Does the Webelos program really prepare them?

[Bob White]

You might consider following the Monthly themes scheduled by the national cubscout division. That way the articles and activities in Boys Life magazine suppot the activities of your den.

 

Bob White

[sctmom]

Yep, got the monthly themes. We don't have 4 den meetings a month, so it is hard to do everything that is in the program helps in one month. If I can figure out what the boys like, then I can make sure we cover the best activities for that theme.

 

The main thing is I want the boys to start making choices and I want them to have fun.

 

Most compliant children will do whatever you tell them to. But let's face it, most boys in Scouts are not always the most compliant. We have them there to channel that energy they have. They aren't going to stay if they are cutting and pasting.

 

Most boys seem to want to use the pocketknife, build or at least see a fire, and move around a lot.

 

I had one mother say that a few years ago when her son was in 3rd grade and Cub Scouts, the boys always had their books in their hands throughout the meetings. This mother was supposed to be checking the books for advancements, but they boys needed them. I haven't figured out what they were doing or how they didn't have a riot on their hands.

 

[ScouterPaul]

I look at the Webelos program as a transition from Cubs Scouts to Boy Scouts. Bob White is correct you do not want to give your Webelos a Boy Scout camping experience. You do however want to get them outdoors as much as possible. I ran my Webelos meetings as follows:

 

Opening - designed by a different Scout every week

 

Activity Badge work - I had two stations and the Webelos divided up into 2 groups of 4 and spent 15 minutes at each station.

 

Scout Skills - All the boys came together for a session on Scout skills. This included practice putting up tents, firebuilding, knots, cooking ect.

 

Game - We finished the meeting with a game.

 

Closing

 

When the boys crossed over they had some basic skills that made their transition to Boy Scouts much easier. They knew how to erect a tent, start a fire, and felt somewhat comfortable with cooking their own meals.

 

One area that I could have done a better job was to prepare them for the boy lead aspect of Boy Scouts. They still feel uncomfortable "bossing the other boys around" (their words not mine).

[james_clegg]

Here is my .02. The program works, I was able with the help of a district sponsored webelos woods and webelos day hike to make available every pin.

I recommend assigning boys to teach each other. Pick one part and have the boy prepare to teach it.

This worked especially well with first aid.

I also found that having them make a video of how to do a skill was great fun.

 

The hemlock maneuver will never be forgotten in our house

3rd treat webelos as optional if a scout doesnt want to be there and is disruptive send him home. It is amazing what you can do if you dont have to say johnny, johnny, JOHNNY 300 times in one meeting. 3 strikes and you must not want to be here.

 

 

James

[KoreaScouter]

The original question was does the Webelos program prepare them. As with any other aspect of Scouting, the policies and plans are great as written, but the execution is often lacking. Den leaders in CS are the key -- if they're untrained, lazy, or don't get it, it's not going to work. The most animated Cubmaster at a monthly pack meeting is not going to make up for it.

 

There's definite techniques that make this better. Following BSA "Webelos to Scout transition" literature is optimal.

 

KS

[Venturer2002]

Webelos was the best of all Cub Programs!

 

When my mom was the den leader (Tigers to Webes)

she let the boys decide things,

we didn't use the official "denner" and "assistant denner" titles, but had similar offices.

 

For those that say that Webelos is supposed to be run 100% by adults, you're dead wrong. Webelos IS a transition program into the other programs of Boy Scouting, and is meant to prepare you for bigger stuff. At least that's what Council Den Chief Training staff told me ;-)

 

Look at the Webelos plaid pattern, that pattern incorporates blue, gold, kelly green, and red. These colors symbolize Cub Scouting, Venturing, and Boy Scouting. Webelos is meant to tie it all together for a young audience.

 

Just remember, keep their attention by having a gathering activity at the beginning of each meeting. The Den Chief Trainer told us that she personally had 4 cubs unscrew her toilet from the floor and tried to lift it one of the first meetings when she asked them to wash their hands.

 

[sctmom]

According to the late edition of the Cub Scout Leader handbook:

 

The Webelos den leader plans and carries out a year-round program of activities for the Webelos den.

 

The Webelos denner responsibilities may include leading ceremonies, preparing equipment, setting up the meeting room, or helping with games or other activities.

 

A long range plan.... The Webelos den leader may plan this calendar with help from the assistant Webelos den leader, Webelos den chief, the assistant Scoutmaster of the troop, and others.

 

The Webelos Leader Guide provides den meeting outlines for each activity badge. Many Webelos den leaders use these outlines as a guide and incorporate ideas or plans they develop themselves or read about in Boys' Life.

 

The Webelos den leader is responsible for ensuring that the weekly Webelos den meetings are planned and conducted.

 

----

I could go on and on. I see nothing that says the boys should take part in planning or leading. Under the elements of a good Webelos den meeting the only things that the Webelos need to do is show respect and have fun.

 

I've read the information about the Webelos to Boy Scouting Transition and still find nothing about giving the boys choices and leadership responsibilities. I'm not saying that you CAN'T do it, but it is not in the program that is documented for us to use.

 

[Bob White]

You are correct scoutmom, boy leadership and boy planning is not a cub scout method and Webelos are still cub scouts. Cub Leaders are not trained in running a boy lead program because that is not a cub activity.

 

This is what makes using the New Scout Patrol so important. It is in the New Scout Patrol that those concepts are introduced not in webelos. Webelos should prepare the boys to earn their scout badge and develop very basic appreciation of the the outdoors and the skills they will need to learn as Boy Scouts.

 

Bob White

[sctmom]

So I could be the best Cub Scout leader in the world at the very best Cub Scout pack in the world, following the program to a "t" and if the troops in the area don't have their act together the boys are lost and I get blame from the troop for not having prepared the boys?

 

Geez, sorta discouraging where I live.

 

[Bob White]

I guess i look at it differently. If you maintained a boys interest in scouting for 4 1/2 years and helped him to reach the highest award in cub scouting, you have done a fabulous job.

 

More troop leaders need to show respect for the effort you made to see that boy through to Boy scouting by providing a real scouting program and keeping that scout in the program for at least as long as you did. Anything else< in my personal opinion, shows a disrespect for the efforts of volunteers in the cub program.

 

Bob White

[sctmom]

My remark was a bit cynical, huh? Yes, I need to focus on what the boys get out of Cub Scouting. I can't save the world and make Boy Scouts what it SHOULD be.

 

Bob White, I sure wish you were in my council and district! You are good at keeping the goals and methods in focus. Thanks for your input.

 

I think Cub Scouting is a great program because it is for Families. I know my son and I both gained a lot from the years he was in it and we both had fun. That's why I'm continuing to volunteer with Cubs even though I have no other chidren.

 

[ScoutParent]

I direct your attention to pages 19 and 22 of the Cub Scout Leader Book. On page 19: "Webelos Scouts are capable of doing a lot of their own planning for meetings, projects, or campouts. They thrive on recognition of new organizing abilities and will generally enter into activities they have planned themselves with greater enthusiasm."

 

On page 22: "Give boys opportunities to make choices as often as possible. Provide real options and involve them in the planning of your group activities. Shring the power as well as the fun gives boys a feeling of ownership of the group's success (or of responsibility for things that did not go so well).

 

Provide them with appropriate challenges. "

 

Further on page 29 under WEBELOS :

 

"Webelos Scouts are the older boys in the pack who are members of a Webelos den where they start preparing to move into Boy Scouting. It is also the name of the fourth bade of rank a Cub Scout can earn."

 

 

[yarrow]

Sounds like you ran a quality program for Cubs Sctmom, and are still suffering some possible disappointment in the current troop. Hope you can stay involved. We lost several new boys whose parents were very involved in Cubs and just started dropping off their boys now that they were in Boy Scouts. The boys missed the parents involvement and the attached pretige. Good luck. Refocus into being a merit badge counselor. Sounds like organization is a real strength for you.

[KoreaScouter]

My $.02:

 

As a former Cubmaster and current Scoutmaster (with some other leader positions mixed in), I'd like to see BSA include something as part of the Webelos program, to facilitate the transition at the other end.

 

How about introducing note-taking and parental notification of events/activities, by the Scout, as an integral part of the Webelos program? That probably ties in with an introduction to planning and leadership, which I think is fine and should be done also.

 

Here's my rationale. One of my challenges as SM is with newly bridged Scouts and their families, who in the case of the Scouts expect a grownup to spoon-feed them admin/schedule information. As far as parents are concerned, many expect weekly newsletters and phone calls from me regarding meeting plans, outing schedules, and other administrivia. We expect every Scout to carry a notebook/pen at any Scouting activity, take notes, and make sure his family knows what's going on. The experienced Scouts get it, but with the new ones, it's like pulling a horse through a knothole 'cuz that's not how it worked for 5 years in Cubs. Some programmed parental education during the transition would help too. I do the best I can at our annual parents' meeting and during new family conferences, but it would be much smoother if that seed were sown while they were still in a Pack.

 

While I'm on this rant, how about an official BSA notebook for Scouts to carry? Small enough to fit in a Youth-Small shirt pocket, plastic covers for durability, little slot inside the cover to insert key names/phone numbers...

 

KS