Webelos My Community Adventure for 2024

The Webelos My Community Adventure is a key part of the Cub Scouts program. This adventure helps young Scouts learn about their role in their community and the importance of active citizenship. Through a variety of activities, Webelos explore how government works and how laws are made. They also learn about voting and the responsibilities of elected officials.

Working on this adventure teaches Webelos valuable lessons about cooperation and service. They participate in projects that benefit their local area. This hands-on experience helps them see the direct impact of giving back to their community. It’s a practical way to learn about helping others and improving the places they live in.

During the My Community Adventure, Webelos also develop communication skills. They talk to local leaders and learn from their experiences. This helps the Scouts understand different leadership roles and the electoral process. Such interactions encourage them to think about their own potential as future leaders.

The My Community Adventure helps Webelos grow into responsible and informed citizens. They learn about the Law of the Pack and the importance of goodwill. These experiences shape them into team players and active participants in their communities, ready to make positive contributions.

My Community Adventure Requirements

1. Learn about majority and plurality types of voting.  
2. Speak with someone who is elected to their position.  Discover the type of voting that was used for to elect them and why.  
3. Choose a federal law and create a timeline of the history of the law.  Include the involvement of the 3 branches of government. 
4. Participate in a service project.

Printable Requirements and Check Off Sheet for the Webelos My Community Adventure

Printable requirements

Check off sheet to keep track of your den’s progress

Webelos Adventures Check Off Sheet

Types of Voting

Learn about majority and plurality types of voting.  

For requirement 1 of the My Community Adventure, Webelos need to learn about majority and plurality types of voting. Here’s a simple way to understand these concepts:

• Majority Voting: In this type of voting, the winner needs more than half of the votes. Imagine there are 100 votes total. To win, someone must get at least 51 votes.
• Plurality Voting: In this type of voting, the winner just needs more votes than anyone else, but not necessarily more than half. If three people are running, and they get 40, 35, and 25 votes, the one with 40 votes wins, even though it’s not over half.

You can practice understanding these ideas by setting up a mock election. Use small items like beans or coins to vote. First, try a vote where someone must get more than half the items to win. Then, try a vote where the person with the most items wins, even if it’s not more than half.

Here are some options for fulfilling Webelos My Community Adventure requirement 1:

• Denner Election
  • Demonstrate plurality voting and majority voting to determine your next denner.
  • Supplies:  Webelos handbook, slips of paper, pencils
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Snack-lections
  • Using a variety of voting, select the snack for your next den meeting. 
  • Supplies:  poster board, crayons, markers, colored pencils, slips of paper, pencils
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

This activity for the My Community adventure will help you see the difference between majority and plurality voting.

Elected Officials

Speak with someone who is elected to their position.  Discover the type of voting that was used for to elect them and why.  

For requirement 2 of the My Community Adventure, Webelos need to talk to someone who was elected to a position. Here’s how to encourage them to do this step:

1. Find someone to talk to: This could be a school board member, a mayor, or another local official. Ask your leaders or parents to help you find someone.
2. Prepare questions: Think of questions like:
   • How were you elected?
   • What type of voting was used?
   • Why is this type of voting used for your position?
3. Arrange a meeting: This could be a face-to-face chat, a phone call, or even a video call. Make sure to have an adult with you during the meeting.
4. Take notes: During your talk, write down what the person says about the voting process. This will help you remember and understand the information.
5. Say thank you: After your talk, thank them for their time. You can do this in person or send a thank you note.

Here is an option for fulfilling Webelos My Community Adventure requirement 2:

• Our Elected Official
  • Invite a community-elected official to learn about the type of voting used in their election. 
  • Supplies:  Government Types worksheet
  • indoor, low energy, one week prep

This My Community requirement helps Webelos learn how elections work and when different voting methods are used. It’s a great way to understand more about leadership and government in the community.

Making Laws

Choose a federal law and create a timeline of the history of the law.  Include the involvement of the 3 branches of government. 

For requirement 3 of the My Community Adventure, Webelos need to create a timeline about a federal law. Here’s a simple way to do this:

• Choose a federal law: Pick a law that interests you. It could be something like the Civil Rights Act or the National Parks Act. Ask your leaders or parents for ideas if you’re not sure.
• Research the law: Find out when the law was made and what steps it went through before it became a law. Use books, websites, or ask a teacher for help to get accurate information.
• Understand the three branches of government:
  • Legislative Branch: They make the laws. Find out how they were involved in creating your chosen law.
  • Executive Branch: They approve and enforce the laws. See how the President was involved in the law.
  • Judicial Branch: They decide if laws are fair. Check if the courts have ever made decisions about your law.
• Create the timeline:
  • Use a piece of paper or a digital tool to make your timeline.
  • Mark important dates and events that were part of making the law.
  • Include what each branch of government did.
• Present your timeline: Show your timeline to your Cub Scout group or your family. Explain what you learned about how the law was made and the roles of the different branches of government.

Example 1: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Below is a simple example timeline for My Community requirement 3 for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a significant federal law that was passed in 1990. This shows how the three branches of government were involved in its development and enactment.

• 1988: The original bill, called the Americans with Disabilities Act, is introduced to Congress.
• 1989: Hearings are held to discuss the details of the ADA, where people testify about the need for the law.
• 1990 The final version of the ADA is passed by Congress after revisions and voting. President George H.W. Bush signs the ADA into law at a ceremony on the White House lawn, officially making it a federal law.
• 1992: Implementation of the ADA begins, with agencies like the Department of Justice creating guidelines for enforcement.
• 1999:vThe Supreme Court makes a significant decision in the case of “Olmstead v. L.C.”, interpreting the ADA. The Court rules that unnecessary segregation of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination, pushing for their integration into community settings.
• 2008: Amendments to the ADA are passed by Congress to clarify and broaden the definition of disability.

This shows moments in the ADA’s journey through the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the U.S. government, demonstrating their distinct roles in the creation, enactment, and interpretation of federal laws.

Example 2: Clean Air Act

Another example timeline for the My Community adventure can be seen for the Clean Air Act, a pivotal federal law focused on reducing air pollution, which was originally passed in 1963. This timeline shows how the three branches of government contributed to its development, implementation, and enforcement.

• 1963: Congress passes the original Clean Air Act to fund research into monitoring and controlling air pollution.
• 1970: Congress significantly amends the Clean Air Act, setting national air quality, auto emission, and anti-pollution standards. President Richard Nixon signs the amendments into law, and establishes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce the act.
• 1977: Congress makes additional amendments to address problems with the original implementation, focusing on prevention of significant deterioration of air quality in areas with clean air.
• 1990: Congress passes major amendments to the Clean Air Act, introducing new regulatory programs to control acid rain, toxic emissions, and ozone depletion. President George H.W. Bush signs the 1990 amendments, expanding the role of the EPA in regulating air pollutants.
• 2001: The Supreme Court decides in “Whitman v. American Trucking Associations” that the EPA must consider health impacts alone, not costs, when setting air quality standards under the Clean Air Act.
• 2011: The Supreme Court upholds the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles under the Clean Air Act in “Massachusetts v. EPA”.

This timeline shows the evolution of the Clean Air Act through legislative actions to expand and refine the law, executive actions to sign and enforce the law, and judicial decisions that interpret the extent and limits of the law. This demonstrates the collaborative effort across government branches to address environmental issues.

Here is an option for fulfilling Webelos My Community Adventure requirement 3:

• History of the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Cub Scouts learn about the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 
  • Supplies:  Timeline template, markers, crayons, or colored pencils, small images of the three branches of government, tape or glue
  • indoor, low energy, 3 to 5 days prep

This project will help Webelos working on the My Community adventure understand how our government works to create and manage laws. It’s a good way to see how different parts of the government must work together.

Service Project

Participate in a service project.

For requirement 4 of the My Community Adventure, Webelos need to participate in a service project. Here’s some ideas:

• Clean up a local park or beach.
• Plant trees or flowers in a community garden.
• Collect food for a food bank.
• Organize a book drive for a library or school.
• Make cards or crafts for residents in a nursing home.
• Help set up or clean up after a community event.
• Create a recycling program at school.
• Collect and donate school supplies for children in need.
• Participate in a walk or run for a charitable cause.
• Make bird feeders for public spaces.
• Assist at an animal shelter, like walking dogs or cleaning cages.
• Host a fundraiser for a local non-profit organization.
• Help maintain hiking trails in a local park.
• Assemble care packages for soldiers or first responders.
• Paint and beautify public spaces or school playgrounds.
• Volunteer at a food pantry or soup kitchen.
• Create awareness posters for community health and safety issues.
• Assist in a community senior center with activities.
• Participate in a litter pick-up day in your neighborhood.

Here are some options for fulfilling Webelos My Community Adventure requirement 4:

• Diaper and Formula Drive
  • With your den, host a diaper and formula drive to donate to an organization that gives them to those in need. 
  • Supplies:  collection boxes, paper, marker, colored pencils, crayons
  • indoor, moderate energy, more than one week prep
• Happy Birthday Bag Project
  • Cub Scouts help those less fortunate have a happy birthday by making birthday bags for a local food pantry. 
  • Supplies:  brown paper bags, cake mixes, canned frosting, birthday candles, markers, stickers, hand sanitizer
  • indoor, moderate energy, 3 to 5 days prep
• Webelos Scouting for Food
  • Participate in your Council-sponsored Scouting for Food event. 
  • Supplies:  Activity Consent Form, collection bags, vehicles, maps
  • requires travel, moderate energy, more than one week prep

These projects are examples for the My Community adventure to help Webelos learn the value of service and the impact they can have on their community.

Before any activity, check the SAFE Checklist to make sure everyone is safe. Everyone involved in Scouting America activities should know the Guide to Safe Scouting and other relevant guides or books. Also follow any state or local rules that are more strict than Scouting America rules and guidelines.

Before starting this Adventure, complete the following:

• Use the Service Project Planning Checklist to plan your den or pack service project.
• Review the SAFE Project Tool Use guide. It provides age guidelines for tools and activities for service projects, not crafts.

During the Adventure:

• Allow time to train all youth and adults on proper tool use.
• Ensure continuous, qualified adult supervision and discipline during the project.
• Follow all manufacturer’s instructions and age or skill restrictions. If there is a conflict, follow the strictest guidelines.

More information

What is the My Community Adventure?
The My Community Adventure is an activity for Webelos to learn about their roles and responsibilities in their community.

Why do the My Community Adventure?
This is a required adventure for the Webelos badge. The My Community Adventure helps Cub Scouts understand how to be good citizens and how to help in the community.

What do Webelos learn in the My Community Adventure?
They learn about voting, talk to elected officials, study a federal law, and participate in a service project.

Who can help with the My Community Adventure?
Cub Scout leaders, parents, and community leaders like mayors or council members can help.

How long does the My Community Adventure take?
It depends on the pace and the projects chosen, but it usually takes a few weeks to complete all requirements.

Can Webelos do the My Community Adventure with friends?
Yes, it’s a great idea to work together with other Webelos. They can learn and do service projects together.

What are some examples of service projects for the My Community Adventure?
Some examples include cleaning up a park, collecting food for a food bank, or making cards for a nursing home. See more in the list above.

The My Community Adventure helps Webelos understand how to be part of their community. This adventure teaches how towns, states, and the country work. Cub Scouts learn why being active in the community is important.

By talking to leaders and learning about elections, they find out how decisions are made. They learn why it’s important to vote and have a say in what happens around them.

Also, doing a service project is a big part of the My Community Adventure. This project lets people help their community directly. Webelos work with others to make their neighborhood better. This teaches them how much they can do when they work together.

Overall, the My Community Adventure teaches Webelos how to be active and useful in their community. It shows them that they can make a difference. This adventure is about learning, helping, and seeing how important community is.