20 month Webelos program?

[Scoutfish]

So I'm going to be a brand new Webelos Den Leader next year. Can't wait, yet I'm kinda nervous too.

 

I have no problem learning from my mistakes. To be quite honest, I think the best lessons come from mistakes. BUT... I don't want those mistakes to be detrimental to the boy's program. Know what I mean? I have no issue screwing up something that affects me, but I do have an issue with ME screwing up when it affects others! Let them learn from their mistakes, not mine.

 

So anyways, from what I have read across many scouting sites and books, the length of the Webelos program is not set in stone as far as a time frame for AB's (Activity Badges). In one site, I can see that the Webelos might just barely get their Webelos badge before age 12. In another site, I see that the boys knock out one AB a month for 20 months and are practically just waiting to go to Boy Scouts and go to an EBOR. The next site has stated that their first year Webelos have earned their rank, Compass Points and Arrow of Light badge at the following B&G.( What is that? 6 months? ) Wow, what a dull second year right?

 

While I do want the boys to earn as many AB as they want, I also want them to mean something. Yes, I have heard of MB mills. I do not want to be an AB mill, but at the same time, I do not want to drag out anything unnecessarily. That make sense?

 

So basically, what I'm asking is this:

 

How did you run your Webelos Den? What was your advancement ( not sure that's the right word) rate on AB's?

 

How hard did you work on the Webelos badge, the Compass Point badge and AoL badge?

 

I know their is no set in stone rule, but I want to at least try working with something that worked for somebody else instead of just trying something out of the blue that might be a disaster.

 

Thanks for all replies!

[artjrk]

I would suggest taking the first 12 months concentrating on providing the boys the opportunity to earn their Webelos Badge and start towards the arrow points. After they come back in the Fall, gear your activities toward finishing Arrow of Light. Talk to the local Troops that your boys generally crossover to and work out some joint activities. Set a goal to get AoL done in time without rushing it in the end. This allows the boys to make up any missed work with out panic.

 

But above all else, make it fun and not a chore to reach these goals. My oldest hated Webelos because the leader made it feel like school w/ homework. He only stuck it out because he really wanted to get into Boy Scouts. If you don't cover every AB, so what.

[Basementdweller]

Our current Webelos dens are terrible. One AOL out of 8 boys in the Web II's, sad. None of the Web I's have earned the Webelos Badge, sad. A quick quality check not one could tie a square knot. A contrast, the bear den can all tie overhand, square, bowline, tauntline, two halfhitches and the truckers hitch.

 

In my opinion, the problem is the current leaders did not have any interest in the outdoors or a scouting background. On the overnight with the troop, only one boy, my son and I attended. Sad. They have never been to day camp or resident camp.

 

My plan

 

1.Resident Camp for the den, Camperships have already been submitted those who cannot afford it.

2.Webelos Woods in October for the Den. They earn or get the majority of requirements finished for a number of activity pins.

3. Meet twice a month thru the summer

4. 4 Den camp outs in addition to the resident camp and Webelo woods. Each with a theme and activity badge, I already have the subject matter experts scheduled

5. Our Park system has several hiking programs, we have participated and will continue

6. I have a list of AB's from each event and plan on filling in the others at den meetings.

7. I expect that the Web I den will have their Webelos Badge by the December Pack meeting.

8. I also expect that they will be very close to earning the AOL by Graduation next year at this time.

9. The visits to the BS troops have been scheduled.

10. We have already been invited to two Troop camp outs, in addition to the four campouts.

 

Needs

1. Recruit a Den Chief. most of the Troops met on the same night as us.

2. Assistant Den Leader. Lots of help none of it official.

3. More $$$$$ for Camping and activities.

4. Bigger room at the CO and more storage, I have two trailers for day camp and one full of troop

gear

5. more daylight

 

I do not expect this den to see a Web II year. But that is up to each the boy and his parent.

 

I am probably the extreme example of planning. But planning makes the program easier, I am recruiting parents to run some of the activity pins.

 

[Scoutfish]

#3 Meet twice a month through the summer...

 

Right now, our dens/ pack meet 3 times a month , sometimes four depending on how many Mondays we have.( I think Mondays might be part of the problem)

 

We use the fist Monday as a leaders/ committee meeting night, 2nd Monday is den, 3rd is pack, 4th is den and 5th ( if there is one) den.

 

But you know.... Monday night is fine and okay, but wouldn't at least 1 Saturday be better than 2 or 3 Monday nights? I like that!

 

The problem with Monday nights is that is also when my distric has it's monthly round table. Also, everybody just went back to school after the weekend and we just went back to work. By the time work/school is over, I just want to go home! Not run out to a scout meeting for an hour! The scouts had a miserable day at school and are just starting a new week of homework.

 

So I'm thinking that on a Saturday, we could met for two hours or more. Maybe even cook some hot dogs on sticks over a campfire forlunch.

 

Is this too much or un realsitic?

[Scoutfish]

artjrk,

Yeah, I really don't want to shove anything in their faces. Man,I hated school as much as the next guy! LOL!

 

I want it to be fun, but still have a reasonable amount of progress. I'ma big kid at heart and like to goof off too, but want to curtail it enough that we don't drag but or take too long either.

 

[Basementdweller]

Our Pack stops completely during the summer. This summer I have already scheduled Pack Activities for once a month that way we can earn the summer time pack award.

 

I am not sure about your CO's schedule, but you could move your den meeting to another night of the week if you have a conflict on Mondays. I would shy away from too many weekends beyond the campout.

 

But with that said, Two saturdays a month instead of a monday meeting might be more productive. i don't know. You will just have to see what works for your group. Every group is different.

[Scoutfish]

Ours pretty much shuts down over the summer too.At least den meeting/ pack meeting wise.

 

We do have at least 1 "fun Day" each month, but program wise, we are shut down. It's more to keep the current membership going until the start of the next scout year.

 

Well, I don't meanevery saturday, but maybe 1 a month in place of a Monday night meeting. I know Saturdays are also for other activities and just winding down after a long week.

 

Definantly still have to go to the Monday night Pack meetings and such.

 

I just thought trading 1 Saturaday of 2 or 3 hours for 1 Monday night might be cool or better. I'll try it, worst thing that can happen is if nobody will like it!

[rjscout]

Scoutfish,

 

Basementdweller has it right.... outdoors and camping. Den camping, Council Webelos Camping, Boy Scout Camping to show Webelos about the troop. It is good to move a lot of Den Meetings outside, too. Boys get tired of being in a classroom too much. You can have some Den Hikes and every so often, go over certain aspects of an Activity Award during a break.

 

See if you can get a Boy Scout, or more, to help with some of your activities. Let them see that Boy Scouts is not an extension of Cub Scouts. Having Boy Scouts around will help to show that.

 

Give the boys more responsibility in the Pack, especially when they become 2nd year Webelos.

 

Webelos has been my favorite part of Cub Scouts for my son.

 

Don't push for the Super Achiever, but let the boys know that it is possible, if they want to commit to it.

 

MAKE IT FUN!!!!

 

 

[jhankins]

The minimum amount of time from Webelos to AoL is 9 months, isn't it? Three for rank and 6 months for AoL...

 

Den/Patrol camping doesn't have to be just rjscout mentioned, it can be even backyard camping. In my neck of the woods, it's not uncommon for parents to have 1+ acres of desert land that can be modified into a campsite for the boys. For every month there isn't a council/pack campout or an outing, boys in my son's patrol will be camping in someone's backyard -- every month.

 

Local museums offer great field trips for ABs. Council camps and Webelos Woods offer the chance to start partials on ABs in the field. Getting the boys "out," and exposed to other adult leadership in the community will start to open doors for them.

 

We follow a 3 meeting/month format with one outing-- either camping, hiking, or to an AB. Sometimes the outing is just for fun, too! We took the boys on an EAA Young Eagle Flight for this month's cub scout theme. They didn't "earn" anything, but the interest in flying has sparked new enthusiasm in other areas.

 

Hope that helps.

[bbender]

On the question of how long ("minimum amount of time from Webelos to AoL is 9 months, isn't it? Three for rank and 6 months for AoL"), technically, the AoL requirement is not tied to the end of the Webelos Badge 3 month requirement.

 

Webelos Badge tenure requirement is "Be an active member of your Webelos den for 3 months."

 

Arrow of Light tenure requirement is "Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge."

 

So, technically, a 5th Grade new Webelos could earn AoL in 6 months, possibly at the same time as those who were Web I's in 4th Grade (we seem to pick up a lot of new Web II's in 5th Grade, and supplement our Web II program with a tutorial to cover Fitness and Citizen, since those get done by Web I's to earn the Webelos Badge so that they can wrap up AoL and cross over about now).

 

As to outdoor activity, yah, that's what grabs them. Webelos Encampment in the summer, Pack Camping in October, a Webelos Winter Camp (with our affiliated Boy Scout Troop) in November or December, and we've sometimes done our big January events with the Troop (e.g., Cave Camping).

[Mrw1]

Many years ago as a DL (Two times through)this is what I did.

 

Camping outside the pack campouts was not done except for a trip to a Council Webelos overnight camp in the summer. And that was plenty for that given the higher parent committment needed to take the Cubs camping. Remember they are only 9 when they cross from Bears to Webelos!!!!!

 

Each meeting included a game, a craft and some work on an activity pin. Some of this overlapped nicely and some was to keep the less enjoyable pins less onerous. (And when some little guy completely destroys the potential to get anything useful accomplished by telling you that boys don't need to worry about fires because they have a builtin fire hose, you can recover by just going to the next activity.)

 

Starting in September of 4th grade, we worked on the basics for the Webelos badge which most of them earned in time to receive it at the B&G in February. Then we went on to do the additional pins for the AOL based on their interests.

 

Most completed the AOL by the next B&G and were ready to cross-over a month later. That last month we finished up loose ends for the guys that still had pins to earn. 2 of each group earned all of them.

 

We did lots of field trips during meeting times and on Saturdays to augment the pin activities. We went to the library, newpaper printing plant, NASA, chocolate factory, police and fire stations, nature hikes etc. We spent a day or two and maybe one overnight with the scout troop they cross to. There are also belt loops and academic and sports pins and letters to earn. Plenty to do without being Boy Scouts early.

 

There were three Eagles out of those dens, so something must have gone right.