New books

[sctmom]

Word on the street is that new handbooks for Wolves, Bears and Webelos will be out in July. Scouts do not HAVE to use them until August 2004.

 

Integrated Character Connections (that draw on Cub

Scouting's 12 Core Values) directly into selected requirements in each book.

 

Infused age-appropriate outdoor program activities into both the requirements and the electives in each book.

 

Enhanced the advancement and elective trails to create a progressively more challenging pathway that logically prepares boys for the next rank in Cub Scouting and prepares Webelos Scouts for Boy Scouting.

 

Reformatted and enhanced the Webelos handbook; particularly, the Webelos badge and Arrow of Light Award requirements. In an effort to assist you and your leaders with the transition from the current handbooks to the new handbooks, we have created the following implementation plan.

 

The enhanced Wolf, Bear, and Webelos handbooks will be released to the field in July.

 

The enhancements to the requirements in these books will not affect the advancement trails of boys who are using the current

books. They are to continue using their current books until they have completed all requirements in those books.

 

 

[kassie428]

Thanks for the insight, I've just found out that I'm going to be the new Wolf den leader next year as this years Tiger leader is moving over the summer. I was going to go and get a wolf book when I picked up the awards for the next pack meeting but now I thank I'll wait untill July and get the new ones.

[dsteele]

Sctmom:

 

Sounds like you're reading from the memo from national I have on my desk! The rumor is true.

 

DS

 

PS -- I don't believe anything until it crosses my desk in a memo from the national office. No offense to this forum (which, unlike others, is usually correct. I just prefer to wait until I officialy receive the proper documentation.) In this case it has been received.

 

DS

[CubsRgr8]

A neighboring council posted a copy of the memo on their website, which I found just by accident yesterday. I'm hoping the tie-ins with character connections can be integrated into the monthly pack meeting themes.

 

dsteele, (or anybody else) have you seen any of these books? Do they have the same feel as the current Tiger book? Bottom line, are they worth waiting for? We usually present the boys with their new books at our May pack meeting/campfire and we certainly will wait if the new books are as good as they sound in the national memo I saw.(This message has been edited by CubsRgr8)

[nldscout]

I would not wait. We already deceided to use present book next year as we give our cubs books in May-June so they have all summer to do things in it.

 

Not to beat on National to hard, but how many times have we heard about new books of publications only to wait and wait. We are presently still waiting for the new training sylubus for the replacement to WLOT, and its only been about a year overdue

 

[dsteele]

I haven't seen them. I wouldn't advise waiting. Sometimes it takes longer than national thinks it will take to get books printed and distributed.

 

Councils with a lot of them in stock won't be in a real hurry to eat the cost of the old books.

 

DS

[scoutldr]

Would be nice if the CS trainers could get advance copies, so we can develop FAQ sheets and incorporate the new changes into the training curricula.

[sctmom]

Dsteele,

I agree about word from National. The email I quoted was from someone who said the letter came from National. There have been rumors and hints for a few months.

 

When the new Tiger books came out a couple of years ago, they were a month or so later than planned.

 

[imascouter]

I echo Dsteele regarding the council and old books. I imagine that even if a council receives the books today that they will wait to sell off most of the old inventory before putting the new books out for sale.

 

If I were a scouter wanting a new copy of one of these books I think I would try to order one through the 1-800 number on the catalog asking first if they have the new edition.

[Twocubdad]

Well how ethical is that? Isn't that just dumping the problem on the kids and families who will be stuck with the old books?

 

How is this supposed to work for a den leader trying to run a program with boys with two different books?

[fotoscout]

We had the National Director of Cub Scouting speak at our Commissioners College last fall. He implied back then that new books were in offering. If I remember correctly, he thought that the new books would be available in August/September time frame. I hope you folks are right and hes wrong!

 

As for the old books, I understand that historically when new books have been published the Scout Shops do sell out their inventory of older books before releasing the new ones. National will tell you that during the transition year it is OK to use the old book.

 

Please dont shoot the messenger.

 

[dsteele]

I'm on vacation, so I don't have the memo in front of me. I do remember that the old books are grandfathered for about a year -- longer than the duration of that particular program year for Cub Scouts. So there is no ethics involved in selling off the inventory of old books.

 

The ethics problem comes in if a council just decides to throw the old books in the dumpster. Local councils purchase from national everything they sell in their scout shops. The money for such purchases comes from your FOS dollars, United Way contributions, popcorn sales, etc. It's not like councils cut the cover off and send them back to national for reimbursement -- I wish that were the case. No, they have to eat the unsold inventory.

 

The money lost by throwing away old books would be better spent on program for the kids. I see no harm, since the old books will still be good for an entire program year, in buying or selling them.

 

DS

[Twocubdad]

I don't disagree that dumping the books would be a waste, but how would you like to be the one or two odd kids in a den who have the "wrong" book? I suppose there is a matter of degree, whether or not there is a significant change in the program or if the only problem is that some of the page numbers are off.

 

But there are things national and the local shops can do to make the transition easier. For one, new materials need to be released in January or February so that the transition can be complete when the Scouting year starts in September. That way Packs like Kassie's who give boys their new books in May and June aren't stuck. Seems like the new tiger books didn't hit the shelves until mid-August or later.

 

The local shops could also post a notice on the bookshelf letting folks know of the change, that the old books are still valid for a year, but that they should check with their den leaders to see which version they will be using. Yes, you may not sell as many of the old books that way, but you just can't beat being upfront with people.

[Pack2]

Attn:dsteele

 

Slight problem. Webelos is a 1-2/3 year program. My son is going into 1st year Webelos this year. So he is suppose to use the old book for one year and jump into the new book in 2004?

 

Everything is well and good if National provides a transition from the old book to the new book. Should I hold my breath on that one??

 

Another question, how does one get ahold of this "memo"?? I am a fairly new leader (2 years but feels like 30) and I'm interested where to go to get this info.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

 

[dsteele]

Let me reiterate a couple of things. One is that I'm on vacation and don't have all of my resources with me. The second is that I don't think we're talking about a whole lot of requirement changes. The third is that the books have been changed before, and they're being changed again. The fourth is that I don't have copies of the new books and I don't believe anyone else does, either.

 

My advice -- don't sweat it a whole lot. National is providing a transitional period between one book and the other. As for what to tell kids using the "wrong book," I'd say, don't tell them it's the wrong book. It's a different book. That's all. If one kid has a slightly different requirement in his book than the other, then have him meet the requirement as written in his book during the transition period.

 

Now please realize that I wear silver shoulder tabs . . . not gold. I'm not a national guy and no one in the BSA movement has asked me to join in these forums. I'm doing this on my own. And, today, as a matter of fact, I'm on a vacation day and had no intent of even thinking about Scouting. I just enjoy it and have (I feel) a bit of expertise on the matter.

 

I can and will continue to join in the forums. However, I have no jurisdiction over Cub Scout books and can't effect changes in them. Beat on me if it makes you feel better, but I can't promise results.

 

Taking it in stride,

 

DS