HEART OF AMERICA COUNCIL WEBELOS TO SCOUT TRANSITION PLAN

COUNCIL WEBELOS TO SCOUT CHAIR Forrest Bolles

WHY DO WE NEED A PLAN? The transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts is when we lose a large percentage of our membership. An effective Webelos to Scout Transition plan is essential for retaining our current Cub Scouts by moving them into a Boy Scout Troop.

RESPONSIBILITIES Webelos to Scout transition is everyone’s responsibility -- Webelos Leaders, Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, Parents, Commissioners and the District Committee. All must work together to ensure that Webelos and their parents know all the great fun and adventure in store for them when they become Boy Scouts. Webelos is not the end of Cub Scouts. The transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts is a normal and expected part of the program.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES D ISTRICT W EBELOS T RANSITION C HAIR T ROOP AND T ROOP M EMBERSHIP C HAIR P ACK AND P ACK M EMBERSHIP C HAIR W EBELOS II D EN L EADER U NIT C OMMISSIONER

DISTRICT WEBELOS TRANSITION CHAIR C ONTACT ALL PACKS IN EARLY FALL TO UPDATE A LIST OF ALL FIFTH - GRADE W EBELOS S COUTS. C OACH C UBMASTERS, W EBELOS DEN LEADERS T RACK AND MAINTAIN RECORDS OF W EBELOS TRANSITION W ORK WITH U NIT C OMMISSIONERS TO FOLLOW - UP ON W EBELOS WHO HAVE NOT JOINED A TROOP

TROOP & TROOP MEMBERSHIP CHAIR A PPOINT A T ROOP M EMBERSHIP C HAIR E STABLISH CONNECTION WITH PACKS IN YOUR AREA T RAIN D EN C HIEFS AND ENCOURAGE PACKS TO USE D EN C HIEFS H OST W EBELOS II AT TROOP MEETING, ACTIVITIES, EVENTS, CAMPOUTS V ISIT P ACKS TO ORIENT B EARS AND W EBELOS I C OMMUNICATE WITH W EBELOS II LEADERS, W EBELOS II, W EBELOS II P ARENTS C OORDINATE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS FOR W EBELOS II LEADERS IN TROOP H ELP C UBMASTERS PLAN CROSS - OVER CEREMONIES

PACK & PACK MEMBERSHIP CHAIR M OTIVATE W EBELOS II L EADERS TO ENSURE CROSS - OVER D EVELOP WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH T ROOPS IN AREA C OORDINATE WITH S COUTMASTERS FOR ASSIGNMENT OF D EN C HIEFS C OORDINATE WITH S COUTMASTER FOR W EBELOS OVERNIGHT ACTIVITIES AND T ROOP MEETING VISITS I NVITE TROOPS IN AREA TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN SPECIAL P ACK EVENTS E NCOURAGE W EBELOS II L EADRS TO CROSS TO T ROOP L EADERSHIP ROLES P LAN CROSS - OVER

WEBELOS II DEN LEADERS B E ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE TRANSITION TO B OY S COUTS S PEAK TO YOUR W EBELOS II AND THEIR PARENTS IN S EPTEMBER ABOUT TROOP VISITS E NSURE THAT PARENTS OF W EBELOS II UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TROOP THEIR SON CHOOSES E XPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN B OY S COUTS AND C UB S COUTS AND THE DIFFERENT ROLES OF PARENTS E NSURE THAT EVERY W EBELOS II RECEIVES AN INVITATION TO JOIN ONE OR MORE T ROOPS

UNIT COMMISSIONERS H ELP EVERY TROOP CONNECT WITH ONE OR MORE PACKS AND EVERY PACK CONNECT WITH ONE OR MORE TROOPS E DUCATE UNITS ON NEED FOR THE W EBELOS TO B OY S COUT TRANSITION PLAN AND EXECUTION P ROMOTE COMMUNICATION AMONG UNITS P ROMOTE COMMUNICATION OF P ACKS WITH W EBELOS FAMILIES H ELP KEEP UNITS FOCUSED ON THE SCHEDULE E NSURE ALL ELIGIBLE W EBELOS ARE IDENTIFIED E NSURE ALL ELIGIBLE W EBELOS ARE INVITED TO JOIN ONE OR MORE TROOPS E NSURE THAT UNITS FOLLOW - UP WITH W EBELOS THAT DO NOT CROSS

TIMELINE A UGUST – C OMPILE WEBELOS LISTS, PLAN FOR TROOP /W EBELOS II CAMPOUT, APPOINT DEN CHIEFS S EPTEMBER – FIRST CONTACT ( TROOP LETTER, CHECKLISTS, NEWSLETTERS ) O CTOBER – TROOP / DEN ACTIVITY, INVITATIONS, D ISTRICT - LEVEL W EBLEOS / TROOP EVENT N OVEMBER – TROOPS VISIT WITH DENS, DENS VISIT TROOPS

TIMELINE D ECEMBER – DENS VISIT TROOPS J ANUARY – DENS VISIT TROOPS, CROSS - OVERS F EBRUARY – CROSS - OVERS, FOLLOW - UP M ARCH – CROSS - OVERS, FOLLOW - UP A PRIL – J UNE – INTEGRATION AND TRAINING OF NEW S COUTS, SUMMER CAMP PLANNING /P REPARATION

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