KISMIF.org – Awesome Cub Scouting

When boys become Webelos, they have the option of wearing either the blue Cub Scout uniform or the Boy Scout khaki shirt with blue shoulder loops and olive pants.

I recommend that Webelos wear the khaki uniform because it makes for a smoother transition into Boy Scouts.

For one thing, the boys have a visual reminder every time they wear their uniform that they are preparing for Boy Scouts.

The khaki uniform also means that there is less actual change in uniform when they become Boy Scouts since about all that needs to be changed at that time is replacing the blue loops with the red ones.

Remember that if your Webelos boys wear the khaki uniform, they should also use the oval Webelos rank badge (above) rather than the diamond-shaped one.

It makes for a smoother transition from Webelos Scouts to Boy Scouts if the boys already have met and are familiar with a Boy Scout leader. Ask a Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster to come visit your Webelos Scouts and talk about the great things to look forward to when the boys cross over into Boy Scouts.

The Scoutmaster visit should be at least several months prior to their Pack graduation.

Most parents will not know about the differences between the Webelos program and the rest of Cub Scouts or about how Boy Scouts is different from Webelos.

Have a Parent Meeting early in the school year to explain what is different about Webelos, about the Webelos ranks, and about the upcoming transition to Boy Scouts.

The second year Webelos program is designed to end at the end of February when the boys should graduate into a Boy Scout troop. (Link) This permits the boys to get integrated into their new troop and to get used to the Boy Scout routine before the start of summer.

There are many differences between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Transitioning your fifth graders into Boy Scouts while the school year is still ongoing improves the likelihood of a good transition.

If a fifth grader does not join a Boy Scout troop until the end of the school year, his chances of a staying active in scouting are diminished. Many boys and adults will be out of town various weeks during the summer and most troops will be about to head to summer camp. The boy who has just joined a troop when summer starts has not yet had an opportunity to experience the regular routine of camping and troop meetings that occurs during the school year. This makes adapting to the new world of Boy Scouts more difficult.

Since our Pack has begun graduating our fifth graders into Boy Scouts a few months before summer, we have had a much higher percentage of our boys staying active in scouting.

I strongly urge you to graduate your fifth grade boys into Boy Scouts a few months prior to summer.

Over the next few days, I will be posting 7 tips I have for preparing your fifth-grade Webelos for their graduation into Boy Scouts. This transition is a very important time for your boys as they exit Cub Scouting and enter Boy Scouting. The goal is to have as many of them as possible successfully cross over into a Boy Scout troop and stay active in the scouting program.