Looking for old Webelo Badge

[Twocubdad]

You are correct that a boy joining as a Webelos could wear his Bobcat badge on his tan uniform, but would remove it if he wears the oval Webelos badge. That boy would also have the option of wearing both the Bobcat badge and below it the blue Webelos diamond, as long as they are available. Scout's choice.

 

I joined in '67, shortly after Lion was dropped and Webelos implemented. We received a Bobcat pin (which everyone quickly lost) and Wolf and Bear badges. No one thought about "completing the diamond," there were just two badges, side-by-side. Back then, the Webelos Award WAS the Arrow of Light. The two were separated some time later when Cub Scouts became more grade-base and Webelos became a year-and-a-half program.

[sctmom]

Sparkie,

The new Webelos badge is a large Oval to be worn alone, not with diamond shaped badges such as the Bobcat. So, the Bobcat has to be removed first.

 

In Boy Scouts they should be removing each badge when they earn a new one. Not a big deal.

 

[Twocubdad]

A difference is that in Boy Scouts, the ranks of Scouting are cumulative. Every First Class Scout has previously earned Scout, Tenderfoot and Second Class. That's not true of Cubs. The oval Webelos badge gives no indication of the prior awards the boy has earned.

 

Now I can't say that the average nine year old thinks of it in those terms, but I can tell you that none of the boys in my den wear the tan uniform without the diamond badges -- even the brand-new boys wear their Bobcat on the tan shirt. They give them up only after earning Webelos and going to the oval -- no one wears a tan shirt with nothing on the left pocket. I can also tell you that every boy who has joined part-way through the program eventually asks if he can go back and earn the awards he missed (they can't).

 

I can't say it doesn't make sense. In Cubs, so much effort is placed on achievements and we make such a big deal out of award ceremonies, I sure as heck hope the boys are proud of their advancements and want to wear them.

 

Here's something else I noticed at our crossover last month which surprised me. Only four boys of the 13 who crossed over were in the tan uniforms. The remainder were in blues. Our pack policy is to let the boys naturally move into the tan uniforms as the blues are outgrown. I didn't bother to ask why. I don't know if the boys are buying a second blue uniform late in their Bear year, if they are inheriting larger blues or what. Unofficially, I tell the boys in my den that they should be in tan uniforms by this fall when they become Webelos IIs.

 

I know my own son (now a Webelos I) has totally outgrown his blue pants (with the hem let out twice) and the blue shirt was getting snug. He got a tan uniform for Christmas (yes, it was his favorite present, and thanks for asking). He earned his Webelos badge at the December pack meeting, so the new uniform had the oval patch on it Christmas morning. He did, however, insist that we sew the blue diamond on the old uniform, even though he has never worn it.(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[Sparkie]

Well it seems i really was missing something! My council neglected to mention this point "...large Oval to be worn alone, not with diamond shaped badges such as the Bobcat....".

 

That's why i need these boards!!

 

Sparkie