3yr Webelos or Sit Out

[mecimcim]

My son was held back in first grade while a Tiger Cub. I talked with the CM on what he wants to do. He let my son progress with his den. I know each year he did not make the grade requirement for each step because of being a grade behind. So, should I let him be in Webelos for 3 years to make the AoL requirement or sit him out a year and join a different den.

Thanks

[SctDad]

So how od wi he be at the end of his second year of Webelos. I would use that as a basis of when he can join the troop or cross over.

[mecimcim]

He would be 10 yrs old at the time of the B&G banquet in the 2nd year, but will turn 11 yrs old before the next school year.(This message has been edited by mecimcim)

[SctDad]

Remember, there is nothing that says that the boys have to cross at the Blue and Gold. An outdoor ceremony is a good one to have when you can have everyone outside and the weather is not too cold

 

Here are the joining requirements as I got them from USScouts

 

1.Meet age requirements: Be a boy who has completed the fifth grade and be at least 10 years old, or be 11 years old, or have earned the Arrow of Light Award and be at least 10 years old, and be under 18 years old.

 

Your son will probaby be fine, just crossing a little late in the spring. As long as he has his AOL.

 

Hope this helps.

[Basementdweller]

He can join Boy Scouts at 11 or 10 1/2 if he earns the Arrow of Light.

 

He has plenty of time to earn it before the Blue and Gold. Just relax and enjoy your son and his scouting journey. If it is that important to him. then sit down and map out the remaining activity badges and finish them. No biggy.

[mecimcim]

Thanks for your replies

[ChaiAdventure]

I don't the issue here. If he earns his AOL by the time of the crossover, he can enter the troop (regardless of grade). If he does not earn his AOL, he can enter the troop at 11, and does not have to do a "Webelos 3" year at all....just maybe a delay until his b-day without AOL.

[ScoutNut]

The question here is similar to that in another thread. The boy will be a 4th grade, 10 year old, 2nd year Webelos Scout. As such he will not have completed the AOL requirement to be an active Webelos for 6 months since his 10th birthday, by the time the rest of his 2nd year (5th grade) Webelos den mates cross to Boy Scouts at their Pack's B&G.

 

The answer is to simply keep him active in his Pack until he reaches 10.5 years old. Since he will be 11 before the next school year starts (Aug - Sept), and it is 6 months from Feb to Aug, that can only be another 1 or 2 months.

 

When he has completed all of the requirements for AOL, including being 10.5 years old, your Pack can have a nice ceremony for him, and he can cross to a Boy Scout Troop at that time. Who knows, maybe there will be some other boys in his den who will not be ready until March, or April.

 

There is no need at all to have him put in another year as a Cub Scout.

 

[Lisabob]

I thought we had been through this recently. The current AoL requirement is **not necessarily** to be active for 6 months after the 10th birthday. The requirement is to be active for at least 6 months after having completed 4th grade (or at least 6 months after turning 10), and to have earned the webelos badge. The webelos badge, in turn, is meant to be earned by a boy who is in 4th grade (or age 10) and who has been active in his webelos den for at least three months. It is not uncommon for boys to be ages 9, 10, or 11 and in 4th grade.

 

So. Hypothetically, if the school year runs from September - June, a boy could earn his webelos badge in 4th grade at age 9 (or younger or older, so long as he's in 4th grade!). When school lets out in June and he is done with 4th grade, he could start working toward his 6 month tenure for AOL. He could earn his AoL as early as January of his 5th grade year, possibly still at age 9 (or younger or older, as long as he's now in 5th grade).

 

Boy Scout Joining rules are different from AoL rules. 9 year olds cannot join a boy scout troop. 10 year olds can join a troop, if they have finished 5th grade or earned AOL (or both). 11 year olds can join a troop, regardless of rank and grade. The latter two options appear to apply to original poster's son.

 

Since he was held back, there is some wiggle room. Parents might choose to hold him back in cub scouting to be with his grade-based buddies (do a 3rd year of webelos). Or they might choose to let him cross over with his age-based buddies (cross over in his second year of webelos, as long as he has that AOL and is 10). The choice should belong to the parents, in consultation with the cubmaster or den leader, and the scoutmaster of the troop he wants to join. Do what you think will be best for your son.

[eghiglie]

My son was held back twice in both 1st and 2nd because of learning disabilities. He joined a Pack the second time in 2nd grade. Two other boys in the Den had also been left back a year. The other two had never been held back.

 

He earned Wolf, Bear and Webelos with no major problem and camped 45 or so nights as a Cubbie. When he in the middle of 3rd grade I got him his own tent but more importantly we took an archery course sponsored by the City recreation system. Once he became proficient at archery, his grades in school went from C/D to A/B.

 

Just as they finished 3rd grade the other two boys were getting old enough to join a Troop and wanted AoL sooner, based on age. We read the requirements for AoL and they offer a couple of options. He was going to turn 12 right at end of 4th Grade anyway, but he was bored stiff with Cubs and wanted to go to a troop. I bribed him to stay in Cubs and get his AoL by getting him a rifle.

 

Part of what caused the boredom was that at the end of 3rd grade he got to attend a weeklong NRA camp and earned distinguished expert with air rifle. Going to shot BB gun's at Cub Camp was now boring, therefore Cubs was boring.

 

So the three of them busted butt over the summer to finish up what he needed and in the middle of 4th grade they crossed over (three different troops though).

 

The biggest problem we had leaving the Pack was the Cubmaster and Committee Chair. The CM and CC wouldn't give the boys the arrow plaques because they didn't think it was fair they got them in 4th grade. The CC made comments that my son overheard and this of course hurt him.

 

Arrow plaques cost us about $25 bucks each. We did our own Crossover at a District Event.

 

The local Council told us that at 12 years old my son would be dropped as a Cub anyway.

 

He was a 5th grader when he went to his first summer camp in the South, he never complained once, compared to the others that were in the troop a long time. He decided to try and go to summer camp twice a year, he has taken the motorboat class 5 or 6 times just so he can drive a boat.

 

It took him a year to make 1st class, but Star and Life quickly followed. He has been Life a while and has all the merit badges he needs. The last thing he needs is the project which he is kicking off next week.

 

He is ready to join a crew as soon as he gets Eagle, he also wants to join the city swim team.

 

My point is that if they are ready age wise cross them over. They will make new friends at the Troop. Maturity has to be considered of course. I sat down with him and explained that his luck in life was up to him. I can help so much but at some point he becomes responsible. He understands this very well.

 

 

[ScoutMomAng]

The problem usually does not arise if a boy is held back but put UP a grade! If he is held back he will generally meet the requirement regardless of where he started. However, being put up a grade puts him YOUNGER than his "peers" in his den and grade.

 

The requirement to join a boy scout troop is 10.5 with the AOL or 11 without. There is no exception when it comes to national accepting the application to the troop level.