BSA Boy Scout Leader Training Awards
George R. Davis (GRDRV@AOL.COM)
Sun, 14 Jan 1996 20:33:03 -0500
The Boy Scout Leader's Training Award requires (among other things)
completion of BS Leader Fast Start, 3-Part Scoutmaster Fundamentals and 2
years tenure as a registered adult scouter. The Scoutmaster's Key requires
completion of the same training courses, 3 years tenure as Scoutmaster and
earning the Boy Scout Leader's Training Award.
Several questions:
1. Does this require a total tenure of 5 years if there is less than 2 years
tenure as a registered adult before becoming scoutmaster? Suppose one were
to start as SM, can both awards be completed with 3 years tenure (the first 2
to complete BS Ldr's Trng. Award, + one more to complete the 3 years tenure
required for SM Key?
2. Is it necessary to train twice in order to earn the SM key or does
training once qualify for both awards?
The SM Key also requires the SM to conduct Junior Leader Training (JLT) 3
times, and to participate as an adult in JLT once.
3. How does one conduct JLT without participating? The established syllabus
for Scoutmaster's JLT requires the SM's participation as a moderator or
discussion leader, but provides no place for active participation other than
that. Or are the two requirements really the same? Or is the "conduct" mean
to make the program happen, while "participate" means have someone else make
it happen while SM sits back and juts puts in his $.02 when appropriate? Can
you conduct and participate at the same
JLT session - or must one do a total of 4 sessions?
I know that a few years ago 'Scouting' had a brief note that years of tenure
when holding multiple positions could not count towards multiple leader
training awards (i.e simultaneously being CM in a pack and SM in a troop you
can count time either for CM Training Award or BS Leader's Training Award,
not both). But SM key is not a training award (at least it's name doesn't
say it is).
4. Is there any requirement that says a scouter cannot RECEIVE more than one
training award in a year? Understandably, with the requirements set forth in
the 'Scouting' note mentioned above, you can't EARN more than one in a year,
but it is possible that a scouter has earned them in the past, and the
paperwork just never got done.
5. Is there any requirement that says a scouter can't "go backwards" and
earn an award for a "lower" position. (i.e. a CM later becoming a DL)
(note: I don't think this is "going backwards" but some around here do.
These questions have come up lately here. We have several long-time scouters
who have held and been trained for (and in most cases trained others for)
every job in the book at different times. They have completed the
requirements for many of the awrads over the years, but just never put in the
paperwork (there has never been much of a notice of these awards around
here). Ther are others who stepped right into the SM job with no prior
scouter experience. There has lately been something of an awakening to the
various leader training awards as a method to:
a. recognize and possibly retain scouters
b. encourage new (or old) leaders to get trained - they are doing the hard
part anyway, and with the training they qualify for the awards, and possibly
make theuir jobs easier.
c. help with recruiting new scouters (parents see leaders get recognition
...).
To accomplish the above goals (which would seem to be the idea of the awards
in the first place) it makes sense to award as many as people are entitled
to, so these answers make a difference as to how many would be awarded and
when they would be awarded.
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
