When does the Cub Scout year officially end?

[Armymutt]

We're a year-round Pack - at least we are now.  We've had some scouts join us as late as two weeks ago.  I'd like to give them every opportunity to earn their badge for their grade.  How do we manage the transition?  On Saturday, we award the completed rank badges and they start working on the next rank.  Do we keep them with their cohort and they can work toward their current goal, or do we move them into the den working toward the same rank and move them back after they complete it or the next school year begins?

[Thunderbird]

It depends.

Does your pack advance its dens to the next den level at the end of the school year?  If so, when is the last day of school?

Your Pack Committee has some discretion to grant time extensions at the end of the Cub Scout program year:
 

Quote

 

BSA Guide to Advancement
4.1.0.4 "Do Your Best"

In the same spirit as “Do Your Best,” if a Cub Scout is close to earning a badge of rank when it is time to transition to a new den, the pack committee, in consultation with the den leader and the Cub Scout’s parent or guardian, may allow a few weeks to complete the badge before going on to the next rank. Earning it will give the youth added incentive to continue in Scouting and carry on and tackle the next rank.

 

 

[fred8033]

A few comments

• Focus less on strict "rules" and more about creating great experiences
• Rank award is important if the kid / family value it.  
• If you can "reasonably" justify it, then help the family / cub.  
• Watch out for making extra work for the den leader
• Watch out for the scout being separated from their friends
• In the long path of scouting advancement, no Cub rank is all that important.  

FOR ME AND MINE ... I'd focus more on their connection to their fellow cubs and classmates more than if they get the patch.  If they are obsessed about getting the patch ... and I can justify some reasonable path ... fine.  I'd go out of my way to help.   But, every kid doesn't have to get every patch.  Few kids wearing Eagle will have the slightest memory if they earned a specific cub batch; often not even Arrow of Light.

DO NOT SWITCH DENS  .. I would definitely not move them to a younger den to try to get the patch and then move them back.  Continuity with fellow scouts is important.   Maybe attend a rank requirement event if it conveniently overlaps ... but even then ... the previous rank patch is just not that important and the other den should not be distracted with a cub from another den.  

HARD DATE:  ... ???? ... If you had to have a hard date, perhaps the first day of the next grade.  Generally ... RANK = SCHOOL GRADE.  Did the kid earn the rank during that school year (plus or minus summer)?  Is there some way to justify it ?  

MY BIG FEAR ... If the scout's den is active and working the next rank, then more damage is done by pulling the cub away from his classmates.  Further, you are distracting the cub with old requirements instead of the den's current focus. 
 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by fred8033