Royal Rangers and Scouting

[Scoutingmama]

We have a young boy who just joined our troop who is very active in Royal Rangers. He is close to getting their highest award. He would like to also get to Eagle in Scouting. His father has heard ( from whom I do not know) that it is possible to "transfer" some of his RR work into scouting. We have looked on the BSA web site and also spoken to district and can not find any information about such a policy. Has anyone ever heard of this? Is it possible?

 

Other than a web search that revealed that RR is a "boy scout like" program, we know nothing about it.

 

TIA,

Dawn

[Scoutingmama]

Wanted to add- I also searched Scouter.com and most of the threads about Royal Rangers were from 1993-94.

[FScouter]

Ask the father to get the answer and report back.

[Gold Winger]

I don't think that anything really is directly transferable. Camping is supposed to be done with troop activities.

 

Possibly, there might be some merit badges that the counselors would say, "You got the Royal Ranger Home Building Badge so I'll sign off on the Home Improvement merit badge.

 

We need to remember that most Scouting advancement is based on what the boy does in Scouting, not outside activities. The only time outside leadership counts is for Eagle Palms.

 

 

[fgoodwin]

I don't mean to pick on Scoutingmama, but I've seen this type of question so many times, I have to ask myself why?

 

Person A tells person B something, then person B asks person C to prove that person A was either right or wrong. In this case, this forum is person C.

 

The burden of proof is always on the person making the claim. I get this kind of request even at work (where I'm person C) -- but I usually stop it dead in its tracks by asking B to go back to A and ask him or her where they got their info, or to provide more info.

 

I find this request so odd, and yet people make these requests all the time -- what am I missing here?

 

If A claimed to have a UFO, why would B ask C to prove or disprove it?

 

Again, I don't mean to pick on the OP, because like I said, I hear this all-too-often, even in non-Scouting contexts.

[Scoutingmama]

Ya know here's the deal.. If I ask the father who is associated with RR he will/has said that "I know of someone with RR who was able to transfer some of his RR requirement into Boyscouts." I know there are troops that may take such a response and transfer in said requirements.

 

 

I just want to know if there is any precdent for such a thing. It really is a simple question. Yes or no.

 

Gold Winger, thank you for being straight forward. That is what I thought and also what the SM response has been so far.

 

Our District is not the best source of information I have found- I learn more here on Scouter.com.....

[Gold Winger]

Thank you.

 

Why do people always want to shortcut requirements? I know that Daddy wants Junior to make Eagle but should Junior be willing to do the work?

 

I used to see that in sports. Well, not quite the same but similar. "My kid's big for his age, he should be allowed to play up an age group." No, you kid is fat and talentless. "The last league that my kid was in allowed curve balls so that's what he's used to. You're not being fair." So you're saying that you kid is too stupid to adapt?

 

If Daddy presses the issue, point him to the Council Advancement Chair and say, "if he says it's okay, then we'll go with it."

 

 

[fgoodwin]

scoutingmama, I understand your predicament -- really.

 

But your troop is under zero obligation to accept non-Scouting work for advancement unless proud papa can provide proof to the contrary. Just because troop XYZ does something wrong doesn't make it binding on your troop. Make proud papa go back and return with some real evidence, and if he can't maybe he should join troop XYZ.

 

I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but the fact is, these kinds of requests could take on infinite forms -- it simply isn't your job (or ours) to prove proud papa's case -- its solely up to him.

 

If he claimed it, he has to prove it, simple as that.

 

Good luck.

[Cubmaster Randy]

My sister works and attends an Assemblies of God church. She told me about the RR program The Royal Ranger program is as similar as it is not to the BSA program.

It is quite possible that the young boy may have learned many of the skills needed to earn the BSA awards but it is a totaly separate program and the requirments are not exactly the same ( i would not want to add or subtract from a BSA requirement)

 

 

You can check out their website http://royalrangers.ag.org/

if you want to learn more about them

[Oak Tree]

As near as I can tell, the Assemblies of God wanted a version of Boy Scouts that was explicitly Christian, so they created Royal Rangers. Hence, it is indeed very similar to Boy Scouts, and I can see why someone might think that things transfer over. But I don't believe that BSA recognizes them in any fashion, including giving them special transfer-in capabilities.

 

Could you transfer rank in? Not legitimately, no. You have to earn the BSA ranks while you are a registered Boy Scout. You would be bringing in a lot of the skills, but it's still going to take around a couple of years to complete the time requirements for Eagle, at a minimum.

[msnowman]

If RR is that close to BSA, then the boy shouldn't have any problem going up thru the ranks and earning his Eagle the right way. The skills should already be in place, so then he just has his time to put in - just like every other boy.

 

Good for him for earning Royal Rangers highest award - he probably worked very hard for it. If he wants to earn Boy Scouting's highest award he should work equally hard for it.

 

YiS

Michelle

[Eamonn]

Hi,

I had never heard of the Royal Rangers -Silly me thought for some unknown reason they might be connected with the Mounties!! Not sure where that came from!!

I'm also not sure what the "Official" answer might be or if this is something that is open to local authority?

All in all I don't know very much.

But...

I do seem to remember that a Lad who was a Scout (Not a member of the BSA)in another country (Kinda like I was) and he joined the BSA he would have to start over.

With this in mind I'd think that this Lad would have to start at the beginning.

But I might be wrong.

Eamonn.

[Gold Winger]

E,

 

Someplace in the official literature there is a comment that if a Scout transfers into BSA from another country's Scout association, there is a process by which he can be given credit for what he's done. So if he's reached 1st Class in Freedonia, if the requirements are similar, he can be directly promoted to 1st Class here.

 

Sounds like your lad may have gotten the short end of the stick.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Nothing like an esoteric exercise, but here we go:

 

To get from Scout to First Class the scout has to do many things, I won't list them all, but the only item that requires "time" is the Tenderfoot requirements to exercise and set benchmarks, then excercise (more or less) for 30 days and "improve". All the other requirements "Could" be done insode of these 30 days, so the least amount of time a scout could take to get from Scout to First Class is 30 days. That also takes in account having a Scoutmaster conference for each rank and a BOR for each rank on day 30. Perhaps not the best way to run things but its possible. Then, 4 months at First class, and then 6 months between Star and Life and 6 months between Life and Eagle. Shortest possible time is 17 months. And many people in the troop have to be ok with it. Not saying its right or wrong, only what needs to be done

 

If the scout has the skills from the Royal Rangers, it shouldnt be hard for him to select a campsite, pitch a tent, be patrol cook, tie his knots or identify plants and animals. Maybe a "shotgun" day with a few adults to run down what he can and can't do would help, but it can't speed up the 17 month thing

[emb021]

"Someplace in the official literature there is a comment that if a Scout transfers into BSA from another country's Scout association, there is a process by which he can be given credit for what he's done. So if he's reached 1st Class in Freedonia, if the requirements are similar, he can be directly promoted to 1st Class here."

 

This is covered in the Advancement Committee Guidebook.

 

Scouts from another WOSM-recognized country can join the BSA, and get credit for their work. They need to bring all records about what they have done, and this is reviewed to see what equivalent BSA awards, including ranks, they have met. They can NOT be given Eagle Scout, but can be advanced as high as Life Scout, and can then earn what is necessary to get Eagle.