When do you give out Merit Badges?

[emb021 16]

Keep in mind the concept of "Immediate Recognition". In my old troop, we had typically 3 Courts of Honor a year. One toward the end of the school year, one around when the school year started, then another about Dec/January time period.

 

1. At the meeting the scout completed advancement or rank, he was called up and we announced what he had done (earned merit badge, earned rank, etc).

 

2. Once we had processed the paperwork and got back from the council officer patches and cards, we would again call up the scout at the end of the meeting and presented him with the patches. This allowed him to get the new rank sewn on his uniform (why make him wait 2-3 months???), and sew the merit badge on his sash for wearing at the next court of honor.

 

3. At the court of honor, we would present the scouts with the signed cards. For ranks, we also had a ceremony where the mother's pin would be presented to the mothers.

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

AvidSM wrote:

"At COH's only. We have one every 3 months. Can't give them out immediately, because we don't have them. We have to submit advancment paperwork in order to get badges at Council."

 

HUH?

 

How far away is the NEAREST Council Office and Scout Shop (note I didn't say your own, the nearest... Council Registrars are supposed to share information).

 

We have the worst of all worlds at our Council: A Supply Corporation Regional Scout Shop. On the weekends, they are quite delighted to accept an advancement report and sell rank, merit badges, and cards.

 

I'm sorry. I've been an Advancement Coordinator. I'm able to update Troopmaster and cut an Advancement Report within two hours of the end of a Troop Meeting. We have a guy who works about 7 miles from the Council Office. I email the report to him, he takes it in.

 

Internet advancement is supposed to be even easier.

 

I submit your Troop CAN give some form of recognition certainly within two weeks, and almost certainly the very next week.

 

[eghiglie 10]

We're a brand new troop with 6 boys but the leaders all came from other Troops and devised this plan.

 

Our scout shop sells the rank badges (except Eagle) without any documentation so we bought the next rank for each boy in advance. We even let the boy know that we have the badge for him to give him an incentive to earn it. Meaining we have so much confidence he will earn it we bought it in advance.

 

At the troop meeting we present the badge, after the BOR of course. All BOR's occur right after the Troop meeting opens so they are finished in plenty of time.

 

Merit badges are similar, we know what boys are going for what when we give out the blank blue cards.

 

At the next store visit we get what we need in advance and hold it in reserve. The 4403 is sent in monthly, either hand carried or mailed in.

 

Right now, the troop has

1 life scout working on 3 MB's - MB's in stock, Eagle kit will be obtained when earned

1 star scout working on MB's - MB's in stock, life badge in stock

2 2nd class and working on MB's - MB's in stock, 1st class in stock

2 TF's and working on MB's - MB's in stock, 2nd class in stock

 

The actual cards for rank and MB's are presented at the COH. The only card we give back immeaditly is the blue card reciept when they give us the card back from the counselor.

 

[jr56 92]

Any troops I have ever been acquainted with has given out Merit Badges at the Court of Honor.

[Joni4TA 10]

Our Troop was only having a CoH twice a year, and announcing what the boys had earned between those dates at the COH, from a sheet of paperwork. Cards, Badges and Patches were being handed out at Troop meetings, within 1-2 weeks of them earning them.

 

The Troop just decided they wanted to have 4 CoH's a year instead of 2, and only hand out Rank badges at regular Troop Meetings, with everything else given at the CoH's. I think this will work better.

[eolesen 10]

In my old troop, rank and merit badges were presented just prior to the Scoutmaster Minute at the meeting they earned/recorded the achievement.

 

As said by others, immediate recognition...

 

At the court of honor, we would ask each scout to come forward, and we would recite his accomplishments for MB's. Then, we'd call each Scout forward by rank, and hand them the card and Mother's Pin for their rank (they were expected to put on Mom's ribbon right there along with a kiss on the cheek, but that's probably considered hazing now...).

 

New troop is doing it all at the Court, which I find to be a little anticlimactic. They shouldn't have to wait two-three months to get the card and patch, and since the Court is one of the few formal events where merit badge sashes are worn, I'd prefer to have -all- of his accomplishments be in place when he wears it.