Just got off a webinar, and, yeah, it's comprehensive and informative but unlike PTC, it doesn't put the Funmeter into the Red Zone.

I'm gonna send the National speakers a note, since they were perpetuating the now no-longer-the-deal concept that You Must Do The Den Meetings In Numerical Sequence, since that's actually not true and can create stress on Den Leaders: you can order them in what sequence you like, you just have to be sure that in doing that you get it done and earn the rank — and re-ordering is a GREAT idea where it means you get a guest presenter or field trip on a topic because it fits the guest's schedule.  What's also not true is that every "Numbered" Den Meeting must be done before Supplementals, because — especially for Bears and Webelos — you can swap in plenty of other Meeting Plans that fit yer "sweet spot of fun", just as long as it fits the rank requirements (e.g., Webelos can't toss Fitness for Athlete, just because it is less fun).

As to sessions and how long they'll run them, I think the website or announcement said they would extend if demand warranted, so . . . sign up!

As to what "area" of what "region" you're in, man, I'da thunk that if ya entered yer Council, the National Computer would figger it out (oops, it's the computer that runs the forums at MyScouting!), but maybe this Wikipedia link will work (scroll to Regions and Areas, and it has some links).

A couple of thoughts about 12 month "birthday in/birthday out" programs (like LDS), as opposed to "grade based" programs:

1)  Putting aside Webelos for a second, if a 12 month birthday unit follows the Den Meetings in the order of the Guide for Tiger, Wolf and Bear over a twelve month period, then, yeah, each Scout will earn the badge. 

–  And so, for that unit, "getting it done by February" isn't even a consideration, since everyone will have jumped on at a different time. 

–  Even if a Scout joined in the Spring and just did electives for 6 months, he'll still get the badge by the next birthday.  He'll get the rank stuff then in his last 6 months before he ages out to the next rank.  Yeah, sorta weird if they do all rank stuff for 6 months and all electives after, but . . . even if they mix it up, any Scout will likely have a lot of pent up arrow points by the time the Badge is earned, because . . . 

–  . . .  as a result of those two circumstances, I suspect that those units will also take more liberty with the "order" of meetings, since they won't have B&G anxiety about whether it all gets done by February (which is what drives the "front end loading" of the Guide's Den Meeting Plans):  they can chill out more every month, and put in easier supplemental meetings to spread out the "rank" work over the full year, plus take their time on meatier or funner meetings, and do them over two meetings instead of one.

2)  Now, for Webelos, they'll need to look at both of the two meeting arcs (Webelos and Arrow of Light), and look at their schedules to be sure that in the 12 month period they cover the right number of badges to earn both Webelos and Arrow of Light.  Meeting weekly should not result in a problem.

–  That said, shouldn't be too hard, since it takes, what, just 8 Activity Badges to earn the Arrow of Light.

–  A tool that will help all of that is getting the "template" for the Den Planning Email/Letter, and put it up also in "word", so ya can copy & edit freely as you plan out the arc of your Den Meetings.  Or you can go to the link below and it is in the Webelos plans that are in "word".

In either case, it will be important to watch the calendar to ensure that either "calendar creep" (how the "first monday" of any month slips year to year) or other scheduling doesn't cause a required rank activity to "slip" outside of a Scout's 12 month ride. 

Bert Bender
Pack and District Trainer
South Fulton District, Atlanta Area Council
http://atlanta631.mypack.us/node/1005