Not earning Rank?

[Monkey Tamer]

SF,

 

In essence, that's what we do too. We just happen to call the graduation Cross-over. We do Actual Cross-over for the Webelos in December. And we always have a seperate ceremony for AOL. I drive my Web DL's pretty hard to get it done by November so We can devote proper attention to AOL.

 

I just found out at our Den meeting tonight that one of my son's friends will probably not get his Bear badge. He's missed too many Den meetings. He's on my baseball team, so I plan to urge his dad to try and finish, but I'm not hopefull. Kinda weird that we've been talking about this very situation. I will handle it just like I said I would, but it's a harder deal than when it's someone elses boys your talking about.

 

Ann, hang tough! You can do it. Know that there are others out there grappling with the same issues. And even with years of experience, it's still hard.

 

Cheers all.

[5yearscouter]

We give out the rank badges as soon as they are earned, although we did make a pencil pushing den wait an extra month or so to get their bear badge, but that's a whole nother story.

 

so that means by the time we get to the end of the year, we may have a kid or two in a den who are just barely finishin up their rank badge, some who are getting a gold arrow or their first silvers, or a kid who may be getting their 7th silver arrow (or 15th, don't ask!).

 

our last pack meeting, we give out all those last awards, ranks, arrows, LNT, World conservation, a few belt loops, etc. I'll tell you honestly that we try to have the den leader get SOMETHING for each scout in their den. so each boy gets to come on stage and get something(or in front of the campfire), but if it doesn't work out, so be it.

 

then we do a song/skit/activity.

 

and then we line up the 1st year webelos, and they don't need new hats or neckers or books, so we give them a boy scout oath or law coin for their pocket to acknowledge they've done a year of webelos and are now considered webelos 2's in our pack. We ask them to help us change the bear den into webelos. they change out hats and neckers and pass out new books to the boys that are changing to webelos 1's

 

then those guys call up the wolves, and turn them into bears, they call up the tigers and turn them into wolves. then we see if we have any sibings or new scouts we can turn into tigers.

 

that way everyone still gets to come on stage and graduate to the next rank.

 

 

[BluejacketScouter]

True stories:

 

Had a gung-ho fifth grader and his mom join the Webelos den. Second meeting, proudly showed his brand-new book. Sat down with mom and son to show the Bobcat requirements, here's what you need to work on first and the spots for Akela (parent) to sign.

 

Son (without mom) comes in the following week and crows "I got my Bobcat signed!" Correctly shows the salute, handshake, can shakily recite the promise and oath with a little prompting...I flip open his book. EVERY PAGE, EVERY REQUIREMENT, EVERY ACTIVITY PIN, EVERY BLANK IS SIGNED and dated by mom.

 

I sort of felt sorry for her. It must have taken all weekend to do. He did earn his Bobcat within a few weeks. Never earned his Webelos badge. Crossed over into Boy Scouts but I've lost track of him at the moment. He is a happy, friendly kid, but...an underachiever. More to that story than what is stated, but I still beat myself up about it.

 

Second story: Tiger requirement "Go-See-It" 4G to visit a TV or radio studio. I scheduled and took the den to a local high school that runs a cable-access school channel as part of their A-V program. Since we were at the mercy of the administrator, the visit was not our normal den meeting time and day. One Tiger and mom didn't make it. Sat down and explained to them, and offered to schedule a catch-up session later in the year, on my own time, after completion of the regular scheduled den meetings. A month later, Tiger and mom came in with a big vinyl banner printed with the Scout Fleur-de-lis. They visited a local sign shop, got a tour of the facility, and were shown how graphics are captured, laid out, and printed. "Find out how people communicate with others". Meet the requirement? I would have signed it twice, if I could!!

 

The point of both stories: some boys will excel. Some boys will never earn their rank. All will advance to the next den regardless. The fact that you care and are stressed about it shows your qualities as a den leader and as a caring adult, that they may be missing in their lives. Use that as positive reinforcement and don't slap yourself around about it.

 

I like the previous posters' ideas about separating "advancement" from crossover or graduation up to the next den. Nicely played. That one is going into the tool box.

[AnnLaurelB]

YES! I like it too. (I'm really glad I *finally* thought to google "cubmaster forum"!)

 

Here's a question for all of you who have done these ceremonies before:

 

We're going to have an actual bridge (either one I build, or one the Scoutmaster brings me from his yard). Would you RESERVE that for the Webelos crossing to Boy Scouts?

 

Or does everybody get to walk across it? Just curious what your thoughts are.

[Basementdweller]

It is a matter of preference.

 

 

I like the little guys looking forward to receiving their career arrow and walking the bridge to the waiting Troop. It is the culmination of their cub career. And it truely is a crossover and some call it bridging ceremony.

 

We just recently stopped calling the cubs moving up a rank Crossover, it is now referred to as graduation....we do it on a camp out.

 

Just a sticking point of mine. We had a young man this year who to end his scouting career when he received his Arrow of light. Mom was furious with us because he was not permitted to crossover the bridge to the troop and receive his scout handbook and neckerchief with the other boys. The troops requirement is a signed application and program fees prior to the ceremony, mom said sports were more important and said he would not be joining the troop. He received his Arrow of light and cub career arrow during the AOL ceremony and then was asked to return to his seat while the rest of the boys joined the troop.

 

The problem with just handing a boy a rank patch with out him earning it, sets the entitlement mentality. Sure he is only 7 years old, but he still didn't earn it.

 

I am guessing you have never had to deal with boys melting down during a Pack meeting because they didn't receive anything. I usually will pull them aside and ask them whats up and why they are crying. Parents are the same way.....Why you complaining to me, you didn't do actvitiy X with your scout and missed 3 meetings. Sorry.

 

[AnnLaurelB]

See, I'm with you. While I'd be happy to make a fuss over his "final" achievement as a Cubber, I would NOT have included him in a (hello?!?) *induction* ceremony to a group to which he elected NOT to join.

 

I feel strongly about not giving out what they didn't earn, too! I just wondered how y'all handled it. I haven't done one of these before.

 

Maybe I'll have the bridge set back a pace, and have a "path" that the younger cubs walk for their progression. Save the bridge for the Webs.

[beardad]

We usually hand out rank badges at blue and gold in feb. cross over from webs to boy scouts is usually end of feb or in march.

 

we do our graduation in June. we do the bridge for webs going into scouts.

 

for the other ranks we do a small zip line.

[Cubmaster Randy]

We have used a "Cub-o-matic" machine, small bridge, and even a time machine for bridging between cub scout years. This was done at the last pack meeting of the years. The cubs emerged from the machine and had changed their kneckers and were given the new books for the upcoming rank.

 

Webelos 1 were given another gift such as a "den rope" since they used the same books and kneckers. Webelos II had already crossed over to Troops by this point

 

Rank Awards were presented when earned and usually involved painting their faces with different colors

 

Webelos crossovers are a totally separate event.

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello bear dad,

 

 

Can you describe the zip line and how you use it in some detail? That sounds like fun!

 

 

Off the cuff, it would be exciting for Webelos to zip line their way into their new troop rather than walking over a bridge.

[Scoutfish]

I just want to clarify something:

 

WE present rank badges as soon as they are earned. If only half the den earns it by the time a Pack meeting happens, then half the den will get it. If only one boy earns it, only one will get it. We do not hold them or make them wait.

 

At our graduation ceremony, we hand out the necker of the next rank if they stuck out the year and come to the campout. The next rank necker is not dependant or a sequel to having earned rank.

 

The old necker is taken off before they cross the graduation bridge, and the next years necker is tied on after crossing the bridge.

 

Earning rank is not mentioned. We just introduce the Class of 2011-2012 Bears ..... or whatever rank they are going to be.

 

Rank acheivement is awarded, recognized, and celebrated at Pack Meetings.

[Basementdweller]

We distribute the rank advancement as soon as they are earned as well. We had some bears receive theirs at the October Pack meeting. Summer camp is a wonderful thing.

[SeattlePioneer]

Scouts get two awards for their rank advancement in our pack. They get awarded the cloth badge at the next den or pack meeting after I'm notified they have completed requirements.

 

At the next pack meeting, we also have a more formal award ceremony that includes awarding a nice color certificate in a plastic sheet protector which Scouts are encouraged to add to their Cub Scout scrapbook.

 

The certificates are on display before the pack meeting for Scouts and parents to see and to "encourage the others" who haven't completed the reuqirements yet.

 

I'm a fan of certificates. If you Google "Cub Scout certificates you can find several websites that allow nice certificates to be made up inexpensively.

 

Encouraging Cub Scout scrapbooks gives boys a place to collect Cub Scout memorabilia which adds to the value of Cub Scout stuff.

[Oak Tree]

We save the bridge for crossing over to Boy Scouts. We've done different ceremonies for the earlier ranks, but one of them was to create a long winding path with blue masking tape, and put up signs along the way with the great big badges that you can buy at the Scout store. Then each of the younger groups would get to walk the path all the way up to their sign, and only those joining Boy Scouts were able to cross the bridge. We had actual Boy Scouts standing on the other side, so it just wouldn't work as symbolism for the bridge to be used for other things.

 

We weren't graduating them - we always did that at an informal end-of-year get-together in June. So we didn't need to have other bridge options, but I guess you could always use some smaller bridges between the ranks if you like the symbolism and wanted to do all the graduations at the same time. Most groups don't have this issue, because crossover is most commonly in February or March, and the rank graduation is more typically in May or June.

[AnnLaurelB]

That will work from here on out, but I kept scratching my head thinking to myself, "Wow. Bridging Webs in Feb. How is that possible?"

 

Well, duh, self. MOST Webelos BEGIN Webelos when they're starting *4th* grade. Our Pack didn't HAVE any Webs at all, until the fall sign-up night at the school.

 

I got two *5th* grade sign ups that night. We've only had these Web2's since September; there was NO WAY they could have bridged in Feb. They're just barely going to finish their requirements over the next 2 weeks!

 

Mind, I did get one 4th grader; he's the discipline problem. If he stays in, I WILL bridge him at B&G, and that's that.

 

Of course, that could mean that if I get MORE 5th graders coming in, I'd have to do the same thing and have their bridging more like this time of year.

 

But I understand, now. See how helpful y'all are? :0)

[beardad]

@Seattle Pioneer. We have a small wooded area and fire bowl on site at our CO location that we use. We basically tie line onto two trees. I am not sure of the mechanics, because I have never helped set it up, but there is a come along involved.

 

The kids start at one end. slide down with the handle and the other side is their den leaders giving them the new necker. we have spotters at both ends and somebody (usually a parent) walks along with them as they zip down.

 

It's not terribly high up as I am not sure if it is with in COPE guidelines or if it even neeeds to be. But the cubs look forward to it every year.