Who plans and runs the COH?

[jimster]

How do you do it in your troop?

[gwd-scouter]

In our Troop, the PLC plans and runs the Court of Honor. Many times we have a Scout working on Communications merit badge and uses the opportunity to MC the Court of Honor to satisfy one of the requirements. Rank badges are given with highest ranking Scout awarding the next lower rank, and then that Scout awards the next lower rank and so on. We've had some very nice ceremonies, and some that were obviously not well planned or practiced ahead of time. Most of the COHs they plan involved all the Scouts in some way. Some Scouts are very visibly nervous just standing up front, even if they don't have a speaking part.

 

I think the thing I like best is that they are learning that they will not drop dead from shame if something doesn't go perfectly. For instance, the night when the candles wouldn't stay lit. Sure, some of the younger guys were embarrassed, but soon realized the laughter coming from the audience was from their parents and families and was in good humor, and the older Scouts found it funny, too. And, of course, they were all still alive, the sky didn't fall on them, and the world as they know it continued without notice.

 

So, what do you do in your troop?

[scottteng]

Our general plan is a by the scouts for the scouts outline. A communication MB candidate is the MC with all the scouts participating. They describe each event since the last COH and what they did and what they learned. Sometimes it almost gets roses and thorny. One scout for each event from the newest new scout to the JLC. The only rule is they had to be there. some of em turn into Popsicles but it is all good. Seems to work for us, some MC's do ceremonial stuff others just call up the presenters and let em go for it all the while is running a powerpoint slide show of the best of the pics from the troop historian. Leaders present the rank cards and MB cards. Never heard a gripe from a parent yet even if their kid was one of the popsicles its still a good photo op.

[Bob White]

If you follow the BSA program...the court of honor is the responsibility of the Troop Committee. That is not to say that the committee cannot enlist the resources of the troop for the program, such as scouts or scoutleaders. But the responsibility for the coh remains with the committee (If your goal is to follow the BSA program).

[Lisabob]

In my son's troop it is typically planned by the advancement chair and run by him, with token involvement of the SPL and some other boys. I wish it weren't that way because I find them to be very boring and dry with insufficient focus on the youth and their achievements. But that is still how our troop does it.

[John-in-KC]

By the letter of both the SM Handbook and the Committee Handbook, BW is correct.

 

I really like what gwd has done with her youth! If your youth can hang, then they can take over a fair bit of the work. Of course, the Advancement coordinator has to give input on what the youth have earned, and someone needs to coordinate the food!

 

Can't have a COH without food.

[gwd-scouter]

OK, maybe I should clarify a bit. Our Troop Committee is involved in the Court of Honor in as much as Advancement Chair makes sure advancement report is turned in to Council and awards are purchased, Treasurer writes the check, another Committee member takes care of planning for refreshments and working with the families to coordinate who is bringing what.

 

But, as far as the ceremony itself, that's all the boys.

 

Jimster - since you asked the question, how do you do it in your troop?

[jimster]

I was trying to 'hang back' and see how others do it before replying, but since I've been asked twice now .... it'd just be rude not to reply.

 

I have been an ASM with my son's troop for about a year now, and have seen only a handfull of COHs. The last one was planned entirely by the boys and was 'okay'. The ones I have attended before were put together by the adults, and were a little better. They have been your typical "and little Johnny earned this, and this, and this, and this, and this - now go sit down" type distribution of patches with very little ceremony.

 

The good news is we have a very good set of adult leaders that are always looking to make things better. Personally, I miss the ceremony that always accompanied the COHs I participated in as a boy.

 

I read a lot of posts here, and I see the vast amount of experience that is out there. I know there are troops operating at all sorts of levels, and I'd like to borrow from those who have found a good way to do it.

 

Currently our leadership has been trying to turn from a SM -run troop to a Boy-run troop by instilling the Patrol Method. I can say, "easier said than done". It's been a slow process. IMHO because the boys that are now being expected to lead haven't been boy lead and don't really understand what they are expected to do.

 

Now, we are handing or COHs over to the boys to plan and run. On one hand I think that it's good .... "Never to anything a boy can do" and on the other I think we need to model what a good COH can look like.

 

So ... I figured I'd ask the 'experts' .... "Who plans and runs the COH?"

[Horizon]

jimster - you might be in my troop!

 

Our COH's prior to me becoming Scoutmaster were organized and run by the adults. I have been working on putting in more of a Patrol methodology into the Troop, and trying to make the Troop more boy led.

 

My Advancement Chair puts together all records of achievements. A Communications MB candidate is the MC (we actually do 2 MCs). They boys write the agenda, and our Committee Secretary prints the pamphlets for the COH.

 

To try to get the Patrol Leaders to "own" the development of their Scouts:

- Patrol Leaders award MBs to their patrols.

- SPL awards MBs to Patrol Leaders.

- Rank Advancements are announced by Star & Above Scouts, given by the Patrol Leader, and the Parents are up on stage.

- Eagle Palms come from the Scoutmaster.

 

Opening and closing remarks come from adult leaders (including my Scoutmaster's minute).

 

So, the COH is boy run with adult supervision. It is not as smooth as the completely Adult run system, but the first one went off very well I think.

[fgoodwin]

Bob and John, if a young man wants to earn Eagle, he must complete (among other things) the requirements for the Communications MB.

 

One of those requirements is that he develop a written plan for a COH (or troop campfire), get it approved by the PLC, then MC the COH (or campfire).

 

Are you saying that a troop that follows this procedure for the COH, as spelled out in the Advancement Guide and Communications MB pamphlet, is not following the BSA program?

[John-in-KC]

Fred,

 

I agree with Bob that COH's, by SM Handbook and Committee HB, are "Committee in Nature."

 

I agree with you and gwd, that youth doing planning and coordination, followed by the MC work, as part of a legitimate requirement of an Eagle Required MB, is absolutely wonderful. Troops with strong young men who can step up to that plate in particular should be thankful to the stars!

 

As Beavah has said more than once, cross-comparing the materials published by National will occasionally cause you to ask "HUH?"

 

Does that make sense?

[Bob White]

Not at all fgoodwin,

 

First, as I posted the committee has the responsibility for Courts of Honor (not in nature as expressed by John in KC but in job responsibility as stated by the BSA).

 

Second, That does not mean that they cannot share the leadership of that activity with scouts and scout leaders, as I expressed in my post.

 

Thirdly, planning and hosting a court of honor is an option for the communication merit badge. If the Committee of his troop would rather a scout not not plan and MC the upcoming CoH then the scout can do a campfire program instead. Doing a CoH is just an option. No Harm...No Foul.

[oldsm]

The boys in my troop identify the topics to be reported upon - usually all of the events since the last COH. They usually tag-team each topic and for the most part speak extemporaneously (some better than others)! They practice ("you need to speak slower and louder...").

 

They usually need some coaching on upcoming events - seems they live in the present and don't look to the future too well.

 

The boys are really good at planning the refreshments!

 

We have a printed program done by me, since I have a publishing background and the TC likes to see consistency - and I can get them reproduced gratis. The program lists the topics and all of the awards and advancements.

 

It's up to the SPL to run the COH. Adult involvement is mostly limited to a few adult-oriented things (like upcoming parents meetings, FOS, etc.), to act as a "receiving line" to congratulate scouts who advance in rank, and my SM Minute. Awards are handled by the SPL, sometimes with assistance from another Scout.

 

The boys take care of the opening and closing, and setup and cleanup. We adults are there just for guidance and support.

[fgoodwin]

Bob and John:

 

Thanx for the clarification.

 

The boys in our troop will continue to plan and run the troop COHs, with the full blessing and support of the SM and Troop Committee.

 

They'll be glad to know that they are indeed following the BSA program.