2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000,
1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1990
The Bear program breaks up the 24 achievements into 4 categories. These are God, Country, Family, and Self. The boys need to complete a certain number of achievements in each category.
Each achievement has certain requirements that have to be met to earn credit on that achievement. Most of the requirements can be worked into your den program. Some of the requirements have to be completed at home.
Plan out your year to work on outside activities while the weather is still good. Try to have some sort of activity or project to work on at each den meeting. The boys don't want to sit and listen to you speak at them for the whole meeting.
As the boys complete achievements, you can keep track of their progress on the den poster and also by using the Progress Towards Rank emblem.
For every 3 achievements towards rank the Scouts complete, they recieve a red bead to attatch to the emblem. This gives them a visual prompt to complete all 12 achievements.
Most packs have ceremonies at the Blue & Gold Banquet for Scouts recieving their rank badges. Check with your pack to see when they usually do this.
Don't forget about Outdoor Fun activities. The Scouting programs promote the boys learning more about the outdoors. Field Trips are also a good change of pace for the meetings.
Keep the parents involved in the den by asking them to give a hand with hands-on projects. Their help is essential to keeping the den active and healthy.
After the boys have earned their Bear badge, they can recieve recognition for working on other achievements with Arrow Points. They recieve on Arrow point for every 10 requirements they work on over and above what is needed for the Bear rank.
The first Arrow Point is Gold, the rest they recieve are Silver. All of these different things that can be done in the den meetings, round out the year-long Bear program.
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Click here for General Tips on running your den.
Basically, you need to become familiar with the rank requirements and the handbook, along with the other activities available, to run a good den program. It sounds like alot, but really it's quite simple. Don't be afraid to ask other leaders for help or suggestions. They have all been in your shoes at one time too!
The Cub Scout program is set up to advance the boys into Boy Scouts at the end of Webelos. We are a stepping stone to more adventure and fun for the boys in Boy Scouts. We are here to encourage them to continue on and up!
