New Den Leader

[steveangela1]

I am a new den leader for our pack. Ended up with the Bear group because they didn't have anyone to take the Bears.

We live in a very small community and only have 5 children in my den. Luckily!

This is the first year we have had someone for each age group as leaders, so I am thankful for that.

 

My questions are about the children who are my sons age group that have not earned their Bobcat badge. I know they have to earn it before ever getting anything else, but how do I keep it from holding the rest of the den back?

Do they need to follow the order and earn Tiger, Wolf badges as well before Bears?

 

The parents are willing to help, these boys just signed on this year.

[83Eagle]

No need to hold the rest of the Den back. In fact, have the Bear scouts who already have their Bobcat badges work with the other scouts and use the experience for Achievement 24a. Some of the Bobcat stuff is designed to be worked on within the family, and as for the rest, the Bears can all use practice on the motto, promise, Law of the Pack, handshake, salute, and sign, and so on. (In fact, in my experience, some of the new scouts were so gung-ho to learn the Bobcat stuff, which we pass out at Roundup, that they could teach the "old" scouts a thing or two at the first meeting!)

 

However, your new Bear scouts cannot go back and earn badges for years of the program they missed, so they simply start as Bears with the other Bears. They can't earn their Tiger and Wolf badges any more.(This message has been edited by gotta run)

[steveangela1]

Thank you for your reply. Thats how I thought it was supose to be done. I just needed to make sure I was doing it correctly.

 

Tonight I ended up with a bunch of children due to ball games, etc and I asked them to recite the Law of the Pack, etc. I noticed that it wasn't just the new scouts that did not know the stuff but a lot of the older scouts had forgotten it as well.

 

I asked each parent to help their children earn their Bobcat badge over the next few weeks. I am blessed in the fact the parents are the very much involved parents, so I know they will work hard with their children.

 

I have invested 3 years into scouting with my oldest son, and I have grown to really love it. So this year I decided to be a den leader.

You guys will def see a lot of me asking questions! I want to make sure I am guiding these parents and children in the right direction and to "DO MY BEST".

 

[Pack212Scouter]

Without Bobcat, they can still work on things with the rest of the Den, they just cannot earn anything until their Bobcat is complete. Something that you need to be aware of is that most of the Bobcat does not need to be memorized, all that they have to do is show and tell what it means. Bobcat has two purposes, first to familiarize the Scout and their parent with the Cub Scout program, second to get them a quick rank for positive feedback. Don't make this too hard for them.

[dmillar71]

"Something that you need to be aware of is that most of the Bobcat does not need to be memorized, all that they have to do is show and tell what it means. Bobcat has two purposes, first to familiarize the Scout and their parent with the Cub Scout program, second to get them a quick rank for positive feedback. Don't make this too hard for them. "

 

This.

 

We don't make new boys memorize any of the material, we simply go through each of the points, make sure they know what it means, and use them at the beginning and end of our Den Meetings. They should all qualify for their Bobcats after a couple of meetings.

[steveangela1]

Thank you all for the replies.

Some of the childrens parents hadn't even cracked the handbook open. Mostly because they had just signed their boys up for scouts over the past month or so.

If I understand this all corectly by reading the handbooks isn't part of the bobcat badge from learning the whys to all the mottos, laws, etc. That was part of the requirements.

[clemlaw]

With our Tigers, I told the parents that the requirement says "learn", and not "memorize", so they shouldn't worry excessively about having them memorized.

 

I planned on doing them "repeat after me style" for the first few meetings. But at our second meeting, we accidentally got locked out of the building and had our meeting outside. It was starting to get dark, and I didn't have my cheat sheet handy. (Hey, they changed it since I was a Cub Scout!)

 

So we just started reciting them, and lo and behold, everyone (including me) had them memorized, even though they didn't have to!

 

So if you just recite them at every meeting, the kids will learn them without really trying. IMHO, I would just have the parent (Akela) go over it at home, and sign it off as long as Junior shows some understanding (and, of course, is able to do the handshake!) IMHO, the main thing is that the parent and Cub go through the Youth Protection informaton at the front of the book, and he makes an effort to "learn" the other requirements.

 

[ScoutNut]

The Bobcat requirements are -

 

1) Learn and say the CUB SCOUT PROMISE and complete the Honesty Character Connection.

 

2) Say the LAW OF THE PACK. Tell what it means.

 

3) Tell what WEBELOS means.

 

4) Show the CUB SCOUT SIGN. Tell what it means.

 

5) Show the CUB SCOUT HANDSHAKE. Tell what it means.

 

6) Say the CUB SCOUT MOTTO.

 

7) Give the CUB SCOUT SALUTE. Tell what it means.

 

8) With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the booklet, How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse.

 

Of these, the last one (8) is the only one where the handbook is really necessary because the booklet is in the front of the handbook. This is also the one requirement that takes the longest to complete because parents are slow to do it.

 

The rest of the requirements can easily be completed in one month's worth of den meetings, so that the Bobcat can be earned by the Scout's first Pack meeting.

 

If the elements (Promise, Law, Sign, Handshake, Motto, Salute) are used in the opening, and closing ceremonies of every den meeting, every year, they will soon become second nature to the Scouts.

 

Remember, the criteria for completing requirements in Cub Scouts is DO YOUR BEST. That best is the individual CUB SCOUT'S best, not yours, or anyone else's. That best will vary from Cub to Cub.

[AKdenldr]

My bears loved parent homework!

 

A requirement of the bobcat is the youth protection piece. I had each boy open their books to the that piece and put a sticky tab sticking out of their books. Then I had them do the same with parent guide.

 

Then we practiced yelling, "Mom and Dad you have homework!" as our closing.

 

a big hit. Worked too.

 

Have fun!

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Steve,

 

 

So how is your Bear Den coming?

 

 

Are you planning to continue as Webelos leader?

 

If not, you should be looking for parents who have some camping and outdoor skillos who can take that responsibility.

 

If you are planning on doing that, do you have good camping and outdoor skills? Webelos Scouts need a good outdoor program to keep their interest. If you don't you should be looking for parents who do who can help plan and carry out Weebelos camping trips.

 

Also, I'd be looking at Webelos programs offered by Scout Troops and your district or other districts that you can participate in next year. And I'd be looking for Scout Troops you can partner with for camping trips and troops visits.

 

Planning those kinds of things now will make the Weebelos year simpler and with a stronger program.

[adamsdad]

I have an ancillary question. With almost all of my wolves patch-ready for B/G dinner; can I start on Bear activities (the other parents will get them finished by April at the latest), or do I need to wait for the start of the school year? I have one new boy that just joined (parents didn't get around to joining earlier!?!), I told him to just start with Bear stuff, since he wouldn't have time to finish Wolf. But another leader told me to let him work on Wolf; sounds like a waste of time to me. Any ideas?

 

The whole scout year seems goofy to me. Re chartet is in January; fire-up is in September, but we want them finished for B/G in Feb. Why is that?

[AKdenldr]

adamsdad said, 'I have an ancillary question. With almost all of my wolves patch-ready for B/G dinner; can I start on Bear activities (the other parents will get them finished by April at the latest), or do I need to wait for the start of the school year? I have one new boy that just joined (parents didn't get around to joining earlier!?!), I told him to just start with Bear stuff, since he wouldn't have time to finish Wolf. But another leader told me to let him work on Wolf; sounds like a waste of time to me. Any ideas? '

 

No, moving up to the next program is around June 1 (talk to your CM about when your pack advances the boys). Now is a great time to add in some fun, do some more electives for arrow points, do some belt loops, service, or extra awards like LNT. Do you have a program in the summer?

 

New boy could do bobcat, belt loops, LNT and other awards. Choice should be left with boy and parents about the Wolf -- doable at home if they are motivated.

 

Have fun.

[ScoutNut]

The awards, and activities that the boys work on in each level are age appropriate. Earning a rank award is not required to move to the next Cub level.

 

The Cub Scout program is age/grade based. Boys in 1st grade, or 7 years old are Tiger Cubs. Wolf Cubs are in 2nd grade, or 8 years old. Bears are in 3rd grade, or 9 years old.

 

Cub Scouts have until the end of the current school to earn any of the awards in their current Cub Scout level. BSA moves all Cub Scouts up to the next Cub level as of June 1 of every year.

 

So, the short answer to your question is - no. Your Wolf Cub Scouts can not start working on Bear activities until they finish 2nd grade.

 

There is a lot that they can do after they have earned their Rank Award for Wolf. There are all of those fun Electives at the end of the Wolf Handbook. There are all of the belt loops in the Academic and Sports program. There is the Outdoor Activity Award, Conservation Award, Leave No Trace Award, and Emergency Preparedness Award. You can also do things with your den to just have fun, or do service, like take a hike, clean up around your Charter Organization building, go sledding, have a snowman building contest, visit a nursing home, etc.

 

You can even help the Wolf Scouts (including the new one) who have not yet finished their rank award requirements by redoing some of the requirements in a new, fun way.

 

 

[Eagle92]

As others have mentioned

 

1) You do not have to earn Tiger and Wolf in order to start on Bear. Only Bobcat is required to be earned before RECEIVING, stressing not shouting, the Bear badge.

 

2) Cubs can work on anything in their HB, get it signed off, and recorded at any time since June 1. HOWEVER they cannot receive the rank badge unless they have Bobcat first (they do not need to reearn it each year), and cannot receive any electives until after they earn their current year's rank. Give ya an example. My son just completed Wolf. With all the stuff he has done at CSDC and other activities, he has earned 5 Electives since June 1. But he will get them next month b/c he just earned his Wolf.

 

3) You cannot start the next year's program until June 1. So my son cannot workont he Bear badge until After June. He's workign on electives, the Sports and Acadmics program, and most importantly HAVING FUN!!!!! (OK I am shouting about HAVING FUN!!!! I'm a CS leader and suppose to scream on occasion )

 

Hope it helps.