Pushing Boys Through by Short Cutting Requirments

[Tampa Turtle]

I think there is great wisdom in Eamonns comments. Last year I tried to crack down on "poor quality AOL control' from a feeder pack and all I did was cause a lot of bad feelings. We had to grin and accept it but made them work to earn their Scout Rank. (which they should know 90% if they did AOL properly).

 

It is not the boys fault for the poor job adults do.

 

This year a wiser ASM who was our pack-troop liason started working with them a month early to shore up their AOL requirements/scout rank preps. Boy I never seem so many perfect uniforms, ready answers, and all of them came over.

[Fehler]

AOL is still Cub Scouts. "Do Your Best" applies. Did they do their best to complete the requirements, regardless of the mistakes made by their former leader as to what those requirements were? If so, then award it to them.

[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.

 

[blw2]

Tiger dad here. This touches on something I am seeing already, and heard another dad refer to it by saying that we need a "higher standard of excelence".

I've had friendly /informal conversations with the leader and even the CM around this. The problem seems to be, at my son's level anyway, that it's up to the parents to sign off. If they sign off, then that is that. We all know the cub scout motto, at least those of us parents that have cracked the book...... which I'm starting to think as I start my new status of assistant den leader, is very few of them....

Not sure how the parent sign offs work at the OA level, but I'm wondering if it's not a systemic problem

[AKdenldr]

blw2,

 

Regarding Tigers, In my limited experience parents are also learning in the program -- as time goes by they expect more of their son as an Akela before they sign off. The cub scout standard is "do your best". By Bear year the pencil whipping problem is gone. In Webs the leader signs off. Then in Scouts the boy leaders (hopefully).

 

As a leader I would informally ask each boy some questions about a few achievements done at home. This gave him an opportunity to share and reinforced expectations. (Other boys got motivated.)

 

One way to model behavior for other adults is to discuss how terrific the "watch the weather" family activity was with your tiger, or the Character Connection on honesty, or how well the chore chart worked out for your wolf scout.

 

Remember that Cubs is a family based program that also has goals around building good families. Some adults just haven't gotten it yet, but many eventually will get it by being involved in the program.

 

-- AK

[bacchus]

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."

 

Best solution.