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Webelos Scouts

The Webelos program is for boys who have completed third grade (or are age 10). A boy may begin working on the Webelos badge as soon as he joins a Webelos den. This is the first step in his transition from the Webelos den to the Boy Scout troop. As he completes the requirements found in the Webelos Scout Book, he will work on activity badges, attend meetings led by adults, and become familiar with the Boy Scout requirements—all leading to the Arrow of Light Award.

Information

• Program
• Aims
• Methods
• Advancement
• Uniforms

Program

Cub Scouting is a program of the Boy Scouts of America for boys aged 7 through 10 or in first through fifth grades.

The Webelos rank is for boys who have completed third grade (or are age 10).

The Mission Statement of the Boy Scouts of America is as follows:

To prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

The Boy Scouts of America has, over the years, developed an effective set of guidelines and practices with which we accomplish this mission. These practices encompass aims and methods targeted at participants in each level of the program.

There are ten purposes of Cub Scouting: Character Development, Spiritual Growth, Good Citizenship, Sportsmanship and Fitness, Family Understanding, Respectful Relationships, Personal Achievement, Friendly Service, Fun and Adventure, and Preparation for Boy Scouts.

Aims

The aims of the Cub Scout program are simple. The three aims of the Cub Scouting program are Character Development, Citizenship Training, and Mental and Physical Fitness.

Character encompasses a person's personal qualities, values and outlook. The Scouting program strives to develop character in its youth through the development of confidence, honesty, self-image and self-reliance, respect for their religion and for others, and through developing special skills and interests.

Participation in Scouting helps train youth to become good citizens by instilling the values of service to others and respect for the environment, learning about our national heritage and our social, economic and governmental systems, and promoting knowledge of and respect for cultural diversity.

Scouts learn to become and remain mentally and physically fit through participation in outdoor activities, developing healthy habits, alcohol, tobacco and drug avoidance, using good judgment and being resourceful in solving problems.

Methods

Cub Scouting has several tried-and-true methods used to accomplish our goals. These methods include ideals, the Den, advancement, family involvement, activities, and the uniform. The Cub Scout program is centered around the home and the neighborhood.

The Cub Scout Ideals include the Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack and the Cub Scout Motto.

Cub Scouts are divided into Dens according to the age and rank of the boys. Having a peer group of like capabilities fosters cooperation and teamwork, as well as establishing a sense of identity and purpose.

As the boys progress through the Cub Scout program, their advancement requirements become more challenging. Accomplishments are rewarded instantly so the boys receive recognition throughout the Scouting year as they move through the Bear Cub program.

Advancement

The Webelos Badge is for boys who have completed third grade, or who are ten years old. The Webelos rank is the first step in a boy's transition towards a Boy Scout troop. As he completes the achievements in the Webelos Scout Book, he will work on Activity Badges. These are age-appropriate projects for older Cub Scouts. Activity badges are sorted into five discipline-related groups. They are the Community Group, the Mental Skills Group, the Outdoor Group, the Physical Skills Group, and the Technology Group. Activity Badges can be displayed on the front of the Webelos cap or on the Webelos Colors. During this period, the Webelos Scout should also begin to attend meetings led by adults, and become more familiar with the Boy Scout requirements.

After earning the Webelos badge, the Webelos Scout may recieve the Compass Points emblem and gold 'devices' to pin on it as an incentive to complete additional Activity Badges.

Completion of the Forester, Outdoorsman, and Naturalist Activities Badges, and completion of a special conservation project allows a Webelos Scout to join the Wolves and Bears in earning the World Conservation Award as well.

Then Cub Scouting's apex... the Arow of Light.

After a boy has completed the fourth grade and earned the Webelos badge, the next step on the Webelos trail to becoming a Boy Scout is earning the Arrow of Light Award. This is the highest award a Cub Scout can earn, and is the only Cub Scout badge that can be worn on the Boy Scout Uniform. As a boy works on the Arrow of Light, he gets a chance to practice some Scout skills that he has already learned, earn more Activity Badges, and REALLY learn what a Boy Scout is.

Uniforms

The Webelos Scout may choose either the blue Webelos uniform based on the Cub Scout uniform, or the tan/olive uniform similar to the one worn by Boy Scouts. The location of badges and insignia is the same for both uniforms.
* The Webelos blue uniform - With the blue uniform, the trousers, shorts, and shirt are the same as those described for the Cub Scout uniform. Official blue socks (with gold tops) are worn with the blue uniform.
* The Webelos tan uniform - When the tan/olive uniform is chosen, official Boy Scout olive trousers or shorts and official Boy Scout tan long- or short-sleeve shirt with blue shoulder loops are worn. Official olive socks (with red tops) are worn with the tan/olive uniform.

The following parts are worn with both uniforms:
* Neckerchief - Official Webelos neckerchief-triangular; blue, green, gold, and red plaid, with Webelos emblem.
* Neckerchief slide - Official Webelos neckerchief slide-gold colored metal with Webelos emblem. Handmade slides may also be worn.
* Cap - Official Webelos baseball-style cap. Olive color with Webelos plaid front panel sporting oval Webelos emblem.
* Belt - Official Cub Scout navy blue web belt with metal Webelos buckle. Either the official Boy Scout olive web belt with metal Boy Scout buckle or the blue belt with Webelos buckle may be worn with the tan/olive uniform.

The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. There are many reasons for this. One reason stands out above all the rest. We wear the uniform because it is a means of identifying ourselves openly with the principles to which we are committed-character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness.

The fact that youth and adult members of Scouting wear a uniform doesn't mean that we're all alike. We come from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. We have our own religious beliefs and political views. We are each individuals with our own family traditions and loyalties. So the uniform is not intended to hide our individuality. But it is a way we give each other strength and support. It is a bond that ties us together in spite of our differences. It is a way of making visible our commitment to a belief in God, loyalty to country, and to helping other people.

The Scouting movement is built on positive values. As we wear the uniform, we are openly identifying ourselves with those values where everyone can see us. We stand together, not alone, in encouraging others to live by those same principles. Boys and adults alike should take pride in belonging to such a movement and wear the uniform as it is intended.