Advancement
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What is Advancement?
Signing Boys Handbooks
Tiger Cubs
Bobcat
Wolf Cub Scouts
Bear Cub Scouts
Immediate Recognition
Arrow Points
Webelos Scouts
Arrow of Light Award
Transition to Boy Scouting
Advancement is one of the methods used to achieve Scouting’s aims –
character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Everything a
Cub Scout does to advance is designed to achieve these aims and aid in his
personal growth. Advancement is the process by which a boy progresses from badge
to badge, learning new skills as he goes. The Cub Scout advancement program is
designed to encourage the natural interests of a boy in a natural way.
Advancement gives boys a means of measuring their progress. They learn skills
based on a standard that Cub Scouting provides. Advancement provides a
satisfying means of recognizing boys for their progress. Boys have a ladder to
climb with recognition at each step.
Advancement is not competition among boys. Each Cub Scout is encouraged to
advance steadily and purposefully, setting his own goals with guidance from his
family and leaders. Measurement for satisfying requirements is “Do Your
Best” and that level can be different for each boy.
Advancement is a boy-family experience. Advancement gives families excellent
opportunities to share growing experiences and challenging activities with their
sons.
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Tiger Cubs and Cub Scouts may prepare for requirements and work on
achievements and electives at home or during weekly Den meetings. In the Tiger
Cub, Wolf, and Bear programs, the adult partner or a family member must approve
completion of the requirements by signing the boy’s book. In some cases, when
a Cub Scout completes certain requirements during the Den meeting, the Den
Leader initials the boy’s book in the space indicated and then the parent or
guardian signs the achievement when all of the requirements have been met.
Den meetings are planned and run by an adult leader with the help of an
assistant den leader and den chief. A pack trainer or another member of the pack
committee works closely with the den leaders, coordinating den activities and
plans for pack meeting participation and providing training and support.
Den meeting activities are planned around the monthly theme and include playing
games, making handicrafts, taking hikes and pursuing other outdoor fun,
practicing skits and stunts in preparation for the next pack meeting, and taking
part in simple ceremonies and songs. Sometimes, work on advancement requirements
is included. Advancement always emphasizes DOING not GETTING. The experience the
boy has as he works on the requirements is more important than the badge itself!
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Tiger Cubs was developed in 1982 to meet the needs and desires of a
7-year-old boy and his family. Tiger Cubs is a simple, fun program for first
grade boys and their families.
Tiger Cubs introduces boys and their adult partners to the excitement of Cub
Scouting as they live the Tiger Cub motto together: "Search, Discover,
Share". Tiger Cubs is designed to build stronger families through
involvement in a simple, low-cost program that is flexible and fun for boys and
adults.
Tiger
Cubs is for boys who are in the first grade (or are 7 years old) and their adult
partners. The basic element on tiger Cubs is the Tiger Cub-adult partner team.
The adult may be a parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or even a neighbor. The
requirements are that the adult partner be 18 years of age or older, care about
the boy, and be strongly committed to his well being. The boy and his partner
join Tiger Cubs together. They do all the family, den, and “Go See It”
activities together. The adult partner is responsible for seeing that the boy is
successful with his advancement in Tiger Cubs.
As s boy completes each part of the achievements, he will be awarded either an
orange, white, or black bead at Den meetings.
He earns a white bead for each required family activity part he completes.
He earns an orange bead for each required Den activity part he completes.
He earns a black bead for each required Go See It activity part he completes.
The Tiger Cub badge is for boys who complete all parts of the five achievements
and earn their 15 totem beads. The five achievements are:
Let’s Go Outdoors
Where I Live
How I Tell It
Making My Family Special
Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe
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Cub
Scout ranks are set up by grade and age, except for the Bobcat, which all boys
must earn. The Bobcat badge is earned after the Tiger Cub rank but before all
other ranks. If a boy joins Cub Scouts as a Wolf, Bear, or Webelos Scout, he
must earn the Bobcat Badge first before receiving any other rank or award.
The Bobcat requirements are:
1. Learn the Cub Scout Promise and tell what it means.
2. Learn the Law of the Pack and tell what it means.
3. Tell what WEBELOS means.
4. Make the Cub Scout Sign and tell what it means.
5. Show the Cub Scout Handshake and tell what it means.
6. Say the Cub Scout Motto.
7. Give the Cub Scout Salute and tell what it menas.
8. With your parent or guardian, complete the excersizes in the booklet
"How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse".
After the boy earns his Bobcat, then he begins working on the rank for his grade
or age.
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Upon graduation into a Wolf den, the former Tiger Cub may wear a one-year
service star with a gold background in recognition of his Tiger Cub tenure.
Tiger Cubs do not need to fill out a new application when they transition into a
Wolf den. They are automatically transferred from a Tiger Cub den into a Wolf
Scout den on June 1st of that year without any additional paperwork. The boys
should lose no time or Scouting experiences in beginning the Wolf program.
To become a Wolf Cub Scout, a boy must pass 12 achievements involving simple
physical and mental skills. His parent or guardian approves each achievement by
signing his book. The Den Leader keeps a record of his progress and recognizes
him at a Den meeting for completing each milestone. The Wolf Badge is presented
to his parent or guardian at the Pack meeting in an impressive advancement
ceremony, during which the parent or guardian in turn presents the badge to the
boy.
After he has earned his Wolf badge, a boy is encouraged to work on the 22
electives until he completes the second grade (or is 9 years old). More than 100
elective projects are aimed at kindling his interests in new hobbies, as well as
teaching him skills that will be useful during his Boy Scout years. When he
completes 10 elective projects, he earns a Gold Arrow Point to wear under the
Wolf badge. For each additional 10 elective projects completed, he earns a
Silver Arrow Point. They are presented at a Pack meeting in an advancement
ceremony.
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Boys who are in the third grade (or who are age 9) are called Bear Cub
Scouts. Some Packs present the Bear Cub Scout neckerchief to boys when they are
eligible to begin work on this rank.
Den meetings are planned and run by an adult leader with the help of an
assistant den leader and den chief. Den meeting activities are planned around
the monthly theme and include playing games, making handicrafts, taking hikes
and pursuing other outdoor fun, practicing skits and stunts in preparation for
the next pack meeting, and taking part in simple ceremonies and songs.
Sometimes, work on advancement requirements is included.
As
a Cub Scout completed his achievements for the Wolf or Bear rank, he is
recognized during a simple ceremony in the Den meeting by using the Cub Scout
Immediate Recognition Kit.
Cub Scouts can earn an Arrow Point for each 10 elective projects they
complete. The first Arrow Point earned as a Wolf or Bear is gold, the rest of
the Arrow Points earned that year are silver. There are no limit to the number
of Arrow Points a boy may earn. Boys can do several Wolf and Bear electives more
than once. In this way a boy may explore in more detail an area in which they
may be especially interested. When a boy repeats a project, he should be given
credit only when he has done a better job on the new project than on the previous
project.
The elective plan provides advancement opportunities and recognition for boys
until they are eligible to begin working on the next rank. Boys may work on
elective projects concurrently with achievement projects; however, a boy can't
receive Arrow Points until he has earned the badge for his grade level.
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When
a boy completes third grade (or reaches age 10), he is eligible to enter a
Webelos den. When a boy leaves a Bear den to enter e Webelos den, he is entering
a new part of Cub Scouting. His uniform will change, he will face different
advancement requirements, and he will have new experiences with camping.
Webelos Scouts work on activity badge requirements during their weekly den
meetings. When they have completed the activity badge requirements, the Webelos
den leader or activity badge counselor, rather than a parent, approves most of
the activity badges.
Den meetings also include games, songs, stunts, and preparation for the Webelo's
den part in the Pack meeting. In addition, Webelos Scouts prepare for overnight
campouts and joint activities with a Boy Scout troop. One of the purposes of the
Webelos den is to prepare boys for Boy Scouting and to graduate Webelos Scouts
into a Boy Scout troop.
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When he completes the Arrow of Light Award, a Webelos Scout has earned
everything he needs to know to join a troop and can be presented with the Boy
Scout Badge upon joining the Troop. By earning the Arrow of Light, a seamless
transition is built between the Webelos Scout and the Boy Scout Troop of his
choice.
| The crossover ceremony is held in February at the Blue and Gold Banquet. The Pack extends invitations to Scoutmasters of Troops that will be receiving Webelos Scouts, as well as several junior leaders (Boy Scouts). This should include the Webelos Den Chief who has worked with the Webelos Scouts. |  |
The Arrow of Light Award ceremony is held during the Blue and Gold Banquet
early in the program. The Arrow of Light is te highest award a Cub Scout can
earn and should have a meaningful ceremony of its own.
One of Scouting's greatest challenges is to make the next level of Scouting
readily available for a youth once he meets the joining requirements. It is the
goal of every Webelos Den Leader to graduate every Webelos Scout into a Troop.
When a boy enters a Boy Scout Troop, he is entering a new program of
experiences.
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