Re: Advancement at home

In our troop, there seems to be little actual advancement at troop meetings;
there are frequently demonstrations but no one gets signed off for WATCHING
a demo. If a scout asks, a leader will generally work with him to get it
signed off.

There are no merit badge classes during meetings but we have found that a
merit badge class that meets for an hour before troop meeting works well. We
have an advancement chairman who arranges counselors based on the scouts'
requests. We usually do one MB at a time until it is finished -- anywhere
from two to eight weeks. Not all scouts complete every MB and they usually
have to do work between classes. From time to time, MB classes are offered
on other evenings and at other locations. It works a lot better than just
leaving it up to the scout to contact counselor and pass the badge. But, the
scout still has to take the initiative to get to the session! And, not every
MB is available at the time the scout wants to earn it so sometimes a scout
has to contact a counselor himself if he is going to progress in rank.

For T, 2 & 1 ranks, much of the passing of requirements takes place at weekend
campouts. Leaders are very responsive to scouts who want to be tested on
a particular requirement and there is usually sufficient free time to meet all
the needs.

jim sleezer
Roundtable Commissioner, Pawnee Bill District, Will Rogers Council, BSA
Stillwater, OKlahoma jhs8@okway.okstate.edu

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