Are Webelos in a Den or a Patrol ??

[WestCoastScouter]

Are Webelos together in a Den or in a Patrol ??

 

what do we call it ??

 

Assuming its a Patrol, then should we allow the boys to select a patrol name ??

[AlFansome]

They are a den. The word "patrol" is not in the Cub Scout vocabulary. When they pick a name, it's a den name. If/when they pick an emblem for their right sleeve if they wear the green uniforms, then it's a den emblem. When they make a flag or come up with a yell, it's a den flag and a den yell.

 

 

 

 

[Eagle92]

Concur with Al. After all they still led by a DEN Leader.

[bbender]

Yes, the Webelos are still in Den, but the Patch and Name make it "look like" a Patrol . . . which is great, as it fires up the Webelos, distinguishes them from younger Scouts, gives them further independence. It also helps with the Webelos goal of "preparing for Boy Scouts": if the Den picks "Eagle" or some other name that is not "taken" in the Troop you're aiming to join and the Troop maintains Patrols on the basis of age (not a mix of ages), they might retain the identity and "become" the Eagle Patrol of that Troop when they cross over.

 

So, currently they are the Eagle Den, but if they add "soon to be the Eagle Patrol!", I think we're all happy with that.

 

(and FWIW, I've always liked the idea of even Tiger Dens giving themselves a name -- not a patrol emblem -- but a name to tie into Den Yells, Flags, Doodles and the like -- I mean, "We're Den 12" is sooo boring compared to "We're the Tiger Sharks")

[AnaMaria]

Page 12-4 in the Cub Scout Leaders Guide - "Webelos dens may have a name and wear the appropriate "patrol" emblem instead of a den numeral, but they still must be referred to as dens and not patrols." Additionally, I see nothing that says the "patrol" emblem can only be worn on the green uniform.

 

I had not really thought about this earlier and my Webelos den is currently known as the "Spy Patrol". I suppose they should be the "Spies", but I don't think we'll change things now. I'll be aware next time (youngest is currently a Wolf).

[bbender]

Sadly (warning: unofficial stuff being linked here), the patchtown folks (see http://www.patchtown.com/boyscoutpatr.html) don't have a "Spy" patrol (though I imagine they could take the old Mad Magazine Spy v. Spy image pretty easy), but there is an "eyes" emblem (see http://www.patchtown.com/eyespatrol.html), and also a "secret agent" emblem (but since it's just the words, that's a bit lame; see http://www.patchtown.com/secretagents.html).

 

Of course, don't let them see the whole gallery, or they'll want to be Vampire Teddy Bears or Gangsta' Frogs or Gnomes or something . . .

[AnaMaria]

We used the "eyes" patch - I think Patchtown calls it "snipe". Unfortunately, it's been mistaken for a bra - fortunately only by adults who had the discretion to ask about it in private!

 

The flag the boys designed has a black background and also includes red eyes, so the patch goes well with the flag and was chosen after the flag was designed.

[John-in-KC]

They are a DEN. They are operating under the Method "Preparation for Boy Scouts." That is why they take a name and a patrol patch.

 

They are a DEN. They are not yet a miniature society. Their LEADER is an adult.

 

Notice that in a TROOP, the LEADERS are YOUTH MEMBERS.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[bbender]

Absolutely agreed they are a Den, with a Den Leader who is an adult.

 

However, of course, concepts like "Denner" (the youth leader assistant to the adult Den Leader) do get incorporated into the Cub Scout program even before Webelos level, so there is some youth leadership there.

 

And a den is, for many, the first community where they can exercise some self-determined governance: for example, if (as we've done successfully) the adult Den Leader guides them to develop a code of conduct . . . the laws for how the den will operate, the Scouts feel that they have created their own rules.

 

Still a den, led by an Adult Den Leader, but preparation for Boy Scouts and beyond . . .

[perdidochas]

They are in a den, but a smart Webelos leader starts to treat them like a junior patrol, IMHO. I just crossed over my Webelos Den to Boy Scouts (7 boys). I had been giving them increasingly more choices and requiring them to do more decision making.

[mpaull]

Was there anything further to the earlier posts from AIFansome and AnaMarie about what color shirts the den emblems were allowed on (or not)? Our boys are not in green, but I'm sure they would love to wear their emblem. Can they?

[AlFansome]

Can't find anything that would disallow the den emblem on the blue uniform, so it looks like it's OK.

 

In particular, http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/05.aspx makes no distinction between blue or tan where the right sleeve is concerned.

[acco40]

Just to reiterate what others have said, Webelos are organized into dens and may wear a patrol patch on their Webelos uniform. In Cub Scouts, it is actually called a den emblem, worn in "position 2" right below the USA flag emblem (we don't wear flags on our uniform ).

 

Webelos Scouts may choose to wear either the blue Webelos uniform based on the Cub Scout uniform or the tan/olive uniform similar to the one that Boy Scouts wear. The patrol patch/den emblem cosmetically goes better with the tan/olive uniform but may be worn on either.