AOL, earning Activity pins and Crossing over
Jan Mussler (mussler@SPOT.COLORADO.EDU)
Mon, 8 Mar 1999 16:08:10 -0700
Sam quoted chapter and verse, saying that he interpreted it to say that a
Webelos does not earn Activity Pins after earning the AOL. I'm sure that
BSA wants us to transition the boys to Boy Scouts after AOL so as not to
lose them in the transition. However, in my experience, these transitions
don't happen according to the storybook, because each Scout is unique.
If you follow the Webelos to Scout pattern (also in Program Helps) for
earning the activity pins IN ORDER, you will earn most of the pins and
culminate with the AOL, as Citizen and REadyman are left to the middle
(fall) of the second year.
However, in practice, and as we know or are learning, our Scouts don't
come to us being all the same age and dens develop their own personality.
Last year's den had 2 boys who started school early, making them very
young and it imperative that they earn AOL, if they were to cross to Boy
Scouts with their peers - and that after holding the group up a couple
months from THE NORM. This year I have a Scout who was held back a year
in second grade. Oddly enough, he is only 1-4 months older than the rest
of the group. This group is "older" - and most will be 11 by September
and could go outright to Boy Scouts. Should we just skip that last 6
months?
Well, one of the parents pointed out to me - don't they need a certain
amount of skills or work to be READY to go to Boy Scouts? That is the
point of the activity pins. And you can get your AOL with a minimum
number of pins and you could skip the Outdoor group, say, altogether.
I also found that the order of activity pins must have been developed by
flatlanders on the east coast, because our winter lasts until May, so the
order for Forester et al. won't work well up here. Also, ARtist works
better in the winter up here; our summers are just too short to not do
the outdoor group then. You alter the order for 1) convenience 2)
opportunity presents inself 3) interests of the boys 4) talents of the
den leader 5) availability of camps and whatever works.
I don't read "chapter and verse" as precluding you from earning pins after
the AOL. It may not be recommended but boys who want to cross together to
Boy Scouts will be doing something constructive while "waiting on" their
buddies. I think that is the Scout's decision.
FYI - my youngest son has earned all he needs for AOL and WEbelos this
month - he has yet to decide if he wants to cross to Boy Scouts with his
big brother, or wait for his buddies. I had one young man, not 11, who
hadn't quite finished his AOL because of lack of tenure, just finish up
his work and tenure a month after his den crossed to Boy Scouts. While I
recommended that he start looking to Tenderfoot requirements, he wanted to
finish what he had started. He just finished work on 6 pins. I'll not
demotivate this motivated Scout, no matter what the book said. (And for
those who might think I demotivated him by not letting him "cross" early -
I felt it better to send the message that the requirements must be met as
written and it wasn't up to me to change it because I didn't like it or it
doesn't fit.
YIS,
Jan Mussler, Webelos Den Leader, Pack 170
Troop Committee Chair, Troop 170
Arapahoe District, Longs Peak Council
Nederland, CO
