Arrow of Light - No Den Activities At Pack

[Bret Green]

We are registered in a Pack that is falling apart. The new Webelo Den Leaders are doing nothing to help the boys meet their Arrow of Light requirements. The Pack hasn't alway been this bad; its a recent development. My son wants to stick with his friends but I would like to see him earn his Arrow of Life. Here's the problem. The AOL requirements require a "Den" visit to a Troop Meeting and "Den" outing with a Boys Scout Troop. I know plenty of Scouters that would be happy to host my boy at their event. Is there any way for me to get around the requirement that this to be a Den Activity? Please don't suggest that I talk to the Den Leaders or the Cubmaster. Been there done that.

[ScoutNut]

And what did the Webelos den leader say when you talked to him/her? What did the CM say?

 

Requirements are meant to be done as written. I would do them on my own, only as a last resort.

 

It is only October, there is plenty of time for them to finish up the AOL requirements, including the Troop meetings and outings.

 

Talk to the Webelos DL again and ask if it would be OK if you set up an outing to a Boy Scout outdoor event (Fall Camporee?), or Troop meeting. Get a list of dates that would work for the den leaders.

 

Have they finished all of their Activity Badges? If not, ask if they would mind if you contacted a Merit Badge Counselor to do the badge with the den. Give the DL suggestions of places to go that cover Webelos badges. Offer to set up the outing for the den.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gwd-scouter]

"Been there, done that." It would be helpful if you give us the DL/CM response to your request to visit a Troop.

 

Why not volunteer yourself to take the Den to meet with a Troop?

[GKlose]

When I was a Webelos Scout, our den leader took us to visit every troop in town (six troops at the time). As a 10-yr-old, I still found that interesting. I also knew the troop I wanted to join the moment we walked in: they were in the midst of a fun activity, and had us join right in.

 

So when my oldest was in Webelos, I thought that was a good idea for him too. Took a little work to get contact information for all the troops in town (so, I met the DE, found out that our town really didn't have unit commissioners, and have since been roped into membership duties on the district committee).

 

My son's den leader wasn't really interested in the process, so I set up all of the troop visits. More than half the den didn't even bother to visit more than one meeting (when requirements say "visit a troop", there was no need to visit multiples, was there?). One mom even sent email to everyone that said, "why are we visiting so many troops, I thought we're supposed to join Troop 123?"

 

Years later, I learned some things that I didn't pick up when I was in Webelos. Every troop is different. Every group of leaders, youth and adult, is different. In four visits, I saw Webelos III, hanging on by a thread, loose and not very active, and adult-run. I visited a fifth one, in another town, all by myself (even my own son didn't want to go), and found what I thought is a model troop (I've since learned that it is also the kind of troop that tries to slow down fast-advancing young Scouts, and puts Life Scouts through the wringer on Eagle projects because "our standards are much higher").

 

I think it pays to shop around, and ask questions.

[dg98adams]

I was the CM when my son was a Webelos II. Our Webelos II DL decided to quit, so I propped up another parent the last stretch as we had 5 Webelos II's.

 

We did not have a direct "feeder" Troop, but there was 1 Troop that had some minor interaction (not much).

 

One Webelos II member had moved, but still came to the den meeting. We visited the local Troop to his School (most obvious choice for him), we also visited the sorta-feeder Troop. We visited the closest Troop to where we live (and the one I would have chosen if it was my choice - lots of Eagle involvement), and another Troop (farther away - I actually did all my cub training with the Cub Leaders who started the Troop - very new).

 

My son chose the one with the most boys his age (new Troop). I did get him to agree that after 1 year, if this new Troop was not working out, he could transfer.

 

I ended up being welcomed in to this Troop as an ASM, and my son flourished and is now a Life Scout at 14 (2 MB + project from Eagle). The Troop has grown at least 3-4x bigger than it started out and is about 40 Scouts (30-35 active).

 

The Webelos transition is not very well managed (or understood) in many Packs. Ideas like "we have to join Troop X", or "this is the way we do it" are obvious "flags".

 

As others have echoed, if the CM won't let you organize a WL Den visit, go talk to a couple troops with your son on your own. In fact, ask your son to ask the SM some questions about troop camping or summer camp.

[GKlose]

"The Webelos transition is not very well managed (or understood) in many Packs."

 

That's exactly how the DE roped me into Membership!

 

It started with an innocent question, via email, by me: "is there a Unit Commissioner I can talk to about the troops in our town?" which was answered with a "well, we don't really have anyone in that role at the moment" (long story, but it involved the selling of a camp). Eventually, it became "maybe you could help us out on Membership -- you seem to understand the Webelos transition part".

 

Then before I knew it, there was email being sent around naming me as the District Membership Chair. I later figured out that I was a Membership Committee of one. :-)

 

Just this last month, I did a presentation on Webelos-to-Scout transition to our monthly Roundtable. My talks are always very short (I learned that after listening to a horrifically-long sales pitch on the council summer camp, complete with a ten-minute idiotic video that felt like it took an hour).

 

My major point on Webelos-to-Scout transition: it is a two-way street. Not every unit has a feeder relationship, and even if there is, nobody says Webelos are bound to join a particular troop. I suggest two things: that units do multiple troop visits, because there is no one-size-fits all troop, and I suggest that troops recruit, by actively seeking out Webelos dens for visits.

 

I know that kind of suggestion tweaks some troops -- but I've seen the other side of the same coin. I've seen troops neglect their feeder pack, perhaps taking them for granted, and the results aren't always good. One Webelos Den Leader told me "our troop doesn't even care that we exist, they just assume we'll join."

 

Guy