> Here's a question I faced last weekend at our Cuboree.
> We were camped at a government park, beside a fast-flowing river with
> a waterfall. Our first and clearly stated rule was that no-one goes
> down by river without an adult. Sure enough, Sunday morning,
> four cubs went for a walk on the river trail.
> The problem with the behaviour was:
>  - The were breaking an important rule, established for safety
>  - They had placed themselves in some risk of injury
>  - No adults knew where they were
>  - They had removed themselves when they were needed to help
>    strike camp (everybody else was working)
> I don't think they were defiantly setting out to get in trouble.
> What should we have done with them?

First, I would like to say that I consider sending cubs (or scouts) home
from a camp etc. a very bad move, unless they repeatedly behave
violently or otherwise disturb the *others*. That will only make them
feel that they are not wanted - cubs especially are too young to realise
that it's only their behaviour that's wrong. As a consequence they will
seek for your attention more on the next time, and we all know that
children's way to do this is sometimes not too construnctive...:)

You could try explaining the cubs first what they can do, and when, like
-you can go swimming at your free time, IF you ask an adult to watch
-you can take a walk, IF you go that direction and if you have nothing
else to do
-you can use your knife, as long as you follow these safety rules
And give the cubs enough free time to do all these things.

That was preventive. Then when the crime has happened, they of course
must do the things they left undone (the packing, in your case).
Additionally, I have used the method "if you don't want to participate,
that's your problem". This means that the cubs that didn't take part in
the work done together, may either take part in the play together. Don't
let them do anything else while others are playing, though! Just make
them sit and watch. And explain that if they cannot obay the safety
rules themselves they must be watched - they may not go anywhere where a
leader cannot see them. Ususally a few hours of this ban is enough to make
the cubs realise WHY it is important that they follow the rules - everybody
has more fun so! Similarly, a cub that doesn't follow swimming rules may
not go swimming for a while, and cub who doesn't follow knife rules must
give his/her knife to a leader.

This has worked. Explained in the right way, these all are consequences,
not punishments. And to the cubs it is real shame to be left out because
"you can't be trusted to follow the rules", and if you as a leader
behave correctly (show the cub that you care anyway) he/she will work
hard afterwords to be able to be trusted again...