Potential Webelo-ree Coordinator

[Prepared 16]

I have a question, and I know I will get plenty of help. I am thinking about volunteering to coordinate my district's Webelo-ree in the fall and wanted to see if anyone can provide insight as to what this would mean for me, regarding what I would have to do.  Our roundtable leader told me that the district has plenty of help to get it going, but I want to know what I need to do. I want this to happen because they do not have a coordinator, just want to make sure I am not getting in over my head. Thanks in advance for any help that may come

[Stosh 3452]

Unless one has a good handle on project management skills this could be a bit overwhelming. 

 

Pick a theme that sounds like fun... ask the boys, not other adults.  Adults think watching sports and drinking beer is fun.  That probably won't work out well for a Webelos-ree.

 

Then sign up with deadline all the activities necessary and staff with a coordinator and enough people.  If no coordinator or not enough people sign up, drop the activity,

 

Work with the activity coordinators to make sure they have the resources to do their jobs, do whatever it takes to keep them from becoming frustrated. 

 

Have fun with it yourself and share in the good and bad that will naturally result in such an effort.

 

Be sure to thank your people and make sure their spouses are recognized as well.

[Prepared 16]

Unless one has a good handle on project management skills this could be a bit overwhelming. 

 

Pick a theme that sounds like fun... ask the boys, not other adults.  Adults think watching sports and drinking beer is fun.  That probably won't work out well for a Webelos-ree.

 

Then sign up with deadline all the activities necessary and staff with a coordinator and enough people.  If no coordinator or not enough people sign up, drop the activity,

 

Work with the activity coordinators to make sure they have the resources to do their jobs, do whatever it takes to keep them from becoming frustrated. 

 

Have fun with it yourself and share in the good and bad that will naturally result in such an effort.

 

Be sure to thank your people and make sure their spouses are recognized as well.

Well I have taken like 4 project management classes for my degrees and have organized large events for various reasons. Hopefully that helps me. All that seems like what I expect from a big event like this    

[Stosh 3452]

Well I have taken like 4 project management classes for my degrees and have organized large events for various reasons. Hopefully that helps me. All that seems like what I expect from a big event like this    

You're probably the best person for the job with a background like that.  At least you know what to expect. 

 

I would suggest you not take it to the professional level, keep it simple and have fun with it.  If there's a hiccup, you know how to roll with the punches. 

[Prepared 16]

Sounds like a plan to me...now I just need to convince my wife that the time I will be spending doing this is worth it

[Stosh 3452]

Sounds like a plan to me...now I just need to convince my wife that the time I will be spending doing this is worth it

 

Wives make great ACM's. 

 

With all my work as UC and SM of a new fledgling troop, I asked my wife if she would be interested in working with me on a new Venturing Crew needing advisers.  She said, Yes! and I didn't even need a ring. 

[SSScout 1616]

Phone numbers.  Notebook.   DE's private line.  DCommisher's private line.   Park Ranger's private line.   Topo map of site.  Someone ELSE to keep track of finances.  Patch design.  Lots of "caution" tape.  Line up the Archery ROs early on.  Also BBs and (?)  Tomahawk throw. 

State police helicopter?  Nat Guard Humvees?   Construction crane from the builder who you know from your wife's cousin's church social?   State Park service Scales and Tales  presenter?    Those Civil War Re-enactors you saw last year?    That local antique car club that puts together the Model T from loose parts?  

Talk to the Cub Scout Day Camp Director and maybe coordinate things/site/equipment. Also the District Camporee....

Line up the OA to help.  

AND....  have fun.  Part of the job, yes?  

[Prepared 16]

Phone numbers.  Notebook.   DE's private line.  DCommisher's private line.   Park Ranger's private line.   Topo map of site.  Someone ELSE to keep track of finances.  Patch design.  Lots of "caution" tape.  Line up the Archery ROs early on.  Also BBs and (?)  Tomahawk throw. 

State police helicopter?  Nat Guard Humvees?   Construction crane from the builder who you know from your wife's cousin's church social?   State Park service Scales and Tales  presenter?    Those Civil War Re-enactors you saw last year?    That local antique car club that puts together the Model T from loose parts?  

Talk to the Cub Scout Day Camp Director and maybe coordinate things/site/equipment. Also the District Camporee....

Line up the OA to help.  

AND....  have fun.  Part of the job, yes?  

You make it sound so simple...

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

To quote the 9th Doctor:

 

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

[Prepared 16]

I came up with an idea for this that would last the weekend, I figure this is the best place as any to throw it out and get some input...

 

I will be attending Wood Badge soon and was looking at the program and what I would be doing. I noticed that we will become a patrol of sorts and function as one, which got me thinking.

 

What if on the first day I take all the scouts together and have them find X number of kids they do not know and stand in X number of groups. Then I make them each a patrol of sorts and the next days activities are all patrol based.

 

This would be two fold; 1) the scouts get to meet new kids and make new friends 2) allow them to work as a patrol, must like they would when they become Boy Scouts (since Webelos is all about preparing them for Boy Scouts).

 

What does everyone think about this? Am I crazy in thinking this would work? Or could this work and be a successful thing?

[Stosh 3452]

@  Being new I'm sure one haven't had the time to review the thousands of previous threads on the forum, but it's important that this subject be reviewed on a regular basis. 

 

There are a certain percentage of scouters out there that will think this plan of yours is a great idea and in theory would be a great way to have the boys make new friends.  But for the most part it is not my opinion that boys joining Scouting are as interested in making new friends as they are hanging out with the old ones. 

 

The process I use (just a couple of weeks back to tell the truth) is to put the boys in a room and give them the patrol organizational lecture.    1) You guys pick your own groups, 2) 6-8 members in the group, and 3) come up with a leader for the group.  Once you've done that, come out and tell me what's going on.

 

It was interesting that the boys originated out of 2 different Cub Packs, but the groupings, although lopsided, did not run on Pack lines so there was a natural mixing anyway to a certain degree.  One of the two leaders was picked by his buddies because they think he will do a good job.  He was a bit more quiet and serious than the others.  He'll do just fine as a PL.  The other group, smaller, kind of the "cast off" boys, picked their leader with the Rock-Paper-Scissor system.  From my experience, this group will do just fine too.  If adults were to have made the choice of who's in what patrol, what I ended up would NEVER have come up with this result.  The groups were lopsided, the in-boys vs. the out-boys, the PL selection was on opposite ends of the spectrum, and it would be judged as never working.  So the two patrols played a trivia game for a treat prize.  Even with the dynamics the way they were, the boys fought to a 10 to 10 draw and I had to toss in a tie-breaker to get a "winner".  I never would have expected that outcome.

 

The reason I will allow this to continue, and will do the same thing the next time I have the opportunity, is because I have learned over the years to trust the strangely illogical mind of the boys to do what they think is best.  I have seen it played out over and over again and it works.  The adults can do the choosing and it will probably end up with a situation that's okay and maybe even functional, but for some reason I have far less personality conflicts, disruptive behavior, etc. than what I hear being expressed here on the forum.  My bubble might be completely out of the circle, but it's working for the boys and that's all I care about.

[Prepared 16]

@Stosh That makes perfect sense...while I am not the WDL, I am involved with the den because my son is a Webelos scout and I see them making decisions all on their own.  It is sometimes crazy, but nothing too crazy. I like the idea you gave and will definitely use it. Would you recommend each patrol have a Boy Scout with them for assistance? I am not really sure on the patrol organization and all that, I have only been in Cub Scouts.

[Stosh 3452]

@Stosh That makes perfect sense...while I am not the WDL, I am involved with the den because my son is a Webelos scout and I see them making decisions all on their own.  It is sometimes crazy, but nothing too crazy. I like the idea you gave and will definitely use it. Would you recommend each patrol have a Boy Scout with them for assistance? I am not really sure on the patrol organization and all that, I have only been in Cub Scouts.

@

 

If your boys are coming into a troop and have a sizable number of new scouts in the den(s), one can always ask for a Troop Guide to help them get oriented.  That's what the TG position is all about.  I'd group up the new Webelos boys into groups of 7 if they wish to ask an older scout to be PL or 8 if they wish to run their own patrol, but in either case, ask for a TG, an experienced scout that can walk the newbies through the first 6 months if not first year if need be. 

 

Remember, if the boys do not ask for an older scout PL, they still have the TG and SPL helping them out.  Otherwise they have their PL, the TG and the SPL helping them get going in the troop.  Remember they will also have the Instructors, QM and Scribe there to help them as well so they shouldn't feel like they are left out in the cold.

[Prepared 16]

@Stosh

 

This would be for the Webelo-ree, would I make groups of 8 to make a full patrol at the Webelo-ree?

 

On transitioning; I am the Cubmaster for my son's pack, and I am hope that my WDL knows how to transition the boys over. However, I cannot be sure. Is there anything I can do to ensure the boys are transitioned properly? My son is a Webelos and will be working on his AOL next year. I don't want him to be lost when he gets to Boy Scouts and really want him to continue. Anything I can do to help him and the other boys I want to do. Any suggestions?

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

OK I' wasn't able to finish last night what I started with the "Run For Your Life!" quote. That was meant as a joke.

 

In all seriousness, there is a publication that national created  for weekend Webelos camp outs. I believe it's called Webelos Woods. I know that when my friend started doing Webeloree, he was given a copy and used it. I'd ask your DE for one.

 

1 thing I've done when planning events is get ideas from others. "Ripoff and Duplicate" or "R&D" as one friend of mine calls the following: do google searches, in your case Webeloree or Webelos-ree or Webelos Woods, gather the various materials other uses, and use the best ideas.