Cub Scouts

Just last night we hosted a Webelos troop visit. While the visiting Webelos went off with the Scouts we asked the parents to come with us into another room and meet with the troop’s adult volunteers. The committee chairman talked to them for a bit about the basic functions and administrative things involved with having a son in the troop. When I was introduced to the parents I said a brief hello and explained that the best way for them to learn what our Scouts do and experience would be to talk to the Scouts rather than me....

Scoutmaster Podcast 33 Den Cheifs In This Podcast Den Cheifs [2:01] Summer Camp Story [7:28] Email Answers [13:08] Podcast Notes Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Scoutmaster Podcast 5 In This Podcast Webelos Den Leader to Scoutmaster [2:47] Hiking story [10:01] 5th in the series Instructional Methods for Scouts [14:17] Scoutmaster Minute; Founder’s Day [21:21] Podcast Notes Ask AndyDownload Instructional Methods for Scouts.pdf (65.6K) Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Although I concentrate on Boy Scouts rather than Cubs I have been both a Den Leader and Cubmaster. This time of year I attend one or two Pack Meetings to welcome new Scouts as they cross the bridge from Webelos. At the risk of being curmudgeonly I offer these observations. The Pack Meetings I attend are almost always too long. One Hour, or better 45 minutes, is the ideal. Of this time allow a maximum of 20- 30 minutes maximum for speaking, awards, etc....

When Webelos and their parents visit one of our meetings we send the Webelos to our Senior Patrol leader who sees that they are welcomed and join in the activities. The parents meet with myself and a couple of Assistant Scoutmasters. I used to have a set program for visiting parents. I would sit with them and go through some standard information and answer questions. Then I would ask the ASM’s to do a pre-arranged talk about some aspect of the Troop program....

We do all we can to help new Scouts transitioning from Webelos – let’s not forget that Webelos den leaders stepping into new roles will need some help too. Thirty-plus years ago I was a Webelos Den Leader for eighteen (!) Webelos. I was recruited to be a Scoutmaster a year later, but it was a while before I stopped being a Webelos den leader and started being a Scoutmaster....

A good discussion of most common questions about Webelos to Scouts transition at Ask Andy: The Webelos bridge crossing ceremony is to publicly show the transition, or crossing over, from a Cub Scout pack to a Boy Scout troop. At one side of the bridge is the pack he’s leaving. On the other side are the representatives of the troop he’s chosen to join (always the Scoutmaster and most often the troop’s Senior Patrol Leader—the highest-ranking youth leader of the troop—too)....