New Leader?

[JLSanta 10]

Saludos:

Our church start a new pack last week. There is no other pack or troop in our town. We hope that in few years our Webelos will be part of our first troop. Finding leaders is our biggest problem.

 

Bear Den leader have a son (my nephew) who is 15 years old. He'll be a good scout, but there's no troop, so he came at all reunions (leaders, den and pack). He's always willing to help and all kids love him because he's a good boy. Play drums in church, play basketball, etc.. He is a good example to all cubs.

 

Last week Webelos den leader (who is working alone) ask me if my nephew could work with him with the webelos. I say it is OK.

 

Then I think that my nephew would be a 'leader' but with no uniform or rank. I know he will help and take care of the kids without uniform, but I think is unfair that he could be of so much help (more than a few adults) and cannot have an 'official' position in the pack.

 

I don't want to say anything to him before I know all the facts. I just want to use all the help he can give to our pack, and at the same time give him something for his efforts. He's still a kid (for me).

 

Thanks for you comments,

JLSanta (Cub Master)

Pack 777 - Aguas Buenas First Baptist Church

Puerto Rico

[Gold Winger 9]

If there is no troop nearby, your nephew could become a "Lone Scout" and could then have an official position and be a Boy Scout.

 

 

[click23 66]

Sign him up as a lone scout until you start a troop. He then be a den chief for the webelos den. He can work on Boy Scout advancement while helping the cubs.

 

http://www.scouting.org/media/factsheets/02-515.aspx

 

http://www.scouting.org/CubScouts/AboutCubScouts/ThePack/csdcf.aspx

 

[JLSanta 10]

OMG! I'll talk to his parents tomorrow morning and then talk to him. He'll be so happy! This is even better because he can help the pack and also be a BoyScout learning other things for himself. Being a Boy Scout He'll be a better example to the Cubs.

 

Wow! So my nephew will be a very important part of our unit. He will help us build our pack (like Den Chief); but also tech us about troops and Boy Scouts. This way we learn about Boy scouts same time we keep working with the pack.

 

You don't imagine how thankful I'm. Your comments were blessings to my heart.

Thank You Very Very Much,

JLSanta

[click23 66]

Here is the "Lone Scout Friend and Counselor Guidebook", http://www.directservicebsa.org/pdf/14-420.pdf.

 

Who ever signs up as his friend and counselor will need to fill out the regular adult application, using position code 96. Your nephew will sign up using the standard youth application, filling in the Lone Boy Scout bubble at the top, leaving the unit number blank.

 

I am not sure on this, so ask your DE, but I believe his friend and counselor signs as the unit leader.

[scottteng 11]

http://www.bsapr.org/

 

This is the council web site for Puerto Rico I find it very hard to believe that their is not a troop close enough for you to put your nephew with. He will learn much more as part of a troop boy scouting is very much a team experience. There is also a neat, judging from the pictures, boy scout camp available click on the link on the web site. By all means keep him working with the den as well but he will learn a lot from boy scouts as well.

[AlFansome 10]

 

If you go to http://www.thescoutzone.org/locator.html and enter your zip code (00703, I think), then you'll see all the Boy Scout troops near you.

 

There are 7 troops in Caguas, which is only about 6 miles from your town:

 

Troop 343 Columbia College

Troop 98 Huertas Junior College

Troop 313 Colegio Bautista De Caguas

Troop 777 Iglesia Defensores De La Fe Bet-El

Troop 230 Comite de Padres

Troop 1001 Academia Cristo de los Milagros

Troop 1167 Notre Dame High School

 

Here is the contact information for your local Boy Scout Council:

 

Puerto Rico Council

GPO Box 70181

San Juan, PR 00936

Phone: (787) 790-0323

Web site: http://www.bsapr.org

 

Call them and have them give you contact information for the troops so you can visit the troops and then decide where to have your nephew join. Having your son in a real troop will let him get ALOT more out of Scouting than if he were a Lone Scout.

 

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[JLSanta 10]

Thanks again! Those troops are nearby (20 minutes drive), almost all those troops help us with the creation of our pack.

 

I'll try the Lone Scout option. Remember that both parents are working full time with cub and girl scouts in our town. This is my first year in scouting and I learn that family is first. So when his family gets out at Friday night (mother and sister to the girls scouts and father to the pack) he will also get in, not just to be around; but because he is part of the 'action'.

 

And of course I know he will meet people and have friends when we take him to district activities and trainings. Then If he wants to join one of the Caguas (next town) troops. His parents will think about it and will make that decision. But right now Lone Scout is the only option (maybe bad timing) he have to be a Scout.

[NeilLup 13]

Another option to consider at age 15 is that he can become a Venturer if there is a Venturing Crew nearby and serve as a Den Chief while a Venturer. Venturing is the program for youth age 14-20.