Following the straight line

[Scoutfish]

Okay, I have a question concerninga particular Webelos Activity Badges.

 

I do know that in Webelos Scouts, signoff is now the den leaders job instead of the parents job. Totally respect and actually prefer that the DL has that responcibility instead of a parent who may not fully "get it" when it comes to advancement.

 

But then you have a few exceptions like traveler and earning a religious award. The DL cannot always be present, nor can those necessarily be covered ( in entirety) in a den setting.

 

But what about Aquanaut? My pack doesn't run full steam /full time in the summer. We have the 3 activity days or more during summer, but that's it.

 

WEll, this summer, my son has learned, practiced and demonstarted the various requirements for the completion of the Aquanaut Activity Badge.

 

Some happened at pool parties, some at the beach, some in our own pool, and some while on vacation two states away from home.

 

Now, would it be legitimate to ask the DL to sign of on this Activity Badge?

 

Now, since I just became Cub Master, I especially DO NOT want to appear to be pushing " my authority" ( LOL! I get a image of a pot belly sherrif in a small town who is on the take! ) or trying to tell my DL's to "give" my son anything.

 

So, my question is: Should my son have to demonstrate all the requirements for Aquanaut to the DL or could the DL take my and my son's word for it.

 

Not trying to single out my son. Matter of fact, I actually wonder this about all the Webelos who might have met the requirements over the summer while the pack was "on vacation".

 

Your thoughts?

[Troop185]

What the rush?

 

Have the den leader schedule a field trip to the local pool. [When I was a Webelos Den Leader - we went swimming all the time!] The scouts can show off to their Webelos Leader.

[Scoutfish]

Well, we don't have a local pool. We are a coastal pack.

Sure, alot of the families have pools, but not of a size suitable for demonstrating Aquanaut.

 

My son did most of his in a lake( plenty of room).

 

Not rushing it, just that my son already worked on it during the whole summer. He spent a whole summer practicing and doing what alot of scouts do in a 3 day weekend.

[boomerscout]

I'm not familiar with Cubs, but did you take lots of pix to show the various activities being performed? DL may accept that, and only ask for one or two activities to be demo

[AnaMaria]

Ask the den leader. I'd sign it. Not every requirement has to be done in a den meeting. If we have someone else lead an activity badge, I have that person sign the books.

[ScoutNut]

Without prior approval from the den leader giving you sign off ability for this (or any other) Activity Badge, the best way to do this would have been to keep track of each requirement in a journal, along with pictures of him doing the various things.

 

I suggest talking to the den leader.

 

The den leader might simply accept your approval of the badge requirements, he might require your son to sit down with him and go over what he did for each requirement, or he might require that your son repeat some/all of the requirements. You need to talk to him to find out.

 

BTW - just because you are located near the coast does not mean that there are no swimming pools available to you. There are usually swimming facilities at high schools, colleges, country clubs, fitness centers, and your local YMCA. Pool time can often be rented, especially if you have a facility member in your Pack.

[nldscout]

A better idea is have him ask his Den leader. Help him put together a chart showing what and when he did the requirements and then have him talk to the DL. You of course could hang around the edges to help him out, but he should be able to do most of the talking.

 

Remember, shortly he will be a Boy Scout and he will have to do all the talking then, why not start him out now taking responsibility.

[ntrog8r]

Scoutfish,

 

I agree with AnaMaria. The policy is that the DL signs the book - not witnesses/organizes every item. Have your son talk to the DL about the requirements completed over the Summer. The two of them will probably work it out without your involvment at all.

 

BTW - sounds like you had a great summer!

[ParkMan]

It might also be worth a friendly CM to DL question about whether the DL should outline some guidelines for parents here.

 

As CM, you're thinking about this question. I bet many parents assume that their boys can't do any work outside the dens.

 

Perhaps the DL thinks it's a great idea for the boys to do some of these at home if they follow a few basic guidelines. The DL may just never have thought about it. Or perhaps the DL did think about it and just assumes that all the parents know it's OK.

 

Who knows, it could even be a good lesson in honesty & trust for the boys. Were I DL, I'd go for it.

 

EDIT - I don't mean to imply that as CM you should tell the DL he must let the boys do this. In my opinion, it's his call. I would just suggest that as CM you ask (in a friendly way) the DL if he's thought about it and whether he wants to come up with some guidelines for parents.(This message has been edited by parkman)

[BadenP]

Scoutfish

In your scenario the answer is quite easy, most beaches or pools have lifeguards during the summer, have the boy get a note from one of them stating what the boy was able to demonstrate, have the lifeguard sign it and date it and then the WDL can sign it off. The religious award same thing applies a note from the rabbi, priest or minister should be sufficent proof.

[ScoutNut]

Earning a religious award has nothing to do with BSA.

 

It is earned (usually individually) thru your religious organization. The religious organization approves its completion, and presents their award.

 

To receive the BSA square knot, or knot device, the Scouts should only have to show the award received from his religious organization, or a copy of the completed/signed form from the back of his religious award booklet, to the BSA unit Award/Advancement person.

 

 

[Jeffrey H]

Agree with ScoutNut --

 

You don't need to be concerned about signing off on the religious award. Signing off is done by the religious instructor to the Scout. For the Protestant "God and Me" or "God and Family" award for Cub Scouts, this could be the Scout's Pastor or another member in his Church. In general, while any member of his Church can teach the course, it always requires a sign-off by his Pastor/Elder/Bishop (whatever Title they carry) certifying the Scout completed the course.

 

For inquiries, go to www.pray.org

[Scoutfish]

Well,my 3 local beaches do not use lifegaurds. Insurance liability, or just being too cheap, not sure which.

 

The pools we swam at were private pools in back yards. No lifeguards there either.

 

Ga State parks: "Drowing prohibited by state law!" Just kidding, you can drown if you fill out proper permits and pay a small fee. Anyways, they did not have a life guard there either.

 

But realistically, trying to get a life guard to say that he saw my son...as compared to thousands of people a day who swim at the beach, pool , etc...Can't see it happening. Maybe at a private club or something.

 

Anyways, my original point was this: Some things..just like Religious award( for example) or traveler AB are not done in the presence of a Den Leader. The DL does not (necessarily, but could) go to your church or bible study.

 

I am reasonably sure he doesn't go on vacation with you, and reasonably won't go to the same beach, pool, sound as you at the same time.

 

I do want to stres that I am NOT trying to bypass the DL, it's just that my son speant the time during the course of the whole summer ...which also happens to be when my pack takes time off from being active on a weekly basis....spent a bunch of time in the water and did indeed meet all the requirements.

 

I also do not want to comeoff as a CM telling a DL that he must check it off. I will leave it comepleatly up to the DL , but don't want him to think I am using any CM "authority" ( or whatever you call it) over him.

[Troop24]

Scoutfish,

 

I agree with ParkMan, perhaps there just needs to be a little more clearly defined set of parameters outlined by the DL concerning parental sign-offs. But, the bottom line here is a Scout is trustworthy. If your son (and you, the CM) is being true to the Scouting program, he will know if he actually completed all the requirements and then he can truthfully inform his DL of his accomplishment. That may come after a friendly conversation of tell me how you did it and did you have fun between him and his DL, but what harm is that?

[Greaves]

A Scout is Trustworthy.

 

I am a Webelos Den Leader, and I always have boys doing things outside of den meetings. If a Scout tells me he put on a life vest, jumped into water over his head, and swam 25 feet, I'm going to accept his testimony. (If a boy says, "Oh, I did Aquanaut," I'm going to ask him for more details.)

 

Handyman is another one that a den leader doesn't see happen. Ha, can you imagine calling up the den leader to come watch a boy change a light bulb? when boy tells me "I changed a lightbulb," and I ask him about turning the switch off first, it's not re-testing on the requirements, it's a conversation.

 

I would encourage you to let your son and his den leader have these conversations. Remember, we're warming them up for the Troop.