GrubKnot

I'll offer my experience/observation at the Cub level, since my boys didn't continue past AOL. I was DL or ADL for both boys during their Cub years. Sometimes I felt bad during some activities due to not always being able to assist my boys while assisting other scouts/parents. I don't think that's the reason neither decided to continue scouting but maybe/might/coulda been a better experience. On the plus side, both boys where always up to date on requirements & never late for meetings or campouts.

Have to agree with Eagledad. Wolf, Bear & Webelos is enough. Make AOL rank for motivated, high achieving scouts.

Always recommended the Victorinox "Tinker" model to my Bear dens. It has the the can opener & screwdriver for the Bear Claws requirement plus a large & small blade.

Lookup Creek Stewart. Survivalist/ Outdoors man with a media presence & he's an eagle.

when my youngest sons Webelo den were trying to come up with a patrol name, i suggested "the clowder patrol". i even offered to buy the patch shown above. they didn't go for it.

I've seen this on a few memes, think it applies here. "History isn't there for you to like or dislike. It's there for you to learn from it. If it offends you, that's even better, because then you're less likely to repeat it. It's not yours to erase or destroy."

some observations & wisdom from a DL & ADL for two boys from tiger to AOL. (disclaimer: we were in a large pack, 85-110 scouts in an upper middle class zip code in Wake Co. NC.) We operated as a "waist up" uniform pack. More happy if they showed up than if they were in full uniform. -Don't buy the long scout pants, not comfy & boys wear shorts most of the time anyway. -Pack provided rank necker at crossover. Tigers would buy theirs pack supplied after that. -We usually had scouts make a slide/woggle at some point or taught them to tie them. Slides always get lost. -Most kids (in my experience) don't wear hats. Pack had a pack hat (blue w/ yellow embroidered pack #) sold at cost, scout & adult sizes -Buy blue shirt larger than needed (obviously) scout will grow into it. -Don't buy the tan shirt as a webelo if your blue shirt still fits. Wear till it's too small. It will for sure be to small by AOL rank. -Usually by the time scouts are Web/AOL they will "get" the idea of the uniform. Especially if they have any interaction with troops. - Younger scouts cane barely keep up with a scout book rarely bring it to meetings. Hopefully the uniform police wont flame me. These are just my observations/ experiences.

As ADL & DL for both of my boys from tiger to AOL, ( the youngest earned AOL in 2019) and in hindsight, I wouldn't join CS till the wolf year at the earliest. The journey from Lion to AOL is loooong and burnout is a thing for both scouts & leaders. Somewhere on another thread is a discussion about changes that could benefit Cubs. Just guessing from your post, your family is probably active in outdoor pursuits (camping, hiking, etc.) I would say wait till webelos, your youngest scout will be excited for the new adventures.

I can confirm that some Troops in my area also won't/don't let cub parents & leaders be Troop leaders for the first year after their scouts bridge. And from personal experience, after being a ADL & DL for both of my boys in cubs I needed a break.

Somewhere above I commented that a scout leader staying on after their scout has moved on could be good or bad. If your Pack/Troop has a dedicated leader who is passionate about scouting, that's fantastic. Keep them around, learn from them & absorb some of that passion. But have a succession plan. I have experience with organizations with "entrenched" leadership where the "my way or the highway" or "that's the way we've always done it" mentality is rampant.

I'm curious about the number of incidents of abuse at the Pack level versus the Troop level. I would guess more at the Troop level due to greater parental involvement in Packs. Since my scouter experience is at the Pack level I can only offer up some things that seemed to have worked there. Both of my boys went from Tiger to AOL in a fairly large Pack. (85-100 scouts). When we joined, all of the leaders were men (nothing against women, just how it was), almost all (75%) were members of the CO (Catholic church, we were not) and probably half were Eagles. Also ,in addition to BSA's volunteer application & background check, the CO required a background check w/ three character references and attendance of their own youth protection class. (mandatory for before you could be a leader). And there weren't any leaders that didn't have at least one scout in the Pack. I know that set-up wasn't planned, it just happened, but maybe there are some take-aways from it. There is only so much that the BSA can do as far as vetting leaders (background checks & YPT). I think in the vetting of leaders/volunteers will/should fall mainly on the CO. Some things the CO should maybe consider when evaluating a new leader: Are you a member of the CO? Do you have scouting experience? Character references? Scout In the Pack/Troop? CO YPT? I know Troops sometimes have leaders who stay on after their scout/s have aged out, and you occasionally here about a SM who has been around for decades. I can see the good & bad about that. for your consideration, YIS Tim

Not a SM, but as a DL for my youngest son sometimes i felt like he was getting short-changed. During some meetings where parents assisted their scouts in some activity I couldn't always assist him due to checking on everyone else. The few meetings that he didn't attend, I think where easier for me.( Is that bad?) In hindsight it may have been better for him to be in a different den. He liked that i was his den leader, but I think his scout experience could've been better.

Sorry to veer off topic. Just making a suggestion for possibly improving the Cub Scout program & possibly keep scouts engaged. I keep reading the previous post "tipped the balance of managing the program". Enlighten me.

I can tell you, having been either DL or ADL for both of my boys from tiger to AOL, (They are two years apart in age) that the cub program is way to long & repetitive. IMO. I'm just an amateur scouter but if I could change it i would say: Drop lion & tiger ranks Keep the Bobcat requirement Have Wolf, Bear & Webelo ranks Make AOL a specialaward for over/super achiever Introduce ALOT more patrol method in the Webelo rank

The pack my boys & I where part of encouraged wearing the uniform but didn't ding anyone for not having all of the official parts. We were happier that you showed up than if you had all the pieces. Remember they are cub scouts. As for the blue VS tan for Webelos, I told my scouts (parents) not to buy the tan shirt until they outgrew the blue. From what I experienced, most scouts out grew the blue shirt by the middle of the webelo year anyway. As far as I remember all of the scouts in each of my boys dens had a full official tan/green uniform by the time they were AOL. Cubs seem to "get it" about uniforms when they reach the webelo level & start interacting with troops.