Re: Award for Starting a Troop
Settummanque, the blackeagle - Mike L. Walton (blkeagle@MNINTER.NET)
Wed, 23 Dec 1998 03:00:08 -0600
"Hudy, Keith Hudy" <Keith.Hudy@MSFC.NASA.GOV> wrote and asked:
>Does anyone know if there is some sort of award or recognition for
>adults that start a new troop? Is there a square knot, medal,
>etc.??
Scouters who DO go out of their way and assist or were the prime
organizer for a new unit SHOULD get a medal, Keith; it's a LOT OF
WORK!!
However, the ONLY things that the BSA OFFICIALLY have to present to
volunteers is also one of the BSA's oldest pieces of insignia. It's
called the "Organizer Pin", and was first used in 1948 to recognize
Commissioners for organizing new BSA Councils. The pin, which you
can purchase from the BSA's Supply Division or through your local
Council service center, is designed for CIVILIAN WEAR ONLY.
The only requirement for the pin is that a Scout or Scouter must be
involved in organizing a new BSA unit. This makes it ideal for
presenting to new chartered organizational representatives, for the
organizer him/herself, and for anyone else whom were instrumental
in getting the new unit off the ground and on the books. As a
former Parapro, I followed one of my "role models" and had five or
six of those pins in a box in the trunk of the car; that way, once
the unit was organized, I wasted NO TIME in presenting the pin to
the Scouter or non-Scouter (works best with non-Scouters; they
quickly want to become Scouters due to the "instant recognition",
which is EXACTLY what Gregory Cohen said WOULD happen (thanks,
Greg!).
I believe now, Keith, that the pin runs for a buck and a half.
I'll scan one this evening and put it on the Insignia site so that
you and others that haven't seen it before can take a look at it.
UNOFFICIALLY, I would give a nice BSA plaque (one of the 4 dollar
ones, not the more expensive ones!) to those that consistantly
assist you in organizing new units over a period of time. There's
a lot of really nice "plastic plaques", my personal favorite is the
one with the "CSP" outline and another one with a "circular patch"
outline. By engraving the plate for the SPECIFIC INSTANCE ("Keith
Hudy, Organizer of nine units in East District, Cardinal Council,
1998" and adding the Council's CSP (or an older one) (or a special
issue one) (you get the idea), the "plastic plaque" becomes
something you want to KEEP and find a SPECIAL PLACE for it (and
protect it from patch theives! *heheheheee*)
I received a nice letter from a District Director once for helping
him in organizing eight new units in the "mega District." I
thought that too was a nice touch, especially since I knew that the
Council wasn't too hot on him and I working together to get those
new units organized!
There's a LOT of ways, Keith, that those that spend their extra
time in organizing and extending the Scouting program can be
recognized. Doesn't have to be big, and it doesn't have to be a
medal with a knot "attached."
But there ARE ways that we can recognize them...and they SHOULD be!
Thanks for asking!
Settummanque!
(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3085
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@server.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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