gcan

Honestly, this close to the awards banquet i wouldn't give him anything you can't verify, like, tommorrow, that he's done. You don't have time to play the guessing game with him, so call the parents and tell them you will be by at x time tommorrow to see thier documentation (ie anything that had to be written down, or a project completed). I sure wouldn't give him the one that requires a den discussion- you KNOW he didn't do that, and there's no way he will be able to do it. Yes, it's a shame he won't get many awards, but IMO if mom cared that much about it, then maybe he should have been at some of the activities. Besides, if you give him all that stuff to keep mom happy (and the kid won't be nearly as upset as the parents, trust me), then what do you tell the other boys that worked thier little rears off for the stuff they got? You will lose more ground with them than you'll gain with scout #1.

I'm the assistant den leader for my son's Webelos 2 den. I've been lurking and you all seem to have some great info on here, I hope I can give back some helpful info as well!

Kids that age (any age, really), need very specific instructions if you want to distract them from something 'exciting'. In that situation, i would have said something like "everyone stand at the top of the path". Bob White is right that kids respond better when they feel important, even a little nonsense job makes them feel better. But it sounds to me like you are asking what to do long-term. reward the kids who DO listen with extra responsibility/ priveleges. "buddy" them up and make each responsible for thier buddies' actions (but think very carefully before you make any pairs, lol). Definatly have a sit-down and discuss who is in charge, who they need to listen to, ect!

Kids that age (any age, really), need very specific instructions if you want to distract them from something 'exciting'. In that situation, i would have said something like "everyone stand at the top of the path". Bob White is right that kids respond better when they feel important, even a little nonsense job makes them feel better. But it sounds to me like you are asking what to do long-term. reward the kids who DO listen with extra responsibility/ priveleges. "buddy" them up and make each responsible for thier buddies' actions (but think very carefully before you make any pairs, lol). Definatly have a sit-down and discuss who is in charge, who they need to listen to, ect!