How long should new scout be in troop before summer

[kittle]

I have one Webelos that is going to join a troop. His grandmother (our Cm) doesn't want him to crossover very early. How long do you think a first year Scout should be with a Troop before summer camp. My son started with his Troop in Feb of last year, but she thinks this is too early. I am afraid that if he waits too long, he won't be comfortable with the boys or the leader yet. The troop he is crossing over to is going to summer camp in July. They will have a camp out every month except June, they will have one in June but is is a special campout not open to first year scouts.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

[baden]

Years ago our local Pack would cross over in late April/early May. We always go to Camp in July and always took all the new guys with us. As long as you get a campout or two under their belts it'll work. Some years I would hold a special campout for the New Scout patrol to get them shaped up for camp.

 

Remember, B-P took 20 boys (I think it was 20} to Brownsea and it was the first campout for all of them.

[Eamonn]

My off the cuff answer would be that if he has a couple of weekends under his belt; He ought to be fine.

But .....

It depends on the Lad.

If he is a fun loving, outdoor adventurous, outgoing Lad? No problem.

But if he is the type of Lad that is going to have a hard time, it might be best to wait.

We deal with the Scouts we serve as individuals, so hard and fast rules tend to get in the way.

Eamonn.

[kittle]

This boy has been camping with the Troop once already. I went along as his adult because his dad is unavailable on weekends (this is when he works) and his grandma doesn't camp. He did well with that campout. He is crossing over to the Troop that my son is in. This will help because there will be one boy that he knows really well. I know that the boy is looking forward to summer camp, he has been ever since my son came home last year telling him about it.

 

Thanks for the input. I will just make sure that him and his dad/grandmother make sure that the Troop know he wants to go.

[FScouter]

"How long do you think a first year Scout should be with a Troop before summer camp."

 

If the boy wants to go, the parents are OK with it, and the Scoutmaster will keep an extra eye out, then one full day with the troop should be just fine.

[CA_Scouter]

One full day? Are you serious? You think that a scout can spend a single day with a troop then go away for a week? ;-)

 

We had a scout transfer in the MONDAY before summer camp. He spent 90 minutes with us, signed up for summer camp, and we took him with us for a week. He actually did a good job, got along with everyone and is still with us and both he and his parents are very active members.

 

Of course, it probably helped that he was a transfer, and not a brand new scout, but its a heckuva story, ain't it?

 

 

[eagle90]

I think the February/March bridging is perfect. By that time the Cubs (and parents) are getting a little burned out at Cub activities and are looking forward to something new. It also gives the new scouts an opportunity to camp with the troop on 2-3 weekend outings.

Just as important, it gives the parents a chance to get to know the adult leaders that they will be entrusting their son with for a whole week. That said, it is also very helpful if you can get one of the new Webelo Dads to go to camp too. It gives the new scouts and parents a familiar face to relate to.

 

[EagleInKY]

Ideally, I like to see them cross over by March or April. This gives them the chance to get a couple of campouts under their belts. They also get a chance to know the older guys a little bit before heading off to camp.

 

With that said, I've had two scouts go to summer camp immediately after joining. One went well and fit right in, the other is still work in progress.

[Eamonn]

Hi EagleInKY,

I would hope that we all are a work in some sort of progress?

Of course some of us progress faster than others. That's why we tailor the program to the individual.

Eamonn.

[fgoodwin]

Are other boys in the den crossing to the same troop in Feb? If so, holding one boy back will mean he'll be behind his peers when he finally crosses over.

 

I don't mean to sound insensitive, but why exactly does grandma have any say at all about when the boy crosses over? As long as it can be worked into the schedule of pack meetings, that ought to be the extent of the CM's responsibilities.

 

With all due respect to grandma, when the boy crosses over should be decided by his family, his WDL and the SM of the receiving troop, not the CM.

 

I say this as a former WDL and CC, and currently an ASM and UC. I think having the Webelos IIs attend a final PWD and B&G then getting their AOL and crossing over makes for a very busy and meaningful winter-spring.

 

By the time get a troop campout (or two) under their belts before summer camp, the new boys should be fairly well integrated into the troop.

 

Just my 2

[EagleInKY]

E - Good point.

 

One lad has fit right in. Showed up at camp as a total stranger. He had visited one troop meeting a few months earlier. Family moved into town that weekend and he came straight to camp with us. He was a first year scout, and had been in Boy Scouts for a few months.

 

The other lad visited a troop meeting about two weeks before Summer Camp. He decided to join and go to camp with us. He'd never been in scouts. The parents still don't understand what Scouting is for. They look at it as just a social outlet for their son (who is pretty intraverted). So, he shows up about once a month, has gone on a couple of campouts, and is still a ways away from Tenderfoot.

 

Both are work in progress, but one has progressed much faster. How's that?

[Eamonn]

Hi EagleInKY,

Let me tell you a tale of two kids..

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times .. No that's a tale of two something else.

Zane and Ethan.

Zane is a nice Lad. I've known him ever since he was a little Tiger Cub. He attended Day Camp when I was into that sort of thing. He was team member of the soccer team that I coached when I was doing that. He wasn't very good, knew he wasn't very good and to make matters worse is a lazy little toad -In a very nice way.A very clever and very intelligent Lad, who seems to do well at school without making much of an effort.

I know and like his parents and his little brother a lot.

After Cub Scouts he joined the same Troop that OJ is in. I kind of lost track of him and what he was up to.

Last year he signed up as a CIT at our Summer Camp, with his pal Ethan.

I don't know Ethan as well, he seems like a real nice Lad. His family moved into the area about four or five years back and for a while they weren't sure if the company that his Dad works for were going to move him again or not. His Dad is an Eagle Scout and signed up as an ASM, in the Troop. Dad is a very knowledgeable Scouter, but isn't easy to get along with. He seems to have this attitude that it's his way or the high way.Ethan, more than anything else wants to make sure that he isn't letting his Dad down.

Both Zane and Ethan went to the Jambo with yours truly as SM.

Ethan's Dad got a little upset with me because I wouldn't sit down with him and Ethan and work out a schedule of Merit Badges for Ethan at the Jamboree. He really does like the tees crossed and all the i's dotted.

Zane and Ethan had a great time up working at Summer Camp and were each others buddies for nearly all the time they were at the Jamboree.

Zane joined the Ship. I was overjoyed to see him do so. I was really surprised when our first female Sea Scout turned out to be his girl friend. Hey what happened to the little Tiger Cub!! She is a year older than Zane and without wanting to sound sexist is a real good looking young Lady.

Ethan completed his Eagle Scout rank, he is a few months younger than Zane.

The invitation to Ethan's Eagle COH went out via E-Mail one day last week for the COH on Sunday. It seemed to be something that someone had put together in a hurry at the very last minute.

The Ship was meeting at the same time as the COH.

We were working on ceremonies, Zane is the Boatswains Mate Administration and ceremonies come under him. I thought that he would miss the Ship's meeting and attend the COH. I was taken back when I asked Zane why he wasn't going to his pals Eagle Scout COH and he said that he really liked Ethan, but he was fed up hearing the Dad tell him how lazy he was and how he should have earned his Eagle before Ethan. In fact he said that he now wants to complete his Eagle with the ship, just so he isn't near the Dad.

I don't know what Ethan will do next, him and Dad are off to Philmont next summer. Zane is bright enough to make Quartermaster if he decides that is what he wants to do. I'm almost sure he will become an Eagle Scout.

But as for Ethan's Dad, I don't hold out much hope. I didn't ask straight out but OJ tells me that none of the Scouts in the Troop like him and that OJ and him "Got into it"?? At summer camp when OJ was SPL.

OJ, said that he started to tell him what to do and he just informed him that he was the SPL and he could go pound salt!!

The real shame is that we have a guy who could do so much and pass on so much to the Scouts but he isn't a work in progress he just stopped progressing.

Eamonn.

[kittle]

fgoodwin

 

Grandma has a say because she does. The boy lives with his father (her son) and spends most of his time with grandma. That is the best explanation I can give you. But I will add that if it wasn't for grandma the boy wouldn't have been able to be in Scouts.

 

I am thinking she is planning an April ceremony. That way we have Feb B&G, March Pinewood derby, and April AOL. I am going to try and convince her that an AOL crossover can be added to the Pinewood Derby, that way he can attend 2 campouts with the Boy Scouts before Summer Camp.

 

Someone else asked if there were any other boys from our Pack that would be joining this Troop. The answer to that would be no. He will be our only Web moving into Boy Scouts. I have 3 second year Webelos and he is the only one interested in moving on. He is joing the Troop that my son did, my son was the only 2nd year Webelos last year.

 

[MarkS]

It is the CM's responsibility to meet with the UC (if needed), WL and SM to establish a plan for transitioning Webelos scouts to the troop. It sounds like you have a plan, but did everyone agree to it? Grandma needs to make sure she takes off her parent hat and puts on her CM hat when working with the WL and SM to set up the plan. You only need to make sure the boy meets the requirements to join the troop and that the crossover ceremony is a sufficiently big deal. If everyone agrees that April is okay, then April is okay.

 

The only requirement for joining a troop is the boy must be 10 with AOL, 11, or complete the fifth grade. There's no troop tenure required before a boy can go camping.

 

That said, the boy may have individual adjustments to make before participating in certain activities--figured out case-by-case. This is where Grandma can put on her parent hat again.

 

In summary, transition to the troop as soon as the requirements are met and ceremony can be arranged. Participate in activities as the individual boy is ready for them.

 

I'm a 2nd Yr WL this year. For us, its PWD in January, B&G with AOL & Crossover in February. The sooner the better. We're itching for new adventures.(This message has been edited by MarkS)(This message has been edited by MarkS)

[msnowman]

Nephew bridged over in March and went to summer camp in June with the Troop, with only one Camporee under his belt (his Troop doesn't do much camping, except district Camporees). He also did a second week with the Provo Troop and had a blast booth weeks. He has already asked if he can do 6 weeks next summer and was miffed when I advised him he can only do 4 (Boy Scout camp only runs for 4 weeks, 1 week for Pal & Me and 3 Cub Camp weeks). Maybe it makes a difference if its the boy's first resident camp experience? Nephew had 3 years of Cub Resident Camp so he was already familiar with the basic routine at camp. Yea, he found BS camp to be more free and enjoyed it a ton....is already making his plans to go as CIT and then Staff when he's old enough.

 

YiS

Michelle