marcbloch

In our Pack and Troop we have increasingly run into Webelos burn out at the beginning of fifth grade. The other problem is that is also the time when we lose a lot of webelos to intensive club sports. We are going to try an earlier crossover this year to try to capture some of them before they hang it up. I really think that the responsibility is on parents, but overall our den and pack leaders have been doing the same things year after year. They are tired, kids are tired. I don’t know what the answer is. But the webelos program hasn’t been working for us over the last four years.

It is really a learned response.

Thanks for this. I guess part of me still thinks that the Cedar Ridge tents are pretty solid for scouts, particularly because of the tent base.

Im curious about the Taurus 4 vs the Cedar Ridge Granite Falls 4. Cedar Ridge is a little more budget priced, has a "PE tub floor," and is around the same weight as the Taurus 4, plus or minus one pound. The Cedar Ridge is much less expensive, and is of high quality (I own one, but don't work for Alps Mountaineering!). What makes the Taurus 4 a better option for scouts? I have asked them about what exactly they mean by "outfitter" and have not received a clear answer.

I can see this happening very easily in my near future. Our DE is far more concerned about numbers than anything else, and is constantly annoying myself and other Cubmasters and Scoutmasters to get our numbers up and constantly run recruitment campaigns. We live in areas where the bushes have been beaten and there ARE NO MORE KIDS. As much as we try to argue against it, we ARE in competition with sports, but the awful truth is that it is not parochial or school sports, it is club sports causing the most problems overall. I don't recall kids at the age of 10 going to Florida for Spring base

Thanks to all of you for your quick replies. This is all very encouraging.

Thanks...I agree on your comment. This is a really tough issue.

All, My son is in a Webelos den made up of two very different kinds of boys. One group is more of what I would call "normative," the other group is what I would call hyper-competitive. They are drawn to sports, and are as you would expect good athletes. But the real problem is that they turn EVERYTHING into a competition. Who is the tallest. Who is the fastest. Who is the best kicker. Who is the best basketball shot. You name it...they will make a competition out of it. The problem is that "normative" boys typically want to have fun, and don't feel an urge to compete all the time.