Welcome to Webelos Scouting! You have embarked on an adventure that is unique in Scouting! Boys at this age are maturing and learning to be more self sufficient. Soon they will be Boy Scouts. And it is your job to help them make this transition in a fun and adventurous way.
Webelos stands for "We'll Be Loyal Scouts." The major goal of Webelos Scouting is to give the Scouts a taste of what it is like to be a Boy Scout and to get them use to how Boy Scouting is structured. As a Webelos Den Leader you will be introducing the Cub Scouts probably the most adventurous boy led organization in America today!
Webelos are the oldest Cub Scouts in the Pack and as such carry the responsibility of being good role models to the younger Cub Scouts. It also falls upon the Webelos to help explain what exciting activities await the younger Cubs and to help the Cubs during Pack activities.

In Tiger, Wolf and Bear dens the family unit was central to the forming of the Cub Scout and activities revolved around the family unit. The emphasis in Webelos scouting shifts from these home-centered activities to group-centered activities similar to those they will be encountering in Boy Scouts.

Webelos dens in some areas are also known as patrols. The patrol is central to both Webelos Scouting and Boy Scouting. Because Webelos Scouts do most of their activities as a den, parents play a new, more supportive, and less directive role in Webelos scouting.

Webelos Scouts learn that it is their responsibility to earn their activity badges. They are helped by their Webelos Den Leaders and Activity Badge Counselors (adults who volunteer to host an activity badge) and it is the Webelos Den Leaders who pass the Webelos Scout on the requirements.

The boys should become involve in program planning. They will learn simple leadership skills and they will surprise you with their ideas. The Webelos should also get involved in setting a code of discipline for the group. They will learn what it is like to set rules and live by them.

The den conducts some projects that can be credited towards the ranks and activity badges that the boys earn, but not all of the requirements are addressed at den meetings. This is deliberate. The Webelos Scouts learn that if they wish to advance, they are responsible for meeting the requirements outside den meeting times. These requirements are challenging, but very reachable by boys in this age group. These surmountable obstacles and steps to overcome help a boy grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others. This is patterned after the merit badge and advancement process in a Boy Scout Troop.

Unlike most Cub Scouts, their den meetings are typically held on evenings or Saturdays. This is to get the Scouts use to meeting when Boy Scouts meet. Also Webelos do not follow the monthly theme of the Pack, but have their own program centered around the activity badges that are earned.

Webelos Scouts also take on more responsibility for the running of their den however the actual responsibility resides with Webelos Den Leaders. This is to get the boys use to making their own decisions. When they enter Boy Scouts they will run the entire show. Adults will advise and guide.

It is in Webelos that the world of outdoor Scouting begins to open up. The Webelos are able to camp and go on other outdoor activities. Most of these activities are not with the Pack, but with their den, other Webelos dens and with Boy Scout Troops. They also participate in Boy Scout Troop meetings, Camporees and other Boy Scout events.

In short, Webelos Scouting is the senior level program in Cub Scouting. It is meant to help transition the boys from Cub Scouting into Boy Scouting. Webelos are under the direction of the Cubmaster, hold their own activities, and do many things too advanced for the younger boys. At the end of the Webelos program, the Scouts should have a taste for what Boy Scouting is all about and have a head start in proceeding through the Boy Scout program.