Webelos WOW

This is totally a ton of work. But totally worth it when you are working with the boys.

Our district has a Webelos WOW annually. It is 6.5 hours of fun filled (maybe) classes, where the Webelos Scouts can earn or work towards earning, at least 6 activity badges. The district offers 8 choices, and the Webelos leader choose 6 that their kids will work on.

I have done the Outdoorsman badge at least three times and Jim has done it once. He did it first and then I did it 2 years then skipped last year and was back at it again this year.

I learned from super scouter, Jess Wheiler of the Skyline ward, while taking our Webelos scouts to the activity when I was Cubmaster each year for about 3 years in a row. I knew from experience that the Outdoorsman badge was the most fun. I made sure our boys were signed up to attend early, and that the Outdoorsman was scheduled in around noon because Jess always had food going.

I think we have this down to a science now. This year, with all the scare of Salmonella cases all over the place, I used the precooked meatballs from Sam's Club. That was Anita's idea. The boys loved them, and there was less grease and took less time to cook. They each had 2 meat balls, 5 tater tots, and as many mixed veggies as they wanted. They totally loved it. I don't consider it a success unless the boys are asking for more.

We did six classes. I told them to begin with do NOT let more than 12 kids register for each class. HA HA HA HA HA. They didn't listen. We had a minimum on the list for each class of 18. Then there are those people that no matter how many times they are told to register early at the scout office, they come that morning and want 10 boys to take classes. Our registration people that morning were new and they did an awesome job getting everyone situated.... BUT.... There was a little communication error. The ones coming that morning without a class to go to, did not have anything to do their first hour due to everyone being over crowded. The registration people said, "take your kids outside and work on their requirements". Meaning the leaders should help them practice knots or something to keep them busy. But instead they all came to my class. First class! I thought "holy crap!!.. is the whole day going to go like this"? I only bought food for 135 people. We had 38 boys and at least 12 leaders. "HOLY ZOO!!, BATMAN!!"

During our small class?!?!?! Jim had some time to take some pictures. I couldn't have done any of this without Jim, he was the chief cook while the rest of us taught.

The other things we do are: learn fire safety with a hands on demo is best but the LDS church on Dunbar sold the lot that had their fire pit in it (hence the BBQ to cook the foil dinners on) so...... the hands on demo were pie pans, filled with dirt and covered in grass. I brought my shinny polished rocks that I got at the craft store, and I pruned my burning bush in my front yard and made fire wood (ha ha). The boys had to show and tell the proper steps for building a proper fire using the "Leave no trace", guide lines. So they had to make a clearing and build a fire ring then they built up their fire. At that point in every group (at least 12), they would all ask, "Can we light them on fire now?" Every time I had to laugh. Boys really like fire. Then they had to demonstrate "Leave No Trace" again by putting it all back like they found it. It was an ideal demonstration for that age group other than the disappointment when they couldn't torch their fires. After the fire safety, I taught all the boys how and why to "whip" or "fuse" a rope. I was surprised at the number of adult males that didn't know how to "whip", at least they caught on fast and could help their boys.

Another station was knots. Because of the amount of boys we had registered we had one extra boy scout and one extra adult scouter come and help us get all the boys through their three knots that are required. I had them do the square knot and 2 half hitches and a taut line hitch. I think people look at me funny when I'm teaching boys knots and how to whip and fuse ropes. Even though we had a couple extra people. We still had to divide each group but one and while half were learning fire safety, whipping and fusing, the other half was learning knots.

At the end, while the boys ate their meals, we played a game to help teach and pass off another requirement for the Outdoorsman activity badge.