Fall 2016 Revisions to Bear Adventures

On December 5, 2016, National BSA sent an email to all local Cub Scout units with information about updates to the 2015 Cub Adventure curriculum due to feedback received from a task force study that showed rank advancement had declined and scout retention had gone down after implementation of the new program. If you'd like to read the document, which includes the background information and changes for all ranks from Tiger through Arrow of Light, click here. These new requirements are to be implemented immediately, so this affects all of us den leaders right now.

As I scanned the Bear requirements, I saw that many had just a little snipped out to make them quicker to accomplish, so that will be nice. I was also surprised to see that Baloo the Builder is now a required adventure, swapping places with Grin and Bear It, which is an elective. It will be interesting to see how this plays out this next year!

I wanted the new requirements in my handbook to make them easy to refer to since my book is now outdated, so I created a small "cheat sheet" for Bears with all of the updates. (Sorry, other ranks, I'm just all about the Bears.) See below for the printable. I printed these so that the first and second columns on each page are actually the two sides of one 8.5x11" half page. I laminated the three double-sided pages and punched them for spiral binding. I took out the coil from my handbook and inserted these new pages after the front cover, then I threaded the coil back through everything. Now I can see the requirements at a glance anytime! I also plan on handing these out to parents so they can staple the updated requirements in their sons' books if they want.

Please let me know if I need to correct anything or if you have technical difficulties printing this out. Good luck, Bear leaders! I think you'll like these changes!
 

Adventure Program Excel Tracking Spreadsheets

as well as Bobcat, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light

Akela's Council (Cub Scout leader training) in Utah National Parks Council has released tracking worksheets the new adventures program for every rank! These are excellent and will greatly simplify your record-keeping. They function very similarly to Cub Trax, so if you're familiar with that, these will feel very natural. If not, they have simple instructions and are quick to learn. UNP requests that we link back to their website instead of posting the worksheets on our own sites. Click here to download any of the Excel worksheets.

Cost Comparison: Old and New Cub Scout Programs

Thanks to Linda K. Vaughn for providing this cost comparison worksheet. Click here for the original Excel worksheet. 

Sample Cub Scout Pack Budgeting Worksheets

Thanks to Linda K. Vaughn for providing this sample Cub Scout annual pack budgeting worksheet. Click here for the original Excel worksheet.

Here is a sample detailed budgeting worksheet. Click here for the original Excel worksheet.

LDS Faith in God with Cub Scout Rank Requirements

This document maps the LDS Faith in God requirements to the new adventures. Click here for the original Word document.
(Thanks to Linda K. Vaughn, who was involved with the Cub program redesign, for providing this.)

Webelos & AOL LDS Annual Planning Calendar

The helpful sample planning calendar for year-round or LDS Webelos/Arrow of Light dens was shared at a recent training on the Adventures program. Click here for the original Word file.
(Thanks to Linda K. Vaughn, who was involved with the Cub program redesign, for providing this.)

Bear LDS Annual Planning Calendar

The helpful sample planning calendar for year-round or LDS Bear dens was shared at a recent training on the Adventures program. Click here for the original Word file.
(Thanks to Linda K. Vaughn, who was involved with the Cub program redesign, for providing this.)