WEBELOS

Scholar

Den Activities

Invite a schoolteacher to your den meeting.   Maybe one the boys know, to talk about the importance of school.

Let the boys talk about what's going on in school.  Don't try to change any of their ideas, but guide the discussion in such a way that they will see the value of an education.

Learn about the history of education, how schools developed in America.

Prepare a chart of the school system and explain and discuss with boys.

Discuss & do a den service project for the school.

Invite the parents of Webelos to come to a den meeting dressed in the type of clothes they wore to school.  Have them bring along such things as class pictures, yearbooks, report cards, etc. and allow each ample time to share his/ her school days with the den.

Have a panel of parents with various jobs explain their schooling and training for these jobs

Invite an educator to talk with the den about some of the scholar requirements.

As a den, talk about good study habits.

Have someone from the public library talk about the local literacy project.

Tour a local high school or visit a local college campus.

Play a Newspaper Search game looking for articles about education.

Encourage boys to find out all they can about schools in your community ... the different types and how they work... the problems and opportunities.  Discuss these at a den meeting.  Have the boys make a list of the things they like about school and another list of the things they don't like about school.  Give these lists to the principal.

Have the boys make a daily time schedule and use it to determine if they are making the best use of their time.

Invite a grandparent to your den meeting to talk about how school was when they were children.   If not a grandparent try a retirement home.

Have boys make a list of the things they like about school. And another list of the things they don’t like.   Discuss them.

Field Trips:

Plan a trip to the library to have the librarian demonstrate the use of a microfilm or microfiche viewer.

Briefly visit a school board meeting.  Let them know you are coming.  They may be interested to know the boys are working on the Scholar Activities Badge.

Seven Hints for Studying

Studying is work, but so is football practice or putting together a model rocket.   It’s the right mental attitude that can make the difference in your study habits.   On the football field, the coach has planned your workout systematically.   So much time for drill, so much for tackling, and so on.   And a good way to achieve better grades is to plan a study system that’s just right for you.

Here are seven study hints:

1. Choose a regular time for study; an hour right after dinner, for example. That will leave you with time for play after school and time for television, meetings, and friends afterwards.
2. Make it a habit so that you don’t even think about it - as natural as breathing.
3. Practice reading for speed so that you can get more work done in less time.
4. Start off each school term by working twice as hard as you thought you could.   The momentum you build will carry you right through the term.   Your grades will pick up, too.
5. Listen carefully in class.   Make notes.   Use study periods for homework and study.
6. On exams, do the problems that seem the easiest first. Then tackle the more difficult ones.
7. And no radio, television, or talking with a buddy while you’re doing homework.

Do You Know Your Alphabet?

What letter is:

1. A vegetable?   (P)
2. A body of water?   (C)
3. Part of the head?   (I)
4. A female sheep?   (U)
5. Part of a house?   (L)
6. An actor’s signal?   (Q)
7. A drink?   (T)
8. Command to a horse?   (G)
9. An exclamation? (O)
10. An insect?   (B)
11. A bird?   (J)
12. A question?   (Y)

Three Men in a Boat

Materials:

1. Tri-wall cardboard base 2" x 8"
2. 6 dowels
3. 2" long nails
4. Colored markers

What to do:

1. Mark off seven evenly spaced dots in a row on the cardboard.
2. Make a hole with the nail at each dot.
3. Widen the holes with a pencil so that the dowels will fit into them easily.
4. Color three dowels yellow and three dowels red.
5. Decorate the base with colored markers.

Rules of Play:

1. Place the yellow men in three spaces at one end and the red men in three spaces at the other end.   Leave the middle space empty.
2. Try to reverse the positions of the red and yellow men.
3. Move men forward only, never backward.
4. A man may move into the neighboring space, or if that space is occupied, he may jump over it.

Tips on How to Talk To Your Teacher

A good conversation with your teacher can increase your chances of making better grades, participating in clubs, working on new projects or earning school awards.

1. Set talk goal and decide exactly what you want.
2. Prepare what you will say with a parent or friend.   Make notes on information you might need or questions you need to ask.
3. Select a time when your teacher isn’t busy.   Make an appointment.   Be polite, act natural and be honest.   Ask for a chance to earn what you want and for suggestions on ways to improve your skills or behavior.   Be sure to thank your teacher.
4. Check your attitude.   Are you willing to work to improve?
5. After your talk, write down what you said and your teacher agreed on.   Follow through on the suggestions and fulfill your commitment.   Keep trying even if it’s hard.   If you need help, ask for it.

Teachers are people too; they respond to genuine interest and enthusiasm.   They want you to be a success.

Brainteaser Games

Scout Badge Quiz

1. From what is the design of the Scout Badge is taken?
   (The three point design of the top half of the badge is like the north point of the old sailor's compass.)
2. What does the trefoil mean?
   (The main part of the badge shows that a Scout is able to point the right way in life as truly as a compass points north.)
3. What do the three points mean?
   (Like the fingers of the Scout Salute, the points stand for the three parts of the Scout Oath.)
4. What do the two stars symbolize?
   (The stars symbolize the ideals of truth and knowledge of the Scouting movement.   They guide you by night and suggest a Scout's outdoor life.)
5. What does the eagle stand for?
   (The eagle with the shield is the national emblem of the USA. It stands for freedom and readiness to defend that freedom.)
6. Why is the scroll turned up at the ends?
   (The up-turned corners of the scroll suggest the Scout's smile as he does his duty. )
7. The knot at the bottom of the badge reminds a Scout of what?
   (The knot reminds a Scout he has promised to do a good turn daily. )
8. What does the badge look like for Boy Scout rank?
   (Boy Scout Rank is a trefoil without the eagle and stars. )
9. What additional part does the Tenderfoot wear?
   (The Tenderfoot wears the trefoil WITH eagle and stars)
10. What part does the Second Class Scout wear?
    (Second Class Scout additionally wears the scroll )
11. What is written on the scroll?
    (The Scout motto, "Be Prepared" is written on the scroll )

Scout Law Dart Board
 

Using a dart board with the numbers one through twelve, have each boy, in turn, throw a dart at the dart board and score a point if he can recite the point of the Scout Law that relates to that number.   If he is correct he gets one point and may continue throwing.   The first boy to score 12 points wins.   (The twelve points necessary may be any twelve points of the twelve different points.)

Intelligence Test

This test is to see if you can follow directions.   Just concentrate, but remember, you have only 2 minutes.

1. Read everything before doing anything.
2. Put your name in the upper right-hand corner of this paper.
3. Circle the word “name” in sentence No. 2.
4. Draw five small squares in the upper left-hand corner of this paper.
5. Put an “X” in each square.
6. Put a circle around each square.
7. Put a circle around each word in sentence No. 5.
8. Put an “X” in the lower left-hand corner of this paper.
9. Draw a triangle around the “X” you just put down.
10. If you think you have followed directions up to this point call out “I have”.
11. Now that you have finished reading carefully, do only No. 1 and No. 2.
12. You have finished. How did you do?

Two Cars

If two cars start from Denver to drive to Colorado Springs, a distance of approximately 80 miles, if they are both the same make of car, and if both are being driven at the same rate of speed, and yet, while one of the cars makes the distance in 80 minutes, it takes the other one one hour and 20 minutes. Can you explain the reason?

Answer : 80 minutes and one hour and 20 minutes are the same.

Windows

I walked up the street to the top of the hill and counted 50 windows on my right, I turned around and walked back and counted 50 windows on my left.   How many windows did I count?

Answer : Fifty. The windows on my right going up were the same 50 that were on my left going back.

Baby Duck

Papa Duck, Mama Duck and Baby Duck went for a swim. Baby Duck said, “Aren’t we all four having a lot of fun? Why did Baby Duck say four instead of three?

Answer: Baby Duck was too young to count.

Cab Driver

Suppose you are a cab driver.   A lady with two suitcases hails you and asks to be driven to the railway station in a hurry.   On the way there is an accident which results in a traffic jam.   The lady gets impatient, jumps out of the cab, and runs to the depot.   She had forgotten the suitcases.

She missed the train and now she starts looking for the cab driver.   She does not know his name. What was the cab driver’s name?

Answer : His name is the same as yours, for “You are the cab driver.”

Pennies

Take the number of pennies in a dollar.   Multiply by the number of thirds in a circle.   Divide by the number of inches in a foot of string.   Subtract the number of nickels in a quarter.

Answer: 20.