More Patrol Emblem Choices

Hello fellow Scouters,

At the end of our Bear year, we chose a Boy Scout patrol emblem for our Webelos den name. In our pack, the Webelos change from a den number to a den patrol name at the beginning of the Webelos program (I know some units do this at the beginning of their second Webelos year, and some don’t name their Webelos den at all). As a reminder, even though they have a patrol name and patch, Webelos are not patrols, but dens.

The Boy Scouts of America offers many great patrol patches to choose from. Here is a link to the different patrol emblems that BSA offers:

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/patrol-patch.asp

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One thing I learned recently is that ClassB.com offers their own patrol emblems. I wish that I had known that there were other choices out there, as they offer some really great ones! Check with your unit leadership first, to make sure they allow these patrol emblems. If your unit allows them, here is the link for some great choices (ClassB.com is an official licensee of BSA merchandise, and you have no minimum order requirements for these):

http://store.classb.com/patches

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Some pointers on choosing a patrol emblem for your Webelos den:

1) Let the boys choose. This can be their first chance of determining how their den is run. It’s a good early lesson in the patrol method of Scouting. One option is to have them vote on the emblem, and choose the one with the most votes. Or you can take a more difficult approach. I my den, I gave the boys the list and told them to come back to me when they had one chosen. The first time they discussed this choice did not go well at all. After 20 minutes I had to stop it because they couldn’t agree on one, and there was some arguing. I thought it was a mistake to go this way, but I decided to give it one more chance.  At the next den meeting, after about 5 minutes they came back to me and told me they all agreed to the Cool Foxes as their name – and they didn’t even discuss the fox emblem the first time they met! I’m glad it worked this way because they had total ownership of the choice. It was a growing experience for them.

2) Don’t settle with the patrol patch name. Let them be creative. Don’t just be the “Sharks” or “Eagles”. Let them be the “Scary Sharks” or “Flying Eagles”, or something else fun. My first den became the Lightning Bolts, and my second den became the Cool Foxes.

3) If you have more than one Webelos den in your pack, as a courtesy you should discuss your decision with any other Webelos dens in your pack. There are so many choices that the chance that they choose the same one is probably small, but it’s still a good idea to talk it over with the other Webelos den leaders before finalizing the decision.

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As we head towards the end of the Cub Scout year, now is a good time to pick your patrol name, so your den is ready to go when the new Scouting year starts.

Do you have another place that has great custom patrol emblems? Please feel free to add a comment to this post and share it with us.

In Scouting,

– Scouter Jeff <><