Advancement & Recognitions - Step Back to Look
Michael F. Bowman (mfbowman@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Sat, 27 Jul 1996 22:35:28 -0400
Over the past week the list has absolutely been red hot with messages
passing back and forth on Cub Scout beltloop recognitions, Camping Merit
Badge and the like. Sometimes I think we need to step back and see
things in perspective.
We in Scouting use recognition and advancement to encourage Scouts to
develop in character, grow in citizenship and increase in fitness. If we
step back and look at the whole program we can see that we start with
small steps.
With Cubs we begin by encouraging them to try their best both in rank and
other recognition awards (and never stop) with their families having the
controlling say in whether an award was earned. The idea is fairly
simple - we want them to begin to try activities that will help them grow
in positive ways the rest of their lives. When they have done their
best, we recognize them. That is the reason why each of the beltloop
phamplets states "I earned my belt loop by doing my best to learn about
the things in this book AND by using the physical techniques in practice
OR play in my den or pack or in my community or as an individual cub
working with an adult." It does not create an absolute standard, require
reading, etc., only that the Cub do his best to learn about the things in
the book whether he reads it, it is read to him, or explained to a group.
With the early Cub ranks the standards are more concrete, but allow
parents to determine when a Cub has done his best.
During the Webelos years as the Cub is beginning to assume more
responsiblity for himself and is beginning to learn how to deal with
other people outside his family more, he also must earn the approval of
his Webelos Den Leader to advance. The shift to an outside approval is
set to match his developmental growth gradually moving him to become more
self-reliant.
As he moves into Boy Scouting he experiences yet more of a shift where he
becomes more responsible for his own rank advancement. Instead of
relying on adults to run the program, he learns that he must interact
with his peers and learn skills from them, which helps to foster
citizenship; e.g., learning how to live in a community. The role of
adults shifts more towards counseling and advising (adult association)
with the Scouts running their program through the PLC. SPLs and PLs help
in the advancement process. Yes, adults still have final approval for
advancement through the SM Conference and BORs, but much of the teaching
and skill training for Tenderfoot through First Class has shifted to the
youth leaders in a Troop.
To make this growing process work, the requirements need to be and are
uniform for ranks and merit badges, so that a unit cannot substitute its
own requirements. This is to prevent requirements being made so easy
that a Scout is not challenged or so hard/difficult that recognition
becomes too hard to achieve. We want the Scouts to be able to succeed in
meeting challenges where they can grow. The requirements while not
always perfect are there for the reason that they have been tested over
time and work. It is at this point we should step back again and realize
that the advancement part of the program is only a method and not an end
in and of itself.
The idea is that we will expose the Scouts to learning experiences where
they can grow and succeed in meeting challenges. If you see advancement
in perspective, then you can understand that it is not appropriate for us
to add or detract from the requirements as written. If it says 20 days
of camping, it means 20 days of camping without conditions; e.g. only
after you started the merit badge, only if it was with this Troop, etc.
Remember that we are trying to get the Scout to try new skills, hone
others, and grow, not become an absolute expert in a particular area.
Merit Badges are their to enourage a Scout to learn skills that will help
in his Scoutcraft, to explore areas that might later become hobbies, to
tryout areas that may be of career interest, and to learn how better to
be an active and participating citizen his society as an adult. As a result,
when the Scout has made measurable progress he rewarded by recognition of
his completion of the requirements as written.
Speaking for myself only in the Scouting Spirit, Michael F. Bowman
Dep. Dist. Commissioner-Training, G.W.Dist., NCAC, BSA (Virginia)
U.S.Scouting Service Project FTP Site Administrator (PC Area)
ftp1.scouter.org/usscouts; e-mail: mfbowman@capaccess.org
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
