New to Scouting and a Webelos II?

[Lady_Leigh67]

During our Spring Recruitment, we have several new Tiger's and one new Webelos I. Being a new, small Pack, we are going to make the Webelos I boy work. He wanted to join last year and no one would step up to help with Bears. All of us leaders are going to work together with his family. Our UC is behind us on this one. Anyway, we were approached at an after school function by a mom whose son will be going into fifth grade. How hard is it really to get a boy, brand new to Cub Scouting and would be a Webelos II to get through all his achievements in order to earn his AOL? Has anyone had this experience?

[WVCubDad]

I have not had this experience and can only speak from what I've read in the BSA literature. That said, I think that with a dedicated Webelos Leader and a good plan, both boys should be able to get through AOL by next spring, even if it means the Web II delays going to a Troop by a few months.

 

I am basing this on the ability to reasonably complete an activity badge a month in order to meet the 8 badge requirement for the AOL. If the ability to get to a Webelos Resident Camp still exists in your council (many have already closed registration) it is possible that he can be much farther ahead if they have a well structured activity badge program. In our Council (Shenandoah Area) the Webelos Resident Camp scouts will be working on 5 different badges. I don't know how many will be completed, but it's a good start.

 

There are many others on here with much more experience who may be able to give you specific details on how to structure the program specifically. Good luck with it.

 

John

Tiger Den Leader (for 2 more days, then Wolf!)

Pack 13

Potomac District

Shenandoah Area Council

[John-in-KC]

It never hurts to call the Reservation Director directly and ask:

 

"We just had a new boy join Pack 123. He's a Web; he wants to go to camp. Can you make room, please?"

 

More often than not, unless the camp is full beyond overflowing, they'll get their shoehorn out!

 

Professionals have metrics, those in program service include bed-nights!

[Lisabob]

I've known several boys who have done this. They may not earn all, or even most, of the activity pins (unless they're pretty driven to do so) but so what. The main thing is to give them a solid, fun, introduction to scouting and then help them find a troop that suits them well.

 

Keep in mind that for the Webelos badge they only need 3 pins, and for the AoL they only need 8 of the 20.

 

As for the webelos program, the tricks will be

a) to make sure the boy has ample opportunity to earn the required pins (fitness, citizen, readyman, outdoorsman, at least one from mental skills group, at least one from technology group, and at least two others from any groups), and

b) to get him started on visits to troops and participation in outdoor activities for AoL requirements 4-6.

 

 

Requirement 1 (active for 6 months) should take care of itself. Requirements 2 and 7 are easy enough to do, though as a brand new scout #2 might take him a little longer - but it isn't that hard.

[DenZero]

You say you are a small pack - it sounds like you will have a Webelos den consisting of one Webelo I and one new Webelo II. Do you have a Webelos Den Leader? Without one, it will be hard to get the advancement done. I was in a similar situation with my son becoming a Web. in a small pack, where the other Web. I had no interest in advancement, so we had a den of one. It looked like advancement would be a lot of work, so we started going to den activities at a nearby large pack to work on advancement. We went to winter camp, which nocked off two pins and a good part of a third. The boys in the large pack who went to summer camp the previous summer have all the pins they need for their Arrow of Light at the end of the first year, so it is possible to do it in a year, but the camps help a lot, and den activities tied to activity badges make a big difference.

 

[ScoutNut]

Have the Webelos den leader get a copy of the "Webelos Leader Guide". It has a 1 year program resource.

 

Completing the Webelos program in one year is doable, especially if they start now. However, keep in mind that you have 2 Webelos, one of whom is only in 4th grade(& hopefully you will get more in the Fall). Even if he finishes his AOL in a year he might not meet the age requirement to join a Troop at the end of his 4th grade school year.

 

Rather than push the 5th grader to earn the AOL, & possibly short change the 4th grader(s) in the process, I feel you would serve both boys better by focusing on working toward the Webelos Badge. The den can also do a lot of Troop visits, which would get the 5th grader familiar with the Troops in the area & give the 4th grader a head start too. Den camping would be fun. If at all possible get your Webelos leader trained in Webelos Outdoor.

 

The 5th grader will be able to join a BS Troop at the end of the school year regardless of weather or not he has earned the AOL. The 4th graders, with even more Troop contact & camping in 5th grade, will be able to make a good transition to Boy Scouting when they meet the joining requirements.

[fotoscout]

It is very possible for a new Webelos II to earn the AOL, even if he does not go to camp.

 

Camp will make it easier, but check with your local council about their camp programs for Webelos. Some programs concentrate more on Webelos activity pins than others. Don't mislead the boy into thinking that he can earn 4,5,6,7 or even 8 Activity Pins at camp. Some camps focus on outdoor summer fun and do very little advancement work in their CS Camp programs. Be informed.

 

It the boy and his parents move along at a steady pace, they will be in good shape to earn the AOL sometime in Feb. or March. In some parts of the country Webelos cannot camp thru the winter, so make sure to have the boy get his "overnighter" in before the winter.

 

If he is motivated this in not a big deal!

 

Good Luck.