Webelos Bridging Problem
John Yantis (jtyantis@FLASH.NET)
Mon, 22 Dec 1997 23:54:31 -0600
I'd like some guidance from those who have been through this. First,
the
environment for the problem:
The normal situation in our District is for Cub Scout Packs to have the
bridging ceremonies for their 2nd-year Webelos sometime in late February
or
early March (coincident with Blue & Gold). Our Troop (and most that I
know of)
plans its year, assuming an influx of New Scouts in February or March.
That
means that we have our semi-annual leadership elections in September and
March;
at those times, it's easiest to form a new patrol, collapse a dormant
one, and
convince the older (usually Life) Scouts that it would be in their, the
Troop's, and incoming Webelos' best interests if they would volunteer to
be the
PL or Guide for a New Scout Patrol for the next semester. That also
means that
the PLC, in its August Annual Planning Conference, can schedule
activities for
Nov-Feb, assuming that there probably won't be any brand-new Scouts in
the
Troop; we usually end up doing advanced cooking for our November outing,
backpacking in December, winter camping in January, and they reserve
February
for strictly patrol outings (helps with the Baden-Powell Patrol Award).
The
March outing is designed to be a relatively demand-free one, which
usually
doesn't involve tent camping; this allows the New Scouts to begin to
understand
our Boy Leadership, without having to simultaneously learn the Troop's
equipment and the basics of patrol-oriented Troop camping. April's
outing is
usually a District Camporee, and May's is a little more intensive
camping to
get prepared for Summer Camp, which is either late June or early July.
And now the problem:
We have a WDL in the District who has an entire patrol of 1st-Year
Webelos who
were "held back" in school one grade, and are thus a year older than
their
peers; they will be turning 11 in the Sep-Nov timeframe. Knowing this,
the WDL
put a plan in place last year to have these guys finish their AOL and
bridge in
September. All of them have been visiting Troops, and they want to join
our
Troop en masse at their bridging. The WDL says he COULD accelerate the
program, and finish AOL in May, when the guys are 10.5, but he'd rather
not.
Finally, the question:
What are the pitfalls of bringing in a Webelos Patrol as a New Scout
Patrol in
the Troop in September? I'm concerned that it will be a long 9 months
until
these guys get to go to Summer Camp; that's where the New Scout Patrol
begins
to "gel", as they share a common experience and get intensive training
in the
basic Scouting skills. And it will mean that the PLC will have to plan
outings
for Nov-Feb assuming the presence of brand-new Scouts; how can they keep
some
of the older, more experienced (but not yet eligible for our High
Adventure
Crew) guys participating when we have to forego some of the more
challenging
outings (it isn't reasonable to expect a newly-bridged Webelos to have
the
equipment, skills, or physical ability to enjoy backpacking in cold
weather;
nor cold-weather camping; nor the skills, experience, and knowledge to
have fun
with advanced outdoor cooking).
There are probably just as many pitfalls if I request this WDL to bring
his
boys into the Troop in May. The time to get these guys "up to speed"
enough to
have a great Summer Camp is very short. At 10.5, their mommies may not
let
them go with us (we're in the Dallas area, and we're going to Summer
Camp in
Colorado). May is mid-semester for our Boy Leaders; it would be a most
difficult time to get volunteers for PL and Guide for the New Scout
Patrol,
especially after we have just done that for other incoming Webelos in
Feb-Mar;
and with them knowing that they might get to serve only 3 or 4 months
until the
next elections (not a good prospect for a Life Scout looking for 6
months
of responsibility to get to Eagle).
Assistance, please...
YIS,
John Yantis
Scoutmaster, Troop 123
Longhorn Council, TX
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