Cubs Rank Advancement / School Calendar

[Liz]

Hey, Scouters! Help me out here and let me know if I understand correctly. 

I'm asking about "in normal times" not Covid extended times. 

For most ranks (Lion through Bear) if the child hasn't completed the rank by the end of the school year, they automatically "move up" and stop working on the previous grade level's rank.

But for Webelos, there's no requirement for the kids to finish the Webelos rank by the time they finish 4th grade, is there? I know a child can skip the Webelos rank, but if they want to finish up that last Webelos-required pin, say, now, as they are starting the 5th grade, they can, right? 

As CC I'm going to allow it anyway due to extenuating circumstances (COVID, fire storms, general apocalypse, Zombies aren't due until next month thankfully) because the family has really good reasons for why they got so far behind, not the least of which actually is the fact that the Webelos den leaders abandoned ship entirely. I'm just tickled that the child decided she wants to go ahead and finish her Webelos rank at all, and *may* continue Scouting at all in the Fall. But if I'm understanding correctly this isn't really an exception for Webelos as it's a continuous 4th-5th grade program. 

Am I reading that right?

[The Latin Scot]

Correct. As long as the child is a registered Webelos Scout, they can work on their Webelos rank. That is why there is no actual difference between what some packs call "Webelos 1" and "Webelos 2" or "Arrow of Light" dens. In fact, Cubs do not even have to complete the Webelos rank before they earn the Arrow of Light - they can earn it after, if for whatever bizarre circumstances their situation demands it. \

So you are absolutely correct - Webelos is a continuous program that encompasses both the 4th and 5th grades. Scouts may complete any Webelos-rank activities in any order during the entirety of that two-year period.