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Whittling Chip AGE guidelines?


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I tried to find a previous post but I couldnt... any help..?!?!

 

We had a recent campout and the Bear leader was very specific that the Wolves could not earn the whittling chip. (period) he states he contacted the local council and they told him has to bear and above???

 

My son is a Webelos and he earned his whittling chip card while a wolf at the same campout....

 

Does someone agree or disagree?

Thanks

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I know that when I was a bear leader that was on of the requirements for getting your bear badge. I think that I would wait until then. Check with a Bear leader and see. I would think that your son would get bored if he gets ahead of his den. There is a section in the bear book that they have to earn the chip, do some soap carving and stuff.

 

Tracy

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As I recall the Whittling Chip card can actually be earned at any age. If your den has boys that are dying to use knives, I'd rather teach them the Whittling Chip skills early for safety's sake. I really like the idea of having them to a bunch of whittling on soap with a metal butter knife. Do it on a pastic tarp - it makes quite a mess.

 

Our den didn't do it until the Bear year. I still emphasize that it is up to the parents whether the boy is allowed to bring a pocketknife to approved events.

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I'm not aware of any age guidelines on Whittling Chip, and I don't think there are any - I've looked, and if they exist, they're well enough hidden that they may as well not exist. But it is part of the Bear program, and we've told our parents it is something to be earned that year, and not before that. I'm just figuring there's probably a good reason National put it into the program at that age, and that matches up fairly well with my own observation.

 

Oak Tree

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There's no age/rank requirement. Whittlin Chip is often a part of Day Camp attended by Wolves, as well as Bears and Webelos.

 

Yes, it's a Bear Achievement, but that doesn't preclude the Wolves.

 

We never allow Cubs to carry knives. If there is going to be an activity where they can be used, and the Cub has earned his WC card, then the knives are carried by parents or leaders before and after the activity. It's like tools in your locked tool box - they stay stored when not in use.

 

Few Cubs, of any rank or age, with or without the WC card, have the strength, coordination, experience and skill to use knives safely. You cannot be too careful.

 

jd

 

 

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An "Age Appropriate Guideline" for Scouting activities is available on the National Council website: http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/18-260/index.html

 

There are links to a chart, and although it doesn't specifically address the Whittling Chip", it indicates that activities with pocketknives are permissable for all cub ranks -- including Tiger (with an adult partner).

 

The Guide to Safe Scouting (http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/toc.html) section on knives even references the Wolf Handbook.

 

I would take copies of these with me in the future, in other words next time "be loaded for bear" :) Yes pun-intended!!(This message has been edited by ManyIrons)

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We were always under the impression that you had to be a bear to earn the whittling chip. Since it is a requirement in the bear book. You cant work on requirements until you become a bear so how can they earn the chip? Can anyone show me were they talk about Knives in the Wolf handbook? I've looked through it but see no mention of knives. I have a up and coming wolf that desperately wants to earn his chip but was told he cant because it's a requirement for bears. Just really curious now cause I've seen different requirements all over the web but have found only were bears can actually earn the chip. My husband who is the CubMaster even agrees that it can only be Bears and up. We let our son whittle at home but not at Cub Scouts. He is bummed but understands that he has to wait till he's a bear. I think as a family we are going to make our son wait until he is a Bear but let him whittle at home under our supervision

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jteamnmj, I don't have a current Wolf Handbook, so I'm only going by what is written in the on-line version of the Guide to Safe Scouting. In the section on knives (http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/gss09.html#g) it says:

 

"We believe we have a duty to instill in our members, youth and adult, the knowledge of how to use, handle, and store legally owned knives with the highest concern for safety and responsibility.

 

Rememberknives are not allowed on school premises, nor can they be taken aboard commercial aircraft.

 

References: Boy Scout Handbook, Fieldbook, Bear Cub Scout Book, and Wolf Cub Scout Book"

 

There is no specific discussion on the Whittling Chip.

 

I'd recommend speaking to someone at your council office. Reference the links I provided on the "Age Appropriate Guidelines" and the G2SS and ask for their guidance.

 

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Thanks ManyIrons, I'll keep looking and asking. Unfortunately our council office is in Germany (we live in England) so I cant go there but I'll have my husband call and see what they say. I will look again on there website and see if I can up with anymore info.

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It was back in January when I had posted a similair question. At that time we were giving out the popcorn prizes, and we had some minor problems with the boys ordering the pocket knives as prizes. I found out that the boys can earn it at any age. The reason why I had thought it was a Bear requirement, was that it was the first time it is introduced to the boys in their handbooks is in the Bear book. They however, like I said, can earn it at any age. If you have a lot of boys who order the pocket knives as prizes, I would allow them to go ahead and earn it, because Trails End is supposed to now check to see if the boy has earned the Whitling Chip before allowing boys to order the pocket knife as a prize. How they intend to go about that, I have no idea. It may just be up to the pack and the popcorn kernel to check but they are supposed to recommend that the boys do not order it with out having their chip. (That was kind of a long story for our pack, and how I ended up contacting Trails End etc., but this is what they told me for next year's selling of the popcorn.)

 

Jens3sons

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While earning the Whittling Chip card is a requirement to earning "Shavings & Chips" in the Bear handbook, it is NOT a requirement to earning the Bear rank.

 

"Shavings & Chips" is 1 achievement out of 11 under the "Self" category. In that category they only need to earn 4. They do not HAVE to earn "Shavings & Chips".

 

According to the Guide to Safe Scouting's Age-Appropriate Guidelines, pocketknives ARE appropriate for ALL ages & ranks from Tiger on up. In order to carry a pocketknife to scout functions the scout should earn the Whittling Chip. Therefore, the Whittling Chip CAN be earned by ALL ages & ranks.

 

If a boy earns his Whittling Chip before he is a Bear, & wants to do "Shavings & Chips" he should talk to his leader to make sure that he can count it. Personaly, I would not have a problem with it because by earning "Shavings & Chips" he is effectively re-earning his Whittling Chip.

 

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"Can anyone show me were they talk about Knives in the Wolf handbook?"

 

Perhaps the question should be "on what page does it say Wolves may NOT? or "on what page does it say Bears ONLY?"

 

What about a boy entering as a Webelos? Tough luck?

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FScouter,

I didn't mean for my question to sound like that (Can anyone show me were they talk about Knives in the Wolf handbook?). I was trying to find out on what page it was so I could see what my son needs to do. Everywhere I look it says that you have to be a bear to earn the chip. I'm just trying to find out if he can do it. I know they say in the Guide to Safe Scouting that all the ranks can use the pocketknives but on all the chip requirements I can only find that it says bears and up. I would love to have my son earn his chip but it doesn't look like the Pack we are in allows it. We have been in it for a year and it has always only been open to Bears and older.

Julie

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"on all the chip requirements I can only find that it says bears and up"

 

 

If the Whittling Chip card you have says that then you have an old, outdated card. The most current card (# 34223A) makes no mention of any specific rank.

 

 

"Everywhere I look it says that you have to be a bear to earn the chip."

 

 

Then you are not looking at current BSA publications. Nowhere, in any current BSA publication, does it say that the Whittling Chip is RESTRICTED to Bears or older.

 

 

 

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