AnnLaurelB

The parents are supposed to assemble the arrow as a way to participate in the Award, because presumably they helped their son achieve it. As the ceremony goes, yes ~ the CM (or whomever) does explain what each colored stripe means. Each boy's arrow will be different, since not every boy WAS a Tiger, or he might or might not have earned silver AP's while a Wolf. They're a visual "record", I guess you could say, of the Scout's Cub career.

BasementD; It may depend on the kid, and when they start in Cubs. My son started as a Tiger, so he's got a remption of Beltloops over 3 years! If our Den plans go right, he's going to earn 3 more BLs before the season is out. I'll have Web1's next season; we'll work on our Web Badge, and they'll rack up some more Beltloops, undoubtedly. And that's fine, since it's *bling*, and they like them. They'll wear them all season. Now, when my son/pals go into Web2, I'm not sure we'll bother a lot with BLs. My main objective will be to lead them through their AOL, hopefully to Bridge by B&G. I agree that BLs at that point would be dumb. HOWEVER, last year I had 2 boys who joined Cubs AS *5th* graders. They didn't have a lot of parent involvement, and while the DL did her best with them, it was all they could do to finish their Web Badge by the end of the school year. In THEIR case, we awarded every BL we could, so that they'd stay motivated and be recognized at Pack meetings along with the younger Cubbies. It worked for them.

It *DOES* work! :0) For a few months, when we were in transition from my son's Tiger to Wolf year, we ALL met weekly for Den meetings in the church hall for an opening, then broke into Dens. Webs in that corner, Tigers over there, etc... It worked fine.

Awesome! Thanks for that! And I really like the idea of a "career arrow" for a Cub who doesn't happen to do AOL. Good stuff!

Another zombie! But I'm about to present an AOL on the 30th, but I can't find kits with less than 4 in them. This boy only joined as a 5th grader, so he doesn't have the Tiger, etc ... stripes going on there. Could I just construct a "kit" myself? ALSO! The deposed CC got AOL plaques made of wood, that look like the sunburst. I can't find where she got those (and we're not exactly on speaking terms!) Any ideas?

I think it's a matter of semantics about "re-earned". Sure, sure. They need to actually ~DO~ the Beltloop *requirements* again (because again, what my son did for any BL as a Tiger will be very much different when he's a 4th grader). But I wouldn't bother to BUY him a SECOND BL that he already had. Just DO the stuff for the BL as instructed, and then *keep going* with the additional stuff that the Pin requires. No one needs TWO BL's for any activity, if you ask me. RE-EARN, ~yes~. Re-receive? No. IMHO.

By the by...I really like all the examples of what a neckerchief is good for! I'm seriously thinking of how to work than into a Den or Pack presentation kind of thing.

My son started in Tigers, but when he moved to Wolf, we did a lot of stuff jointly with the Bears, and now this year as Bears, we team up with our Wolves, still. I know the books are different, but Wolves and Bears are a lot closer than any other 2 ranks. (You'll notice on the Charter roster that they lump 2nd and 3rd grade together just as "Cub Scouts".) Have him attend the Bear Den, if necessary, but ~someone~ needs to work with him in HIS book. And Keep Recruiting whenever possible. Go online to Vistaprint and get you some freebie business cards printed up, and give them out to every little boy you see (well, you know...not in a stalkerish way). Take flyers to the school EVERY month, printed with your upcoming activities, and ask that they put them in the boys' backpacks. You can target 2nd graders if there's a limited copy budget, or make enough for ALL the boys. (Can you tell I'm thinking of our own Pack's recruiting?) :0) Meanwhile, put the Wolf in the Bear Den, but he's still a Wolf.

The SM said something about this to me when the Camp Cards rolled out. "Oh! Your son can go to Web camp." Uh...maybe he *can*, but he's not going to. And maybe some boys would be ready to, but my kid is young for his grade, and half his pals are still in Wolves (well, new Bears, now). He's going to Day Camp this year; then next summer, between 4th and 5th, he can go to Web Camp.

Personally? I would have my boys put on their Rank Badge (of course!) but not wear the next Rank's necker until the end of the school year. But that's just me. With regard to the Beltloops for Webs, I understand the confusion. My kid already HAS a herd of BL's. However, several of those he earned as a Tiger. If he has to go through the BL requirements ON THE WAY TO earning the Pin for Webs, I'm okay with that. As someone pointed out upthread, what I might have required for Tigers to earn the "Communication" BL will be vastly different from what I might require of a 4th grade Web for the same BL. It surely won't hurt to go over that stuff again. It'll be a new Den, new Scout year, new Handbook, new Uniform. So I'd say bling him up now with whatever he's earned, then just spend the small amount of time it will take to bang through the BL requirements on the way to the Pins, as he works on his Web Badge.

Our boys wear their Class As to Pack meetings, and they all have neckerchiefs. Most of the time we wear Pack t-shirts, and I've always said the neckerchiefs were optional, but the guys all have them!

DARNED TABLET!! Anyway, I also asked if anyone had any fun ideas to add to the calendar, and they did. I think the Committee was glad enough to have the "work" done for them; they just made changes that seeemed appropriate, and gave approval. That was before our Pack's "unfortunate period", but for the most part, the calendar of events stood. So I'm in the process now of tweaking the 2012-13 calendar the same way. Added skating. Dropped District PWD (but it'll be offered). Extra camp-out. More swimming parties. Kept fishing and bowling. Etc... I'll present it at the Committee meeting this month, and tell them they can do whatever they want with it. In Aug I'll probably start on the 2013-14 one. :0)

Because we're a small Pack, as CM, around this time last year, I penciled in the next 12 months with a similar seasonal set as we'd done the year before. They loved the fishing at the local PFA, so I made sure to include it. They didn't care much for District PWD, so I put a "?" next to that. I added in what I thought they'd like (LOVED bowling, and asked me that night if we could go skating. Yes!). I made a suggestion for the date for our Dec Pack meeting, to not get too close to the hectic days of Christmas, and put "tentative" Committee meeting dates (generally 10 days before Pack meetings). Note I say "suggested". I took this to the April or May Committee meeting, and asked 1) if my suggestions for activities met w their approval, 2) if they saw any conflicts ("isn't that Homecoming? We can't do it that day."), and 3) if they s(This message has been edited by annlaurelb)

Ditto. There's a public fishing area closeby us, and they do Kids Fish Day at least twice a year. I made pals with the Ranger after the 2nd time we went, and now he emails me when the next event gets added to their calendar. It's nice because they have poles out their for kids who don't have them, and a Ranger has untangled my son's line or dug a hook out of a catfish's mouth for me many (many) times.

I was asked this the other day; a Bear parent asked me where I saw myself in 2 years, and the gist of it was that she hoped I would move up to the Troop with our sons. But SP329 said what I was thinking - that I couldn't leave right in the middle of the Cub Scout year when my son bridges. I'd stay on as CM for at least the rest of that season. If someone was chomping at the bit to take over, then those few months could be used to train them. On the other hand, if no one wanted it, and I was still having fun, I could see staying on, for the sake of that continuity. The SM of our Troop doesn't have any sons still in; his second Eagle son aged out 2 years ago. But he still feels the Troop needs him...although he has hinted that at some point he'll need to retire. I'm flattered that the Bear parent hopes I become a Troop Scouter, and I'd certainly be willing to help in any way I could, but I don't see myself as SM just because my kid moves up. After all, I *am* a GIRL, and what teenage boy wants somebody's mother on their campouts? No, I'd be willing to be on the Troop Committee, or be a badge counselor or do their publications/communications, but for pure fun (and the booger jokes), I may hang around with the little guys for a while.