(no subject)

I sent this directly to Dave, but as my opinion seems to vary significantly
from the others posted here, I'm resending it, this time to the group.
As a leader, I believe that it is my responsibility to see that each boy
advances. My son does not advance any faster than the others, especially
because I do not want people to think he is sliding by. (my oldest in a Star
Scout now, my younger is a second year Webelos) My boys know that doing
something at home is "practice" for the den meetings. They only get/got extra
activity pins for efforts beyond what was planned for den meetings. I make
sure that if you attend den meetings, you advance. If you are interested in
the program, you advance. I give parents info on how to make up what was
covered at den meetings, and repeat activities that require den settings. I
focus on a team approach. The boys know that I expect them to advance
together. We used to have a CM who sounds a lot like your problem person. His
son was always first to earn everything, the rest of the den did not advance.
He had more stuff hanging from his uniform than you could shake a stick at!
Most of it I still don't recognize as Cub Scout. There's not too much you can
do about the individual, but keep plugging group advancement. The den that
advances together is learning real skills. It prepares them for Boy Scouts,
where the emphasis is more on boys teaching what they know to other boys
coming in.
Yes, they should get the badge when they earn it, but I would really work on
the den leaders to try to get them to see the value of group advancement. The
other disadvantage of rapid advancement like you described is that the kid
will get bored with the program before too long.
Good luck!

An additional comment--see the program helps for where the idea of planned
advancement comes from. This is especially true in the Webelos program.

Amy Echlin
ALEchlin@aol.com
P284, T283, Great Sauk Trail Council
Ypsilanti MI

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