WannaBees?

[AnniePoo]

I was at a training session yesterday and heard that National is starting a program for kindergardeners called the WannaBees. Does anyone here have information about this program?

 

Thanks,

Annie

[Nike]

Hopefully that's just a placeholder name. UGH!! But, since Daisy GS's have been around for nearly twenty years, I guess BSA thinks it's time to catch up. I just don't know how they're going to make things any simpler than Tigers.

[SSScout]

Wannabees? Naw, no way.

 

Lessee now...

 

We now have Tiger Cub, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, "Webelos" (whatever that is).

 

Usta have Lion, then Webelos (that's a singular noun!).

 

Never really liked the Tiger Cub moniker, when the rest of the ordering is smaller to bigger, fiercer animals. Breaks the trend, don't you think.

 

If we look over seas for inspiration, I really don't know what our Brit friends do. I have heard that the UK have Scouts now, not Boy Scout and Girl Guide anymore, only age distinction.

 

So what to name a kindergarten Scout? Some small, possibly fierce animal....Badger? Ferret? Ocelot? Mongoose? Shrew? Vole? Pergrine? Echidna? Lynx? Prairie Dog?

 

I like Ocelot...alot...Or peregrine to begin...

 

 

Maybe Lynx...Bob Cat...Badger...Wolf...Bear...Webelos...

 

The old Lion rank was an African Lion, not an American Puma Lion. Maybe that's why the rank was eliminated, not an American animal?

 

Yeah, you could make the series all-American!

I hereby suggest: Lynx...Bob Cat...Badger...Wolf...Bear...

smaller, fierce animal to larger, fierce animal.

[ScoutNut]

There are 2 or 3 councils that have been participating in a trial Lion program for kindergartners for a few years now. As far as I have heard, BSA has not expanded it beyond those initial pilot councils.

[Crew21_Adv]

Annie,

 

Greetings!

 

 

Sounds like a joke that Scouters were pulling on each other. Or Urban Legends just beginning.

 

Here is what I've been told. (So like everything else, take it with a grain of salt.) While my DE and SE, are pretty darn good, they don't know exactly everything, but they are pretty sharp with BSA programs and emerging programs. They have stated, that National briefly considered a Cub Scout Kindergarden aged program, similar to the GSUSA beginning the Daisies so many years ago. I've been told that national had consultant firms and paid researchers, but determined that the common kindergarden aged boy would not be able to complete some educational task, for a hour each week. Determining that the mental development of 5 y/o boys is different that 5 y/o girls.

 

They stated the concept of a kindergarden Cub Scout age program was considered by national, but was not pursued. (or you can say the concept was tabled or shelved for now)

 

Any how, my DE and SE explanations sound reasonable, so I bought it. I'm not watching for a new kindergarden aged program for a few more years.

 

Also.... "WannaBees" may sound offensive joking title. and most of the Cub Scout programs follow the Jungle Book characters.

(Although, instead of Tigers, in England they have Beavers, and in Australia they have Joey Scouts).

 

I expect the discussion of "WannaBees" to be a joke or Scouting Urban Legend.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[AnniePoo]

I don't think it's a joke - a couple of district execs in our council evidently got e-mails from National about this on Friday. I had read (here) about the trial runs with Lion dens, but sounds like this may be something different. The e-mails hinted that the WannaBees wouldn't have a full program, but would involve kindergarden boys being invited to certain pack events just to give them a taste of Cub scouts. The DE I talked to was a bit frustrated that the e-mail didn't give more info. I'll e-mail our district's DE and see if I can find out more.

[Eagle92]

There's been talk about a kindergartener program for over 10 years now, since I went to PDL-1. Nothing has occurred yet and I don't think it will.

[ScoutNut]

You seriously think a family would register a son of theirs as a "WannaBee"? I doubt it. A Monkey, Cheetah, Snake, or even Lion, yes, WannaBee, no.

 

Just because an e-mail seems to have come out of National does not make it a legitimate one. Lately there have been lots of e-mails going around that look exactly like they are from banks and internet service providers, etc, requesting personal, and financial information, supposedly to verify your account. None of these are legitimate.

 

It sounds like a spam e-mail to me, and I would be VERY cautious about opening any attachments that come with it.

 

[nldscout]

Our council along with 5 or 6 others in the NE Region are into the 3rd year of testing the LION program for kindergarten aged boys and in 1 coucil, girls also.

 

The program has been fairly sucessful here and we have been briefed in other councils also. We were told that National was considering a full rollout of this in fall 2009 or 2010.

[Apache Bob]

In my district we don't call them WannaBees. We call them MeToos.

Anything to increase the numbers. I know Ventures can go to 21. Why not make it 25? Then you could have the Boy Scouts go to 21.

You know if you let girls in as Tigers you could really get the numbers up once the fight with the Girl Scouts was over.

 

[AnniePoo]

It's real, but another pilot program. I just talked to our DE, and they haven't received much information about it yet. Looks like it has real possibilities, although there's no way in heck that we can implement it this year with this much short notice. As I told our DE, we do our major pack planning in the middle of summer and there's no way I'm going to recommend to our pack leaders that we add this to the to-do list for the year. Next fall would be realistic.

[gcan]

I'm thinking that your council may want to REEEEALLY reconsider that name. 5yo's might not think much of it, but thier 8/9/10 y.o. brothers will!

Our council has just started a Lions program... also called K Kubs. Not sure which is the 'official' term, but those are the only one's we've heard.

[DeanRx]

Why ? Does there need to be an "offical" Kindergarden rank?

 

Most every pack I know of has "hangers on" in the form of little brothers and sisters at every event.

 

We have them in an "unoffical" group.

 

They are the "chipmunk patrol".... yes, I know technically a Den, but patrol goes better with the chipmunk moniker. They get do build a pinewood car and race in the "sibling" category. They had their own wading pool at this spring's family campout (it was late spring and very hot).

 

The Chipmunks had their pool, the cubs had a squirt gun fight! Opps, probably broke the GTSS rule about "war games" or something w/ that one...

 

Point being - CS is a family centered program and younger sibs are bound to be involved. Just include them and make 'em feel welcomed. I don't understand WHY we would need a nationally sponsored program for K-graders.

 

Whats the requirement for rank? Tie your own shoes and don't eat paste / crayons?

 

What's next: potty training merit badge? Geeesh !

 

And a name like "WannaBees" - BSA must 'wanna' make them get picked on by the older cubs. That's more lame than the stupid purple dinosaur my 2 y/o idolizes!(This message has been edited by DeanRx)