Fw: Re: Webelos Camping
Deborah Keyes (cbkeyes@JUNO.COM)
Thu, 29 Apr 1999 09:09:30 -0500
thought I'd forward this to you all fyi- to suppliment what we've heard
before.
--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: larry martinelli
To: cbkeyes@juno.com
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 08:20:57 -0500
Subject: Re: Webelos Camping
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19990428082057.00796180@pop.wwa.com>
Thanks for the E-Mail. Sorry I did not get back to you sooner but I
seldom
get E-Mail so I don't check mine to often.
There is no official word yet from national about this subject. But
eliminating the Webelos participation from Camporees was communicated
from
national's professional staff at a recent BSA round table discussion held
during the National Camping Association's Chicago convention held this
February. I attended this session along with other NWSC professionals.
National's veiw comes from a nation wide BSA survey. The concenses is
that
a Camporee is an event designed to challenge boy scout skills and not a
place to recruit Webelos into scouting. Many camporee events have
specific
time and skill limits that are beyond Webelos skills and as such compress
the time/attention available to the very scouts toward which the events
are
directed. Running a seperate Webelos program overworks volunteers which
could be asked to help at other types of scout outings.
The real fear is that troops are getting lax in conducting their own
ongoing Webelos recruitment. National would like to see/encourage troops
to invite Webelos to regular troop campouts and day outings. This
approach
better illustrates a particular troop's personality and in turn allows
different Webelos patrols to better match their own
temperment/orientation
with that of the troop they will ultimately join. It also gives
individual
Webelos more of a personal choice ie. some boys like one troop others
join
a different troop. I agree with this approach.
In the end, it will be left up to the local council to implement this
guideline. The key word here is GUIDELINE I am not so sure that we will
be
seeing a direct policy statement.
Eliminating the emphasis on Cub Scout advancement (Activity Pins) at
Summertime Day camps was also recommended by National's staff at this
same
conferrence. I know plenty of parents who would be upset by this in our
own council however on a national level surveys clearly indicate
differntly. Once again recomendation will be left to local coucils to
implement in a manner and timetable thats fits their particular
circumstances.
Hope this helps.
Larry Martinelli
Chairman; NWSC, Webelos Weekend II
NWSC District Chairman, Venturing/Exploring/LFL
At 07:36 AM 4/20/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
>A question for you RE: Webelos Camping.
>There is a lot of talk about this topic -
>especially in regards to camping at CampORees & such.
>The word is that National is implementing changes. Problem is, noone
has
>seen anything official and the stories differ.
>(I have a copy of the 1999 Guide to Safe Scouting - no changes there)
>
>
>Thanks.
>Deb Keyes
>
>
>
>
>
