AnaMaria

Your book's old. Bobcat must be earned before Tiger Rank Badge can be awarded as of 2006. Here's a link on scouting.org:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Awards/Adults/advancement.aspx

It is my understanding of the program materials I've read that the Tiger totem and black/orange/white beads can be earned and awarded at any time. The Tiger rank badge and yellow disks can not be awarded until the Bobcat has been earned.

Here's one in Columbus. It's a day long event, rather than the full weekend like Dan Beard's will be.

http://www.doubleknot.com/registration/calendardetail.asp?ActivityKey=670934

I looked this up online and the reference indicates the leader SHOULD attend training before conducting an outing, but does not say it is REQUIRED. I would absolutely encourage her to pursue the training and take it as soon as she can, but I would not continue to postpone outings. Good luck with locating a training she can attend.

Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders

Webelos den campouts serve to move the Webelos Scout to the next level of the BSA's ever-increasing challenge in the outdoors. The boy and his parent will be introduced to the basics of Boy Scout camping. A trained Webelos den leader who has completed position-specific training and Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders should conduct these events. Webelos dens are encouraged to participate in joint den-troop campouts, particularly in the fifth-grade year.

Designed specifically for Webelos den leaders and their assistants, the Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders course teaches outdoor-related skills through demonstration and hands-on practice. Webelos den leaders should attend this training before conducting Webelos overnight camping with the boys and parents of the den. In addition to covering basic camping skills, this training features planning campouts and finding resources.

The council and/or district usually offer Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders several times each year. Check with your pack trainer, unit commissioner, district training chair, or local council service center for dates and locations.

I don't have an alternative date for you, I'll be at the training that weekend. However, I'm fairly certain that WELOT isn't required for den outings, just recommended. I know if I'm wrong someone will point us in the right direction. Note that I'm not saying it isn't valuable training, just that you can still have an outing even if no one's had it.

That's not anything I've ever heard. I am BALOO trained, but that didn't come up. The purpose of BALOO training is to prepare leaders to run pack overnighters.

I'd ask whoever told you this to supply a source and not spend any more time thinking about it.

We're kicking off our first pack meeting of the season with a bike rodeo. A mom has e-mailed concerned that her 4th grader doesn't yet ride a bike and might be embarrassed. Any ideas on how to keep the non-riders involved and happy? There will be safety/maintenance stations that don't require riding of course, but it will be apparent that he isn't riding at some point. If it were my child, I'd just talk to him ahead of time and we'd go and do what we could and be matter-of-fact about him not being able to ride a bike. That's not going to cut it with this mom I know and we also have a 5th grade Webelos with Down Syndrome that I'm fairly certain can't ride either. I know we can't gear everything to the least common denominator, but I don't want to embarrass these boys either.

Take them camping - let them build fires and use knives. Let them pick a patrol name and make an emblem and flag.

My guys are very excited. We went camping last month and they all got to build a fire. We'll be going again next month and then probably not again until spring, but are planning to camp every month the weather is reasonable.

The parents and I (I'm den leader and have a son in the den as well) are very much in agreement that we're preparing the boys for Boy Scouts and working on those skills and letting the boys have a little control and the chance to pursue some leadership.

Move away from crafts, etc. and make it clear that being a Webelos involves some perks and some additional responsibility.

It's time to buy a compass. I don't need super fancy, but would like a good, reliable brand. I half remember a discussion sometime, somewhere about the current Silva not being the old Silva, but maybe Suunto being the old Silva. Any recommendations?

Our District does both a day camp and a twilight camp. I've only had experience with the twilight camp (4 years now) which is very popular. Monday - Wednesday the dens rotate through stations (BB/archery/sports/crafts/woodworking/etc.) with some differences for each rank. Thursday is "Hike Night" - each rank hikes to various stations with rank specific items, one station is the food station and the cubs roast a hot dog for themselves. Friday night is "Family Night" - entire family is invited for supper - main dish is provided, families provide other items. The ranges are usually open and a couple of other stations, followed by a closing program. This year was awarding certificates/patches to each scout, flag retirement and thank yous.

The day camp is not as well attended and does not have the positive reputation the twilight camp does. I'm sure one factor in that is the ability to recruit adult helpers more easily for the twilight camp.

The day and twilight camps are held at the council's primitive camp - port-a-potties are brought in! The council also has 3 and 4 night resident camp for cubs at our other camp. This camp has primitive areas, but also has "Cub World" which consists of a fort and a castle and a more remote "mountain man village" with platform tents. Which area you stay in depends upon rank. I've not been to resident camp, but the cubs I know who've gone have really enjoyed it.

Yes, top and sides is the way I've done it.AnaM

Yes, it is only the fabric failing on the BSA garments. I haven't seen fabric do this before. And yes, my boys, the Webelos specially, are hard on clothes. This wasn't the kind of wear and tear I'd expect and accept. If my boys were on a sports team and the same thing happened, I would not continue to replace the uniform piece over and over again. If the team wanted a particular brand of something and it performed like that, I'd expect the team to accept my child wearing a reasonable substitute or take responsibility for the continued replacements.

I tried to use the official cub zip-off pants for my sons, but eventually gave up.

4th grade Webelos went through two pairs of official pants last year. The fabric failed at the seams. The seams didn't rip, the fabric separated. After pair #2, I checked Wolf son's pants and they weren't in as bad of shape as Webelos son's, but they were starting to fail as well. Although my scout shop was great about replacing/exchanging the pants, I decided to give up at that point. Each failure required a trip to the scout shop as well as a hemming session.

So I'm willing to spend the bucks on the official pants, but am going to pass for now. When/if I hear about a change, we'll give it another go.

Our U of S provides a cd that's supposed to have all the handouts from all sessions on it.

Does anyone have this? Is it a good resource. I was thinking of gathering time before meetings, for instance.

How about the Boy Scouts Deck of Skills? Would this be useful for 2nd year Webelos working on Boy Scout information?

I'm looking for something to hold gear outside the tent. My 2 Cub Scout sons and I usually use a 7X7 tent, which will just fit the three of us, but not really room for anything else. I want a place to keep things dry if it rains and protection from dew overnight. Is a simple rubbermaid container adequate?

The requirement doesn't say to track interim progress, it says to record the initial assessment and show improvement after 30 days. That's it. No required number of days to practice or showing progress each week. Don't make it hard when it isn't.

In the end, I had the spine removed and holes punched for a 3-ring binder. Since I bought a new binder, it wasn't cheaper than buying a coil-bound book, but the spine removal/hole punching was cheap (I think $1.50, haven't looked closely at the receipt). Even cheaper would be to have them remove the spine and punch the holes yourself. I'm not sure the place I went could have coil-bound a book that thick anyway and am happy with this solution.

When I asked they said it was just on back order, not a new edition in the works.

Seems these are on back order. We have 2 scout shops in our council, one says they'll be in mid-May, late summer at the earliest according to the other. Does anyone know which is correct?

Guess I'll be getting the standard version and taking it somewhere to be spiraled.

The bear book shows how to make rope using a bench vise and a drill brace.

As a parent, I wouldn't want an adult who isn't a registered leader and no child in the unit just coming to hang around. If the adult has some part in the program or another reason (e.g. member of the CO or local official who has a legitimate interest in the unit) to be there, no problem.

What about this?

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/webelos/webelos-scout-schedule.asp

GKlose, as a parent I'd want to know that you'll be supplying the handbook. That's a vital piece and one that I'd have for my boy before that point if I didn't know it was coming.

We typically use acrylic craft paint. First coat is sealer, final is varnish - satin or gloss depending on the project. The scouts that live at my house use some model paint occasionally. The acrylic paint looks good, though, if it's finished appropriately.

Rank awards should be presented at the next pack meeting after they are earned. They should not be "saved" for a year end ceremony.

I'm not sure what our Pack does because the years I've been a den leader none of the boys had finished requirements earlier anyway.

At our leader meeting prior to this month's raingutter regatta there was some talk of not doing awards, but I reminded them that immediate recognition is one of the things emphasized in scouting and we did go ahead and present awards. They're little kids and the reasons I've heard for "holding" things were adult-related and did not serve the boys' interests.