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Questions about Wolf and summer


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Three comments here...

 

First, going into our District Day Camp, many of the areas have elements of Achievements and Electives as elements of our program. Our PD had to take my proposal and crosswalk it against Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelo books.

 

Second, Wolf is easily doable in just a few months. These newly arriving Cubs, be they new recruits or graduated Tigers, have a year in front of them. There's plenty of program for parent/child as well as den and pack in those Cub Scout books :)

 

Last, July 4 is coming. Cubs LOVE to walk in parades! The dog days of August are coming. Cubs LOVE family nights at the park, with the pack grilling burgers and doing raingutter regattas. Before you know it, they'll be all grown up. Enjoy the journey along with them. :)

 

John

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Here is the way the Pack that I work with handles this. The Pack meeting after a boy earns their rank badge they are recognized with a serious, but short ceremony (about 5 minutes). In June or May we then have a special pack meeting that usually takes place outside where everyone graduates to the next phase in the program. This is a very elaborate program usually involving a camp fire and every boy is graduated at the same time even if they have not earned their rank badge (The one that have not are allowed to work on it during the summer if they want).

 

Why do we do this? First it allows for immediate recognition, which is what the boys need at this time. It also allows us to have a big memorable program that includes everyone that celebrates when they truly move on to the next phase in the program.

 

Keep in mind that the rank badge is the tool not the goal of Cub Scouts. A Scout needs to be recognized when they earn the rank, because that is how the tool is used. If you focus on too much on the tool, you will lose sight of the goal which is what we celebrate with our big celebration, which is helping the boys grow and mature.

 

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It may be semantics, but I would argue that the rank badge is a goal of both the program and the individuals. After all, one of the criteria of a healthy program is advancement. One of the criteria for the Quality Unit Award is advancement. These are both goals, aren't they?

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Our Pack has always given the rank awards when earned, and we will continue to do so. I really never thought about it but in reading these posts I realize that I agree with the importance of instant recognition. Also I thought I have always heard that advancement is not the #1 thing in Cub Scouting? If so, then what difference does it make? I have been leader for 2 dens all the way through (well, #2 is now Webelos 2) and never had a problem with boredom! Yes, while working on a project I have had boys who have "done" this requirement before. He did not complain because #1 he is having a blast, and #2 I never make a big deal of what we are working on. After we finish the meeting (and the FUN) I will tell them to bring me your book, so I can sign off on _____". This takes care of any boy who has done thins already. (he simply does not get signed)

 

Face it, with Day Camp they earn quite a bit, so those boys are going to be bored all year as opposed to those who did not go? NO. It won't kill them to do something again, so long as you do not deliver the attitude that they are having to do it AGAIN so little Johnny can catch up.

 

EagleinKy, frankly I am not surprised either that the boy did not come back. What a letdown to earn something and have it minimized like that. :(

 

By the way, I do not like the suggestion that the 2003-2004 Tigers work on Tiger tracks this summer. Once school is out, they are WOLVES. The instructions in my book are quite clear, they are not to work on last year's stuff once they move up. They are Wolves -- Work on Wolf!!!!(This message has been edited by eaglewings2002)

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fotoscout

It is not semantics. The goal of the program is to make good citizens out of boys. The tool that is used is the ranks since this is what boys this age focus on (the carrot if you will). Since one of the ways that the upper levels of BSA can use to measure succes is the rank awards they look at that in part to determine how the program is deliveried.

 

By the way the only time that I can remember the number of boys that earn rank is used is for some Leader Knots. Quality unit from what I can remember is based on primarly growth and the activities that are planned during the year.

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fboisseau - One of the "optional" requirements for Quality Unit is:

 

Advancement. Seventy percent or more of our Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts will advance a rank, or we will have a 10 percent increase over a year ago. Approved rank advancements for this recognition include Bobcat, Wolf Cub Scout, Bear Cub Scout, Webelos Scout, and Arrow of Light.

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As I stated in my post from what I can remember the Pack Quality Unit award is primarly concerned with Program and Growth and not with advancement. I found the 2003 Quality Unit Application at this website http://www.tidewaterbsa.com/forms/cubqual.pdf and here is the break down of the major areas of focus for each requirement.

 

Training ..........1 Required(#1)

Youth Protection ..1 Required(#2)

Program ...........1 Required(#3) 2 Optional(#5,#7)

Recharter .........1 Required(#4)

Advancement........1 Optional(#8)

Boys Life..........1 Optional(#9)

Growth.............2 Optional(#7**,#10)

 

So based on the above breakdown there are 3 requirements (1 Required) are geared towards the Program and 2 requirements are geared towards growth. So my basic point holds true if a Pack focuses on delivering a good program and growth, the Pack will most likely earn Quality Unit. I will also point out that both Training and Youth Protection help you deliver a good program since they give you the tools to develope the Pack Program according to the rules of BSA.

 

**Tiger Cubs is the basis for future growth of the Pack.

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

so, TigerDad,

 

How did you resolve your concerns???

 

Have you ended up with Cubs who over the summer did "too much"??

 

My guess is that your program is a mix of Fun, achievements, electives, and other award activities (sports and academics, Leave No Trace, etc.). Are the boys enjoying it???

 

 

I know this is a day late, but . . .

 

Since there are so many electives,

and they can be repeated (with increased sophistication),

and a Cub can earn additional arrow points,

I find it hard to believe any boys have room and time for boredom. Keep it simple - keep it fun - (keep 'em movin'!)

 

Are you going to graduate them together or celebrate individually, as they earn their Wolves?? My Pack has "graduation ceremonies". We don't even address Bobcat during the Tiger year, so we award Bobcat in November and Wolf at the Blue & Gold.

 

I'm fighting hard to change this because it makes little sense to me, unless your ultimate focus is the convenience of planning Pack Meetings. Around here we have a tradition of making Pack Meetings three ring circuses - so there's little time to actually celebrate what the boys are efforting and achieving.

 

Tomorrow night is a prime example!! -- "Scouting the Midway" Pack Meeting. We've had the boys working all month on Midway style games. Screwdrivers, hammers, planning games and parties, identifying tools -- all sorts of fun -- all sorts of achievements and electives successfully and joyfully accomplished. . . Unfortunately, tomorrow night instead of focusing on the boy's efforts and their games, we'll have a Moon Walk, a Dunk-the-Den-Leader Tank, hotdogs, popcorn, cotton candy, etc. We'll charge to play the boys' games (somebody's got to pay for the Moon Walk) and we'll give prizes out. Some Dens will give out penny candy to every participant, some will give out stuffed animals to high scorers . . . (Thinking ahead to tomorrow night has my frustration, sadness and headache building as I write this.)

 

Needless to say, one of my prime objectives for this year is to affect some positive changes to our program. This "Troop Beverly Hills" thing would have my poor Silver Beaver of a father spinning on his head.

 

Wish me luck, hopefully by the time my boys are Bears, we'll have an improved approach to program.

 

Good Luck with your soon to be Wolves!!

 

jd

 

 

 

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