Camping Question

[njdrt-rdr]

When are you technically considered a Weblo?

For instance we just finished up the Wolf year. Next year we start Bear scouts.

According to BSA guidlines you can't camp as a den until you are Weblos I scouts.

 

So when is that officially, is that at the start of the 4th grade or could that be in spring after they've completed their bear ranks?

I'd like to take my den camping the end of next year. But I'm not sure if I can.

If I'm not allowed to do it as a den, the only other option is to have a pack overnight campout, correct?

 

Thanks,

NXS

[moosetracker]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure it is when they complete the current grade.. Throughout the summer they would then be officially Webelos, but if you completed wolf rank in March you are still not officially a Webelos until school is out for summer..

 

That is why Tigers can not go to residence camp, but those who were Tigers in the past school year can attend, because when school ended they were now officially Bears. It is just those who are recruited in the spring and will be Tigers all next year can not go to residence camp.

[momof2cubs]

Official BSA rules say June 1st; however different districts use different rules. Generally it is around that time.

 

In our district, your last day in your current rank is the last official day of school. So our current bears are considered Webs the 1st day of summer.

[Eagle92]

Mom is right in that officially June 1 is when everyone moves up to the next level, irregardless of whether they are in school or not. And that is b/c of the variety of dates as to when schools shut down for summer. With the little expereince I've had with SCOUTNET back in the day, if advancement reports are turned in before the June 1 date, say a "Bear" earning some Webelos Activity Pins, SCOUTNET won't record it until June 1.

 

But I know that some units and district to look the other way. Before the state changed the school year dates from before Memorial Day to the middle of June, our CSDC was the last week of May, and everyone was considered the next level. Even now the bulk of the packs in my area use the 3rd week in May as "Graduation Nights," and begin their summer programs, despite school being in session for 2 more weeks.

[The Blancmange]

Regardless of the exact date, I think the important point to take from these answers is that the change corresponds to the end of the school year rather than the time a cub earns his rank badge. In other words, a Bear who earns his badge in January or February cannot begin participating in Webelos events.

[momof2cubs]

Blanc: interestingly enough, we just has a huge discussion over that recently. Our current bears get invited to participate in a Boy scout style camping called Webelos Woods. While they goal is to have fun, learn skills like cooking, fire starting, and tent pitching, usually they end up doing all the requirements for Outdoorsman.

 

This event happens in April, it's a district event. So the question always arises on whether we award Outdoorsman to the current bears in the May pack meeting (our last of the year before school starts again) or wait until August when we kick off the program again.

 

Anyone have an opinion on that?

[perdidochas]

Bears can't earn the Outdoorsman Activity Badge.

[Tampa Turtle]

We had the same issue a few years ago. We had a majority of Bear families that wanted to continue meeting during summer break (usually I got zero interest). The CM decided that our Bear career ended at the end of the school year so we did work on some activities once a month. I think we did Physical Fitness activities like swimming which was easier to do during a less hectic summer. I had a "scratch" group from several different imploded dens and 3 schools. It worked great for bonding and helped them advance enough that we could take our time and do the AOL work slow and steady.

 

I am not a big fan of the AOL as this gig goal but our guys pretty much knocked out the program over 1-1/2 years with an average of 14 activity pins. Mostly this was by meeting once a week to mirror the Boy Scout meeting schedule.

 

I do think the Outdoorsman, Naturalist, and Forester (the most Boy Scouty activities IMHO) should be pushed out to the "Webelos 2" year. The boys need some majority, both physical and mental to make the best of them.

 

Any summer pins were awarded at the 2nd pack meeting once school started.

[Eagle92]

Mom,

 

I ditto what peridochas said, Bears cannot earn Webelos Activity badges.

 

Now once June 1 hits, THEN they are webelos and can work on WABs.

[ScoutNut]

Your district should not be including Bears in their April Webelos Woods. Bears can not earn Webelos awards, and they are not Webelos until the end of the school year/June 1st.

 

They can do it as a visit only event, with Bears doing Bear level activities, as most councils do with Webelos at Boy Scout Camporee's.

 

 

[acco40]

Yes, Cub Scouts is age/grade based. So one becomes a Webelos Scout when one is a fourth grader. The question is when does one become a fourth grader - immediately upon completion of the 3rd grade or immediately at the start of 4th grade or by some arbitrary date recognized by the BSA?

 

I'm interested in what resource those use when stating "June 1st" as the cross-over date so to speak.

 

As others have explained, one does not become a Webelos Scout by earning their Bear badge.

 

Correct or not, I let the boys who had not earned their rank by the end of the school year to work on that during the summer, if they wished.

[ScoutNut]

>>"I'm interested in what resource those use when stating "June 1st" as the cross-over date so to speak."

[Eagle92]

Acco,

 

Actually they finish their badge over the summer, BUT if they do that, they cannot work on their next badge at the same time. that's aslo in the CS literatuyre somewhere.

[Basementdweller]

njdrt.......as stated, June 1 or end of the school year is when the scouts advance to the next rank. Have you taken appropriate training????? Baloo, Owl or IOLS????? When you say take your den camping.....what exactly do you mean?? On your own with no other adults???? one other adult????

 

What is the rush?????

 

MOM

How does a Bear den get "invited" to an even they are not supposed to attend? An over achieving den leader picks up the flyer, or a program director with low attendance......

 

A lot of things wrong happened here. The bear den went and camped as a den, participated as bears in a webelos event, earned a Pin they were not eligible for....... Very simply they should not receive the pin......They had a lot of fun on the weekend and leave it at that.

[Scoutfish]

I can see where Bears could have particip[ated as Webelos.

 

In our council, they hold Cub Scout resident camp about a month and a half before summer which puts it before the June 1st date.

Since they do not have a summer resident camp for cub scouts - what they do is consider Tigers as Cubs and Bears as Webelos for the sake of the camp. Of course, part of the reason is because so may packs crossover their Webelos into boy scouts in Feb as well as graduate their other cubs to the next rank by B&G.

 

Depending when the event was held...say....maybe only a week before June 1st, then I see no harm in fudging earning any Activity pins..especially since the dates could be correct by the time it is recorded.

 

Our pack had crossover the 1st wqeek of April, and the rest of the pack graduated the 3rd week of April.

 

As far as we are concerened, they are the next rank.

 

But we don't rush working on acxhiebemenst or what not..instead, we let them work on belt loops and such