Age requirement verification

[BSA223_CT]

1. Meet age requirements. Be a boy who has completed the fifth grade or is 11 years old, or has earned the Arrow of Light Award but is under 18 years old. - from the BSA joining requirements.

 

1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge. -from the AOL requirements.

 

Just looking for a second opinion to confirm that a 10.5 year old boy who has been active in a den for six months, and who then earns the AOL, is eligible to join a Scout Troop. (meeting all the other AOL requirements of course)

 

I have four such boys who will be at that point in May 2004. I think they're ready.

[evmori]

Yup.

[dsteele]

It happens frequently. I think it's a shame to hold a qualified boy in the Webelos program when he's eligible (under any qualification) to enter a troop. Holding a boy back can lead to early drop-out due to boredom.

 

Age 11 or have completed the Arrow of Light, or have completed the fifth grade, and a kid is qualified to enter a Boy Scout Troop. That doesn't say he must enter a Boy Scout Troop, only that he may.

 

DS

[hotdesk]

During the years that I have been with my troop we have had several 10 year olds join the troop.

 

Plus this one time two fourth graders earned the AOL and joined the troop.

 

The first one is still in our troop. He's an OA member,Life Scout, been ASPL for six months, held that PL position, and has been able to socialize with all the scouts in the troop.

 

The second one was an only child. He's parents spoiled him and then his father went to become SM after his mother and her ASM friend decided that having a SM without a son in the troop was setting a bad image. When the decided to appoint another person, who hadn't been with the troop long but his son was, they left. He is know in another troop and about to get his Eagle Project finished.

 

[BSA223_CT]

Input from all much appreciated. Two of the boys were tag-alongs starting at age five when older brothers started Tiger Cubs. One of them, my younger son, attended his own Tiger meetings and most of his older brothers Webeolos meetings. It will be interesting to have them both at summer camp next year. -Hopefully not in the sense of the Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times"

[BSA223_CT]

-Meant to add that this will be an entire Den crossing over nine months early. I just wanted to have all my facts straight.

 

Not sure if I should be shamed to say, but this news has really rejuvenated me as the WDL. They're working on their religeous knot and craftsman badge now, I've opened up the door for them to completely choose what badges they want to work on after this. I predict bridges, catapults, and electric gizmos will be high on the list.

[Bob White]

Sender, how long have they been in the Webelos program?

 

Bob White

[nldscout]

If they are 9 months early, then that makes them 4th graders by my calculations. If they are 4th graders and Webelos 1 then they could not have earned the AOL. to earn the AOL you must be active for 6 months since completing the 4th grade.

[BSA223_CT]

They started working on Webelos in May 2003 as they finished third grade.

 

 

"If they are 9 months early, then that makes them 4th graders by my calculations. If they are 4th graders and Webelos 1 then they could not have earned the AOL. to earn the AOL you must be active for 6 months since completing the 4th grade."

 

That's not what I take from this;

 

1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge. -from the AOL requirements.

 

 

They all turn 10 before December 6th of this year. They just earned Their Webelos badge last month, and have completed Outdoorsman, Fitness, Artist, and Handyman. They were invited to the Troops fall camporee, and participated in a Webelos overnight over the summer. They did the alternative religeous requirements, and are now working on the religeous emblem. (I was pleased in the interest level in this, and when one of the other den's parents offered to put on a formal course, they all wanted in.)

 

Earning five more badges by May 2004 dosn't seem such a stretch, about on course for what they've been doing so far. It's almost leisurely when compared to the LDS one year plan.

[Twocubdad]

I'm not really following all the age calculations, so I'll assume you're right. But I have to ask, what's the hurry?

 

There's plenty left for these boys to do as Webelos. There are 11 more activity pins. There are plenty of sports and academics pins available, most of which are on a par with the WAPs. You can step up your outdoor program and do more camping.

[Bob White]

Sender,

If we could talk face to face I could be more delicate wit this, but forums do not lend themselves to casual counseling so I will get right to the point.

 

If you look at the Webelos Leader Handbook, pages 8 and 9, the advancement plan shows that for a Fourth Grader entering the Webelos Den in June will not be eligible to cross over until January of the next year. In your case of starting in May they would not be eligible based on achievements until December of 2004. What they should be earning this January is their Webelos badge.

 

The question here is not are the boys eligible. The question is why did you not follow the Webelos program? You are rushing these scouts through and past achievments that will better prepare them for a comfortable transition into Boy Scouting.

 

It is not to late to get back on track and follow the program for the benefit of the development of the boys in the Den. This is not a race you get no extra points for finishing first.

 

Get trained, get a Webelos leader Handbook, follow the advancement agenda, take the time needed to get the boys ready to cross over successfully.

 

I hope give this serious consideration,

Bob White

[Wallace]

Good advice Bob White!

[NWScouter]

Bob,

What he said is they completed forth grade in May.

So If their school district ended on say May 20th, therefore six months later, November 20th, they would be eligible to earn their Arrow of Light. They have to be in a Webelos Den for three months to earn the Webelos badge. There is no time limit between earning the Webelos Badge and earning the Arrow of Light. So the only time issue for AOL is the six months after completing forth grade. So base on my reading they join a Scout Troop in November.

I don't have the Webelos Leader's Handbook, but any plans in leader's handbooks are suggestions and do not override the requirements published. Remember no more no less, in advancement.

Having said that I do not know how any of the requirements for activity badges might effect timing.

 

[Bob White]

The question NWscouter is not are the boys eligible. The question is were they prepared correctly and given a full Webelos experience or have they been raced through what is designed to be an 18-month to 2-year Webelos program.

 

All scouting methods are suggestions, but it is those suggested elements that make it scouting. The goal of cubscouting is not just to go to Boy Scouts. There are skills and abilities that Webelos is designed to develop in the Cubs before they crossover. To hurry them through is not providing the prograsm they need of deserve.

 

It is the responsibility of the leader to follow the program that the BSA has developed, and to give the scouts all the opportunities available in Webelos that they deserve.

 

Sender would do well to relax the pace and work with the scouts on the Compass points, outdoor skills and planning skills and cross them over closer to February. Sending them to the troop too early in their development is NOT a recipe for their success.

 

Bob White

[Twocubdad]

Dead on correct, Bob. Exactly the point I was trying to make.