Repeating Kindergarten

[howarthe]

I have a boy who wants to be a scout. He does not meet the joining requirements. He is not in first grade. He is not 7 years old. He is 6 years old and he is sort of re-taking kindergarten. It's not called kindergarten. It's called pre-first grade. He will turn 7 in May. That is the end of the scouting year, but it is similar to the other tiger cubs in the pack. It seems to me that this boy warrants an exception to the rules. I know I should just ask my district executive, but I want to ask you first. What do you think? Would you sign this boy up? Or would you send him away and invite him to come back next year?

[ADCinNC]

If he does not meet the joining requirements, then I do not see how his application will be accepted. I would contact the registrar for your council, not the DE. The registrar will tell you if the application will be accepted or not.

[Tampa Turtle]

I always hate these questions. If he is not in 1st grade and not 7 I would tell him to just wait. All parties would benefit from the extra time. But yeah as the DE.

[perdidochas]

I have a boy who wants to be a scout. He does not meet the joining requirements. He is not in first grade. He is not 7 years old. He is 6 years old and he is sort of re-taking kindergarten. It's not called kindergarten. It's called pre-first grade. He will turn 7 in May. That is the end of the scouting year' date=' but it is similar to the other tiger cubs in the pack. It seems to me that this boy warrants an exception to the rules. I know I should just ask my district executive, but I want to ask you first. What do you think? Would you sign this boy up? Or would you send him away and invite him to come back next year?[/quote']

 

I'd say wait.

[kari_cardi]

I'd tell him to wait. He doesn't meet the requirements. What benefit is there to him if he were to join 'early' rather than waiting? If he isn't ready for 1st grade, it isn't likely he is ready for Tiger either. What I might do in similar circumstances is invite him to join the pack in June rather than in the fall so he can join in the pack summer activities.

[walk in the woods]

From http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/FAQS/joining.aspx:

[h=3]How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?[/h] Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting, but they may be eligible to join the Boy Scouting or Venturing program.

 

OR is the key word and tricky phrase. Sign him up. From my perspective he's no different than a 7 year old homeschooled kid who doesn't have an official "grade."

 

[howarthe]

I always invite the kindergarteners to join in June and participate in the summer activities. Few take me up on it. I know that when Cubs repeat the 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade, they don't repeat the tiger, wolf or bear handbooks, they move up to the next book, so this seemed like the same sort of thing to me. I also think its weird that the requirement is 1st grade or 7 when NONE of my first graders are 7 years old. What gives?

[ADCinNC]

I always hate these questions. If he is not in 1st grade and not 7 I would tell him to just wait. All parties would benefit from the extra time. But yeah as the DE.

Some DE's will sign up any one regardless if they qualify or not, so that is why the Council Registrar would be the one to talk too, after all they are the one who will enter in the application. My guess is they will have to wait.

[blw2]

Yes, the age and grade thing doesn't synchronize......

My son is an August birthday, and so he's among the youngest in his class. Should be 9 years old as a Bear, but he's 8.

 

Part of me says wait

 

But then another part of me says take him now, he won't be as bored with some of the requirements. If he's mentally a 1st grader, then he can handle the material. Wait until next year, mentally he might be a second grader doing first grade stuff.....

 

But then there's yet another part of me that asks, is he mentally a first grader? there must be a reason he was held back!

[King Ding Dong]

Yes, the age and grade thing doesn't synchronize......

My son is an August birthday, and so he's among the youngest in his class. Should be 9 years old as a Bear, but he's 8.

 

Part of me says wait

 

But then another part of me says take him now, he won't be as bored with some of the requirements. If he's mentally a 1st grader, then he can handle the material. Wait until next year, mentally he might be a second grader doing first grade stuff.....

 

But then there's yet another part of me that asks, is he mentally a first grader? there must be a reason he was held back!

Good grief ! Make up your mind

 

At this point it is only six months until May. If he is really gung-ho about it I would invite him to pack meetings, PWD (open class) and such as a guest. Put him in a den when he meets the stated requirements.

[Baseballfan]

From http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/FAQS/joining.aspx:

[h=3]How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?[/h] Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting, but they may be eligible to join the Boy Scouting or Venturing program.

 

OR is the key word and tricky phrase. Sign him up. From my perspective he's no different than a 7 year old homeschooled kid who doesn't have an official "grade."

the difference here between this kid and a homeschooled kid is that this kid is not 7. I say have him wait... it may save you a headache down the road when he wants to earn his AoL and the same types of questions arise.

[dedkad]

From http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/FAQS/joining.aspx:

[h=3]How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?[/h] Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting, but they may be eligible to join the Boy Scouting or Venturing program.

 

OR is the key word and tricky phrase. Sign him up. From my perspective he's no different than a 7 year old homeschooled kid who doesn't have an official "grade."

"Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting." So this raises a question for me. We have several boys in our Webelos II den who are in the 5th grade but have already turned 11 because they have late summer or early fall birthdays. They plan on bridging in February with the rest of the den when they all earn AOL. When the recharter rolls around this month will they be able to continue with the pack for the first few months of the year even though they are 11 years old?

[ScoutNut]

He will be 7 years old in May - at the end of kindergarten (or whatever you call it there). At that point he will be eligible to join the Pack as a 1st grade Tiger Cub Scout ALONG WITH THE REST OF HIS CLASSMATES.

 

He is not currently eligible to join BSA. Don't rush him. Let him join at the end of the school year, with the rest of his school buddies, when they are ALL eligible.

[Tampa Turtle]

IMHO the "early birds" often don't stay. If they are just not quite ready they can be put off at several points along the cub scout trail. I did have one "former Eagle Scout" parent press me on this. I think he was starting on an "early Eagle quest"!!! I did suggest he sign up for ADL and never heard from him again.

[blw2]

Yes, the age and grade thing doesn't synchronize......

My son is an August birthday, and so he's among the youngest in his class. Should be 9 years old as a Bear, but he's 8.

 

Part of me says wait

 

But then another part of me says take him now, he won't be as bored with some of the requirements. If he's mentally a 1st grader, then he can handle the material. Wait until next year, mentally he might be a second grader doing first grade stuff.....

 

But then there's yet another part of me that asks, is he mentally a first grader? there must be a reason he was held back!

ok, if I must..... I say wait.