Starting new book

[thetexasfive]

My son received his bear patch about 4 months ago and has been attending his Bear meetings waiting for his friends to make Bear. Well, the finally did on Saturday at the family picnic. Johnny is chomping at the bit to start the Webelos book but no one seems to know when he can start it... do we wait til school starts back up in August or can he work on it during the summer?

 

Thanks in advace for any advice.

Shelia

[ScoutNut]

Earning the Bear Rank does not designate the end of being a Bear Scout. After earning rank a scout can earn arrowpoints, work on Belt loops/pins, work on other awards like Leave No Trace or Cub Scout Outdoor, & have fun doing various different activites with his den & pack.

 

A boy can not be a Webelos until he has completed 3rd grade or is 10 years of age.

 

Most packs hold a graduation ceremony at their May or June pack meeting where the boys are officialy moved up to their next Cub level. Many also present the boys with their new scarf and/or handbook at this time.

 

Talk to your den leader to find out how your pack handles it. Weather it is your pack or you who purchases the new handbook, your son can begin working in it over the summer.

 

[Trevorum]

Welcome to the forum, texas5! Always glad to have another fellow Scouter around from the great Lone Star state!

 

I believe that ScoutNut is correct (stick around long enough and you'll know that he usually is!) about when your son can start working on WEBELOS. Just another few weeks (depending on your local school calendar) and he can start. But check with his DL and the CM 1st.

 

(This reminds me of a similar question, which I'll post in a new thread...)

 

[thetexasfive]

ScoutNut,

Thanks for the info. The only problem is that our pack is VERY new (3 years) and they have never given the boys an actual graduation ceremony... it was just always thought that at the end of the school year and or at the End of Year Party (this year was a picnic) that the boys were considered graduated (assuming they had earned their rank). When my son earned his Bear Patch, he started working for arrow points.

 

Since our pack is done for the school year (we do have a fishing tournament & bowling party planned for the summer but that is it) he is really anxious to start working in the Webelo book.

 

Have a great day!

Shelia

[molscouter]

texas5, keep in mind that the Webelos program is a little different than the younger Cub program. First, it is supposed to last 18 months or so. Second, the activities become much more den centered. His Webelos leader is the only person allowed to approve advancement (except for Webelos badge requirement 1, parent readng the parent's section of the book). Most Webelos dens work on one activity pin a month. If he gets too far ahead, he may get bored later repeating things. Check with his den leader as to what he/she has planned and work on any pins that they won't be doing in a den. Some just don't lend themselves to a den setting, others do. When I was a WDL, there was a suggested schedule from national(?) that worked well and would get the boys their Webelos badge and Arrow of Light around February of each year. The new 2004 requirements may have altered that schedule.

[ScoutNut]

Good catch Molscouter!

 

As Mol said, Webelos goes from family centered advancement with parents able to sign for just about anything, to den centered advancement with the den leader (or an adult ok'ed by the leader) being responsible for approving completed activities.

 

Talk to your son's leader about how she/he wants to handle work outside of the den. Most Webelos leaders ask for documentaion of outside work and then go over it with the scout before approving it. That would mean that your son should keep a notebook and/or a folder with all of the work he did for an activity pin.

 

Ask your leader about doing Family Member & Traveler on your own over the summer.

 

Another thing you might consider getting started on is earning the religious emblem of your faith. Traditionally the religious emblems are awarded by the religious institutions in February at their Scout Sunday/Sabbath celebration. These emblems usually take a quite a while to finish so getting an early start (when there is no homework to compete) would not be a bad idea.

 

Religious emblems are not BSA programs and are done thru your religious institution. Pray Publishing has the complete listing of awards by faith. You can order the appropriate booklet from Pray or your Scout Shop might carry it.

 

http://www.praypub.org/awards_main.htm