Webelos is a 20 month program for 4th and 5th grade scouts to prepare to join a Scout Troop while learning outdoors skills and participating in 20 different activity badges.

A well-run group of Webelos is a gradual change from being an 'adult-run' den to being a 'scout-run' patrol ready to fit right into an adventurous scouting troop. This migration requires the parents and den leaders to give the scouts more and more control, decision-making power, and responsibility as they progress in skills, abilities, and maturity.

A good program also provides the scouts with many opportunities to grow in the Webelos Virtues.