What type of boy is the Cubscout program looking for?

[Its Me]

Certainly BSA cannot be all things to all boys. So then we can assume that not all boys qualify. What are the qualities BSA is looking?

 

Are they looking for particular characteristics? Intellegence? Behavoir?

 

If the program is designed to shape future leaders then there must be a stock material in which to begin working with. What is that stock material?

 

[Balding Eagle]

Bottom line, Cubscouts is for boys who like to have fun.

[fotoscout]

Lets see,

 

The shy kid, to help him come out his shell

The loud kid, to help him quite down

The dull kid, to give him some spark

The inside kid, to get him outside

The outside kid, to show him that there are other things to do

The bully, to show him that it is not acceptable

The energized kid, to help teach him that he has to slow down

The slow kid, to speed him up

The smart kid, to challenge him

The special kid, to let him be a kid

 

There is an infinite number of other types of kids that CS is for. The trick is to channel each boys personality into something positive.

 

[Its Me]

Those answers are good but they are too general and politically correct.

 

For instance a lazy kid who isn't interested in outdoors or crafts; is Cub Scouts for him?

 

I don't know if a kid who is uninspired by the activities of a typical den meeting can be converted.

 

Thus an unmotivated child would not be a good fit in the Cub Scout program.

 

Think of the kids in your den and describe the successful scouts. Who are they are where did they come from? Is there a commonality to the successful Cub Scouts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ScoutNut]

The BSA is not "looking" for any particular characteristics. Boys do not have to "qualify" or undergo any type of screening to join either Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. They simply have to want to join, be in the correct age/grade for the program level, and pay their registration fee. We are not building a master race here.

 

From the BSA National website:

 

"Cub Scouting is fun! But it is fun with a purpose. Woven through all the activities is an inspiring program that works. The methods of Cub Scouting are on the cutting edge of child development. Proven methods are used that transfer traditional values, build character, and develop leadership skillsall in the context of fun and family togetherness."

 

"It is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting."

 

If their are any Packs (or Troops or Crews) out there who are denying membership to boys because they don't like their "stock material" then they are dead wrong.

[ScoutNut]

If the boy is not interested in the things Cub Scouts do, he will either not join in the first place, or he will drop out.

 

It is not our place as leaders to say that a particular boy cannot join because we don't think he will make a very good scout. The idea is rather insulting.

[fotoscout]

Those answers are good but they are too general and politically correct.

I think they describe a good cross section of my kids.

 

For instance a lazy kid who isn't interested in outdoors or crafts; is Cub Scouts for him?

Absolutely, maybe hell find something that interests him.

 

I don't know if a kid who is uninspired by the activities of a typical den meeting can be converted

Then you havent found the right activities, watch him, his face will speak for itself.

 

Thus an unmotivated child would not be a good fit in the Cub Scout program

Something will motivate him. If he is distant and removed from the group, and shows no sign of interacting at any level I would be concerned and talk to the parents about him.

 

Think of the kids in your den and describe the successful scouts. Who are they are where did they come from? Is there a commonality to the successful Cub Scouts?

They are all successful! My favorite is the timid, small , quite, and shy kid, who just loves to get up on that stage and tell some really silly joke!

 

[Its Me]

 

Let's establish right now that I believe all dens and packs should be open to all boys. But you cannot deny that the program rings a cord with some scouts while it is a dull thud with others. To deny that the program is not targeting certain kids (characteristics) is naive. Scouting is not soccer, yet a well run soccer program could develop many of the qualities that BSA is after.

 

Furthermore the program has very strict requirements to continue. More strict than other developmental programs.

 

Again what type of kid is drawn to and succeeds in Cub Scouts?

(This message has been edited by Its Me)

[molscouter]

Last night, I proudly watched six Webelos cross over to Boy Scouts; boys for whom I have had the honor of being their den leader for the past three years. They are all different.

 

All played at least two sports during their Cub years. They are A students, B students, and C students. They play baseball, football, basketball and soccer. One is a state place winning wrestler. One participates on a state champion level swim team. One is an excellent 5K runner. One was the school's math champion as a 4th grader (beating out the 5th and 6th graders). Another, who attends a different school, finished in the top 4 in the state and top 30 nationally in a 4th grade honors math competitition. Several sing in choirs and/or play musical instruments. A couple are very adept using hand tools.

 

My favorite moment came this year in February, when one boy, the one who is least involved in outside activities nor an A student, for whom Cub Scouts is his sole extracirricular activity right now, and who always decided at the last moment in September whether or not he was coming back, got the final sign off on his Arrow of Light Requirements. He raced over to his mom and said "I did it! It was worth it! I earned Cub Scouts highest award!" That alone made the three years of meetings worth it all.

 

What they really have in common are parents who care and work with them. I had two boys drop out in those three years (one after Bear, one during 4th grade). One had parents who weren't involved at all, the other just didn't like the stuff that Webelos did.

 

It is the rare boy who is self-motivated enough to succeed at anything without parental involvement. In my opinion, the thing that successful Cubs have in common is parents who get involved.

(This message has been edited by molscouter)

[scoutmom]

I believe that all boys are the boys Cub Scouting wants and needs. It is our job as leaders to try to motivate the lazy ones and inspire the uninspired. No, we're not going to connect with and retain every kid. But you keep trying and reaching out to all. You never know what you're going to come up with. It's pretty amazing to watch these kids as they grow, mature and develop their interests.

[fotoscout]

First, a well run soccer program will never develop the qualities of a BSA program or any other youth program similar to BSA. Soccer players will never be given the opportunity to run their program. They will only be given limited opportunity to fail, and in the end they will be taught to win at all costs, ethics and morals aside.

 

BSA programs do not have strict requirements to continue, they have requirements to advance. There is difference. Like many things the kid that has the best time in CS is often the one who has supportive parents and takes him to the CS activities.

 

This is probably an unfair question in the Cub Scout ranks. It may be more applicable to older boys in BS, but even thats debatable. Personally I think few if any boys are drawn to CS, unless the parent leads them in this direction. Either they have an older brother or relative in the program and get excited about it, or the parents just put the kid in the program.

 

[Fat Old Guy]

We had one that Cub Scouts could have helped but it was better to get rid of him than put others at risk.

 

He was very smart, an only child and had older parents, they were in their 60s. Their reaction to anything untoward that he did was to smile and say, "It's a phase."

 

He thought that everything that we did was "lame." Even though he could have probably earned awards at a prodigious rate because of his intelligence, he didn't want to because they were "lame." He was disruptive. He was a bully. He'd physically assault other kids.

 

The Den Leader tried but the parents reacted to the discussion about their child's behavior by pulling him out of Cubs.

 

 

[Eamonn]

"If the program is designed to shape future leaders"

I missed that part. Please show me where it comes from.

Many years ago there was in Wolf Cubs the Grand Howl. Strange and wonderful words.

DYB, DYB,DYD (Normally yelled by the duty Sixer) To which the rest of the pack yelled back: We will DOB,DOB DOB.

This may sound like complete and utter gibberish as well as being old hat.

The dyb stands for Do Your Best and the dob stands for do our best.

While the program has changed and the activities may not be the same. The type of boy who joins Cub Scouting is a Lad who will do his best. Please note that it HIS best not someone Else's, not some criteria that he has to meet. At the end of whatever he has done only he will know if he has given it his best.

Take a look at the Cub Scout promise and Cub Scout Law, the Lad who is willing to give these his best shot is the type of Lad that ought to be a Cub Scout.

Eamonn

 

[WAKWIB]

Its Me sez "Certainly BSA cannot be all things to all boys. So then we can assume that not all boys qualify. What are the qualities BSA is looking?"

 

We cannot "assume" that at all. BSA is not looking for certain qualities. It is a program designed to instill qualities through proven methods.

 

The success or failure (and that's a pretty ambiguous concept in itself) will come about through factors that are often not inherent in the child's personality. The two main factors that would determine that are 1) parents support of the child and the Pack/Troop. 2)The manner in which the Pack/Troop delivers the program.

If the parents are interested in the BSA program-a boy will join. If we as leaders deliver the right kind of program and earn the parent's support he will likely stay and "succeed" regardless of his personality. And as other posts on this thread have described, it is amazing to see how Scouting helps to shape all kinds of personalities.

 

[Its Me]

 

The program will not be effective if the boy is incurably lazy (character trait 1).

The program will not be effective if the parents provide no assistance (character trait 2)

The program will not be effective if the child has no sense of civility (character trait 3).

The child must have a sense of patriotism (character trait 4).

A scout is reverent (character trait 5).

 

I think it is a reasonable statement to say that BSA encourages the development of leadership skills (i.e. future leaders).

 

If scouting were all things to all boys then all boys would be in scouting.