Cub Scouts Belt Loop and Pins - Misunderstood?

[Wallace]

ScoutNut

I cannot find any reference in the BSA literature to the rule you mention.

Can you please provide a reference for clarification?

Thanks.

[Fat Old Guy]

"I cannot find any reference in the BSA literature to the rule you mention."

 

It's true. I don't have any Cub Scouting books left, they all went to my successor, but there is a reference someplace that says that if a loop was earned before Webelos, it can be earned again to satisfiy that requirement. Pretty inane but that's the way it is.

 

 

[Marty_Doyle]

I'm pretty sure it mentions that in the current Webelos handbook, more than likely under Aquanaut, Athlete, Communicator, Fitness and Sportsman, all of which have requirements that state a Scout must earn specific A&S belt loops and/or pins to fulfill the requirement (i.e Aquanuat requires Swimming belt loop, Sportsman requires two individual and two team Sport belt loops, Fitness requires Physical Fitness belt loop and pin, etc).

[molscouter]

As a current (soon to be former) Webelos leader, I can attest that ScoutNut is correct: for a belt loop to count towards an Activity Badge requirement, it has to be earned as a Webelos Scout. My own son has earned the Baseball and Soccer loops twice, for example. With most of the sports loops, one of the requirements is to explain the rules of the game. I expected a much deeper knowledge of these as a second year Webelos than I did when he was a Wolf. (Explaining the infield fly rule, for example, or what a balk is, stuff beyond four balls, three strikes, three outs, etc.). I also gave all the kids who were going after the Sportsman badge the option of taking the credit for earning the loop or actually receiving it. Most of them just wanted the credit. Several of them had earned virtually all of the sports loops as Wolves and Bears, and didn't really want another loop.

 

Someone mentioned that this was inane. I submit it isn't a lot different than a Scout having to understand the Scoutt Oath for his Webelos badge and memorize and explain it for AOL, then do those things again for Scout and Tenderfoot.

[Region 7 Voyageur]

Aside from the instance of belt loops being earned while a Webelos, do any of the belt loops or pins require that the requirements be completed while the boy is a Cub Scout? Do the requirements state While a Cub Scout do X?

 

I am serious because I do not know the answer.

 

I had a recent conversation with a member of the Council Advancement Committee and he stated that merit badge requirements could be completed before a boy becomes a Boy Scout. He said that to require that requirements be completed after a boy becomes a scout would be adding or changing the printed requirements. He went on to say that certain Boy Scout requirements for rank say while a First Class Scout, etc. but that most requirements never say "while a scout do X". If this man is correct then Cub Scouts could work on requirements for Boy Scout merit badges.

 

I have always believed that activities and achievements that a boy does before his registration date do not count.

 

I need an enlightened answer to argue this question either way.

 

 

Dave

 

[Eamonn]

Ok so it's been a long while since my days with the pack but I thought that only the Webelos Scout Den Leader could sign off on Webelos Scout requirements?

As for doing stuff before you join the troop? I don't know if there is anything in black and white? But it don't sound kosher to me.

Eamonn

[ScoutNut]

I do not have a copy in front of me, but I believe that the Cub Scout Academics and Sports guide states that the program is specificaly for Cub Scouts and that it can be earned by Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos, but not by adults.

 

As for doing merit badge requirements before the boy is a registered Boy Scout - HUH ??? That is just silly. There is NO level in Scouts (Tigers thru Eagle) where you can allow activites to count before the boy is actually a scout. That would be like saying that you could count taking your son to the zoo when he was 6 months old for the Bear advancement requirement "Sharing Your World With Wildlife". Either this man is just pulling your leg or he needs training REAL BAD!

[Eamonn]

I think that I might be a tiny bit wrong. As for a Lad doing stuff before he becomes a Scout. It might be that the requirement is something that he has done. I don't have a reference at hand, but if the requirement is to hold some sort of a certification and he has it, then I think it ought to be ok.

Eamonn

[theysawyoucomin']

I thought that a boy had to earn the bobcat badge before any other award. Tell mom to look on page 18 in the new wolf book. 'nuff said

[theysawyoucomin']

page 5 of new wolf book chapter and verse"he must earn the bobcat badge before receiving any other rank or award"

[pack524cm]

The dialogue of this issue has gotten very intereting and wanted to mention as the original author to this toplic that we resolved our original issue with the parent basically backing down, since the scout was unable to present any demonstrations of his work.

 

As for this issue dealing on Webelos having to re-earn pins and belt loops the new Webelos guide states. "If you've earned the Physical Fitness Sports Pin earlier in Cub Scouting, you must earn another Physical Fitness Sports Pin as a Webelos Scout for requirement 10." Page 126 of the new Webelos Handbook.

 

As for the Scout Merit badge issue, our Council has allowed for second year Webelos to transfer credits if they are registered to go into a Boy Scout Troop already. Such as the Swim Program that is run by the Council can transfer credit into Boy Scouts Swim Merit Badge. The swimming program starts on Jan 10 and ends the end of March, which is the overlapping period of bridging period to BSA. Other examples during this period could be applied also as the focus is to keep the second year Webelos motivated as the boys bridge into Boy Scouts.

 

[Fat Old Guy]

"I do not have a copy in front of me, but I believe that the Cub Scout Academics and Sports guide states that the program is specificaly for Cub Scouts and that it can be earned by Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos, but not by adults."

 

That's because before the program changed, adults could earn the pins (if memory serves) by helping their son earn the pin.

[dwatford]

My son recently became a Tiger Cub. He and I are very excited about the program. We have worked diligently to accomplish lots of things. When we have long weekends (such as a Friday - Monday break from school), we pack those days with cub scout things, rather than sit around bored or just watching TV. As hard as it may be to believe, we earned about 7 pins and belt loops in a long weekend just last month. Several days before the long weekend, I went online and printed off the requirements for Heritage, Communicating, Citizenship, Art, Computer, Music and Language & Culture (we had just had an exchange student which made corresponding with another country easy and fun, my husband is a minister which makes the citizenship requirements easy to complete in and around our church). I highlighted the things that needed to be done for each belt loop and pin, and we just put our nose to the grind and he did them. Yes, it took most of the weekend, but it was fun, educational, involved the whole family on some and IT CAN BE DONE. We have another long weekend coming up next week and I have intentions of doing the same thing again. We have gotten some of the easier ones out of the way now, so I hope we can complete all the requirements for belt loops for Astronomy, Collecting, Map & Compass, Marbles, Geography, Wildlife and Swimming. Some requirements cover a week or so, of course, but I have no doubt the lady in question with your Pack, if she is really into the program as I am, was in fact able to accomplish all she said she did with her sons. It's fun and a great way for a mom to spend time with her son.

 

[Lynda J]

She must have access to a lot of boys. Since Ultimate takes a full team. We always did it at Day Camp. Same thing with Flag Football.

 

It is sad when parents think more about how many awards their boys get instead of teaching them the quality of earning them.

And the honesty that goes with scouting.