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Minor Frustration with Cubs
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Ok, I just need to share a minor frustration I’m having with Cubs (in Canada – so they have various badges to earn) and I want to just share and maybe get a few suggestions.
Delta (8) has been in Cubs since September. In that time, he has earned 12 Badges, 3 Stars (harder), and 1 Award (harder still)…. which is a fair bit – certainly more than any of the other cubs that joined about the same time. He has time to work on it in the afternoon and evenings, and as both his dad and I have been Cub leaders in the past, we are very familiar with the program, and provide encouragement for him to work on it. We will ask him what badge he wants to work on, or say things like – “Hey, if you do this and this, you will finish up such-and-such badge.” The Cub Leader has been good with his work, and happy to have a cub working on badges outside the program. (A few other cubs have started to test for badges – which was something he wanted)
The other week, I was discussing a problem with the Group Commissioner with Badge Testing not happening for about a month… he was thinking I was complaining that one badge that Delta tested for wasn’t awarded – he couldn’t remember a requirement – and started to point out that he didn’t know the requirement – and I did bring up that I think he tends to have test anxiety or something, as at times he does have trouble expressing things he does know… but that that was fine, I expect him to pass the requirements, and that wasn’t my concern. Anyway, he during this discussion, the fact that he is being homeschooled came up – and that didn’t go at all well with him…
So this week, they had the time for the testing, and he did pass, and that was when he got his 2nd and 3rd star and the award. While they were presenting him the badges, the group commissioner came over, and in front of the other parents informed me that the cub program is designed that the cubs earn 2 stars a year over the 3 years, and that that is how much effort they are. (Basically insinuating that my son has not put in the effort.) I think I responded with “Good thing he puts in the effort”. But I’m quite upset still, 2 days later.
As a previous Cub leader, I’m fully aware of the program, and I know how it is usually presented (I don’t agree with the 2 stars a year method – although that is how it is usually trained and presented – and I can live with that) – however I don’t agree with stopping a cub from working on his badges. If I felt there was a concern about him getting bored in his last year – well, there are 45 badges, 6 stars, and 11 awards… there will be plenty for him to keep busy with for 3 years, even at the pace he is going.
But I don’t think that was what he was saying – he was saying something like “you’re kid isn’t earning them – he is getting them because you are a pushy mom who bugs the leaders” (or something like that…. the leaders DO test the kids, so I’m not sure what other reason he would figure that Delta is getting them….
So now, I’m not sure what to do. The Group Commissioner is over the leaders – I don’t want to cause more problems. I had been going to volunteer to be a “limited” Cub leader – I have the 2 young kids to watch during meetings etc, but I was going to volunteer to be a leader to do Badge Testing – something I think I could do while watching the younger kids…. or I could help watch an activity for a little while while my kids were tested for badges by a different leader – but it is the Group Commissioner that handles leader volunteers / leader selection – so now I don’t even want to suggest it while he obviously doubts my judgement about badges.
(btw – while I was a leader – whether with Cubs or Scouts or Girl Guides, etc – my groups almost always earned more badges than other groups around… because I knew how to use the badges in the program, and knew how to motivate the kids to earn them.)
I’ve had similar trouibles here in the States, actually, although after a bit our pack went wildly homeschool-friendly (we had homeschooling packmasters for several years!) But I was told I was pushing my oldest to hyperbadge and I wasn’t. So, sympathy first. Lots of scout leaders don’t really understand homeschooling and the good things that can happen with the juxtaposition of scouting and homeschooling. Although SOME DO. At the big leadership camp in the US, they have sessions EVERY summer on homeschooling and scouting. SO it is possible there is other more positive leadership in Canada, too. I’d do two or three things. 1, I’d detail what you do and how and why you do it–showing the program working in your son’s daily life and the good things it does for him, and send it to your district guy in a letter. Two, I’d research and see if there is any resistance to doing more badges per year or if it is just a customary thing. If there is no official resistance and step 1 doesn’t help, I’d contact the next higher up and ask for clarification of the policy. Achievement is what Scouts is supposed to be ALL about. No one should be shutting down achievement and I’d call them on it. But then I can be a squeaky wheel, lol. I’d wait to volunteer further until you get a little more settled, personally. You don’t want to have to war with this guy regularly.
Good luck, I hope you can get things settled so your boy can have a great Scouting experience!
Thanks Bookworm – it helps to have the sympathy!
In Canada, Groups are setup… ideally they have a Beaver Colony (5-7), Cub Pack (8-10), Scout Troop (11-14), Venturer Company (14-17), and Rover Company (18-26), although very few have all 5 sections. (Ours actually does – very rare). The Group handles leader recruitment, finances, fundraising, and encourages training etc. So it isn’t a district person – it is the person in charge of the group.
On my husband’s recommendation, near the beginning of the year I discussed my family’s feelings and approach to scouting, and that we homeschool and scouting would be a part of our homeschool – and so that our son would probably appear to be earning badges quickly because we would be making sure he had time to work on requirements – and he was quite happy to hear it. My husband expected some issues, I guess. I didn’t have the discussion with the Group Commissioner, but perhalps I should have…. it is harder for me now that the comments have been made.
As for the reccomendations, and they were good ones…
1 – We actually do detail a lot of what we do. We created a “Cub Journal” for Delta – we put in anything he does to work on badges to fill requirements. We have pictures of hikes, things he has drawn, lists he made, stories he wrote, Maps he drew, etc. He takes the pages related to any badge he is testing for (I discovered early it was confusing to the leaders if he took the whole Journal… lol. We did this partly to prove he earned badges (yes – we expected problems…) – and partly so he would have a great keepsake for after. The Group Commissioner actually tested Delta for a badge one week that the leaders were too busy – he didn’t talk to Delta – just looked through the requirements and the pages from the Journal…. and he was quite impressed with the map of Canada Delta had drawn. so don’t ask me…..? But yes, I may need to contact him.
2 – Having been a cub leader, I know for a fact there is no resistance officially to doing more than 2 stars a year. The 2 stars a year is commonly taught in Cub Training on how to plan a program. It might be nore, but from the cub leader handbooks (unless it has changed in the latest version) this wasn’t even how it was supposed to be presented…. The program originally was supposed to have elements from all the stars all the year. But as the 2 stars a year has been presented in training in most areas for so long – that is what groups do. And a few DO say the cubs can’t work on them on their own (which I would definitely fight.) When I was a leader, we aimed to have cubs finishe the 6 stars in 2 years, leaving the 3rd year to work on awards. We would do about 1/2 of each star every year. But of course, we were in the minority. But again – there is nothing saying you can’t do more stars in a year. In fact, we were in contact with a cub in another province (to do a badge requirement) – and she has done all 6 stars and the main 8 awards all this year. She just joined cubs this year, but will be moving up to scouts next year. That is very unusual, and would be a LOT of work… but doable.
I definitely have no plans to slow my son down. He might at some point decide he wants to earn all the badges and awards – and that would be fantastic if he did (although honestly there are about 3 or 4 badges I can’t imagine him ever getting…. snowboarding/skiing/skating…. )
I just am not sure if I should follow up on it, or just wait and see if there is going to be a problem… My son, grandson, and daughter are in this scouting group with the group having paid our registration (which is very expensive in Canada) – and I don’t know that I want to stir up something…. unless I need to as a “Mamma Bear” – to protect my kids…
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