Herms

Whether they're required or not, they are a good idea. Have you ever looked at the records of your boys at council? Did that last year, and on average a third of the boys advancement/MB's weren't in there. Years ago at my brothers Eagle BOR they questioned if he had completed a certain MB. He called my other brother who ran his stack of blue cards up to him and he presented the signed Blue Card. No further questions. On a side note. A great way to keep all of your kids scouting advancement cards together is to use baseball card sleeves.

MollieDuke, Good topic. The problem I see is that no body wants to be the bad guy. I've seen the "it's good enough" mentality used a lot. I think you are touching on a wider American society problem where we are teaching children to do just enough to get by. You see in the schools, scouts, and even sports (which is highly competitive) that just average is ok. Want to know why American business is getting kicked around by the rest of the world (I have been to 40 countries and it is)? It is because we are teaching our children to be average, not exceptional! Why get an A when a C is passing? Boys will take the First Aid MB at summer camp because it is "easier". The question becomes, will they know the material a year or 3 down the road when they need to perform it to save their lives or yours? The QC is in the program, we just have to have leaders with enough courage to say no when a boy doesn't know material, and enough compassion to push them to do better.

Can't believe what I am reading in a lot of these posts! If you ask most kids these days "Would you rather play X-Box or work on a Merit Badge?" 9 out of 10 would opt for the video game! Since when is it wrong to ask our children to broaden there knowledge and skills? Since when is it wrong to teach them to set goals and work towards them? Thirty years ago my father "pushed" me to get Eagle, and looking back at it I'm glad he was there doing it!! He "made" me be and a PL and later SPL and now I know I am a better leader at work and in my community for it. Look at my second statement. Does a 11-16 year old boy really know what will be good for him in the future? They may not always like working on advancment or a certain MB, but while they are doing it they are learning, whether they want to or not they are learning and will be a more well rounded adult for it.(This message has been edited by Herms)

This is one of the disadvantages of letting Cub Scouting events "fade away" during the summer. I have a pair of Webelo I sons and am a Webelos leader. We will be taking the dens/patrols out this July and August so that there first and second camping experiences are warm ones. Did this with my older boy's Webelos den and 4 years later we still have more active boys from that year. I really believe it was because of that first positive (warm) camping experience.

Keep your chin up Hops and remember the good times in Scouts. I today's society you see too many parents trying to live out their own "preceived" failures through their children. All you have to do is attend a local youth sports event to witness this. Just like you learned in Scouts, take the experience, grow from it and teach it to someone else. It is obvious from your first post that you are headed down the right path in life. Keep Scouting!

This is one I haven't seen before. Anyone know anything about the new Pack trainer award? http://www.usscouts.org/awards/packtrainer.asp

Just got back from there myself. Lots of really good things (ie new schools and roads) happening there which are not making the news.

Sorry to re-open this topic. Just got back in to the Scouting swing after a long year in Iraq. I have always been against MB's in scout meetings. That said, we have 12 boys 14 years and up who are "bored" (including my own son) with doing the basic scout skills over with the younger, new crop of boys. At a recent SM Corp meeting, one of the other leaders suggested an MB class during the meeting. After much thought and discussion with some of these older boys we are considering: using part of one meeting getting the older boys working with the younger ones on basic scout skills, and the next meeting while the younger boys are reviewing the past meetings requirements with an ASMs, taking the older boys off for MB training. The boys wanted "Required MBs" but I'm not real crazy about that. Was thinking of starting with something like Plumbing having the boys cut and thread pipe, soldering pipe and gluing PVC. Give me your experience and feedback please.

Very sad. I keep one of my old Eagle patches with me and use it during Scoutmaster conferences. I ask the boy "Does he want to be an Eagle?". Of course he says yes, so I flip him the patch and say "Ok your an Eagle, go ahead and sew it on." Without exception they always give it back. I ask why didn't they take it. They almost always respond "Because I didn't earn it". You can take that time to point out to them that it is just a piece of cloth with some fancy, pretty thread. You go on to tell them that it patch REPRESENTS the skills, knowledge and fun they have had in Scouts and without that it is just a piece of cloth.

Just wanted to get a feel for how the Scouting world feels about the new pants! I love them, and the guys seem to like them as well. Great for hiking, and zip off for shorts. (I dispised the old ones.)

To answer the original question: mix it up, some pack prep, some badge work. Make it fun. Make it educational. Meet every week. Wear the uniform with pride. This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I work with a Pack, Troop and Crew (kids still in each program) and have found that the Packs are doing a very poor job of preparing the Webelos for Boy Scouts. It has been the topic of several roundtable and troop discussions. The transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts is critical in keeping boys in Scouts. One of the biggest problems is parents signing books or making presentations for Webelos. When the boys get to Boy Scouts they are totally un-prepared to have to demonstrate their knowledge or skill to someone other than their parent. And lets be honest, some parents just sign the book so the boy gets his badge. You hear things like, "Oh he did that last summer" or "He did that for school" which is ok as they are the Akela, it is not up to me, the leader, to question their signature. But in Boy Scouts they have to go to someone and show what they know. The Webelos transition, and leaders signing books, is as important for the parents to learn as the boys, and will make for a better prepared, more confident young man.

eghiglie, If the boys are mature enough to cross, let them cross. The troop should accept them along with boys from any other pack. I think it would be better to cross them if they are ready, then keep them back and take a chance of losing them.

Don't you have something better to do??

Consider the source, Ha!!

Got to agree with the "Johns".

At the camporee a couple weeks ago our Crew watched (and the many of the boys participated)in the "Call Out" ceremony. After we got back to camp the girls in the Crew were asking if they could be in the OA which we informed them they couldn't until they were adult leaders. A After spending some time thinking about it (and listening to the girls protests) I got to thinking, why couldn't BSA come up with a program to allow these older girls to participate? They do a great job in the Crew and would be a great asset to the OA. Your thoughts???

All these posts are right on. Just had a great young man from our Crew get his Eagle last Saturday.

Just went to one last Saturday for the W5 Section Chief. It was the 4 winds ceremony and very nice.

I have to agree with Ed and EagleinKY, better to take him out of Scouts for a while than send him back to Cub Scouts. Be patient, talk to the mom about staying out as long as she can each time. The "New Scout Patrol" has worked very well for us for about 3 years now. It really helps boys like this. Lastly, I have preached several times on different threads, get the Webelos out DURING THE SUMMER for their first campouts!

We encourage our boys to only take two or three merit badges. We have some of parents who want their boys to take 4 or 5, lots of Eagle required etc... At our parents meeting we remind them that this is a fun time for the boys and really helps avoid burnout. Let them set there own schedules and just have fun!

We give the little Pinewood Derby medals from the scout shop for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each age level, Tigers - Web II's. We give out trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd fastest cars in the pack and a trophy for 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Best in Show in the pack. We give each boy a medal (we don't call them participation medals) and a certificate for the following catagories: Best Accessories Best Antique Design Best Car That's Not a Car Best Detail Best Flames Best Funny Car Best Public Safety Car Best Paint Job Best Scout Theme Best Shape Best Use of Color Best Use of Imagination Best Workmanship Bluest Car Brightest Car Coolest Car Coolest Design Coolest Paint Job Cubmaster's Favorite Fastest-Looking Car Finest Craftsmanship Flattest Car Funniest Car Greenest Car Judge's Favorite Judge's Favorite Judge's Favorite Most Aero-Dynamic Car Most Artistic Car Most Classic-Looking Car Most Colorful Car Most Colorful Paint Job Most Creative Car Most Creative Use of Materials Most Decals Car Most Futuristic Car Most Humorous Car Most Original Car Most Original Design Most Patriotic Car Most Realistic-Looking Car Most Realistic Paint Job Most Unusual Car Narrowest Car Orangest Car Raciest-Looking Car Racemaster's Favorite Reddest car Scariest-Looking Car Shiniest Car Shiniest Paint Job Sleekest Car Smoothest Finish Sportiest Car Sportiest Looking Car Strangest Shape Tallest Car Thinnest Car Yellowiest Car We make sure every boy gets something (thus over 60 categories). I know some of you dont care for this approach, but these boys work hard at these cars and the look on there face when they come up to get the medal and cert for the Scariest-Looking car is awesome! (This message has been edited by Herms)

Another couple of ideas: - Squirtgun fight (Coolers filled with water and get ready to get wet. Not of caution, make some rules about size. OUTLAW SUPERSOCKERS! lol) - We do a Chariot race each year. The dens make a "Chariot" (last year my den made a Mustang GT) out of a cardboard box. One boy rides (WITH A HELMET) and the other den members pull him around a course. (Shoot me a private email if you would like the directions on how to make them.)

LongHaul, Thanks for bringing us back on topic. To be honest with you I think the REAL transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts is the parent (mindset) transition. Let me explain. I work with both a Pack and Troop (and Crew as I have children at all three levels) and the boys seem to transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts now matter when you start. The parents are a different story. I have found that if you don't start changing the mindset (or as my 40 year SM vet father would say, "cutting the cord" lol) of the parent early, you have problems. Many parents of young scouts seem to get upset that there son is not advancing fast enough. They are used to signing off there sons advancement (sometimes even if he only kind of knows it), but when they hit the Boy Scout level and the boy has to demonstrate his ability to an ASM, Patrol Advisor or SPL, they get frustrated. They are used to there boy getting a patch at every pack meeting, so when an COH comes up and he doesnt get something they feel he was left out. A second reason I would give to start them early, even in the Webelo I (4th grade) year is to get them used to the outdoor activities, in particular camping. If a boys first experience camping is miserable or cold that will be his association. Get them out to the summer campouts with troops. Lastly, get them out early to SEVERAL TROOPS. Some troops are a better fit for boys than others. My oldest son and I visited 6 different troops SEVERAL TIMES, and I let him pick which one he liked (luckily it was the same on I liked). If a boy visits several times throughout a year, the boys of the troop will get to know him as well and he will feel more welcome each time.

CA is right, there is not much you can do about it. It is sad that some parents value the "piece of cloth" of the Eagle badge more than the KNOWLEDGE, EXPIERENCE AND FUN that the Eagle REPRESENTS.(This message has been edited by Herms)

Speedos?! Where would you sew a mile swim patch?! lol