New 2nd Year Webelo

[mom22scouts]

I'm a 2nd year Webelos leader and I have just learned that I have a brand new scout joining my den.

 

I've talked to his parents about the amount of work involved in joining at this time. Their only concern is that it not be discouraging for him.

 

I'm looking for some tips and suggestions on how to get him through his Bobcat and Webelos badges and hopefully the Arrow of Light before our crossover in February.

 

Thanks!

 

[sctmom]

My advice is to not worry about it. Let him get what he can from the time he is there. We had a few new 5th graders last year. I don't think they even earned their Webelos badge, but they had a good time.

 

If he will be 11 at time of crossover, he can still crossover. Just be tactful about the ceremony.

 

[Bob White]

The arrow of light is designed to take about 18 months to complete. Try to squeeze that into 5 months is not beneficial to the scout. You need to continut to provide him a program until he become eligible to join a troop. Unless he will be 11 by the time the other scouts crossover you will need to keep him active until he completes the 5th grade or turns 11, or gets the AOL. Once he meets any of those requirements he could move into a troop.

 

Bob

[shemgren]

The best advice I can give is this 5th grader needs to do his best, like any other Cub Scout. Pushing him to get the Arrow of Light when that isn't his best will only frustrate him and his parents. The Scout will find his level, and as a den leader you need to provide support for him to be the best he can be.

[Sdriddle]

Check with the first year Webelo leader to see when they are going to be working on pins he needs for his AOL (fitness/outdoorsman). This happened to us two years in a row and it can be pulled off, but the boy and his parents have to be willing to put in the time at double meetings if necessary. Some boys are O.K. not getting the same awards as the others but some have a real problem with it. If his birthday is after crossover then their will be a gap between when he and his friends join the troop. Ultimatly though, it is the boy and his parents call.

 

Oh, start teaching the Scout requirements NOW! It makes it easier than coming down to the wire and 2 boys still don't have the Law memorized.

 

Sheila

 

 

[Bob White]

Shiela,

Memorization of the Oath and Law is not a requirement for the Scout Badge.

Bob White

[sctmom]

 

 

 

It is a requirement for the Arrow of Light.

 

 

[SagerScout]

I would not set up the expectation that AOL is necessarily the goal for the child, without knowing him first. This could run him off. Imagine, fifth grade and already too old to start something new. If his nature is aggressively competitive and he knows the rest of the troop is going to earn it and he really, really wants to earn it too, then is the time to go to the suggestions made elsewhere about going to other meetings and so on. (and folks, I think those are good suggestions and if the scout sets the goal, I think the SM should certainly support it. )

 

But if he just wants to have some fun with some friends and get an introduction to the program - and become prepared for a troop - I think the advice of Bob White to use the firstest and bestest yardstick "Do your Best" is excellent, wherever that leaves him at crossover time.

 

Just my opinion.

[Bob White]

OOPS! Sorry sctmom, I should have checked that first. I thought the AOL requirements matched the scout badge requirements. Fooled me!

Bob

[SagerScout]

And in any event, it's worth pointing out that after crossover, AOL or not, he'll still be a Scout, working toward Tenderfoot... and so will his more experienced Webelo buddies.

[rlculver415]

Why does he have to be done in Feb.? I realize that is the traditional crossover for 2nd-year Webelos, but as far as I know it isn't written in stone. He should have until the end of the school year to finish as much as he can.

 

This is what our Pack did. Three years ago when the rest of the boys crossed over, there was still one boy not ready. The den leader and the boy moved in with the 1st-year den and continued to work on his AOL. In May, he crossed over with a fine ceremony just for him.

 

As has already been stated, it's better to allow the boy to set his own goals (and to modify them as needed) rather than push him. You may need to help his parents to realize this. He has a lot of ground to cover this year. It's no shame not to earn the AOL. It would be a shame for him to dislike scouting due to too much pressure on him. Let it be a fun time mainly. He'll be more likely to go on to Boy Scouts that way.

[NJCubScouter]

Well, at first I was going to say that all the facts should be placed before the Scout and his parents, and he should make the decision as to whether he wants to do the double-speed work necessary to earn the Arrow of Light by February. But, I was going to continue, it should be made clear to him that he does not necessarily have to earn either of the Webelos advancements in order to become a Boy Scout along with the rest of his den, if that is what he wants to do. He will be just as much a Boy Scout as the rest of them. Any "catching up" he would have to do would be in the more intangible qualities of working together in a group, etc., not in badges on his uniform. And he will earn some advancements, at the very least he has time to earn a few activity badges, maybe a belt loop here and there, and almost certainly has time to earn the Webelos badge.

 

However, I then realized that if he is going to become a Boy Scout in February, the Arrow of Light is really not an option anyway. Requirement 1 for the Arrow of Light is: "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." If this boy joined in September, he will not reach the 6-month mark until sometime in March. Close, but no banana.

 

So it sounds to me like he should participate as much as possible, earn his Webelos badge and whatever activity badges he can earn, learn the Boy Scout joining requirements along with the boys who have to learn them for the Arrow of Light, and get the less tangible benefits of the program before moving on to Boy Scouts. When he gets to the other side of the bridge, he will be the same "rank" as everybody else.

[NJCubScouter]

By the way, I almost never point out spelling or typing errors, but there is a common misconception about how the key word in this thread is spelled. The heading says "Webelo," and although the original poster's text does not, at least one of the responses does. It's "Webelos," whether it's one, two or twenty, like deer or fish. (On the other hand, I am not one of those zealots who capitalizes all the letters, i.e. WEBELOS. )

[mom22scouts]

Thanks so much for all the advice. Your thoughts confirm that I'm going in the right direction. I've talked to the new scout's parents to let them know what's going on - and the amount of work involved in joining as a second year Webelos scout. They are interested in having him continue to Boy Scouts, but don't really care if he earns his Arrow of Light or not. So, we'll try to do as much as we can and still have fun.

 

I knew I'd get some good thoughts here!