District AOL Recognition Program

[ASM915]

Our newly merged District (January this year) is planning a AOL Recognition program. This is not AOL Ceremony. The Packs want to do the AOL on their own at this time. The District's plan is to have all second year Webelos attend, and recognize those who have earned & received their AOL award. As the recognition part winds down, the District wants rep's from the. District's Troops present to talk with perspective members & parents.

Our OA Chapter has been asked to take a major role in the program. We are discussing creating a new script/program. We do not want to have to much overlapping between this program & the AOL Ceremony.

 

We are also talking about bringing in dancers & a Drum from a neighboring Lodge (or a Native Drum from the area). We also are talking about handing out a gift that would encourage the Cubs to continue on their road into Scouting, and to participate in our Council's Camp Honors program at summer camp.

 

Are there any Lodges or Councils out there that have offered this type of program?

I am open to any suggestions & ideas. Feel free to reply to the group, or contact me via PM.

 

ASM915

Meschatamen

Hetuck Chapter Co-Advisor

Buckeye Council

 

[Eagle92]

My district does something similar at their Webeloree. It recognizes all those who are or will be finished with the AOL. One of the packs actually uses the ceremony to give out their AOLs.

 

If I can find the ceremony, I'll PM ya. If you'll PM me a reminder I'd appreciate it as I have a very busy day dealing with 3 hyperactive kids

[The Blancmange]

At our Spring Camporee, OA members perform a sort of crossover ceremony at the campfire for all the new scouts. All new Boy Scouts are recognized by name regardless of whether they earned AOL, or even if they were Cubs. It's a nice ceremony and the boys seem to appreciate it.

[shortridge]

Sounds interesting - like a good way for troops and packs to connect who may not have been familiar with each other in the old districts. Good luck!

 

As for a gift ... a cool neckerchief slide might work, and be simple enough to do. Take some round wood slices, woodburn a pattern or emblem representative of your camp on them, and stick a leather circle on the back. Set up an assembly line, and you can crank 'em out in an afternoon.

[Stosh]

????? Since when is AOL a requirement for crossing over to Boy Scouts or any activity that implies that process? If the boy is in Cub Scouts and will be going into Boy Scouts, he should be given the same opportunity to visit with the troops, etc. regardless of the rank he's at!!!! I can see this quickly turning into those who are in the group (AOL) and those that aren't (JUST Webelos).

 

I don't know if I would be wanting my troop to be a part of that process. I'll just go to the B/G's and talk to ALL of the boys, thank you. If the Arrowmen show up, fine, if not, that's okay too. If any of the Webelos want to join up, just cross on over! The only pre-requisite is wanting to join the troop.

 

We have had occasions where Webelos walked across the bridge to nowhere.... Kinda looked bad for the boys, but that's what the parents wanted.

 

Stosh

[ScoutNut]

I kind of agree with Stosh.

 

You are putting together what you call an AOL "Recognition program", and state it is not a ceremony. Yet from your description, it sure sounds like a ceremony to me.

 

You also state you want to invite all second year Webelos to the program, but only have those who have earned, or received (wouldn't most of these already be in a Troop?) their AOL actually participate in the program.

 

What are the rest of the Webelos supposed to do? Stand around and watch while Webelos, most of whom they don't know, participate in a program they are not a part of? Will they be allowed to talk to Troop reps, or is that only for program participants?

 

It seems like a better option would be to hold a Webelos-ree, or Webelos Woods type of program in the early Fall for ALL Webelos (4th and 5th grade). Troop reps can then talk to ALL of the Webelos, and possibly get them interested in joining Boy Scouts. This seems to be better than waiting until the Webelos already have their minds made up, and one foot out the door.

[Scoutfish]

 

 

 

Funny, I did not read anywhere in the original post that said that anybody was required to have AOL to cross over.

 

Matter of fact, the original post does not mention crossing over anywhere.

 

This is not a cross over ceremony at all. Simply a distric level recognition of Webelos getting AOL. Not different than a pack doing the exact same thing: The entire pack shows up to recognize and show respect to those who earned their AOL.

 

But at the pack level, Nobody ever says its a bad idea because of those who didn't get it.

 

It's not about those who didn't get it, who bareluy missed getting it, or those who didn't care to get it.

 

It's about those who DID EARN IT!

 

To tell the truth, I think it's cool that a district is taking the time to honor Cub Scouts who did go all the way in Cub Scouts and earn their AOL.

 

Seems like the only district event I hear about other than PWD is popcorn sales, solicitations for FOS, or other money making events.

 

An event that is for nothing other than to say "Way to Go!" to some scouts is awesome.

 

Now,as I read it, I do not think the original post specifically says that troop reps were going to talk only to AOL's. It just says they were there to meet "perspective members and parents". That could be all of the scouts present.

 

Of course, that is probably merely an informal meeting anyways as this is done as part of Requirement #6 of earning the AOL to begin with.

 

 

I hate that we cannot recognize those who do better than average out of fear we might upset, offend, or bother those who do just average.

[ScoutNut]

No one said that you should not recognize Scouts who have earned their AOL (which btw is not "above average").

 

I have no problem if a District wants to have an AOL recognition ceremony. I think it is fine idea. However, they should invite only those Webelos who have earned AOL.

 

I also have no problem with a District recognizing Webelos who are close to, or have completed, their AOL at the District Webelosree.

 

However, there is no point to inviting Webelos who have not earned AOL, to a program that is ONLY an AOL recognition, if there is nothing for them to do, and no reason for them to be there.

 

It is an entirely different dynamic at a Pack AOL presentation ceremony. This usually happens at a meeting of the ENTIRE Pack. The group all know each other. Most/all of the Cub Scouts are usually receiving some sort of an award. For those Webelos not receiving their AOL, they, like the rest of the Pack, show those receiving the award the same courtesy as they received when they were up there receiving an award.

 

 

 

 

[Scoutfish]

When we have a pack AOL ceremony, it is a ceremony for the AOL recievers, Not for everybody in the pack who might be getting some award. Otherwise, we'd just call it a pack meeting, not a Pacl AOL Ceremeony.

 

And at the AOL ceremony as wellas the Crossover ceremony, we like and encourage all Cub Scouts to attend and be ready to applaud those who earned their AOL.

[ScoutNut]

We award our Cub Scouts their AOL, and other awards, as soon as possible after they have earned it. We do not hold them, and wait. As a result, our Cubs have their AOL ceremonies as part of our monthly Pack meetings. Our Crossover to Boy Scouts ceremonies are also held during Pack meetings.

[Scoutfish]

"We do not hold them, and wait"

 

Neither do we. We have a ceremony scheduled around trhe time we know that they will get the AOL. As they work as a den, they usually earn them in numbers instead of one scout here, another there.

 

But when we do the AOL ceremony, it is its own get together. Not a pack wide awards night.

 

As for Arrow of Light...It is "The Arrow of Light Award, which is Cub Scoutings HIGHEST AWARD."

 

So, it's not a rank. Not all Cub Scouts earn the AOL. We do not treat it the same as earning rank. We pass out ranks earned at pack meeting for all the cub scouts.

 

But AOL is not a rank, it is an award.

 

Now, if only AOL Scouts were invited, well,that sounds kinda elitist to me. Pretty much snubs other scouts and tells them they are not good enough.

 

In our pack, we encourage all scouts to attend AOL and Crossover ceremonies as this shows them what they can look forward to one day themselves. Plus, the scouts who do earn AOL and who crosover - aren't just congratulating themselves (which is cliqueish), They recieve recognition and respect from the rest of the pack.

[ScoutNut]

I never said that YOU held up awarding the AOL. I never said that there was anything wrong with how your Pack handles it's AOL ceremonies. I simply stated what MY Pack does, and why.

 

My Pack does a fancy, impressive, ceremony every time we award any rank award badge, including the AOL. We do not exclude, or snub anyone. Because our presentation, and crossover, ceremonies are a part of our Pack meetings, the entire Pack is there to support, and celebrate, the accomplishments of all of their Scouts.

 

While the AOL is the highest award in Cub Scouting, it is still considered a Cub Scout rank badge. No, not all Webelos earn AOL, but I would not consider it unique to do so. Nor would I consider a Scout who earned it "better than average", or a Scout who did not earn it "just average". Based on the percentage of Webelos earning AOL in MY Pack, it is in fact pretty common to earn this. We very rarely have a Webelos in MY Pack (I do realize everyone's situation is different) who does NOT earn it.

 

However, the opening poster is NOT discussing a ceremony to present the AOL badge to Webelos Cub Scouts. He specifically states that the individual Packs will be doing that on their own, with their own units. What he is discussing is a District RECOGNITION ceremony program.

 

You stated - >>"if only AOL Scouts were invited, well,that sounds kinda elitist to me. Pretty much snubs other scouts and tells them they are not good enough.">"It's not about those who didn't get it, who bareluy missed getting it, or those who didn't care to get it. It's about those who DID EARN IT!"