Crossing without AOL

[Eagle732]

It's Blue and Gold time and the Webs are crossing over to Boy Scouts. This year we have a new challenge, two of our new candidates have not earned the AOL and are not 11 years old. I'm thinking that if I were to tell them to come back after their 11th birthday we will loose them. I'd rather work it out so they can earn the AOL and then join the troop. One boy started coming to meetings a few weeks ago and I had one of my committee members who is also the boys ACM work with him during the meetings. He has completed all the requirements for AOL and will be able to join the troop this week at his B&G.

 

The other Web from a different pack is crossing this Thursday and I just found out tonight that he wants to join our troop, He will not turn 11 until July but is apparently only a few requirements away from AOL. I wish I would have known a few weeks ago them we could have been working with him too. So I guess we go to the B&G and go through the ceremony but don't run the paperwork through until after he completes the AOL requirements. Sure would have made things a lot easier if the boys were prepared for joining a troop. If anyone has a better solution I'd like to hear it. I did 4 years as a CM and I always felt it was my job to work with the WDLs to make sure all the Webs were ready to cross.

[ChaiAdventure]

you have a boy who joined a few weeks ago and has already completed his requirements for AOL....seriously???

[Snow_White]

As to the second boy, your proposed solution is likely the most effective way to handle it and keep the boy in the program.

 

I'd suggest pointing out to the family that crossover doesn't need to happen at the B&G, have him finish up the AOL requirements, and after that has happened, have a nice ceremony welcoming him to the troop. But if the rest of his den is finished AOL and is crossing over at the B&G, then (a) there is probably no Web den leader left to help him finish the AOL requirements and (b) you run the risk of alienating the boy and his family because he was left out of the big ceremony. Just make sure that the pack sends in the advancement report showing him earning AOL before you process the paperwork for him to officially join the troop.

 

(rant on) For the life of me, I don't understand how things get to this point - I guess lack of communication between den leaders and parents, or disengaged parents who think these things just happen because the kid shows up? All the parent has to do is read the handbook to know what the requirements are! Sheesh! (rant off)

 

Good luck - let us know how it works out.

[ScoutNut]

If it is your job as Scoutmaster to make sure that Webelos Cub Scouts complete their requirements for AOL, what the heck is the Webelos den leaders job?

 

If these two boys wanted to earn their AOL so badly, and were so close to earning AOL that all requirements could be completed in a few weeks time, and before their Pack's Blue And Gold Crossover, why were they not working toward that goal in their dens? Why did they leave their dens to "join" your Troop, finish their AOL there, and then return to "crossover" with the den they quit?

 

Why were their den leaders not working with them?

 

Why were their parents not working with them?

 

Why are these Packs "crossing" Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts when they have not met the Boy Scout joining requirements?

[AKdenldr]

Well....

 

I look at it differently than others responding. Perhaps the WDL was exhausted. Perhaps the parents were disinterested. Perhaps the Pack was a mess. Perhaps it was all three.

 

Or.... perhaps the Pack did everything they could to keep this boy in the program and deliver him to you (imperfect as his advancement is). Perhaps Boy Scouting is exactly what he needs.

 

Modify the ceremony a bit for that boy. Tell him he will be a guest until he is 11 or earns the AOL.

 

Many many posts on these boards about how to recruit Webelos....

[Pack212Scouter]

We had a situation similar to this a couple of years ago. All of the Webelos were crossing over except for one that was fairly new and didn't have AOL. What we did so that he could stay with his friends and get used to the group before summer camp was send him as a visitor. How it worked was this...I talked with the Scoutmaster, and he was ok with the boy joining the Troop for meetings and outings as a visitor, as long as his dad attended with him. He remained registered to the Pack until he completed his AOL requirements.

[Eagle92]

A few thoughts.

 

1) Crossover does not have to occur at BnG.

 

2) Webelos dens are encourage to visit units. He can still be a Webelos and finish up his AOL while visiting the troop.

 

 

[Hawkrod]

I am with the other guys, "you had youth just start participating?". Do you mean in your Troop or as a Webelos? The AOL requirement "Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge." is a bit specific. If the boys have been active Webelos and have just started working with your Troop then cross them as "candidates" until they complete the requirements. If they have just become active cubs then send them back to the Pack. JMO

[Eagle732]

All good points but I guess I need to clarify.

 

Chai: First Web is a special needs (hearing and sight) Scout and it seems as though there was little support from the WDL. Many requirements were done, but never signed off on. Not one thing signed off in his book. I had never seen a handbook for sight impaired Scouts, it's 8 1/2" by 11" spiral bound. As a side note of 8 Webs in his den he is the only one coming to us even though we usually get most of the boys from this pack, they stayed as a group and went to another troop. His parents say they felt ostracized for deciding early on they were coming to us. The pack's ACM (and my MC) reviewed and signed off on these. Some of the other requirements he needed to complete such as the oath, law etc., he did that for me flawlessly.

 

Scoutnut: It is the job of the WDL and ultimately the CM to make sure the boys are prepared for and in fact cross into Boy Scouts. I'm just picking up the slack. AOL should be completed b the time the boys cross but in these two cases from different packs these boys were left behind for whatever reason. The second boy I feel lost interest and didn't finish but now realizes that if he doesn't have AOL he has to wait 6 months before he can be a Boy Scout. Since he's close to finishing he and his parents now see the advantage of finishing.

 

AKdenldr: Your probably right on all points and you can add pack politics too.

 

Eagle92: All the other Webs are crossing this weekend. We'll treat them as visitors until they have met their AOL requirements which should be by or second meeting in March which would be their first troop meeting anyway.

 

Hawkrod: These are Webs wanting to join our troop but because they have not completed AOL and are not age 11 they don't meet the joining requirements. They have both been in Cubs since Tigers (I believe) and both have earned the Webelos badge.

 

[Eagle92]

'732,

 

Sounds like ya got a game plan to me let those two keep pluging away at AOL. Again nothing says you can only do Crossover at BnG. Heck I know 1 pack that scheduled an AOL and Crossover as needed. So you might get 1 Cub one month, and 2 months later 3 cubs, etc.

 

If the pack is not willing to do another ceremony, and if politics is involved I'm sorry to say that is a possibility, do a Troop Investiture Ceremony for the two young men instead. If you need ideas, PM me.

[acco40]

Here is what I did a few years ago for a boy who, along with his den mates, wanted to join our troop.

 

I had the boy ceremoniously join the troop with his den mates. He was not 11, had not earned AOL and had not completed the 5th grade. So, I told his parents that he could attend meetings, outings, work on requirements, etc. but that he would not officially "join" the troop until he finished the 5th grade. No real need to work on AOL requirements if the Scout did not wish to.

 

The fact that he was still a Cub Scout on paper was transparent to his fellow Scouts in the troop, most of the other adults, etc. It turned out fine in the end.

[AnaMaria]

They can also join if they are 10 and have finished fifth grade. So the boy with the July birthday should be able to officially join in early June.

[Eagle732]

Yep, school ends mid June around here, maybe even later this year with the snow days adding up!

[Eagle92]

here's the deal though, becasue school systems vary as to when school ends, In my hometown we were finished before Memorial Day, June 1 is the de facto date that scouts complete the grade in SCOUTNET.

[SeattlePioneer]

Acco,

 

 

>

 

 

 

I think this is the right answer.

 

And I think that when Packs are recruiting new Cub Scouts in the spring at schools, the same effort should be made to talk to 5th and 6th grade boys and invite them to join Boy Scouts.

 

In my experience, that DOES pay off!

 

5th Grade boys recruited in the spring may need to wait a few weeks to formally join at the end of the school year, but by all means recruit them and get themstarted in the program!