Re: adult recognition
George Crowl (WILLIAMM@ZIAVMS.ENMU.EDU)
Thu, 1 Jun 1995 17:15:06 -0600
Regarding recognizing district people when unit people should be
getting the recognition. Been there, done that. My current
formal and informal positions make me a key player in the Silver
Beaver (BSA local council highest award) and Award of Merit (BSA
district highest award) arena. It also affects other awards.
In my Council Training Chairman role, in the past month, I have
had to take extraordinary steps to award two people training
awards that they had earned, but have done nothing about
submitting. This is often true of Scouters who are moving away
(we have a military base here), and we work hard to make a
physical presentation to the person at a unit or district level
meeting. I _hate_ to mail awards to someone! Problem: many
Scouters are pretty blase about their own training awards.
Solution: a conscientious training chairman should try to track
who may be eligible. We talk it up at Roundtables, etc.
However, I'm sure some still fall through the crack in spite of
our best efforts.
Awarded (rather than earned) awards are also difficult. We have
to have a written nomination for the Silver Beaver and Award of
Merit. When I see or hear of someone who might be qualified, I
ask specific individuals, even District Executives, to write (or
make sure it is written) a recommendation. We don't get enough
recommendations without a little encouragement. Unit people are
not as aware, and don't seem to write people up for their good
work. We have expanded our recommendation form also, because the
generic BSA forms tend to encourage three sentence "He/she is a
neat guy" recommendations that don't give a person much of a
chance.
In the BSA, we do say that a person may earn an award by extended
service to a small group, or to a larger group over a shorter
period of time. A person who is "just a Scoutmaster" would not
earn an award as quickly as someone who Scoutmastered, then
served as a commissioner and trainer and event organizer, all
other things being equal, which they seldom are. Those of us who
sit on these committees try to balance position, significant
Scouting service, community service, religious participation,
etc., etc.
Does money have a bearing? In my council, 98% no. In 20 years
of sitting on these committees, except for one instance, I know
of no discussions about a nominee's financial contributions. I do
know of one individual who basically bought us a Scout camp who
got the Silver Beaver for primarily fund raising/money gift,
though he had been a Scouter 10 years.
I will suggest that in general cream rises to the top. I.e., the
most capable and dedicated Scouters usually get co-opted to the
district level as soon as (and often before) they give up their
unit position. Then they get the awards because they are doing
the work. If it is not usually that way, then appropriate
nominations from the unit level need to be pushed by several
experienced Scouters.
__
____'/____ George Crowl
VV / \ UU AA, X226
/318\ Cncl Tng Chmn
/ 402 \ Wood Badge CD
/|||||| \ Double Eagle
| Clovis, NM
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
