Welcome to Webelos Scouting! You have embarked on an adventure that is unique in Scouting! Boys at this age are maturing and learning to be more self-sufficient. Soon they will be Boy Scouts. And it is your job to help them make this transition in a fun and adventurous way.
Webelos stands for "We'll Be Loyal Scouts." The major goal of
Webelos Scouting is to give the Scouts a taste of what it is like to be a Boy
Scout and to get them familiar with the structure of Boy Scouting. As a Webelos
Den Leader you will be introducing the Webelos Scouts to the most adventurous
boy led organization in
Webelos are the oldest Cub Scouts in the Pack and as such carry the responsibility of being good role models to the younger Cub Scouts. It also falls upon the Webelos to help explain what exciting activities await the younger Cubs and to help the Cubs during Pack activities. Notice, Webelos is both the singular and the plural form. There is no such thing as a Webelo!
In Tiger, Wolf and Bear dens the family unit was central to the forming of the Cub Scout and activities revolved around the family unit. The emphasis in Webelos scouting shifts from these home-centered activities to group-centered activities similar to those they will be encountering in Boy Scouts.
Webelos dens are also known as patrols. The patrol is central to both Webelos Scouting and Boy Scouting. Because Webelos Scouts do most of their activities as a den, parents play a new, more supportive, and less directive role in Webelos scouting.
Webelos Scouts learn that it is their responsibility to earn the activity badges. They are helped by their Webelos Den Leaders and Activity Badge Counselors (adults who volunteer to host an activity badge) and it is the Webelos Den Leaders who pass the Webelos Scout on the requirements.
The boys should become involved in program planning. They will learn simple leadership skills and they will surprise you with their ideas. The Webelos should also get involved in setting a code of discipline for the group. They will learn what it is like to set rules and live by them.
The den conducts some projects that can be credited towards the ranks and activity badges that the boys earn, but not all of the requirements are addressed at den meetings. This is deliberate. The Webelos Scouts learn that if they wish to advance, they are responsible for meeting the requirements outside den meeting times. These requirements are challenging, but very reachable by boys in this age group. These surmountable obstacles and steps to overcome help a boy grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others. This is patterned after the merit badge and advancement process in a Boy Scout Troop.
Webelos den meetings are typically held on evenings or Saturdays. This is to get the Scouts used to meeting when Boy Scouts meet. Also Webelos do not follow the monthly theme of the Pack, but have their own program centered around the activity badges that are earned.
Webelos Scouts also take on more responsibility for the running of their den. However the actual responsibility resides with Webelos Den Leaders. This is to get the boys used to making their own decisions. When they enter Boy Scouts they will run the entire show. Adults will advise and guide.
It is in Webelos that the world of outdoor Scouting begins to open up. The Webelos are able to camp and go on other outdoor activities. Most of these activities are not with the Pack, but with their den, other Webelos dens and with Boy Scout Troops. They also participate in Boy Scout Troop meetings, Camporees and other Boy Scout events.
In short, Webelos Scouting is the senior level program in Cub Scouting.
It is meant to help transition the boys from Cub Scouting into Boy Scouting.
Webelos are under the direction of the Cubmaster, hold their own activities,
and do many things too advanced for the younger boys. At the end of the Webelos
program, the Scouts should have a taste for what Boy Scouting is all about and
have a head start in proceeding through the Boy Scout program.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are Webelos Scouts Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts?
Webelos Scouting is the senior level program in Cub Scouting. It is meant to
help transition the boys from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting. Webelos are still
under the direction of the Cubmaster. They are allowed to wear the khaki and
olive colors of the Boy Scouts, but wear Cub Scout insignia on the uniform.
Webelos Scouting has more outdoor activities than in the other parts of Cub
Scouting but less than Boy Scouting. See the Guide to Safe Scouting and
"Planning the Webelos Overnight Campout" in the Cub Scout Leader Book
for a little information on what is part of the Webelos outdoor experience.
Do we call our group of Webelos a patrol or den?
Webelos dens are usually called dens, however the boys
may obtain patrol insignia patches from the Scout Shop that replace the den
number on the uniform. Show the boys the Scout Catalog and let them pick a
badge from there. Den names are sacred to the boys, so let them choose it
themselves. This will also help teach them the democratic skills they will need
when they get into Boy Scouts. The name should be 'theirs' and the boys are
encouraged to be creative. For example, they don't need to be the Eagles. They
can be the 'Soaring Eagles.' Webelos dens also have a den yell and a den flag.
The den flag should be brought to each den meeting, pack meeting, and other
relevant den activity. The boys design and make their den flags.
When do the Scouts change to the khaki and olive uniform?
Families choose when they wish to change to khaki. Many families purchase the
khaki uniform when the blue one is either outgrown or damaged. Don't buy the
Boy Scout (olive) belt, see the next question and
answer.
How do I get the belt loops on the Boy Scout (olive) belt?
The belt loops do not fit on the Boy Scout (olive) belt. Webelos Scouts can
either wear their blue Cub Scout belt, or any narrow belt on which the belt
loops fit.
Do we wear the activity pins on the hat or on the shoulder ribbons?
The activity badges (I know they are pins, but they are called badges) the boys
earn are patterned after merit badges in Boy Scouts. The den should decide if
they wish to wear them on their hats or on a set of ribbons called the Webelos
Colors. The colors are worn on the arm, just below, and touching, the American
flag. In either case, they probably should only be worn at Pack meetings since
they tend to get caught on things and lost.
The leader's guide said that I need to build a relationship with a
Scout Troop. When and how do I do this?
Work with someone from your Pack Committee and someone from the troop. Scout
Troops normally have an Assistant Scoutmaster assigned to Pack-Troop relations.
Make your initial contact during the first year. Webelos can participate in a
number of Troop activities at the invitation of the troop. The troops can also
help the Webelos leader accomplish some of the Webelos requirements.
Does the Webelos Leader teach the boys about the activity badges?
Yes and no. It is highly discouraged to have the Webelos Leader do all the
teaching. In Boy Scouting (which we are trying to introduce) the boys go to
Merit Badge Counselors who assist the boys in achieving their badges. You are
encouraged to get the den parents to act as Activity Badge counselors to help
the Webelos through their activity badge requirements. However the Webelos
Leader signs the boys off. Parents no longer sign off activities.
Do we follow the Pack's Cub Scout monthly theme?
No, you will be busy enough trying to cover one activity badge a month. Make
sure the Webelos know what the monthly theme is, but unless you are putting on
a skit, don't spend a lot of time on it. Nearly everything the den does is
focused on one of the 20 activity badges, the Webelos badge, or the Arrow of
Light. The few exceptions are when the Webelos take part in such pack events as
the Pinewood derby and the blue and gold dinner.
Is there a certain order we should follow in covering the activity
badges?
Some activity badges are designed to challenge forth graders and others fifth
graders. Refer to the Webelos Scout Program Helps for a suggested calendar. If
you follow this calendar you will be synchronized with articles in Boys Life
magazine and presentations held at the District Roundtables. Note that if you
follow the suggested calendar, the boys should be ready to receive their
Webelos Badge around February of their first year, and bridge to Boy Scouts in
February or March of their second year.
Should we try to achieve all twenty activity badges?
The program is not designed for the boys to normally earn all twenty activity
badges. The reason for the twenty badges is so that there will be enough to
keep the very active boy from getting bored. Remember that activity badges are
not the reason for Webelos scouting. Lord Baden-Powell (the founder of
scouting) said that awards and badges should be like a tan, something you
achieve effortlessly, while having fun in the outdoors.
When is the earliest the Webelos can become Boy Scouts?
The earliest is six months after completing fourth grade that is, normally, the
end of November in their second year. This is the earliest they can earn their
Arrow of Light.
When is it recommended that the Webelos become Boy Scouts?
A Webelos Scout is eligible to join a Boy Scout troop when he completes all the
requirements for the Arrow of Light Award. Most Webelos who are graduating the
5th grade and going into the 6th want to be Boy Scouts and should move over, if
eligible around February. This gives the boys time to familiarize themselves
with their new troop before the summer recess and summer camp.
Can the Scouts continue to earn activity badges after they bridge into
Boy Scouts?
No, activity badges are for Cub Scouts. As Boy Scouts, they will be very busy
earning their First Class Rank during their first year, and earning merit
badges.
When can the Webelos use the Boy Scout salute, handshake and oath?
In the process of earning their Webelos badge, the Scouts learn the Boy Scout
salute, handshake and oath. At your discretion, they can start to use these
instead of the Cub Scout equivalents.
Where can I get more information?
Go to Roundtable. At Roundtable you will meet Webelos Leaders, Cubmasters and
Scoutmasters who will help you establish a fun and adventurous program.
Also get trained. Not only will you obtain formal information, but you will also network with other Webelos Leaders who will act as resources. If you have already attended Cub Leader Basic, review the Webelos section of the Fast Start Tape (available from the Pack Library) and attend Webelos Overnight training.