How to transition Webelos to Boy Scouts

[Sniktaw]

Thanks everyone, I knew I would get a lot of ideas here! We are already doing some of the things mentioned but can definitely use many of the other ideas.

[Stosh]

I ran my Webelos den as if it were a Boy Scout patrol.  It is no different than starting a new scout troop from scratch.  Handful of boys, expect they can do it, teach when asked, and let them have at it the rest of the time.

 

The 6 boys I had in Webelos stayed together from Webelos 1 through to aging out after all had Eagled.  One of the boys did leave the group but his dad worked for BSA so I'm assuming he Eagled as well.  Over the course of their career in scouting the 5 boys did take on two or three others in their patrol, but the 5 boys stayed together even when the SM told them they had to split up to "provide leadership" in the other patrols.  He relented his decision when the 5 boys made arrangements to switch to a different troop.  Yes they were only 2 years into the Boy Scout program, but they did have 4 years of experience as Boy Scouts at that time.

[WisconsinMomma]

"My" Arrow of Light Scouts crossed over last year.  Your Webelos handbook requirements for Scouting Adventure should help a lot.   I have fond memories of the boys using meeting time to brainstorm, and debate and vote for their patrol name -- it was not easy for them -- they barely agreed, but finally came up with, the Night Owls.   Then they voted for their patrol leader and assistant patrol leader.  Then one of the boys made their Den flag and when they visited one of the Troops for a meeting, they had their patrol flag and name with them.  They also visited a troop for a fishing outing (daytime only).

 

They covered the Scout sign, handshake, oath and law, etc. and I showed them my older son's uniform, some merit badge books, etc. 

 

As far as planning an outing -- they made a plan, but didn't actually do an outing because of the weather, but they practiced planning.

 

It was a little like herding cats, but they enjoyed it.  All six crossed over into Troops, but one has likely left, he was a reluctant crossover, a totally great kid.  The other 5 are active.

[blw2]

I'm not familiar with the new program, but I can mention a thing or two that i think is helpful form an over arching perspective.

and this is based on hind site, not necessarily what we did...but what I wish I had....

 

Summing it up, I wish that we had implemented the patrol method in the WEBELOS Den

 

From a scouter perspective, I think one would do well to get better up to speed with the patrol method, and what that "could" be.  This would help YOU to better understand where these young scouts are heading....

I'll suggest two easy read books and some podcasts you could peruse....

podcasts.... http://scoutmastercg.com/category/patrol-method/

a book by Baden Powell, that you can read online here....http://scoutmastercg.com/aids-scoutmastership/

and a book by Clarke Green, So Far So Good, A New Scoutmaster's Story

 

And from the perspective of your Scouts, I suggest 

fostering patrol spirit and pride in the den. 

and focusing on fun in the adventure

Start letting the scouts do more,making decisions, actually making things happen.  encourage tehm to make a den flag, have a den yell....don't do it for them, but encourage

 

and lastly, embrace the chaos.  Things won't be done to the level you would have them....but the the Scouts do it.

[mashmaster]

Well, after spending a weekend with Webelos this weekend.  Here are my insights while they are fresh in my mind.  They need to learn how to setup tents, clean dishes with the 3 pot method, and learn to be helpful vs. waiting for an adult to do work for them or and older scout.  The webelos that we hosted, didn't know any of these skills and expected the scouts to wait on them hand and foot.  It made everyone very tense.

 

Of course the hardest parts was having the parents not bringing food for their boys, hovering over them, and worried the boys failing.

[Stosh]

When I was WDL, I started as blw2 did, using the patrol method.  I treated the boys as if they were a NSP and I was TG.  Yes, it was all adult-led, but that's the Cub program.

 

After 2 years with these boys, they were well versed in Boy Scouts, came into the troop as TF (something that was allowed "back in the day") and all went on to Eagle.  They really weren't a NSP when they crossed over.  They knew as much if not more about Boy Scouts than the others in the troop.  One of the first complaints about the "new boys" on the first fall camporee was they ate better than anyone else.  They showed up with baked potatoes, brown sugar glazed carrots and t-bone steak grilled on the campfire.  It did set the tone for improvement in the other patrols, but it was kinda nice to see the new boys setting the pace.

[WisconsinMomma]

Well, after spending a weekend with Webelos this weekend.  Here are my insights while they are fresh in my mind.  They need to learn how to setup tents, clean dishes with the 3 pot method, and learn to be helpful vs. waiting for an adult to do work for them or and older scout.  The webelos that we hosted, didn't know any of these skills and expected the scouts to wait on them hand and foot.  It made everyone very tense.

 

Of course the hardest parts was having the parents not bringing food for their boys, hovering over them, and worried the boys failing.

 

My Arrow of Light Scouts never learned to wash dishes with the 3 pot method.  This was covered in our BALOO/OWL leader training, but it did not come up in any of the boys' advancement requirements.  So, it didn't get done.  They had set up tents once, but did not have a lot of experience with it, and they made foil pack dinners once.  

 

Just a heads up that the wash rinse sanitize is not anywhere in the Cubs program that I know of, and that most of the time, the newer Scouts will benefit from training and additional practice with these basic camping skills.  

[Stosh]

When I was WDL, I had the boys focus on the "book" so they earned as many pins as they wished and completed the AOL requirements all within the first year.  The second year we focused on the TF-FC skills.  They all did TF-FC the first year of Boy Scouts because it was all review for them.  Actually they crossed over under the old program where if they had gone through TF properly, they came into Boy Scouts as TF.  The first thing the SM did was an interview with each boy to see what they really knew.  They all passed with flying colors.  So then the first year was just SC and FC. 

 

In August, just before the crossed over, we had a camp out.  They paddled out to an uninhibited island in a lake, set up camp, dug a latrine, cooked their meals and cleaned up correctly, went fishing, played with the canoes, had a fantastic outing.  All the dads, which were there by policy rules, were told to stay out of the way, and I did as well.  They functioned as well as any regular patrol ever could.  The SM said that these boys would all burn out too soon having had too many experiences before they got to Boy Scouts.  Maybe so, but for one who moved away from the area, the rest all Eagled and stayed with the troop until aging out.

 

That probably was the best two years of my scouter experience.  It was also one of the items on my WoodBadge ticket. 

[RememberSchiff]

Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders course organization and resources.

 

https://www.scouting.org/filestore/training/pdf/511-336.pdf