Hiking Staff - Useful Den Doodles

[blw2]

I'm ADL for my son's Den. We'll be the Bear Den next year.

The DL & I are trying to think of ideas to better encourage the boys' participation in recording their advancement.

 

Our original DL didn't really utilize the instant recognition bead thing well at all, and this has continued this year as well. We just haven't made it a big part of the meeting. I've tried encourage our leaders to use it and I think it could work if we pushed it more, but I don't really think the boys care about getting a bead..... since many don't wear their uniforms enough, & frankly it is kind of boring.... Honestly, I hate the look of them on the uniform anyway....

We've tried to use the wall chart thing, asking verbally, and sending emails, but the parents aren't really participating in letting us know their boys progress.

 

I think the key is the boys and getting them to drive it.

 

We are looking for something a bit more visual at the den meetings and hands on. I thought of the Den Doodle, but our DL suggested Indian spears with feathers, or hiking sticks. I think the spear thing is, well, cool and the boys would love it of course!..... but it's a bit too 'aggressive' and not really the 'image' of scouting I think.

 

I'm pushing to make the beads, doodle, or whatever we do to be more of a formal part of the meeting. Take a few minutes after the prayer, pledge, and promise to have each boy report and record their progress since the last meeting and hang a feather or whatever. I think we could also use this time to encourage uniform wear, coach for incorrect patch placement, etc.... and maybe be more of an encouragement overall for attendance.

 

Anyway, I like the hiking stick idea instead of a doodle....

it's useful

it fits the scouting image

we could carry it over to WEBELOS

its a good keep sake

relatively cheap and easy to make

 

but problems I see;

stick 'fights' and boys doing what they do when they have sticks

forgetting to bring it

.... so the DL or I would almost need to keep them and bring them. 10 hiking sticks aren't really the easiest to transport and display at the meetings (we can't leave them there)

 

So my questions:

Anyone ever done this or similar?

Any ideas for what to hang on the stick to show the progress toward ranks, etc..... that wouldn't fall off the first time it's used for a hike?

Any ideas on how we could display our "useful Doodle" at den and pack meetings?

 

 

 

[Fehler]

How about: a 15" dowel/arrow, with 12 notches in it, for each boy in the den. A board with hooks with their names, so they can "hang" their arrow at the beginning of the meeting. rubber bands in four different colors for God, Country, Family, and Self, and add a rubber band to the arrow for each achievement completed. Start this in the Wolf year, and you only need one rubber band color (or 12). There's not much needed for Webelos, they already have a "pin" system.

[blw2]

Yeah, something like a rubber band might work.......

Someone on another forum turned me onto the idea of the arrow of light awards where they wrap band of various colors of thread or tape around the arrows to indicate all the ranks and achievements. The idea being that the boys could each have a shaft, that over time becomes their arrow of light....

 

I still would prefer a hiking stick, but the arrow thing seems like a good idea.... they both have their own logistical issues and add layers of complexity that I'm not sure is good though....

 

As you said,WEBELOS has the pin system..... likewise the wolf and bear programs have the instant recognition beads for this purpose..... but the beads just don't seem to work for us.