Webelos is the highest rank in Cub Scouts, and prepares boys for the
transition to Boy Scouts.
For parents
There are many good troops for Webelos to join. Your pack may have a troop
which is sponsored by the same organization, but with meetings at a different
time and/or place. Selecting the right troop is very important for the boy's
enjoyment, as well as for his parents.
Every troop has its own personality, and not every troop is right for every
boy. Webelos and parents should visit a minimum of three troops, even if
their pack has a troop sponsored by the same organization.
Does the troop have a Webelos Invitational for your Webelos den to attend?
You and your son should look for the following:
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Does the troop have a variety of activities, including monthly campouts and
summer camp? Are they activities your son will enjoy?
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Does the troop have enough active trained leaders?
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Is the troop a manageable size which provides each scout the attention they
need? Even large troops can provide the proper attention, if they have a
good leader-to-scout ratio.
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Does the troop have a solid troop program planned by the scouts?
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Is the troop run by boys? Does the troop use the patrol method?
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Does the troop want the parent to be active as a leader or committee
member?
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Does the troop have a parent patrol for outings?
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What percentage of the troop's scouts obtain the Eagle rank? How is the
leadership helping scouts to do so?
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How does the troop integrate new scouts into the troop?
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What are the monthly, annual, and per-outing costs of membership? What
equipment is expected? Does the troop have fundraisers for scouts to earn
money to offset the cost?
It is important for your son to select the right troop. It should be a
positive experience that he and you will remember for a lifetime.
For Cub Scout leaders
It should be the goal of the Cubmaster and Webelos den leaders to graduate every Webelos Scout into a Boy Scout troop.
The key to accomplishing this is to begin promoting Boy Scouting when Cub Scouts are still in their Tiger, Wolf, and Bear dens, and to sell the sizzle of the great outdoors.
Scouting should be viewed as an ongoing adventure, and the progression should be as normal as moving from elementary school to middle school.
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Develop a working relationship with the leadership of a Boy Scout troop or troops in the community.
Most troops should have either an assistant Scoutmaster or a committee member assigned to new Scouts.
Your unit commissioner can help put you in contact with troop leaders.
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Compare calendars of troop and pack activities to coordinate activities.
Community events can be done together, and planning can help prevent conflicts in use of equipment and facilities.
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Work with troop leaders to secure den chiefs for each Webelos den and Cub Scout den.
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Work with troop leaders to plan and conduct Webelos overnight activities.
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Work with troop leaders to plan visits to troop meetings.
Never show up without first calling in advance.
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Invite the Scoutmaster and troop youth leaders to special pack activities.
This will help create familiarity and a level of comfort for the Webelos Scouts and their parents as they ease into the troop.
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Plan a meaningful crossover ceremony at the pack's blue and gold banquet.
Include troop leadership to be present to accept the Webelos Scouts as they graduate to Boy Scouting.
The local Order of the Arrow lodge can often be a valuable resource in conducting ceremonies.
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Webelos leaders should be strongly encouraged to move into the troop with the boys, either as assistant Scoutmasters or troop committee members.
This will give the new Scouts a familiar face at troop meetings and a connecting link to Boy Scouting.
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If a troop does not exist in your community, discuss with the head of the pack's chartered organization the possibility of organizing a troop.
A graduating Webelos den can form the nucleus of a new troop.
For Boy Scout leaders
Boy Scout troops should assign an assistant Scoutmaster or a troop committee member to be responsible for new Scouts, which would include developing a relationship with the Cubmaster and the Webelos den leaders.
This person serves as a resource during Webelos overnight activities and builds enthusiasm among boys and their parents for the exciting challenges that await them in Boy Scouting.
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Select Scouts to serve as den chiefs for each Webelos Scout den and Cub Scout den.
Arrange for Den Chief Training.
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Serve as a resource for overnight activities.
The troop can be of service to provide equipment, leadership, and logistics for Webelos parent-son campouts.
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Conduct an orientation in the Bear Cub Scout dens to explain the changing role as boys become Webelos Scouts and then again as they become Boy Scouts.
Explain how being a Webelos Scout will help prepare them for Boy Scouting.
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Webelos den/Scout troop campouts should show Webelos Scouts and their parents what to expect when they move into the troop.
The troop should cook and camp by patrol, and use skills that the Webelos Scouts can participate in.
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Arrange for Webelos dens to visit a troop meeting.
This should be planned several weeks in advance.
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Provide each Webelos Scout a copy of the troop's activities for the upcoming year.
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Work with Webelos den leaders to encourage them to plan to move into the troop with their Webelos Scouts and to serve either as committee members or assistant Scoutmasters.
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Conduct a Scoutmaster conference under the guidance of the Scoutmaster or the assistant designated by the Scoutmaster.
This conference should cover the meaning of the Scout Oath and Law, the advancement program, troop camping, the patrol method, summer camp, and personal equipment.
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Work with the Cubmaster in planning a meaningful crossover ceremony at the pack's blue and gold banquet.
Coordinate the ceremony and arrange for each Webelos Scout to receive a troop neckerchief and Boy Scout Handbook along with his Arrow of Light Award.
Members of the Order of the Arrow may assist in the ceremony.
