BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
National Office
1325 West Walnut Hill Lane
P.O. Box 152079, Irving, Texas 75015-2079
972-580-2000

TO: All Cub Scout Leaders and Parents
FROM: Alan Westberg
             Director
             Cub Scout Division

SUBJECT.- WOLF CUB SCOUT, BEAR CUB SCOUT, AND WEBELOS SCOUT HANDBOOKS

In our continuing effort to help our leaders deliver a quality Cub Scouting program, and to ensure that our program materials remain current and age-appropriate, we have enhanced the content of the current boy handbooks. These books have been updated for relevance to today's youth, appropriateness of content, ease of use, and perceived challenge to the reader.

We have maintained many of the current elements in these books that have proven successful during the past. We have eliminated topics that have become dated and do not challenge today's Cub Scouts and their families. Some specific revisions are as follows:

• Integrated Character Connections (that draw on Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values) directly into selected requirements in each book.
   

• Infused age-appropriate outdoor program activities into both the requirements and the electives in each book.
   

• Enhanced the advancement and elective trails to create a progressively more challenging pathway that logically prepares boys for the next rank in Cub Scouting and prepares Webelos Scouts for Boy Scouting.
   

• Reformatted and enhanced the Webelos handbook; particularly, the Webelos badge and Arrow of Light Award requirements.

In an effort to assist you and your leaders with the transition from the current handbooks to the new handbooks, we have created the following implementation plan.

• The enhanced Wolf, Bear and Webelos handbooks will be released to the field in July.
   
• The enhancements to the requirements in these books will not affect the advancement trails of boys who are using the current books. They are to continue using their current books until they have completed all requirements in those books.
   
• Based on availability, Cub Scouting youth members may use either the current handbook or the new handbook. As boys enter the program or advance in rank by the dates indicated below, they are required to use the new books.
  
  -Boys who become Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts after August 1, 2004, will be required to use the new book for the corresponding rank.
  
  -Boys who become Webelos Scouts after August 1, 2005, will be required to use the new Webelos Scout Handbook.

We strongly recommend that this transition information be given to your Cub Scouting leaders and families before public announcement about the new books to help alleviate any concerns regarding the need to switch from the current handbooks to the new ones.