providing a different kind of experience for each month of the year. It gives each Cub Scout a chance to express his own interests and use his own abilities. Themes help steer boys toward new interests and hobbies they might not otherwise discover for themselves.

The theme is a framework on which den activities are built. Once the theme is selected, the den leadership team breaks it down into one or more activities or projects for each week’s den meeting. These activities can vary from den to den. There should be plenty of room for the den leadership team to maneuver within the theme plan.

The theme provides opportunities for friendly competition among dens. Boys and their families are eager to see what other dens have done with the theme. Den loyalty and spirit are strengthened as a result.

The Webelos den does not use the pack’s monthly them. Instead, Webelos Scouts work on different activity badge areas each month.

Each year, Cub Scout Program Helps suggests 12 monthly themes suitable for Cub Scouts and provides program ideas on these themes. Boy’s Lifemagazine features program ideas each month on the recommended theme. The monthly roundtable meetings provide program ideas on this same theme. Packs are not obligated to use the recommended themes, although there are many benefits to be gained by using them. These themes are selected and planned to appeal to the boys and to offer opportunities to achieve the purpose of Cub Scouting. They are the subjects, which will have the most program support material.

1. It must have strong appeal for Cub Scout-age boys.

2. It should be a wide subject that provides variety so each boy can do the things he likes to do with few

limitations.

3. It should instill the deeper, more lasting values of Cub Scouting.