Proposal - Have Webelos Den meetings at Troop meetings

[fred8033]

Do something like the following...

 

Proposal - Hold Webelos den meetings at troop meetings. Webelos could line up just like another troop patrol. Stand thru the flag ceremony. Then as soon as the flag ceremony is done, they break off before troop announcements and business begins.

 

I think it would help with scout retention. Plus the young scouts could see the example of the older scouts and develop the desire to be like those older scouts. They'd also get to see how a troop is run by the scouts and the type of activities they get to look forward to doing.

 

Webelos is already a transitional program where they work on skills needed as a Boy Scout. Right now, they are tightly linked to the Tigers, Wolves and Bears. Those are programs that Webelos are already out growing. I think it would help to break that link a bit and start growing the ties to Boy Scouts.

 

Comments?

[Second Class]

My troop has been doing this for three years. Works great. The Webs join us for the opening, announcements, then go do their thing. We go do ours. In 6 months, they are totally acclimated to troop operations, and know most everybody.

 

[eolesen]

Once in a while, maybe. Not on a regular basis, though. It may wind up reinforcing the idea that your den is really just a feeder pack, which in our area is not the case.

 

I still think the best bridge to bringing Web2's over is still a good Den Chief.

[fred8033]

IMHO, den chief often doesn't work. It takes either a very special unique Boy Scout or a Boy Scout who's younger brother is in the Cub Scout den. The biggest challenge is transportation. Either the scout needs to live very close or depend on a parent who's already going because of a younger brother in the den. Though I suspect some den chiefs do great job, I've yet to see it. Mainly because the den chiefs that sign up to help us have had no transportation. Or they've had other obligations too like school and sports.

 

In a way, that's why I'd like to see Webelos dens meet at the same location as the troop. It would give mentoring opportunities to the boy scouts and possibly help den chiefs solve the transportation issues.(This message has been edited by fred8033)

[ScoutNut]

What about those Webelos who might not want to join that particular Boy Scout Troop?

 

When the are "forced" to attend to Troop meetings of one only Troop they get the impression that it is that Troop or nothing.

 

Can't say I am a fan of that concept at all.

 

(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[fred8033]

ScoutNut: "What about those Webelos who might not want to join that particular Boy Scout Troop? When they are "forced" to attend to Troop meetings of one only Troop they get the impression that it is that Troop or nothing. Can't say I am a fan of that concept at all. "

 

It sort of goes back to the old model of joining the troop that's aligned with your pack. Natural transition. But there's no rule that you have to join the same unit. "I believe", ... no special knowledge ... , that model is being revisited to bring a smoother program.

[qwazse]

There is nothing wrong with sharing opening ceremonies. That's not the same as visiting the troop. It does mean your den chief will miss his troop meeting, unless he's from a different troop!

[Basementdweller]

that is exactly what we do....

 

The troop meets at the same time and place as the Pack....

 

 

Webelos join for opening and then off to their own program.

 

Our crossover went from 1 or 2 a year to 8-10

 

 

So Scoutnut, did the troop your associated with have a feeder Pack?????(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[mdlscouting]

I don't think it would be a good idea as an Every Week sort of thing, but when they are meeting at the same location, I can't see any harm in doing it.

[ScoutNut]

Our CO charters both a Pack and a Troop. However, having our entire Pack and Troop all meet at the same time/place each week would be impossible. There is simply not enough room for that.

 

Also, not every Webelos goes to our Co's Troop, and there are a number of COs in our area that have only one unit.

 

Having a Pack and Troop that meet at the same time/place, sharing opening ceremonies, and then going off to do their own, separate, programs, is way different than having a Webelos den meet with the Troop every week, and treating them like another Boy Scout patrol.

 

If your Cub Scout Webelos den is in essence becoming a Boy Scout patrol inside of one particular Troop, then the only way a Webelos would have any option in Troops is to start looking at different Troops as a Bear to decide which to move to as a Webelos.

 

Now, if BSA ever changes their program to move Webelos out of Cub Scouts and into Boy Scouts (as fred8033 seems to feel is coming sooner or later) than the Cub Scout Bear level would become the "new Webelos", and looking at different Troops to join would be part of their program.

 

Until then, I prefer having the Webelos dens visit a number of different Troops, and to have our Pack and Troop interact in a variety of ways.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

I've posted on this at length in the past.

 

I've tried for several years to get our Webelos II dens to do exactly this. No takers. The Pack leadership doesn't see the need. A) their looking at it from the Cub Sccout perspective, and B) as long at the WebII leaders are out of their hair, the pack leadership doesn't want to get involved.

 

Whenever I mention this idea to the W2 den leaders, they always get teary-eyed and wax on about this being their little den's last few months together. We get the same reaction when we mention the dens will be mixed up into new patrols in the troop.

 

Makes me wonder if part of our problems with retention are the parents/leaders who think of crossover as losing their child and dont' want to let him move on?

[perdidochas]

The pack I was once in would have their second year Webelos meet with the Boy Scouts occasionally. I didn't do it as a WDL, because we had too many boys that had brothers in the Pack. Didn't want them to have to double up their meetings any longer than necessary. Retention rates were not any different between the Webelos that met with the Boy Scouts, or the ones that stay in the Pack. The advantage of staying with the Pack is to get the Webelos to lead the Pack.

[Eagledad]

>>that is exactly what we do....

[fred8033]

I was thinking Webelos still attend the monthly pack meetings at the pack meeting site day and time. But then hold their den meetings at the same date and time as a troop meeting. Start together for flag ceremony. Then branch off to run their own den meeting. I don't even think you need to limit this to 2nd year webelos. You could do this with 1st year webelos too. In fact, I think it would help the most if you start it with 1st year webelos.

 

Zero impact on the pack. But the Webelos start seeing a much more mature program, see boys they can look up to and see activities they want to do themselves.

[Eagledad]

>>You could do this with 1st year webelos too. In fact, I think it would help the most if you start it with 1st year webelos.