Webelo Recruiting

[Chippewa29 13]

Those of you who are Cub or Webelos leaders: What do you look for when trying to find a Scout troop for your Webelos to cross over? Is is the adult leaders, program, current Scouts, big splashy presentation, etc.? Also, what are some of the big red flags that would turn you off from joining a troop (adults smoking, Scouts not in uniform, etc?)

[slontwovvy 10]

This is from a troop standpoint, but here goes. Generally, we prefer that prospective Scouts check out a couple of troops in the area, if there is more than one. We've found that each troop has its own "flavor." If Webelos feel comfortable there, they will stay; if they don't there's always another troop to check out. They may not be with their friends, but we find that more continue with Scouting, which is the ultimate goal.

[scoutmom 10]

As a Leader and the parent of a first year Webelos Scout, I am looking for a troop that is first of all, Boy run. I want my son to learn the leadership and responsibility that a Boy run Troop will teach. The next thing I will look at is the leadership of the Troop. The personalities of the leaders will mean a lot to my son who, having ADHD, requires a lot of patience and understanding. To sound like a Mom for a moment, he's really a good kid deep down inside (sometimes deeper than others) and he needs someone to be patient and recognize that in spite of his shortcomings, he really has a lot to offer. It is also important to me as a single parent that the Troop Leadership welcome me as an active participant in the next level of my son's Scouting experience. No, I don't want to be on every camp out and every activity, but I do want to be involved. I hope for troop leadership that doesn't resent female leaders.

 

My son will be looking for a Troop that does "cool" stuff. He can't wait for high adventure trips.

 

Our Pack has traditionally sent all of their Webelos to one Troop without really presenting any other options. I am hoping to at least offer this group of boys a choice when they are ready to move to Boy Scouts. WIth three Scout Troops in town, I don't think that will be a problem.

[evmori 11]

Here is another view from the Boy Scout side.

 

2nd year Webelos should visit at least 3 different Troops. This way, they will find out how different Troops operate. The Troop should be boy led with good adult support. The Scoutmaster should spend time with the Webelos parents explaining how the Troop operates & the SPL should be the point Scout for the Webelos. Watch for chaos. Controled chaos is the norm. Look at the Scouts. Are they having fun? Do they have respect for the Scout leaders? adult leaders? Id there 2 deep adult leadership? What does the Troop have planned on their calendar?

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

Troop 1

[slontwovvy 10]

Also, you might want to check for the amount of personal attention each boy receives. In some troops, a small portion of the boys get all the attention while many slip through the cracks. You should also check their outing calendar--is it planned out for at least six months in advance? Is it varied? Though troops with little variation in outings can be fun, they usually have a higher drop-out rate due to boredom.

[eisely 13]

I don't know what Webelos cub scouts and parents really look for, but I know what I would look for.

 

Number one on the list is the reputation of the unit and its leaders. Is it known as a successful unit with a good program and low turnover? Are the adults respected in the community?

 

While attending a troop meeting, I would visually survey the age of the scouts present. In particular I would observe, and even ask about, the ages of the senior scout leadership. A young SPL who seems to behave immaturely or cannot control the meeting is not a good sign.

 

In the troops of which I have been a part, we have made it a practice to pull the parents aside and discuss our policies and programs with them. If a troop doesn't have anybody available to talk to, or that person is uninformed, that is not a good sign. In this session I would ask about the planning process, the outdoor program, the advancement program, and the training status of the adult leaders. One sleeper question is to ask about the committee. How often does it meet, who attends, and what does it deal with? I have visited troops that seemed to have a good program, but did not have a functioning committee. Such units are less likely to be boy run and more likely to be autocratically run by a few senior adults.

 

As an adult leader trying to sell our troop to prospective parents, I ask what other units they have visited. I also encourage them to visit other units before making up their minds. As one of the other posters has noted, it is more important that boys continue with scouting, than that they come into one's own unit. If parents and Webelos boys make more informed choices, those are likely to be better choices.

 

While visiting the troop I would also look at the uniforms of the boys. The more complete the uniforms, the better the unit. A slovenly approach to uniforms suggests that other aspects of the overall program probably aren't all they may be represented to be.

 

There is nothing wrong with splashy presentations per se. The use of a splashy presentation suggests a serious approach to recruiting. It also gets the potential new scouts excited. But it is important to get past the presentation along the lines I have mentioned above.

 

The major red flag for me would be harsh disciplinary practices.

 

Also, keep in mind that no unit is going to have everything you are looking for, or think you should be looking for. Some units may have great outdoor programs to die for, but graduate few eagles. Or vice versa. As a parent, guiding your son's choices, you need to define for yourself your own priorities and evaluate the unit against those priorities.

[sctmom 11]

Like Scoutmom, I am a single mother of an ADHD son about to graduate from Webelos. We have visited 2 troops and talked to the scoutmaster of 1 more.

 

The boys want to have fun. My son is impressed if he is treated as one of the guys not a "kid".

 

I look for a boy run troop, with active adults. I want to be welcomed as a parent to attend all functions but not have to. If there are a lot of active parents, the same ones don't have to attend everything.

 

I liked the troop that showed us their yearly schedule of campouts and merit badges to be worked on in the troop meetings. It had been planned out by the boys and okayed by the adults. The adults were friendly to the boys and the parents, the scouts were also. The boys seem to be enjoying themselves but at the same time accomplishing the goal of the troop meeting. I was welcomed even on my surprise troop visit. The boys acted excited to see new scouts wanting to join their troop.

 

Campouts every month, with a variety of locations and activities. If you don't like this month's activity, maybe you will be more interested in what is planned for next months.

 

The troop should understand the boys may miss meetings because of sports, jobs or families. My son spends the summer out of town with relatives.

 

As far as uniforms, the parts that are worn should be neat and worn correctly (shirt tucked in...grrrr that is a big complaint with me).

 

The troop I didn't like had adults standing around the doorway smoking before the troop meeting. Adults cussing in "normal" conversation before the troop meeting. Adults making fun of others and bad mouthing others. Some parents told me, unsolicted, that this was a problem. Scoutmaster barely spoke when I introduced myself and mentioned bringing my Webelos den for a visit. He didn't seem to care, just walked away.

 

As far as achieving rank and earning badges, I want to know the troop is working on these things but I also want my son to know it is not just about the awards. Being not yet 11 when he crosses over, he will have a good 7 years to be in Scouting, I don't want him burnt out in 3 years.

 

When the group of Webelos from our pack visited the troop I liked, they were the center of attention. Afterwards I asked did they have fun. The answer was YES. When asked what they did, the answer was STUFF. So, fun stuff is what the boys want...lol.

 

Oh, yeah, one other thing if you have website with picture of troop activities, that is great for the parents to look at after the visit. Pictures really are worth a thousand words.

 

[evmori 11]

sctmom,

Excellent post! In my Troop, all my Scouts know that Scouting is an extra curicular activity. Family, faith & school come 1st. And YES their shirts must be tucked in. I also tell them no hands in the pockets when they are participating in any ceremony.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[eisely 13]

Sctmom touches on another issue that can be extremely important. That is the conflicting demands on boys' time when those boys are involved in sports. If one has a son who is active in sports, the unit needs to be supportive of that. Ironically some of the strongest troops I have seen do not tolerate high absenteeism for sports or other activities. Such units demand a high degree of commitment to scouting to the virtual exclusion of other interests. While that policy makes for a very strong troop program, it has the effect of excluding some boys from scouting, at least in that troop. To repeat, if your boy is involved in sports, you need to ask directly what the troop attitude is towards this.

[Glenn 10]

As the Webelos Den Leader who led 5 boys to crossover last year, I made it a point that all 5 boys visit two troops, preferably three. I asked the parents to strongly consider their son's choice when picking the troop (one father told me his son was definitely going to the closest troop regardless of what the boy wanted).

 

After each visit, I asked the boys how they liked the meeting/troop. The one visit where the troop centered their meeting around the Webelos' visit, and the parents received a talk separately from the Scoutmaster stood out in the boys' minds. The boy scouts taught the Webelos some knots and played games that the younger boys could actively participate in.

 

The one visit where the boys were bored was where the Scoutmaster spent the entire time (1:30) talking to the parents AND boys about the troop policy.

 

Finally, when we visited the troop that I initially wanted my son to join, the boy scouts did give their attenttion to the Webelos but the parents were left standing around. Needless to say, I did not push this troop on my son because I felt the adult committment might not be there.

 

So to answer the original question, when Webelos are visiting your troop, make sure the activities involve the Webelos and are age appropriate. Include knots (a staple of boy scouting) and other like activity. Be sure to include the game time. And also have a separate talk with the parents.

[AdvanceOn 10]

". . .when Webelos are visiting your troop, make sure the activities involve the Webelos and are age appropriate. "

 

Except that the Webelos participating isn't the actual point of them attending. They are supposed to see what a boy scout troop is like.

 

Our troop will be having Webelos visit this Thursday. Our SPL is planning a regular meeting (they're preparing for a winter camporee) which will include some demonstrations, hands on practicals, and planning the patrol duty rosters. Yes, if there is an opportunity for the Webelos to try a few things fine; and the parents will have an opportunity to observe and to talk with the leaders. Otherwise, the boys and parents are there to observe.

 

My feeling is the requirement for participate in a boy scout outdoor activity is the event geared more toward participation. That's where the boys should get the hands on.

 

One of the complaints I have heard from a former Webelos den leaders (before I was involved with the troop so I don't know the entire story) was that the boys didn't get a feel of a real troop meeting because the troop didn't do a regular troop meeting during their visit. I want our troop meeting to be the real thing, otherwise the boys and parents won't leave with accurate information about the troop. IMHO it would be a lot easier to just drop the regular troop meeting plans and entertain the Webelos with "age-appropriate" activities but I really don't see that as the point of the requirement. Am I off base?

 

I like the idea of the boys visiting multiple troops if that's an option. In our area that's not really an option. And, as mentioned in one of the other posts -- most of the parents are looking for the closest troop rather than at quality and fit for the boys. We have Webelos parents talking about starting a new troop just because they don't want to drive 15-30 minutes to the meeting location (clearly they don't know what all is required in chartering a troop and just how many people it takes!)

 

Melodee

[andrews 10]

I agree. While focused attention might be great, it is likely to give a false impression of the troop and may not live up to the concept of "truth inadvertising." Instead focusing on keeping the meetings interesting as much of the time as possible would be a better goal. You may miss out on some who hit an "off" night, but the ones that do come should have a better idea of what is going on.

 

I have mixed feelings about a parents' briefing. I agree that it would be great, and could give a lot of good information to the parents, but it is also another thing to add to the plate of usually already swamped adult leaders. Of course some of us who often sit around and yack should kick ourselves to be more hospitable to new adults, but a formal program may not always fit in.

 

A formal presentation would make more sense if there was a specific night when Webelos came to visit, though I have found most such visits to be sporadic and rather unplanned.

 

Brad

[eisely 13]

Andrews,

 

A "parents briefing" or meeting does not have to be formal. In fact informality is probably more effective. All I have ever seen done is for some of the experienced adults present who were not directly involved in the troop meeting to make themselves available for discussion. Such discussion is kicked off by a self introduction, and a description of the troop's programs and calendar. This always generates questions and interest. The idea of putting together a boring formal presentation never occurred to me.

[slontwovvy 10]

For a parent meeting, it works incredibly well to have three boys come in, a new scout, a 13-14 year old one, and a senior one (adjust age where appropriate). Have them give a short talk about the troop from their perspective--favorite trips, differences between Boy Scouting and Cub Scouting, etc. The parents get a boy's opinion of what to expect and feel more comfortable about the older boys being around his or her son ("but he's in high school"). This does wonders.

[Glenn 10]

Maybe I didn't express my point very well. The troop held a regular meeting, but when it came to patrol time, they made sure they reviewed knots with the Webelos. Then when game time came, they made sure the game included the 11/12 year olds. In other words, a regular game of tag football wouldn't be appropriate, but the game where numbers are called out and you race to grab some item in the middle would be.