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Webelos to Scout Transition
One of Scouting's greatest challenges is to make the next level of Scouting readily available for a young man once he meets the joining requirements.
This information is intended to help the Pack Leaders (Webelos Leaders and
Cubmasters) and Boy Scout Leaders create successful transitions for our
Webelos into Boy Scouts.
Please be sure to contact the District
Membership team with information about which Troops your Webelos Scouts will be
transitioning to. This helps the District track your Scouts through to Boy Scouts on their way to becoming an Eagle Scout. A key part of the Webelos to Scout Transition is when the Webelos go
visit local Boy Scout Troops.
- Troops can have their Webelos-focused
events posted here on the District webpage by emailing information about
them to the Sycamore District
Webmaster
- Troops can also distribute materials to the Cub Scout
Packs at Roundtable by "stuffing the mailboxes" with this
information. Contact one of the Roundtable Staffers for more
information on doing this.
Upcoming Sycamore Troop Activities for your Webelos to Visit...
Note:
these events are generally sponsored by individual
units - not the District/Council |
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About Boy Scouts
Boy Scouting is designed for boy’s
ages 11 through 17, who are old enough to be on their own in the out-of-doors.
While adults serve as key leaders, Boy Scouts hold leadership positions and
plan the troop's program.
The passage from Cub Scout pack to
Boy Scout troop should be smooth, with no time lost in between. By the time Webelos Scouts are ready to cross over, they and their families should be
familiar and comfortable with the youth and adult leaders of the troop, their
role in the troop and troop activities, and feel excited about beginning this
new adventure. The Webelos Scout's graduation ceremony should clearly signify
his transition to a new level of Scouting, and could include the presentation
of his Arrow of Light Award, a Boy Scout Handbook, and a troop neckerchief.
A Webelos Scout who has earned the
Arrow of Light Award has now completed all the requirements for the Scout
badge and may join a Boy Scout troop.
The key factor to improved Webelos
transition is the ongoing working relationship of the leaders of a Cub Scout
pack and a Boy Scout troop. Ideally a community organization would have both a
pack and a troop with leaders who work together to help move Webelos Scouts
into a Boy Scout troop the same way schools move students from elementary
school to middle school.
There are a number of ways a pack and
troop can work together to enhance the Scouting experience of their boys. To
help assure maximum transition requires cooperation between the...
The Cub Scout Pack
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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Pack Responsibilities
- 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
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The Boy Scout Troop
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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Troop Responsibilities
- 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.
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The Unit Commissioner
The unit commissioner is the connecting link in the chain between the troop and the
pack. Often, the same unit commissioner will serve both a pack and troop
in the same community.
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Unit Commissioner Responsibilities
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Be a catalyst in developing good relationships between troop and pack leaders.
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Promote communication by scheduling a meeting of key volunteers.
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Help plan a Webelos den visit to a troop meeting and other joint activities.
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Keep the pack and troop on schedule as plans develop for the crossover ceremony
at the blue and gold banquet.
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Attend the crossover ceremony.
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Be sure new Scouts have completed a Boy Scout application, that they have a copy
of the troop's activities, and that they know when and where the troop meets.
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Work with the pack and troop in their charter renewal process to help ensure
Webelos Scouts are moved from pack rosters to troop rosters.
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Work with the Webelos transition chair to follow up on boys who have not yet
joined a troop. Make sure they are invited to join a troop.
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Be sure Webelos Scouts join a troop in time to prepare for Boy Scout summer
camp.
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