Last year around this time, you may recall a blog post from me about it being Eagle season…if you’ve been around Troop 58 over the last several weeks, there’s no doubt that we’re knee-deep in cross-over season. Some of you may know that we tried something different this past year – instead of responding to sporadic requests to visit our Troop, we hosted an Open House in early December. We had an amazing response numbers-wize: 46 Webelos and countless more parents visited with us that night. I couldn’t have been more proud of our PLC and Troop 58 as a whole for planning and running such a successful event that sparked such great interest!
In fact, we probably created too much interest…we decided as a leadership team that ~20 cross-overs was the maximum # of new Scouts we could absorb without significantly affecting the culture, operations, etc. of the troop. While this is, by far, the largest cross-over class Troop 58 has had, we still turned away close to 15 additional Scouts who wanted to join us. I’ve blogged previously about the success of our marketing efforts (hats off again to Mrs. McClelland for her leadership here), but this time I thought I’d share some insights on the cross-over scouts and transition process. As we’ve participated in the various Cub Scout Pack’s cross-over ceremonies, I am reminded of how recently it feels like my Scout crossed-over as well as how long ago it actually was. The eagerness and trepidation in both the Scouts’ and parents’ eyes reminds me of how my wife and I felt when we were in their shoes. But time and again, the Scouts BSA program, the Patrol Method, and our troop’s youth leadership have shown the way and provided a solid foundation for these boys to take the next step in their Scouting journey.
As we assist this rather large cross-over class with their transition/integration, I hope you’ll all join me in welcoming these 21 new families and sharing some of your family’s experiences from when you crossed over as well as the growth, development, fun, and unique outdoor experiences your Scout has had with Troop 58. And yes – please remind them that their Scouts can survive camping in the woods without their parents! It may not seem like it now, but before we know it – these young, former Webelos will be Troop 58’s leaders and likely future Eagle Scouts. I can’t wait to see how their Scouting journey turns out!
I remember how surprisingly nervous I was before sending my son on his first Boy Scout campout 6 years ago. I kept my trepidation to myself, all went well, and it was smooth sailing from there. Of course then I started occasionally going on the scout campouts to hang out with the other adult leaders and watch the scouts (from a safe distance) manage on their own. It’s an amazing transformation to watch.