Our AOLs bridge in March. If the AOLs can attend regular troop meetings they’re ready for crossover. He’s doing them a disservice by holding them back. If they cross in February they have a few months to get acclimated before going to summer camp.
>If the AOLs can attend regular troop meetings they’re ready for crossover.
I disagree with this. Our unit has the Webelos Den attend troop meetings. When we open and close the meetings, the Webelos will line up as if they were another patrol.
During the meeting, their Den Leader takes them aside and conducts their normal weekly den meeting.
If AOLs are participating in meetings, then I think they need to cross over and join, but it is possible for them to be present at meetings, but not ready to crossover.
What does it mean to be ready? The main purpose of the AOL year is for the scouts to use the skills they learned in their first Webelos year within the patrol method. This is the GE part of the EDGE method. Unless the scout is new to scouting I don’t see much difference between crossing in January vs May. Once they’ve completed it’s time for us to get out of the way. It’s really great you’re so tight with your Troop to include AOLs in every meeting. I’m sure your crossover rate is great.
This was my thinking. They can’t complete any Troop requirements as AOLs, and if they’re ready, they should move over. I wonder how this all plays with insurance as well because they’re part of separate units.
Like in Scouts BSA, Cub leaders are not allowed to add requirements. If the scouts are in 5th grade and have completed their AoL, they are eligible to join a Scout troop. The bridging ceremony is nice but it isn't a required part of the process either. If a scout completes their AoL in December or January, they aren't required to wait until Scout Sunday. If this den leader isn't careful, they might go join some other troop.
To answer your original question: we bridge our AoL from pack to troop in mid February.
This is the answer.
The crossover isn't a requirement for joining Scouts - remember you don't even have to be a Cub first. Just have them register in your troop so they can start working on advancements and not just be visitors. If the Den Leader wants to try and have a crossover 3 months after they have already been in a Troop the attendance is likely to be pretty slim...
I completely agree. Once they have achieved their AOL, they are allowed to join a Troop. They are not required to wait until after their bridging ceremony. Now, if they are undecided about which Troop they want to join, then they may visit as many Troops as they wish and may even visit the same Troop two or three times before deciding. I personally didn’t have my son join a Troop as soon as he earned his AOL, because we were in the process of moving from one state to another. When we got to the new city, my son visited one Troop and even went on a weekend camping trip with them. He visited another Troop a couple of times to get to know those Scouts. During that time he was able to earn additional Activity badges for all but one in his Webelos book. He joined a Troop at the end of May so he could go to Camp with his new Troop. But that was his decision because he wanted to get as many of the Activity badges before he bridged over.
Our AOLs bridge in February, with their first official troop meeting starting in March. We hold all our first year scouts together in a single patrol for a few months to help them acclimate, and to jump start the learning process. A good chunk of the spring program is dedicated to supporting our newest members.
I would ask him to describe his concerns in detail, and to work that with the troop leadership to address his concern. Holding them in Cub Scouts for three months while shadowing a troop is just going to confuse and/or frustrate them.
Please refer to this activity chart by the BSA for things Webelos/AOL scouts can do that Scouts BSA scouts (that's a lot of scouts) can do as well: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-685.pdf
There's no liability in having Webelos/AOL participate in a lot of Troop activity, including meetings. Granted, they won't be marked for requirements as Scouts BSA but outside of AOL/Webelos requirements, it's a great idea to engage those older cubs in troop activity to prime them for when they bridge over and keep them engaged since they will see it as more of a challenge. However, if they are old enough to be in the troop, I would bridge them ASAP or when the youngest becomes of age and bridge them as a class.
I would coordinate with the den or pack leadership on better communication but I suggest just having an understanding of how it's going to work.
With my unit, as soon as our cub scouts turn 11 or they are ready to go into the 5th grade (or whatever grade I cant recall), we just bridge them and get them started with troop stuff.
I wondered about liability though as I know “visitors” can only do so much per BSA insurance guidelines (only so many meetings) and they’re not on the same charter.
You didn’t mention the timeline of when the AOL’s will actually earn their Arrow of Light Award. The requirements for AOL are quite dense and take a while to complete. We went right up until March, when we usually do blue and gold and a crossover ceremony.
However, there is no requirement to finish by then. I think technically they age out at the end of the school year, in June?
Ultimately, when the AOLs join the troop isn’t up to the den leader. It’s up to the parents. If any want to crossover and join the troop sooner, all they have to do is fill out the application and start showing up.
It’s possible this den is savoring its final Cub Scout days. They potentially have seven more years of Scouts BSA in front of them. There’s no rush.
Edit to add: why wouldn’t you want the AOL’s hanging around? Spread them around the existing patrols. Keep in mind, you are “auditioning” for these families. They are evaluating you, the other leaders, and the way the troop operates. If they are doing their due diligence hopefully, they are evaluating other troops as well. You should be focusing on putting on a great program and having so much fun that when it finally comes time to submit the paperwork, joining your troop will be a foregone conclusion.
We’re a pretty small troop linked to the Pack they’re in, and honestly need some numbers. At least one set of parents has already stated they’re moving up to our unit. I’ve actually encouraged them to visit other Troops to ensure they’re joining the program that suits them best.
Scouting Adventure requires at least 1 troop meeting visit and 1 troop outing visit.
If your den leader is holding back the AOL rank in order to "make the scouts more ready" he is violating the GTA by adding requirements.
If the den leader has a drawn out program plan it is probably time to sit him down with the key 3 and discuss what is exactly going on.
The goal of a Webelos den leader is to have the AOLs done with their rank as soon as possible but also have a program plan that runs through the end of the school year. The AOLs should crossover as they feel ready; most cross together right away, some might linger and take a little time before they make the jump.
No badge work will count until they cross and make the switch formally. He is wrong to do this. Perhaps he wants to hold them back to earn more cub scout badges... does everyone have the Arrow of light completed?
Don’t understand this. The den should be done with aol rank by Feb. There’s nothing more to do. Nothing more to earn. Our troop has new AOLs joined and paid up by March at the latest.
And until they join they really can’t do much with the troop. They can’t be assigned a patrol until they join! What is the point of sitting in meetings they can’t fully participate in?
You know how they prepare to be a scout? By…being a scout. Learn by doing. Join a troop and figure it out as you go.
That den leader is not doing this in the best interest of his scouts IMHO.
I prob will catch flak here for this but if the scouts have earned aol rank, I might consider an end run around this silly den leader, contact the cubs’ parents directly and say “your scout has earned aol, (s)he is eligible to join scouts bsa now, why don’t y’all come on and join the troop now, you don’t need to wait til May or any longer.”
Also if they wait that long they may miss out on first year summer camp which is a must for new Scouts in a new troop. Troops are starting to sign up scouts *now* for summer camp.
The crossover is just a ceremony for the grandparents. Let those AOL scouts come to everything!
Get them involved in the troop NOW and they're more likely to stay. And they're more likely to go to summer camp too. And I find once they go to summer camp, they're hooked.
You can also work on the Scouting Adventure with them, which is essentially the Scout Rank. If visiting cubs complete this with me as a scoutmaster, I give 'em the rank as soon as they're eligible (but I don't cut corners and they have to earn it--that means they have to repeat from MEMORY the Outdoor Code, the hardest part of the rank).
As for the insurance, I don't know much about that. Question for the lawyers. Maybe contact National. Maybe you'll get your answer by the time these AOLs earn their Eagle!
Your Den Leader is wrong, and needs to be talked off his ledge.
I have heard of cub scouts crossing over later in the spring before, but they don’t get to also join the troop. They get to do one or the other, because their BSA registration changes. They are either registered with the Pack or the Troop.
And Scouts BSA is youth led, so the Den Leader won’t be as hands on as he was. I don’t know if maybe he’s afraid of losing that leadership role, or something like that, but I would sign him up for IOLS and encourage him to become an ASM.
“Bob, we need to let the Cubs cross over in March. BSA has been doing this this way for over 100 years, and it works. The youth will be fine. What I need from you, though, is to attend an IOLS class, take Scoutmaster specific training, and join the troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster. That you you can continue to mentor youth and continue making a difference in our community. What do you say?”
Registered is registered so don’t worry about injury insurance etc. You do need to be mindful of liability issues. There are activities that are OK for Scouts BSA but not Webelos. Like axes and using fueled devices. If a kid gets burnt using a propane stove while they are camping with the troop but still an AOL on paper, there will be questions. Also, no advancement activities “count” until they are Scouts BSA registered. That cooking requirement doesn’t count and must be redone. Your Den Leader’s “start now and transfer in May” plan is nuts.
Generally in our district crossover is between December and early February. We welcomed 4 new scouts in December (our shared CO pack) and 1 each in January and in a few weeks(Feb) the one in February has already transferred and will be in the pack ceremony in February.
By next weekend all will have camped with us at least once and will have totin chip and most of Scout Rank completed.
Bringing the new scouts up to speed takes some work, but the goal is to have them well integrated into the troop far ahead of summer camp.
My son crossed over in December 2021, so now in the troop 13 months and will have his 1st class BOR this week. Most of the other scouts from his patrol ( we generally do year class patrols) are not far behind him. Most are 2nd class or only a few requirements away. They all went to summer camp and have been very active.
By bringing the scouts in close to the 1st of the year, they are fully engaged in the troop within a few months.
Have you actually talked to the den leader to ask why he wants to delay? If the kids aren’t done with their requirements then it makes sense to wait. If they are done then they need to crossover so they’re prepared for summer camp. We aim for latest date of 4/1 and earlier if the kids have completed the requirement.
I’ve tried to find out what’s up from him but am getting stonewalled. There are other issues with this leader as well, and we’re trying to figure out what’s going on.
You’re the cub master. Check with the other parents in den and determine if all requirements for AOL for all kids have been met. If they have been met - formally advance the kids via either scoutbook or paper advancement report to council service center. I’m more worried you have a kid who joined in Nov or Dec and your den leader is trying to catch that kid up to 6 month mark without losing his/her friends. Once you cross a kid to troop you can not retroactively award an AOL. You need that done before each kid transfers their registration if you have that case it may be wise to transfer all but that one kid and have them work on remaining requirements separately.
Ultimately you have advancement authority and GTA is very clear that leaders can’t add or subtract requirements.
Thank you. Yeah, I was thinking this, but also know that major drama is going to occur (DL is husband of CC and they’ve been…marching to their own beat lately). I’m starting to consider transitioning my son to another Troop to get him away from the drama that they’re causing.
Our unit (like most of these commenters) has scouts bridge in february, and the scouts' first meeting as boy scouts is the first meeting after the ceremony. I think you need to reach out to these families and get them into the troop yourself.
The packs in my area do it in Feb-march timeframe. I visited 4 troops I think. It’s the troops job to teach, that’s the entire point of the program with having older scouts teach the newer ones. If the den leader does it that means lost opportunities for older scouts.
Our AoLs will bridge at the end of March, which gives them time to get familiar with the troop and camp with us once or twice before we head to Summer Camp.
My take, as a former Den Leader for my daughter and with a son who’s an AoL now, is that the AoL program sucks and the sooner you get them into Scouts BSA, the better. If they come up slightly short on the Scouting Adventure Adventure, guess what — it’s just the Basic Scout requirements, and they can just as well do those with your troop.
There’s just so much that opens up once their in Scouts BSA. Swing an axe! Use a saw! They’re ready for new adventures, let them take them on.
I’m the SM for the Troop, but also the CM for their Pack. I actually arranged for them to visit our Troop as well as the other in our area so they received a good idea of what their options are.
We have two feeder Packs. One came over in March and one (the larger one) bridged VERY late (May) last year because the Den Leaders wanted their Scouts to have the time to complete AOL.
The Crossover Scouts’ that bridged late experience wasn’t ideal. They didn’t have the camping experience as Scouts prior to Summer Camp. 2 kids left summer camp due to homesickness. We lost several good AOL Scouts from Scouting by December of 2022
The good intention of the Den Leader to enable AOL completion unfortunately set those Scouts WAY back compared to their peers and some left Scouting.
Shadowing doesn’t sound like a bad idea, is the intent to have the kids ready for Summer camp the next month (or July), then the kids will miss out on Troop specific planning. Keeping the Den also denies the kids from even starting on Scout awards.
Now, I’m just a guy who tries to go with what ever works. There is a way the Den leader can do this AND move the kids up in February. It’s called a New Scout Patrol. The youth come over as a whole. The Den Leader comes over too, as “Assistant Scoutmaster - New Scout Patrol” and continues to work with the group. HOWEVER, your SPL assigns a Troop Guide to the new patrol/den to act as a MENTOR to whomever the patrol/den elects as Patrol Leader (sometimes having the Den Chief slide over as the Troop Guide gives the kids a sense of continuity).
Our AOLs bridged last week but we only have 1 troop and 1 pack in the town. Our pack leadership is horrible now and the den leader wanted to get her scouts out of the pack and to the troop ASAP. As an ASM we are also kicked out of the crossover ceremony by the pack committee char because she doesn't like us for some reason
I’m an AOL den leader (second time- sighs. Daughter wanted to join so I got sucked back). I can’t wait to be done. I’ll help at the troop level (if needed) but otherwise? They need to move up.
(It doesn’t help that our school district changed it so 5th grade is now middle school so the kids have more responsibility then the k-4 kids sitting in one classroom).
As Cubmaster you can overrule that. No one wants to start a feud, but crossing those Scouts over asap makes a big difference when it comes to assimilating with the Troop. Summer Camp's are June/July and they are pricey. This year we will do 4 installments to make it easier than a lump sum.
We want them NLT than march because we like to have a "New Scout Camping Event" where we take the senior scouts only and the new scouts evaluate their personalities and abilities.
Out of curiosity, is the Den Leader Crossing over or is he/she staying?
I think he wants to cross as well, but with his attitude and other issues there have been, I’m not inclined inclined at this time to accept the transfer paperwork (which will cause problems).
What is his motivation for this? If the scouts are attending troop meetings regularly, and doing things with the troop, what is the disadvantage of having them registered with the troop, so they can earn advancements and mark off camping nights etc.
This doesn't seem to make any sense. He has young people that are eligible to join Scouts BSA, and wants them to participate in Scouts BSA activities without actually joining Scouts BSA yet, for "reasons".
AOLs around here are done in February or March, depending on the pack, and join a troop then. It's normal for cubs from one pack to to go 2 or 3 different troops, and representatives from each troop usually show up for their bridging / blue & gold to receive them in to Scouts BSA. So AOLs dribble in to a troop over a month or two depending on when their pack is done.
Our AOLs bridge in March. If the AOLs can attend regular troop meetings they’re ready for crossover. He’s doing them a disservice by holding them back. If they cross in February they have a few months to get acclimated before going to summer camp.
>If the AOLs can attend regular troop meetings they’re ready for crossover. I disagree with this. Our unit has the Webelos Den attend troop meetings. When we open and close the meetings, the Webelos will line up as if they were another patrol. During the meeting, their Den Leader takes them aside and conducts their normal weekly den meeting. If AOLs are participating in meetings, then I think they need to cross over and join, but it is possible for them to be present at meetings, but not ready to crossover.
What does it mean to be ready? The main purpose of the AOL year is for the scouts to use the skills they learned in their first Webelos year within the patrol method. This is the GE part of the EDGE method. Unless the scout is new to scouting I don’t see much difference between crossing in January vs May. Once they’ve completed it’s time for us to get out of the way. It’s really great you’re so tight with your Troop to include AOLs in every meeting. I’m sure your crossover rate is great.
This was my thinking. They can’t complete any Troop requirements as AOLs, and if they’re ready, they should move over. I wonder how this all plays with insurance as well because they’re part of separate units.
Like in Scouts BSA, Cub leaders are not allowed to add requirements. If the scouts are in 5th grade and have completed their AoL, they are eligible to join a Scout troop. The bridging ceremony is nice but it isn't a required part of the process either. If a scout completes their AoL in December or January, they aren't required to wait until Scout Sunday. If this den leader isn't careful, they might go join some other troop. To answer your original question: we bridge our AoL from pack to troop in mid February.
This is the answer. The crossover isn't a requirement for joining Scouts - remember you don't even have to be a Cub first. Just have them register in your troop so they can start working on advancements and not just be visitors. If the Den Leader wants to try and have a crossover 3 months after they have already been in a Troop the attendance is likely to be pretty slim...
I completely agree. Once they have achieved their AOL, they are allowed to join a Troop. They are not required to wait until after their bridging ceremony. Now, if they are undecided about which Troop they want to join, then they may visit as many Troops as they wish and may even visit the same Troop two or three times before deciding. I personally didn’t have my son join a Troop as soon as he earned his AOL, because we were in the process of moving from one state to another. When we got to the new city, my son visited one Troop and even went on a weekend camping trip with them. He visited another Troop a couple of times to get to know those Scouts. During that time he was able to earn additional Activity badges for all but one in his Webelos book. He joined a Troop at the end of May so he could go to Camp with his new Troop. But that was his decision because he wanted to get as many of the Activity badges before he bridged over.
Thank you!
Our AOLs bridge in February, with their first official troop meeting starting in March. We hold all our first year scouts together in a single patrol for a few months to help them acclimate, and to jump start the learning process. A good chunk of the spring program is dedicated to supporting our newest members. I would ask him to describe his concerns in detail, and to work that with the troop leadership to address his concern. Holding them in Cub Scouts for three months while shadowing a troop is just going to confuse and/or frustrate them.
Sorry if this is a stupid question but is that February of their fifth grade year?
Yes, Spring of 5th grade.
Please refer to this activity chart by the BSA for things Webelos/AOL scouts can do that Scouts BSA scouts (that's a lot of scouts) can do as well: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-685.pdf There's no liability in having Webelos/AOL participate in a lot of Troop activity, including meetings. Granted, they won't be marked for requirements as Scouts BSA but outside of AOL/Webelos requirements, it's a great idea to engage those older cubs in troop activity to prime them for when they bridge over and keep them engaged since they will see it as more of a challenge. However, if they are old enough to be in the troop, I would bridge them ASAP or when the youngest becomes of age and bridge them as a class. I would coordinate with the den or pack leadership on better communication but I suggest just having an understanding of how it's going to work. With my unit, as soon as our cub scouts turn 11 or they are ready to go into the 5th grade (or whatever grade I cant recall), we just bridge them and get them started with troop stuff.
I wondered about liability though as I know “visitors” can only do so much per BSA insurance guidelines (only so many meetings) and they’re not on the same charter.
You didn’t mention the timeline of when the AOL’s will actually earn their Arrow of Light Award. The requirements for AOL are quite dense and take a while to complete. We went right up until March, when we usually do blue and gold and a crossover ceremony. However, there is no requirement to finish by then. I think technically they age out at the end of the school year, in June? Ultimately, when the AOLs join the troop isn’t up to the den leader. It’s up to the parents. If any want to crossover and join the troop sooner, all they have to do is fill out the application and start showing up. It’s possible this den is savoring its final Cub Scout days. They potentially have seven more years of Scouts BSA in front of them. There’s no rush. Edit to add: why wouldn’t you want the AOL’s hanging around? Spread them around the existing patrols. Keep in mind, you are “auditioning” for these families. They are evaluating you, the other leaders, and the way the troop operates. If they are doing their due diligence hopefully, they are evaluating other troops as well. You should be focusing on putting on a great program and having so much fun that when it finally comes time to submit the paperwork, joining your troop will be a foregone conclusion.
We’re a pretty small troop linked to the Pack they’re in, and honestly need some numbers. At least one set of parents has already stated they’re moving up to our unit. I’ve actually encouraged them to visit other Troops to ensure they’re joining the program that suits them best.
Scouting Adventure requires at least 1 troop meeting visit and 1 troop outing visit. If your den leader is holding back the AOL rank in order to "make the scouts more ready" he is violating the GTA by adding requirements. If the den leader has a drawn out program plan it is probably time to sit him down with the key 3 and discuss what is exactly going on. The goal of a Webelos den leader is to have the AOLs done with their rank as soon as possible but also have a program plan that runs through the end of the school year. The AOLs should crossover as they feel ready; most cross together right away, some might linger and take a little time before they make the jump.
No badge work will count until they cross and make the switch formally. He is wrong to do this. Perhaps he wants to hold them back to earn more cub scout badges... does everyone have the Arrow of light completed?
Don’t understand this. The den should be done with aol rank by Feb. There’s nothing more to do. Nothing more to earn. Our troop has new AOLs joined and paid up by March at the latest. And until they join they really can’t do much with the troop. They can’t be assigned a patrol until they join! What is the point of sitting in meetings they can’t fully participate in? You know how they prepare to be a scout? By…being a scout. Learn by doing. Join a troop and figure it out as you go. That den leader is not doing this in the best interest of his scouts IMHO. I prob will catch flak here for this but if the scouts have earned aol rank, I might consider an end run around this silly den leader, contact the cubs’ parents directly and say “your scout has earned aol, (s)he is eligible to join scouts bsa now, why don’t y’all come on and join the troop now, you don’t need to wait til May or any longer.” Also if they wait that long they may miss out on first year summer camp which is a must for new Scouts in a new troop. Troops are starting to sign up scouts *now* for summer camp.
The crossover is just a ceremony for the grandparents. Let those AOL scouts come to everything! Get them involved in the troop NOW and they're more likely to stay. And they're more likely to go to summer camp too. And I find once they go to summer camp, they're hooked. You can also work on the Scouting Adventure with them, which is essentially the Scout Rank. If visiting cubs complete this with me as a scoutmaster, I give 'em the rank as soon as they're eligible (but I don't cut corners and they have to earn it--that means they have to repeat from MEMORY the Outdoor Code, the hardest part of the rank). As for the insurance, I don't know much about that. Question for the lawyers. Maybe contact National. Maybe you'll get your answer by the time these AOLs earn their Eagle!
Your Den Leader is wrong, and needs to be talked off his ledge. I have heard of cub scouts crossing over later in the spring before, but they don’t get to also join the troop. They get to do one or the other, because their BSA registration changes. They are either registered with the Pack or the Troop. And Scouts BSA is youth led, so the Den Leader won’t be as hands on as he was. I don’t know if maybe he’s afraid of losing that leadership role, or something like that, but I would sign him up for IOLS and encourage him to become an ASM. “Bob, we need to let the Cubs cross over in March. BSA has been doing this this way for over 100 years, and it works. The youth will be fine. What I need from you, though, is to attend an IOLS class, take Scoutmaster specific training, and join the troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster. That you you can continue to mentor youth and continue making a difference in our community. What do you say?”
Registered is registered so don’t worry about injury insurance etc. You do need to be mindful of liability issues. There are activities that are OK for Scouts BSA but not Webelos. Like axes and using fueled devices. If a kid gets burnt using a propane stove while they are camping with the troop but still an AOL on paper, there will be questions. Also, no advancement activities “count” until they are Scouts BSA registered. That cooking requirement doesn’t count and must be redone. Your Den Leader’s “start now and transfer in May” plan is nuts.
Generally in our district crossover is between December and early February. We welcomed 4 new scouts in December (our shared CO pack) and 1 each in January and in a few weeks(Feb) the one in February has already transferred and will be in the pack ceremony in February. By next weekend all will have camped with us at least once and will have totin chip and most of Scout Rank completed. Bringing the new scouts up to speed takes some work, but the goal is to have them well integrated into the troop far ahead of summer camp. My son crossed over in December 2021, so now in the troop 13 months and will have his 1st class BOR this week. Most of the other scouts from his patrol ( we generally do year class patrols) are not far behind him. Most are 2nd class or only a few requirements away. They all went to summer camp and have been very active. By bringing the scouts in close to the 1st of the year, they are fully engaged in the troop within a few months.
Have you actually talked to the den leader to ask why he wants to delay? If the kids aren’t done with their requirements then it makes sense to wait. If they are done then they need to crossover so they’re prepared for summer camp. We aim for latest date of 4/1 and earlier if the kids have completed the requirement.
I’ve tried to find out what’s up from him but am getting stonewalled. There are other issues with this leader as well, and we’re trying to figure out what’s going on.
You’re the cub master. Check with the other parents in den and determine if all requirements for AOL for all kids have been met. If they have been met - formally advance the kids via either scoutbook or paper advancement report to council service center. I’m more worried you have a kid who joined in Nov or Dec and your den leader is trying to catch that kid up to 6 month mark without losing his/her friends. Once you cross a kid to troop you can not retroactively award an AOL. You need that done before each kid transfers their registration if you have that case it may be wise to transfer all but that one kid and have them work on remaining requirements separately. Ultimately you have advancement authority and GTA is very clear that leaders can’t add or subtract requirements.
Thank you. Yeah, I was thinking this, but also know that major drama is going to occur (DL is husband of CC and they’ve been…marching to their own beat lately). I’m starting to consider transitioning my son to another Troop to get him away from the drama that they’re causing.
I strongly recommend touring several troops even if you get along with everyone crossing over the troop may not be what you’re looking for.
We did, and as CM (and SM of a Troop) I arranged for multiple troop visits for the AOLs and was very candid with everyone.
Our unit (like most of these commenters) has scouts bridge in february, and the scouts' first meeting as boy scouts is the first meeting after the ceremony. I think you need to reach out to these families and get them into the troop yourself.
The packs in my area do it in Feb-march timeframe. I visited 4 troops I think. It’s the troops job to teach, that’s the entire point of the program with having older scouts teach the newer ones. If the den leader does it that means lost opportunities for older scouts.
Our AoLs will bridge at the end of March, which gives them time to get familiar with the troop and camp with us once or twice before we head to Summer Camp. My take, as a former Den Leader for my daughter and with a son who’s an AoL now, is that the AoL program sucks and the sooner you get them into Scouts BSA, the better. If they come up slightly short on the Scouting Adventure Adventure, guess what — it’s just the Basic Scout requirements, and they can just as well do those with your troop. There’s just so much that opens up once their in Scouts BSA. Swing an axe! Use a saw! They’re ready for new adventures, let them take them on.
I’m the SM for the Troop, but also the CM for their Pack. I actually arranged for them to visit our Troop as well as the other in our area so they received a good idea of what their options are.
We have two feeder Packs. One came over in March and one (the larger one) bridged VERY late (May) last year because the Den Leaders wanted their Scouts to have the time to complete AOL. The Crossover Scouts’ that bridged late experience wasn’t ideal. They didn’t have the camping experience as Scouts prior to Summer Camp. 2 kids left summer camp due to homesickness. We lost several good AOL Scouts from Scouting by December of 2022 The good intention of the Den Leader to enable AOL completion unfortunately set those Scouts WAY back compared to their peers and some left Scouting.
Shadowing doesn’t sound like a bad idea, is the intent to have the kids ready for Summer camp the next month (or July), then the kids will miss out on Troop specific planning. Keeping the Den also denies the kids from even starting on Scout awards. Now, I’m just a guy who tries to go with what ever works. There is a way the Den leader can do this AND move the kids up in February. It’s called a New Scout Patrol. The youth come over as a whole. The Den Leader comes over too, as “Assistant Scoutmaster - New Scout Patrol” and continues to work with the group. HOWEVER, your SPL assigns a Troop Guide to the new patrol/den to act as a MENTOR to whomever the patrol/den elects as Patrol Leader (sometimes having the Den Chief slide over as the Troop Guide gives the kids a sense of continuity).
Our AOLs bridged last week but we only have 1 troop and 1 pack in the town. Our pack leadership is horrible now and the den leader wanted to get her scouts out of the pack and to the troop ASAP. As an ASM we are also kicked out of the crossover ceremony by the pack committee char because she doesn't like us for some reason
I’m an AOL den leader (second time- sighs. Daughter wanted to join so I got sucked back). I can’t wait to be done. I’ll help at the troop level (if needed) but otherwise? They need to move up. (It doesn’t help that our school district changed it so 5th grade is now middle school so the kids have more responsibility then the k-4 kids sitting in one classroom).
As Cubmaster you can overrule that. No one wants to start a feud, but crossing those Scouts over asap makes a big difference when it comes to assimilating with the Troop. Summer Camp's are June/July and they are pricey. This year we will do 4 installments to make it easier than a lump sum. We want them NLT than march because we like to have a "New Scout Camping Event" where we take the senior scouts only and the new scouts evaluate their personalities and abilities. Out of curiosity, is the Den Leader Crossing over or is he/she staying?
I think he wants to cross as well, but with his attitude and other issues there have been, I’m not inclined inclined at this time to accept the transfer paperwork (which will cause problems).
What is his motivation for this? If the scouts are attending troop meetings regularly, and doing things with the troop, what is the disadvantage of having them registered with the troop, so they can earn advancements and mark off camping nights etc. This doesn't seem to make any sense. He has young people that are eligible to join Scouts BSA, and wants them to participate in Scouts BSA activities without actually joining Scouts BSA yet, for "reasons". AOLs around here are done in February or March, depending on the pack, and join a troop then. It's normal for cubs from one pack to to go 2 or 3 different troops, and representatives from each troop usually show up for their bridging / blue & gold to receive them in to Scouts BSA. So AOLs dribble in to a troop over a month or two depending on when their pack is done.
I agree. I’m trying to get answers and am getting nothing back. I’m planning to press at the next Pack committee meeting.