Can a Webelos Den succeed if it only meets twice a month?

[markinzeroland]

Our Bear den currently only meets twice a month outside of pack meetings and field trips. This isn't ideal, but we are completing the program and the two meetings per month fits in well with the amount of time the parents of the boys want to devote to the program.

 

Can we meet the requirements of the Webelos program by meeting only twice a month when we start next year? I know the program is more work, but the parents of the boys are resistant to having weekly meetings.

[EagleInKY]

I've seen Webelos dens accomplish their goals by meeting only twice a month. The problem comes when they go to scouts. Virtually all troops have a weekly meeting, and they are year-round. Therefore, it's a major culture shock to them.

 

It's also frustrating to me that parents will send their sons to soccer practice twice a week and a game on Saturday, but complain about one-hour a week for scouting. One thing you should probably work on is selling them the bigger picture of scouting. Our dens started meeting three times a month as Wolves, and never stopped. It made the transition to Boy Scouts much easier.

 

Here's an option, if you can't get to three times a month (with the fourth being the Pack Meeting). Agree to have two meetings, one pack meeting, and one activity per month. The timing of the activity will vary based upon the activity itself. The activity will fall in the week you don't have a meeting. In this way, the boys are still getting together every week in some capacity, but it doesn't feel as much like a weekly meeting. Just a thought...

[Eagledad]

Hi all

 

Im not taking away from EagleInKy because he is pretty sharp with this scouting, but Im one of those leaders that only had two meetings a month. Now it may be my situation that I had 16 Webelos. I just could not do a quality meeting in one hour, so I changed to an hour and a half twice a month.

 

Could only two meetings hurt the scouts preparation for Troop meetings? well I never saw that come up. I never even thought of that until now. Its worth considering, but the Troop program is a big shift in habits anyway. Now what I did do was have my Webelos meetings along with the troop during the Webelos last three months. We would participate in the troops opening ceremony and then move on to do our own Webelos program. I did that to get them more accustom to being around older boy scouts and to see boy run in action.

 

My Webelos meetings had four parts; the opening ceremony where one scout had to arrange other scouts to do a flag ceremony. The second part was program where scouts worked between two different activities that usually applied to the activity badges. The third part was a game or some activity that required the boy to RUN and have FUN. And the fourth was the closing where we also had an awards presentation of previous weeks earned activity badges. The parents usually showed up early to watch and cheer this part of the meeting.

 

If I had any advice about Webelos, it would be dont set goals for the scouts. Instead build a fun program of activities where if the boys participate, they will get the badges. Dont work on badges, instead work on skills that the theme of the badges are attempting to teach. Each badge took at least two meetings to earn, some more. I delegated parents to plan and lead all the badges. They all took pride in it and did a much better job than I could ever do. I would suggest looking at the AOL the first year of the program.

 

I cant say whether you should do two meetings a month, only that it worked for my sixteen families and me.

 

Barry

 

[EagleInKY]

Barry - You're idea about having the meetings in conjunction with the troop is very interesting. I'll have to think about that for next year. I believe that was a big factor in your successful transition. I'll give you a creativity award for that idea.

 

This past year's crossovers came from a den that didn't hold a real regular schedule. They typically met twice a month, but the days and times sometimes varied because of the leader's schedules. Therefore, the transition to a weekly meeting at the same time, same place, every week, was challenging to some.

[Hunt]

My son was in a pack that had one pack meeting and one den meeting a month, with some additional events. It was possible to complete the program (most of the Webelos achieved their Arrow of Light), but I wouldn't say it was a strong program. Quite a few of the boys didn't cross over to Scouts.

[Rixkidz]

My hubby's Den meets twice a month for 2 hours! They meet right after school.

 

They have 9 active boys in their Den, We also have 1 Pack meeting evermonth and 1 addtional event on top of it.

 

Our boys crossed over to Webelos 06/04 and 01/05 they all completed their Webelos badge and 5 of them earned their compass patch already.

 

Summer camp is almost crucial though.. 5 boys did summer twilight camp and earned 5 badges...

 

All of the boys have already earned the badges required for AOL already!

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Our current 5th grade Webelos Den has met every other week since Tigers. They have earned each rank by that Feb's B & G. This year at B & G, they will have earned their AOL & be ready to crossover to Boy Scouts. They are great boys and this shedule has worked for them.

 

BTW - the every other week was because of the Leaders work shedule, not because of the parents.

[anarchist]

BSA stats show that the largest % of boys leaving the program are doing so from Cub programs meeting only twice a month. Dens in our Pack meet

3 or 4 times a month plus the pack meeting (some dens do not meet the week of the Pack meeting.

 

Our Troop meets weekly plus our weekend activities (@2 per month). WE DO FIND THAT CUBS (and families) show meeting shock when they come from less intense programs and many do not adjust well. By meeting weekly I found that I had time to work on Arts/Crafts and advancement (meetings were 1 1/2 hours long) and have an opening game and a short ending game.

All of my WEBELOS recieve AoL and most did 20 activity pins. I can say the same for my older sons Webelos den (I was not DL) and of those boys three have finish all but the letters and final write up of their Eagle Project and one is staring his Project in the face.

[Eagledad]

>>BSA stats show that the largest % of boys leaving the program are doing so from Cub programs meeting only twice a month.