AOL award
Kent Wolfe (kentw@NSLP.ORG)
Fri, 22 Jan 1999 09:15:49 -0600
Kim Heble wrote regarding: Arrow of Light Rank-potential problem
Evening All,
Well here I am again asking for help.
Here's the situation: we have a 2nd year Webelo that wants his arrow of
light right now. The crossover isn't until March 15th, we have a
special Indian Ceremony every year, the boys receive a special arrow and
their Arrow of Light rank patch as they cross into Boy Scouts. The boys
father is demanding his son get the patch now, even though his paperwork
has not been done, the den leader has not seen the requirements, no one
can even be sure the boy has actually filled the requirements (going to
a Boy Scout Meeting with his parents etc.) Anyway, this Father is
demanding (and I mean demanding) that we either show him Scout Laws or
give him his patch. I told the Cubmaster I would ask you all for any
help you can provide. Please answer soon as this Father wants the patch
"yesterday".
MY thoughts AIUTR (as I understand the requirements):
Policies and procedures can often be questioned because they seem to get in
the way at times, but this is one of those times that policies and
procedures (if established and shared) is the lifesaver.
Someone from the pack (probably the DL) must determine that all requirements
were completed before the award can be presented. Your pack may also have a
policy that the DL (not a parent) must order awards from the Advancement
Chair because the DL is assigned the responsibility to verify earning
awards. If so, dad needs to be (or should have been) informed of this.
However, once it's determined the boy truly has earned the award, the boy
technically is entitled to be presented the award, which means he does not
have to wait for crossover to get it (which probably 99% of packs do).
Check out the insignia guide for CS; it shows where the AOL is worn on CS
shirt (i.e., why show this if you get it only when you're no longer going to
be a CS?)
AOL is the highest honor (not a rank) that CS can offer a boy. To persuade
dad to wait, maybe you can present the alternatives of not waiting to get
the AOL at crossover: not getting the AOL presented during a big ceremony,
not getting it presented in front of numerous people, not getting it
presented with the rest of the den, etc. Maybe this will be enough. Also,
try to consider why the father feels this way. Perhaps the boy doesn't plan
to become a Boy Scout and dad doesn't want that to be highlighted in some
way during crossover. Maybe there's a personality conflict between and a
leader in the pack, and dad doesn't want to have to do what the other person
says. Possibilities could be numerous.
Reverting back to verification of requirement completions, as WDL I told
parents and boys that the AB counselor (not parents, unless they are the
designated AB counselor) would sign off the AB requirements and I would be
reviewing all Webelos badge and AOL requirements. I took this approach, and
I recommend it to other WDLs in the pack, because Webelos is the transition
to BS. And in BS, counselors must approve MB completion and, at least in my
older son's troop, a trained leader must sign off the individual rank
requirements. Boys and parents need to start getting used to it as Webelos.
Good luck with your situation. Let us know how you resolve it.
Kent Wolfe
CM, DL, CS Dist. Training Comm., ASM
Cornhusker Council
