TURN YOUR WEBELOS
INTO BOY SCOUTS

• Start early with your program for the first year boys to get all of them to Arrow Of Light (A.O.L.).
• Do not wait for September to start new Webelos den into active program.
• Get together during the summer months to do some special activities. The Aquanaut can be completed right away.
• Pull the den together during the summer by doing small and simple service projects for school, church, or community.
• While doing regular programs with boys add those requirements for 'joining Boy Scouts'.
• Get boys into the outdoors as soon as they start the Webelos Program.
• Do as many activity pins outside as possible. Plan around a patio, yard, Garage, Park, Pool, a business or any other place.
• Have special Visitors over for den meetings to talk about specific skill activities.
• Spend sufficient time with each activity pin. Not one week, but two to four weeks.
• Try to get all the boys in the den to the Webelos badge at the same time. Make it special for them at their recognition pack meeting.
• Attend the monthly Roundtable meetings and 'Cub Leader Pow-Wow' to get activity pin ideas and help.
• Once into the program start planning ahead, up to six months, those activities you want to do.

VISITING THE SCOUT TROOP

Prepare the Webelos and the parents: Parents’ attendance is as important as the boys’. Meetings are not as controlled as den meetings (boy run vs parent run!)  This is a snapshot of one troop.  Long term perspectives may be different.

Visiting a Scout Troop

To earn the Arrow of Light, a Webelos Scout must visit a Boy Scout troop meeting and outdoor activity with his den and another troop meeting with a parent or guardian.

He will be making an important decision in his life: the choice: whether or not to join Boy Scouts and, if so, which troop to join. As he matures, he will be faced with may other important decisions, and this is a good place to start. Judgment is an attribute of  mental fitness -  part of the aims of the Boy Scouts of America .
Cubmasters,  Webelos leaders and parents should be prepared to help him and coach him. Get a list of nearby troops and Scoutmasters from your Commissioner or District Executive. If any families have special needs like a particular religious affiliation, there may be troops nearby that fit those needs.

Call the Scoutmaster and arrange times for your den to visit both a troop meeting and an outdoor activity. Many Webelos Scouts visit more than one troop. There is no requirement that a boy must join a particular troop. It is his choice.

Prepare both the boys and their parents for what they will see. Invite troop leaders and older Boy Scouts to visit your den or pack meeting to talk about Boy Scout activities. By now the Webelos Scouts are quite familiar with the Scout Oath, Law and Motto and should be able to relate them to what they hear and see.
After the visits to the troop meetings, hold a reflection session with the boys about what they saw, what the did and how they felt. There is a good write-up on reflection in Chapter 11 of the How-To Book. Use it for both den meetings and your individual discussions in the Arrow of Light requirements.

 
Things to Look For:

• Boy Leadership--from Patrol Leader through Senior Patrol Leader
• Program for the meeting--is it planned, is the SPL following the program?
• Uniforms--especially on the older boys (they set the example)
• Boys’ attitude towards Scouting, each other, visitors
• Boy - Adult relationship
• Other parents participating in the program
• Advancement
• Mentoring new boy patrol
• Boards of Review
• Helping administer the outdoor program
• Questions to Ask:
• Troop's Long Range plan?
• Camping/Outdoor Program?
• Summer camp plans?
• Fund raising program?
• Troops Junior Leaders trained? (Council JLT and/or troop JLT?)
• Troops Adult Leaders trained? (Boy Scout Leader Basic and/or Wood Badge?)
• New boy patrol or spread new boys among patrols?
• Joining fees?
• Minimum equipment to join?
• Any camping equipment for loan?
• Published by-laws?
• Opportunities for parents to participate?

Quapaw Area Council, Pow-Wow 98

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The Boy Scout Motto is Be Prepared, so your Webelos and their parents should prepare themselves to make those important visits to neighboring troops.

Boys probably want to look for:

• A Scout is Friendly - Will he have friends in the troop? Being alone isn't fun. On the other hand, if the Scouts - especially the older ones - are genuinely friendly, it can be a great experience for him.
• Participation - A Scout is courteous. He should be invited - even urged - to be part of the program. Sitting on the sidelines is not good.
• Safe Haven - A Scout is Kind. He should feel welcome and safe. Intimidation or hazing is a definite turn-off. Never push a boy into a troop where he feels unwelcome, unwanted or prey.
• Order - Webelos are often more comfortable in a structured environment. The activities should seem to be planned and under control.
• Fun and Adventure. Scouting is a game with a purpose. Camping rules! It should not look or feel like school.

Parents and leaders should probably be aware of:

• Safety - Are the Leaders trained? How many have attended Youth Protection training? How large and how involved is the troop committee?
• Boy Leadership. Activities should be led by boys. Adults should observe from the sidelines. At any meeting, several boys should take on leadership roles. Donut be alarmed if a boy has trouble trying to lead - it's a learned skill. How do the adults handle this? Is this what you want for your boys as they take on leadership roles?
• Adult Guidance - How do the adults work with boys. Ask them about priorities, Junior Leader Training, and program planning. Look for indications that the Scout Law, Oath and Motto get more than occasional lip service.
• Cost - You should know, up front, how much this will cost you in dollars and time.

One of the most obvious differences you might notice when visiting a troop is that, in Boy Scouts, boys are totally in charge: they are out front leading all the activities while the adult leaders are off to the side apparently doing very little. At least, that is the way it should be and that is the way most really successful troops operate.

Now leadership is a learned skill. Pushing a boy out in front of a troop and telling him to lead is sort of akin to pushing a non swimmer into the deep end of a pool and ordering him to swim.

Probably won't work in either case.

Acquiring a skill usually takes some demonstrations of how to do it, then practice, practice, practice. Troop meetings are the arenas where the  Patrol Leaders and Senior Patrol Leaders practice this craft. Just as in learning other skills like swimming, playing the violin or hitting curve balls, these practice sessions are rarely without flaws. Most troop meetings run on the very edge of chaos. This doesn't mean that the practice sessions are not successful. There must be ample opportunity for boys with different levels of experience and skill levels to get in there and try leading. The adult leaders' job is
to observe and coach each Scout to improve.

Remember our aim is not to have perfectly run troop meetings but to provide an environment where boys grow into responsible, effective men.

I would guess that every den leader has experienced the frustrations of watching boys stumble through Wolf requirement 2b (Lead a flag ceremony) or Bear 15c (Teaching a game). We need more of these opportunities for boys to practice leading in today's environment where a kid's life is so highly organized and regulated.

A Scoutmaster's job is to coach the junior leaders - not to lead in their place. It takes letting the boys try, noting successes and not-so-successes, sitting down with them to review and making suggestions on what to try next time and then repeating the whole thing over and over and over. Occasionally and adult may take over and lead for reasons of safety, or as an example or just to get
things under control - but this should be rarely needed - even with a brand new troop of 11 year olds.

At first your Webelos and perhaps their parents may feel somewhat uncomfortable if the troop meetings are not as structured and as well run as the Pack and Den meetings. They should be reassured that as they (the boys) grow older, it is time for them to start taking on more difficult challenges. Their challenge will be to learn how to bring more structure and greater success to the patrol and troop they will join. It won't be easy but that is the adventure of Scouting.
 
 

Let me share a little secret about boy scouting, all the "program" items (camping, knot tying, first aid, Merit badges) are really just "gravy", and not the "big focus". The real "meat and potatoes" is learning leadership, responsibility, and character. The ONLY way this can really be taught is for the boys to be in charge.  To an adult used to classical learning situations, a troop meeting will look like chaos, but that is ok. One thing that the person leading my Scoutmaster training said still sticks with me, he commented that if the troop meetings and activities are always running smoothly, that is a sign that something is horribly wrong, as the boys are not learning anything important. (you don't want the opposite where nothing goes right either, as the boys get discouraged). The ideal state is the boys frequently try things they don't know well and make occasional mistakes which they learn from.  This is the unique thing about scouting, we allow the boys to make mistakes and provide a safe environment to do so. CT - Richard Damon, ScoutMaster, Troop 302

The Scout Law I have found it valuable to review the Scout Law with the Webelos before the visits. How does each point of the law show up at Scout meetings and activities. How would it be to go camping with Scouts who were not trustworthy, or helpful, or friendly.....

Suppose you were on hike with them and a few of you got lost away from the troop. Which points of the law would be important in that situation? Can you tell anything about how they might act just by watching them at a troop meeting?

Talk about it after each visit. Use the reflection techniques from Ethics in Action.

Plan for a big cross-over ceremony in front of the whole pack. Kids like to know what the future holds for them and to anticipate how it will be when they get that old. Show the Tigers what's in store.

WHAT I RECEIVED FROM SCOUTING I was truly happy when my son came home with the application to join Scouts, being a former Scout myself it brought back many fond memories of my days, and I was looking forward to enjoying new memories with my son. I would have to say although the Tiger program was new to me it is definitely a valuable part of the program that I am seeing in hindsight. When I was a Tiger partner my time was solely me and my son. No division of time with siblings or other distractions. Now my time is divided up between my Webelos den and my son, no matter where we go or what we due. as hard as I try i am constantly juggling these two. Having 2 sons time is always in short supply and great demand and my time I spent as a Tiger partner was truly special.

CT - Webelos Den Leader Pack 20

I learned to love and appreciate the outdoors.  I learned to explore.  I found out I was creative, even though my neat-as-a-pin mother wouldn't let me be at home. I found friendship. I found a sense of belonging. For those things I will be forever grateful, and can only hope that my children get the same things from Scouting.

Lisa, Wolf Den Leader, Den 6, Pack 381, Hicksville,

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The Scout Law A Scout is:

Trustworthy  -   What you say is what you do. A Scout tells the truth. He keeps his promises. Honesty is part of  his code of conduct. People can depend on him.

Loyal -   Show respect for and give active support to other people. A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation.

Helpful  - Demonstrate unselfish help and concern for other people. A Scout is concerned about other people. He does things willingly for others without pay or reward.

Friendly  - Accept, show interest in and respect for other people. A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.

Courteous  -  Good manners oil the wheels of relationships. A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows good manners make it easier for people to get along together.

Kind  -  Show true strength through gentle action. A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. He does not hurt or kill harmless things without reason.

Obedient - Follow the rules and seek orderly change when needed. A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.

 Cheerful  -  Enjoy life and happily strive against adversity.  A Scout looks for the bright side of things. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries  to make others happy.

Thrifty  - Pay your own way and practice conservation of all resources. A Scout works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for unforeseen needs. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.

Brave  -  Stand for what is right and face danger when afraid. A Scout can face danger even if he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him.

Clean –   Wash dirt from body, mind, language and actions. A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He goes around with those who believe in living by these same ideals. He helps keep his home and community clean.

Reverent  -  Live according to the ideals of your beliefs. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

 

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A GAME WITH A PURPOSE

By a Quiet Campfire It is getting late. You are sitting by the fire. The Scouts are in their tents asleep. At least you think they are. After all, it's your first night out. Just one more cup of coffee and you'll call it a night. You stare into the fading embers — memories drifting back to your own days as a Scout. You look up, and sitting on the log on the other side of the fire is an elderly man. He looks familiar. It takes you a minute to realize who it is. He is dressed in an old fashioned, though somewhat elegant Scout uniform. His face shows years of experience, but somehow is young. It is his eyes. They are bright blue and sparkle like a youngsters. They almost twinkle.  He looks over at you and smiles. And then, it slowly dawns on you. As improbable as it might seem, the man facing you across the fire is B-P —The "Founder"— The Chief Scout of the World.

"You know," he says as he leans forward to stirs the embers with a blackthorn cane, "I have often wondered if Scouting would keep up with the youth of the world, long after I was gone, and with all the changes that progress would bring. So many things have changed since the early days, then a second world war, and the pace of technology. Life seems so much more complicated today. And yet the problems you have today are so much like the ones I saw when I returned from my years in South Africa." His accent was what we would describe as "very British." His manner was relaxed and friendly as he continued. "As I toured the country, England that is, back in the days before the "First War," I saw the problems of a lack of direction for our youth. I saw crime and poverty, declining standards of morality, and an educational system that did not seem to be able to keep up with the needs of our society or civilization. This was of great concern to me and to many others. "You probably know how Scouting began -- about Brownsea Island, and Scouting for Boys. I told the story in my Lessons from the Varsity of Life, written back in 1933. I wrote first about my retirement from the Army: "It was a big wrench to take this last step out of the Service that I had loved so well, though at the same time I did not mind taking my foot out of the ladder (of promotion), for I had no wish to do any further climbing on it...." "It was no small consolation to receive from the Secretary of State for War the letter which he sent me, expressing his kindly regret in losing me from the Army, in which he added: "... But I feel that the organization of your Boy Scouts has so important a bearing on the future that probably the greatest service you can render to the country is to devote yourself to it." "And so ended my Life Number One." "As I wrote in Lessons ... about the beginnings of my Life Number Two, I described some simple rules for developing the framework of Scouting:" "The Framework. To build a scheme, whether for a speech, a book, or a movement, you have: To set up its AIM clearly before you. In a movement for boys the next essential is to make it attractive for them. Then to devise a definite code for their guidance. Then to form a suitable organization under competent leaders." "AIM. "Our aim was to improve the standard of our future citizenhood, especially in CHARACTER and HEALTH. One had to think out the main weak points in our national character and make some effort to eradicate these by substituting equivalent virtues, where the ordinary school curriculum was not in a position to supply them. Outdoor activities, handicrafts, and service to others therefore came to the forefront." "That aim of character and health were expanded by the founders of Scouting in America to Character, Citizenship and Fitness. And more than 80 years later these aims remain the same. "I have always been fond of saying that "Scouting is a game with a purpose." Even today, we can still say, Scouting is about three things: It's about fun. It's about values, and it's about learning. Fun is the game, learning is the process, and values are the purpose." "The challenge is much the same today -- and still the Scoutmaster is the key. I described the Scoutmaster's role many years ago in my little book Aids to Scoutmastership:" The Scoutmaster guides the boy in the spirit of an older brother.... He has simply to be a boy-man, that is: (1) He must have the boy spirit in him: and must be able to place himself in the right plane with his boys as a first step. (2) He must realize the needs, outlooks and desires of the different ages of boy life. (3) He must deal with the individual boy rather than with the mass. (4) He then needs to promote a corporate spirit among his individuals to gain the best results. As he speaks, the embers of the fire are burning low. For a moment you stare into their glow and think about what he has said. It seems that even with the passage of years, the goals of Scouting are much the same. You look up from the fire and he is gone. It is quiet, the boys are all asleep. The stars twinkle as you head for your tent thinking all the while of your visitor ... or was he just something you imagined as you watched the fire.

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THE LEFT HANDSHAKE WHEN COLONEL BADEN-POWELL entered the capital city of the Ashanti people in 1890 he was met by one of the Chiefs who came to him holding out his left hand. B.-P. held out his right in return but the Chief said: "No, in my country the bravest of the brave shake with the left hand." So began the "left handshake" of the world-wide brotherhood of Scouts. In this book are told some of the stories of courage and endurance shown by Scouts in many different countries during the war of 1939-45. There would not be room even in many books to tell them all.
Many, indeed, can never be told; some for political reasons, some because the actors died unknown. They remembered their Promise, to do their best to do their duty to God, and their Country; to think of other people and not themselves. So, when the time came, they were prepared in body and in spirit to render their service. Their record is unsurpassed; they were "the bravest of the brave."

Lord Rowallan
              Chief Scout

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THE CAMPFIRE

The "campfire" has been the "trade-mark" of Scouting and known to old and young.  Whenever we see in the papers or mag. about campfires, we are likely to associate it with the Scout Movement.  The campfire is usually held in the evening. Its flames not only drive away darkness of the night, they also warm the circle. During camp, it has been a gathering after a day's hard work, and where relaxation and joy comes into play. With this magic of the fire, the Scouts sent away their weariness and worries with the flames and companionship in the Scout family has its full swing. It has always been a spot for refreshment and healthy jokes though it also has its more sober moments. It is up to each and every of us in this Scouting gathering to uphold the prestige and dignity of a real Scout campfire and to take measures to prevent it from degrading into a place for unruliness, ill-discipline, ill-respect and a time for hooliganism.

Campfire Light, publication of the

Catholic High Scout Group, 9 Bishan Street 22,
Singapore 579767
Republic of Singapore
http://www.chsscout.net/groupinfo/cfl/index.shtml

SCOUTING IS... World Organization of the Scout Movement Box 241, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland worldbureau@world.scout.org

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