When is earliest that a Webelos can bridge ??

[WestCoastScouter]

I have a boy that is a W-2 and almost finished with his AOL. Can he join/bridge to a troop as soon as he gets his AOL, or is there a minimum time as a W-2 that he must have ?? He is eager to leave our pack and join our feeder troop.

[moxieman]

The current minimum age requirements for Boy Scouts (per the 12th Ed of the Handbook, page 17):

 

11 years old

OR Completed 5th Grade

OR Earned the Arrow of Light Award AND be at least 10 years old.

 

So, if this boy meets one of these three requirements, he can cross over.

[Oak Tree]

And to get Arrow of Light, he has to be a Webelos II for six months after completing fourth grade (or for six months after turning ten).

[ScoutNut]

There is no such designation in BSA of Webelos II.

 

The requirement for AOL states to be active in your Webelos den. There is no mention of I or II.

[ntrog8r]

 

The requirements for joining a BS Troop (this is one of ten):

 

1. Meet age requirements. Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old.

 

This, and the other requiremnts, can be found at:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/boyscouts/advancementandawards/joining.aspx

 

Hope this clears this up.

[ntrog8r]

Arrow of Light Requirements (a different question, but raised above):

 

1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least 6 months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.

 

This is one of seven requirements and the one that seems to get the most attention since it relates to when a Webelos can transition.

[eghiglie]

As I understand it as Webelos can go

 

if they are 10 1/2 years old and have the AoL

or

are 11 yo

or

have completed the 5th grade

 

That said though, most bridging ceremonies are memorable and he should stick around for that.

[Lisabob]

Yet again - a webelos scout does not need to be 10 1/2 in order to bridge. It is likely that most will be, but it is in no way required. Current minimum age is 10 (IF the boy has his AOL, or IF he has completed 5th grade). However, if the boy has not earned AoL and also has not finished 5th grade, then he will need to be 11 to bridge.

 

Seems like this has come up a lot lately.

[Pack212Scouter]

Lisa,

 

While it is true that nowhere is it printer or required this way, most people tend to think 10 1/2 because of the requirements of most school systems. Most school systems in the country will not let a child enter kindergaden unless they are turning 5 by sometime I'm October. What this means is that in "most" applications, the "six months after turning 10" applies rather than the "six months after completing fifth grade.". I know that there are exceptions, but this is what is typical now. People just need to remember that this is wha you usually see. Not what the rule is.

[Lisabob]

That's a good point. But I guess my experience is different from what you are describing. I have met quite a few boys who were only barely 10 (with AoL) when they crossed over. Maybe this is because in my area, the cut off for kindergartners turning 5 is in December, not October.

 

It also depends a bit on when people do cross overs. While in my area, most cross overs are done in January or February, some places it is common to do them earlier (or later). And some places encourage the boy to cross as soon as he is ready.

 

Maybe the 10 1/2 thing might have been the actual rule at some past time. I know I've met a lot of scoutmasters who quote it as gospel truth.

 

 

[Eagle92]

Lisabob,

Yep there was once upon a time that the"10.5" was the rule. It seems to some of us old fogeys that BSA keeps dropping the age down. First BS was 12, then it got dropped to 11, then 10.5 and finished 5th grade, now the current policy.

[ntrog8r]

10.5 is not the rule, as shown in the posts above, but I am confused about what difference it makes if your B-day is SEP or DEC.

 

If I start Kinder at age 5, but turn 6 in DEC then I am 6 when I enter 1st grade.

If I start 1st at age 6, but turn 7 in DEC then I am 7 when I enter 2nd grade.

If I start 2nd at age 7, but turn 8 in DEC then I am 8 when I enter 3rd grade.

If I start 3rd at age 8, but turn 9 in DEC then I am 9 when I enter 4th grade.

If I start 4th at age 9, but turn 10 in DEC then I am 10 WHEN I COMPLETE fourth grade.

 

To earn my AoL I must: Be active in your Webelos den for at least 6 months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.

 

Since I must COMPLETE fourth grade AND be active for SIX months after that, wouldn't I be at LEAST 101/2?

 

I think there COULD be an exception, but it would be a Cub that skipped ahead (does this happen in elementary school) or perhaps who is home-schooled and not in the same grade as he would be in public school.

 

When bridging is done would also not change the requirements. If units are bridging "early", before the requirements are met, then the bridging should be moved to reflect the appropriate date.

 

Now, I'm not saying whether the age is right or wrong or advocating one position over the other; I'm just trying to understand the math that equals a Webelos completing fourth AND being active for in his Webelos den for six months AFTER that to get his AoL and he's still under 10 1/2. Now, I am a Hillbilly and left my shoes on for the above so if my math is wrong, I apologize for my confusion.

 

Joining requirements for Cubs can be found at:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/AboutCubScouts/Boys/scouting.aspx

 

But to keep on track: IF a Cub has earned their AoL, and they are 9 years old or younger, they would be eligible to join a Troop on their 10th B-day.

[nolesrule]

Some school systems let you start kindergarten at age 4 as long as you turn 5 by a certain cutoff point. When I started school the cutoff I think was Dec 1. as myself and a couple others turned 5 in November of our K year. I didn't turn 10.5 until about a month before I completed the 5th grade.

 

These days, I believe our local school system has moved the cutoff to Sept. 1.

 

Anyway, I think Lisa's point was that it is possible to hit the 6 months since completing 4th grade around November while still not turning 10 until December.

[Gunny2862]

In our area it is not uncommon(doesn't happen every day either) for a youth to skip/test out of a grade. Most commonly they skip the 2nd grade when this occurs.

 

It also occurs from time to time when homeschooled youth are transitioned into a public school and given an advance placement or when the parents who are homeschooling do a year-round program and advance their child early by virtue of the number of "classroom" days.

 

At any rate I would tend not be excited about taking a youth under 10, especially if he is crossing alone in order to cross early. I don't like this earlier and earlier business because of the developmental issues involved.

[Lisabob]

I don't think you can take anybody under 10 into a boy scout troop. All of the current options include a minimum age of at least 10. But yes, I have known a bunch of kids who turn 10 in the middle of 5th grade or later, for a bunch of reasons. They are not required to wait for 10.5 to join a troop.

 

I suppose some might say I've been a bit concrete sequential about this. It comes from having a few too many SM's insist that such-and-such is policy, either for Webelos or for joining a troop, when they're flat-out wrong. And most of those folks just won't look at the documentation. They want to believe what they want to believe. If I had a dollar for every time that happened, I would retire tomorrow.

 

Whether a barely-10-year-old is developmentally and emotionally ready for life in a troop is a separate question, and sometimes, I admit, I think most of them are not.

 

(This message has been edited by lisabob)