Webelos & Arrow of Light in 1 year?

[SeattlePioneer]

My pack has been growing a den each year as the Scouts advance in grade level. This June our Bear Cubs will be Webelos.

 

That presents the opportunity of recruiting from K-4th grade this spring (plus helping a neighboring troop recruit)

 

In past years, boys we weren't recruiting from were unhappy that we didn't have a program for them to join.

 

At present we have a good sized Bear Den of 8 or so boys with an excellent Den Leader. I haven't been able to sit down with the DL to see what he would like to do next year.

 

I just had an inquiry from the parent of a 5th grader who wants to join the pack in May when we do our recruiting night.

 

I'm not quite sure what the best way to proceed might be --- start a second year Webelos Den with boys and parents altogether new to Cub Scouts? Start a second Webelos den of mixed 1st and 2nd year Webelos? Hope or ask the current DL to manage a single den of mixed 1st and 2nd year Webelos?

 

Opinions are solicited....

 

 

[AKdenldr]

SeattlePioneer,

 

Well, a fifth grade first time boy mixed in with a den of 4th grade boys can work fine. The fact that the fifth grader is new to scouting doesn't mean much at this point. Yes he will have to do the bobcat, not hard at this age. He'll need a uniform, but most of the boys will be moving to a tan shirt. Joining before summer camping season is a great idea for advancement.

 

A couple of questions does the family want the boy to go into boy scouting? Are they intending to bridge in the spring? When is the boy 11? Do they care about the advancement piece?

 

Is the Bear den leader interested in being the Webelos den leader? Does he want 9 boys? Is he willing to do AOL activity pins early in his program year to allow for a spring cross over?

 

Family might need to do the troop visits themselves. Probably they would need to support the den in working on the activity pins needed for AOL.

 

I had a fifth grader in with my 4th graders this year. Worked well till older brother dropped Boy Scouts -- then whole family decided scouts wasn't for them. (Younger brother had a great time with us for nine months, however.)