Troop that does not give out rank awards very often

[Cubmaster Mike]

Heres an advancement question for you all-

My sons new to his troop. The troop uses the new boy program. The boys are placed in new boy patrols with a troop guide for the first year. They are guided through the program with the goal of making first class at the end of the first year.

 

Since February, my son earned Scout in April, Tenderfoot in June and Second Class in September. But the troop only hands out advancement at Courts Of Honor held at specific times of the year.. As a result, my son received his Scout badge in June at the first Court of Honor (Tenderfoot was earned later that month) and at the next court of honor in two weeks will receive his Second Class. He will never have had a chance to wear his Tenderfoot or identify himself as one. He is not alone in this- other boys never really identify at the different ranks because they never wear the badge. Another boy in the troop will go from wearing the Scout badge to wearing First Class, never having the chance to wear the other ranks he earned.

 

As a result, a high proportion of the boys in the troop are mot wearing the rank they should be wearing.

 

Maybe Im blowing this out of proportion but it seems to me that each rank should be awarded to the scout and he should have the opportunity to be recognized at each level and wear the rank at that level, not just Johnny earned three ranks in the last six months- congratulations Johnny.

 

Now I believe that rank should be awarded as part of a ceremony and just going out and buying a badge to sew on between COHs is not the way to go either.

 

How do others handle this? Do you do rank ceremonies between COHs for this purpose? DO you just let them go? Do you do mo COHs to help with this issue at the lower ranks?

 

Thanks

 

CMM

 

[Gold Winger]

My son's troop used to be one like yours, badges were only handed out at Courts of Honor. Until a new Sheriff came to town with Deputy GW. :-)

 

The SM and I agreed that badges should be presented ASAP which meant the troop meeting following the BOR. Then at the COH, the Scout would be called up with his parents and recognized for his accomplishments.

[shortridge]

Your SPL and PLC can organize a dignified, meaningful presentation ceremony for regular advancement recognition at troop or patrol meetings without going all-out for a full-fledged fancy-dress COH. That goes for ranks and merit badges.

 

I don't have a copy of Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures with me right now. But MeritBadge.com has a page that purports to have information from the 1999 printing, stating:

 

4. The Boy Scout is recognized. When the board of review has certified a boy's advancement, he deserves to receive recognition as soon as possible. This should be done at a ceremony at the next troop meeting. The certificate for his new rank may be presented later at a formal court of honor.

 

Anyone with a current edition know if that's still accurate?

[click23]

shortridge, that is what it says in the 2008 revision

[ccjj]

Our troop gives out the badges at the next meeting after the BOR. The Scout gets called in front of the troop and recognized and given his new rank badge. Then, at the next Court of Honor, we give out the pocket card and recognize him again.

 

ccjj

[Eagle92]

Way back in the day, you may be recognized for passing your BOR, but would have to wait for next COH to get rank. That was in the age of dinosaurs like me who had time requirements for all ranks. You would get recognized, maybe even assume new leadership responsibilities, but wait until the COH to get the new rank presented to you. Sincve there were time requirements, very few folks skipped wearing a rank. Plus COHs were every three months.

 

Since removing the time requirements for Tenderfoot through First Class, it is now policy to recognize the Scout with his rank ASAP, usually at the next meeting. They get the rank, but the extras; i.e. parent's pins, moving name upward on a troop's progress chart, etc are done at the COH.

[scottteng]

We too present the badge a week at most two after the BOR and present the pocket cards, parent pins and paper First class certs at the next COH. We only do two COH per year under this system sometimes the parents get a lot of pins from the new scout patrol. We had an older brother of one of our new scouts join and he got all three ranks at the last COH. Had to catch up to go on the first class and above reward trip b4 school cranked back up.

[emb021]

Since atleast the 80s, the concept has always been on "immediate recognition". This is what we were trained!

 

That is, the boys should be recognized IMMEDIATELY for advancing.

 

My troop (and I would think most troops) did this.

 

The night the boy completing advancement, he would be called up at the end of the meeting and it would be announced. My troop kept a stock of skill awards and lower rank patches (scout thru 1st class), and so we would give the boy the skill award or rank.

 

Once we turned in the advancement report and got back the awards, cards, etc, if we hadn't already given the boy the patch (usually rank or merit badge), we would again call him up at the end of the meeting and present the patch.

 

At the court of honor (we usually held 3 a year), the boys would be more formally recognized, be presented with the rank/merit badge cards, and mothers pinned.

 

So if you troop isn't doing this, they are incorrect, as immediately recognition is, AFAIK, part of basic adult training.

 

[Beavah]

Yah, I think da best troops do what emb is describin', eh? Even though emb is apparently a paperwork scofflaw like me.

 

Keep a supply of rank patches. As soon as a boy passes a BOR, award him his patch that same night. He should be able to sew it on his uniform and appear as his proper rank that weekend on the campout, eh? No waitin' until next week.

 

At the Court of Honor, present the rank card, the mother's pins, give him a round of applause and hearty handshake and all that. Even present a second badge for his summer/winter uniform, eh?

 

Only time a lad should miss wearin' a badge he has earned is when he earns Second Class and First Class on the same night.

 

Beavah

 

[Bob White]

Immediate recognition has ALWAYS been a part of the BSA advancement and recognition program. What has changed is how court of honors are done.

Having them as quarterly events is relatively recent in the history of the BSA. Courts used to be held as part of a troop meeting's opening or closing ceremonies for a scout or scouts who had completed their board of review or earned a merit badge or other recognition.

 

As a Scout in a large troop in the lates 60s it was not unusual for my troop to have a court 2 or 3 times a month. The process has always been to get the recognition on the scout ASAP. preferably by the next troop meeting.

 

Court of Honors changed in the early eighties to be a quarterly event as they are recommended to be today, but getting the badge as soon as possible, preferable at the next meeting has not changed. BSA scout leaderf training has always stressed this point.

 

Sorry to disagree with Eagle92, but if his name is accurate as to when he received his Eagle Rank then he is far too young to consider himself a scouting dinosaur.

 

 

[Gold Winger]

" Since there were time requirements, very few folks skipped wearing a rank. Plus COHs were every three months."

 

If you read the old books, COHs were supposed to happen quickly. The books from the 60s said that when you were promoted that the SPL should arrange for a COH at the next troop meeting to recognize your advancement. That was in the days before parents had to be involved in everything.

[highcountry]

We do COH 3 times a year, we have thought about 4 times but it is hard enough doing just 3 that we have stayed with the current plan. 90% of the time the scouts are craming last minute to finish rank and merit badges before the COH. Our meeting before the COH is typically a lightly scheduled meeting as we know many boys are asking for SM conference and BOR. We have tried to remind and suppor tpeople (scouts and parents) to do SM conf and BOR's early to work on badges as opportunities are available to have PL's coach theri patrol members and it is like trying to part the sea, we resolved to accomodate the way families are living their lives and schedule for the last minute cram that takes place every 4 months. In light of this, most all the time our scouts are getting the BOR and rank advancement in a couple weeks before teh COH anyway. Occasionally I get a new scout who gets more than one badge done between COH's this happens maybe twice a year and they jsut wait to the next COH...it has never been a problem to date. I have a prettylight committee staf, teh sdame person who is Merit badge coordinator is also Advancement coordinator. We gear to getting all teh badges and ranks done a couple weeks before COH, she does all the paperwork and records, goes to council and does the deal all in one shot. We would announce a scout made a rank at meetings but we BARELY get a SM minute and closing flags in the end of our meetings as it is, by the time we pack everything up and lock the door is normally a half hour after the meeting ends.....so cramming in any one small other thing is HARDto amke happen. As I noted, to date no one has had a problem with it and we function well as we have been.

[emb021]

"Even though emb is apparently a paperwork scofflaw like me."

 

My troop wasn't a 'paperwork scofflaw'.

 

Advancement reports were ALWAYS filled out and turned in. When they were, patches/skill awards, cards, and mother pins were picked up. If the boy was already given the rank patch or skill award, that item went back into our stock.

 

We were, depending on the amount of advancement, turning in advancement reports about once a month.

 

Have a stock of skill awards and lower ranks ensured the boy would get those items now and not 2-3 weeks later after the report was turned in and items picked up from the scout shop.

 

 

[Gold Winger]

My Scout Shop used to control the supply of rank cards but patches were freely avaialable. The idea was that the rank card was proof of promotion. Now, the Scout Shop is restricting the rank patches, so without an advancement form, you can't get rank patches. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that now.

 

 

[skeptic]

Yep, we real dino's may remember when we had quarterly community COH, with all troops represented in a town and awards to troops for advancement categories, skits, and so on. Tried to make that happen again once about 20 years back, and it was not widely welcomed. But, of course, it always brought news coverage back then, which is generally lacking today. Any out there still do this in their areas?