Cub Scout

Program Changes 2015

Here are a few things that you need to know as Den Leader:

1. One scout law and one oath for cub scouts, boy scouts and venturers!
2. New recognition is in the form of belt loops and pins. No more beads that fall off shortly after you tie them on!
3. The boys need to earn 7 loops or pins to earn each rank.
4. They earn loops after doing an adventure. An adventure can be done in three meetings and includes a “Duty to God” portion and an outing.
5. The Duty to God portion can be done at home with the family or together as a den.
6. The leader guides are similar to the old ones and include suggested lesson and outing plans. (Available in May).
7. The Webelos den is now Webelos (4^th grade) and then Arrow of Light (5^th grade). No more 1’s and 2’s!
8. This means a boy can join in 5^th grade and get his Arrow of Light by earning Bobcat then completing 7 adventures. He doesn’t have to do the entire Webelos program in one year! This makes it possible for him to get experience before crossing over to Boy Scouts.
9. As the boys get older they get to teach the younger scouts games and skills!

Cub Masters have a few twists too:

1. Your pack meetings have a theme – one point of the scout law, to go along with what the dens are doing. (They also have these planned for you also,for the next two years!)
2. You get to use the boys to help lead meetings!
3. You can award the belt loops and pins as soon as they are earned (just like beads!)
4. Everything else you need to know for new advancement stuff can be found at org/programupdates – which is updated as new information becomes available.
5. National BSA has created two webinars with many more valuable tidbits. You want to watch the first two.   http://www.livestream.com/bsanationalcouncil

If you have questions, feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer them or find the correct answer.

Gerry Rechek, grechek@sbcglobal.net or 920-344-2129

Cub Scout Advancement Guide, New Horizons District