kidsntow

Thank you all so much for your insights. It has helped me a lot. I think I will go ahead from here and just do my best with the few things we have left to do. I'll make extra sure they they have the handshake, oath, etc down. I want them to stand proud and feel confident. Indeed, the boys the boys have done all that has been asked of them. I've talked to their next scout master and he seems very gung-ho and organized, so I think they will be in good hands as they move on.

Thanks for your replies. What the previous leader did was march the boys through a trail in our neighborhood, and counted that as both the "Day Hike" as required for AoL and also as the 3 mile hike option for Outdoorsman #9. It specifically says in the AoL that if the hike was used for Outdoorsman that you can't use it for AoL. I don't know if the previous leader didn't know this, or just didn't care. I am taking the boys out on a shorter hike (for leave no trace) this next week and will count that for AoL, and then maybe try to do an additional requirement for Outdoorsman. It's not exactly a "day hike" but I think it's the best we can do for now. I'll take the time to quiz the boys on the handshake, oath, etc. during our hike. Thanks for the suggestion to go over those things. As far as to what their birthdays have to do with it, I am in a LDS unit and they advance boys with their age not their grade.

I was just recently put over a Webelos den of three boys who all have birthdays coming up and have been told that they will be getting their Arrow of Light awards next month. I received the schedule and instructions from the former leader and have found that a lot of corners have been cut. Short cuts like doing a short hike around the neighborhood and counting it as a 3 mile hike. That sort of thing. So now I'm not sure what to do. The boys and the parents and the committee chair are all expecting the boys to advance. I don't have enough time to go and redo things before their birthdays. I feel bad, especially because I don't think these boys have been given the experience they deserve. But I'm also relatively new (I was a wolf leader previously) and maybe my expectations are too high. So do I just keep following the schedule I've been given and push them through? What do you think?