Wolf Electives and Belt Loop Question

[ShutterbugMom]

My husband in the Wolf Den Leader (he was also the Tiger leader) and I help with all the "behind the scenes" planning.

 

We have a new wolf scout that joined about 2.5 weeks ago. He was not a Tiger. His Dad has gone through his book and sent us a list of everything he has done. We are thrilled to have someone that is so excited about it, but we want to make sure we are doing this right (my husband goes to den leader training next week...hopefully, that will help.)

 

However, I have a question or two that I perhaps I can get cleared up before training.

 

He marked that he completed Elective 23e. Attend a Day Camp in your area. I was under the assumption that this was the week long day camp in the summer that is held by the district. He attended the one night / one day Cub / Akela Campout. I do not think that would count for Day Camp would it? I do think it would count for 23a. Participate with your pack on an overnight campout.

 

Next on Wolf Elective 20, he has to complete these while he is a wolf, right? For the boys that were Tigers last year, the summer time would count, but if they just joined, it would start when they joined. Is that correct? So playing basketball last winter would not count.

 

Next, he said he completed a large number of belt loops. First, he has to complete these while he is a wolf scout, right? He only joined a couple weeks ago, so I guess I am doubtful that he has done all these team sports in the last couple of weeks. Do I just accept it and move on? He also said that he and two other scouts went on a hike at the Cub Akela campout and completed their hiking belt loop. My husband was unable to attend this portion with our son due to another family commitment, so I don't know what they did. Do I just accept it? Or do we ask him if he actually went over all the safe hiking rules (requirement #1) and for that matter for the #1s for all the sports. For example, my son rides his bike frequently, but that doesn't mean he gets the belt loop. I feel like first I have to sit down with him and go over #1 and #2 (the rules and demonstrate the proper safety equipement.) For that matter, the dad said, "He rides his bike all the time." (Biking Belt Loop).

 

We don't want to alienate him, but if he is incorrect, we would like a nice way to explain it to him (and everyone else.)

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

[mashmaster]

My husband in the Wolf Den Leader (he was also the Tiger leader) and I help with all the "behind the scenes" planning.

 

We have a new wolf scout that joined about 2.5 weeks ago. He was not a Tiger. His Dad has gone through his book and sent us a list of everything he has done. We are thrilled to have someone that is so excited about it, but we want to make sure we are doing this right (my husband goes to den leader training next week...hopefully, that will help.)

 

However, I have a question or two that I perhaps I can get cleared up before training.

 

He marked that he completed Elective 23e. Attend a Day Camp in your area. I was under the assumption that this was the week long day camp in the summer that is held by the district. He attended the one night / one day Cub / Akela Campout. I do not think that would count for Day Camp would it? I do think it would count for 23a. Participate with your pack on an overnight campout.

 

Next on Wolf Elective 20, he has to complete these while he is a wolf, right? For the boys that were Tigers last year, the summer time would count, but if they just joined, it would start when they joined. Is that correct? So playing basketball last winter would not count.

 

Next, he said he completed a large number of belt loops. First, he has to complete these while he is a wolf scout, right? He only joined a couple weeks ago, so I guess I am doubtful that he has done all these team sports in the last couple of weeks. Do I just accept it and move on? He also said that he and two other scouts went on a hike at the Cub Akela campout and completed their hiking belt loop. My husband was unable to attend this portion with our son due to another family commitment, so I don't know what they did. Do I just accept it? Or do we ask him if he actually went over all the safe hiking rules (requirement #1) and for that matter for the #1s for all the sports. For example, my son rides his bike frequently, but that doesn't mean he gets the belt loop. I feel like first I have to sit down with him and go over #1 and #2 (the rules and demonstrate the proper safety equipement.) For that matter, the dad said, "He rides his bike all the time." (Biking Belt Loop).

 

We don't want to alienate him, but if he is incorrect, we would like a nice way to explain it to him (and everyone else.)

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

Yes day camp is a week long camp hosted by your council. Was it overnight? If so, then it qualifies for the overnight trip.

 

The Wolf year starts at the end of the program year which is usually the end of the school yearish. In our pack, the cut off date is June 1st. So May 31 = Tiger year, June 1=Wolf year. The stuff they do prior to being a scout doesn't count.

 

Explain that the loops all start from when he joined scouting, my guess is that they didn't understand that delineation. Hiking is the easiest to get, so that can easily been done. You can verify with him that he did cover all the requirements but you need to believe them because a scout is trustworthy. You want them to be excited to be scouts, so I would make sure they know when he starts earning the loops and that they should do the requirements to the best of their ability. I have my questions about some of the belt loops the boys earn but there isn't much to do about it and you don't want them to turn away from scouting.. Maybe have the CM talk to them about the loops but their isn't much you can do. He is doing a disservice to his own son if he is actually skirting the rules, but not much you can do.

 

 

 

[Hueymungus]

Great that the new Dad is getting into the spirit of Scouting. Since the Wolf is new and wasn't part of Scouting until now, what was done before joining does not count.

Here's the thing to do, take the New Dad with to the in-person training! That way both will be trained and he can also be a Den Leader and understand the program.

[dedkad]

I love it when I get a parent who says their boy earned a certain belt loop, and when I look at the requirements for that belt loop, it says they have to present something to the pack or den, which they never did. I wonder if the parents even bother to read the requirements. For our pack, they can only earn belt loops for things they have done since becoming a cub scout, so anything prior to him joining would not count.

[christineka]

In my area the day camp is for only 2 days. I have the same problem with parents marking anything that was sorta like the achievement. I even have a parent marking stuff for her Webelos that he sorta did when he was a Bear. It doesn't count if he wasn't a webelos!

[ShutterbugMom]

Thank you for all the replies...it sounds like what I was thinking was in line with what everyone else thinks. It is frustrating to me that parents don't really make their kids do all the requirements for the belt loops, but then again, I should mainly worry about my own son, and ensure that he is completing everything to the best of his ability.

 

 

[Sidney Porter]

In my area the day camp is for only 2 days. I have the same problem with parents marking anything that was sorta like the achievement. I even have a parent marking stuff for her Webelos that he sorta did when he was a Bear. It doesn't count if he wasn't a webelos!

What if they started it as a Bear but completed it as a Webelos? I could see this happening with the sone of the pins (more so than belt loops)

[dedkad]

In my area the day camp is for only 2 days. I have the same problem with parents marking anything that was sorta like the achievement. I even have a parent marking stuff for her Webelos that he sorta did when he was a Bear. It doesn't count if he wasn't a webelos!

Belt loops and their corresponding pins, yes, but not OK for rank achievements or Webelos activity pins.