From: Bob & Heather Price (raprice@ATTGLOBAL.NET)
Date: Mon Jan 31 2000 - 19:41:42 CST
Kim Elmore wrote:
> I took over my son's fifth-grade Webelos den...I have asked the boys for ideas >on what they want to do, but they aren't interested in much except >Nintendo...Scouting just doesn't seem to interest them anymore. What can I do?
Oh, the agonies of 5th grade!
IMO this is one of the toughest parts of crossing over Webelos into Boy
Scouts -- just dealing with all of the changes they're going through as
5th graders. My husband is dealing with the same problems right now.
I'm not sure whether this is the very best way to handle it, but he's
made some changes in his philosophy towards the den in the past month or
two, and the boys seem to be responding well to it. He's stopping
trying to do anything "worthwhile" (except finishing up those last few
requirements needed for AoL). He's working on:
1) moving them towards the time when they're a part of a Scout-led
troop, and
2) having PURE fun in the den meetings!
The 2nd year Webelos have been playing lots of games like marbles and
nerf baseball, and have stopped doing crafts, etc. (they are not in that
sort of mood right now!). Each of them have earned a fistful of sports
belt loops in the last month or so, along with the Sportsman Activity
Badge. And he's kept them busy and happy. (Oh, and the marbles were
the hit of the last few months!)
I don't think we'll lose anyone in the crossover in March.
Just an idea.
Heather Price
CM, Pack 398 Jackson, Michigan
