Court of Honor presentations--missed attendance

[gcnphkr 11]

Every scout and situation is different. Every unit is different as well. Things that may work in a unit with twelve scouts may not work in a unit with fifty or a hundred. The dynamics in a LDS unit are different from a traditional unit. Making blanket statements that any particular method is "foolish" or "childish" makes a number of assumptions that possibly were not well thought out. Certainly claims that things are "doomed to failure" when they are being done in what appears to be a thriving unit are ill advised. Unless what the person is doing is unsafe or against policy, it might be more helpful to restrict comments to what works for you rather than what you think the other guy is doing wrong.

[Horizon 97]

My Advancement Chair keeps a box of awards in envelops with the Scout's name on it if they miss a COH. They get the envelope at the next meeting that they attend. They miss the nice presentation, but holding back rank advancement is just asking for a Scout to quit Scouting.

 

Do I hold a special COH for the Scout who misses? Nope. Do I punish the Scout for missing? Nope.

 

If a Scout is busy in other activities, then they are busy in other activities. I will take however much time a Scout is willing to provide. The ONLY time I worry about commitment by the Scout is if they are in a POR and their attendance record is impacting their ability to appropriately fulfill the duties of the POR.

 

Otherwise, we see Scouts when we see them. They might be at Soccer, Football, Band, Junior State, Model UN, Sea Scouting, Venturing, Exploring, sick, grandma's house, etc. The last thing I want to do is start evaluating what a proper excuse is. Waste of my time.

 

I don't see that it is a big deal for my Advancement Chair to have an envelope of awards to hand to a Scout at the next meeting they both attend.

[Bando 21]

jet, what's the difference between a sports team or a band and Scouting? Scouting is predominantly an individual at-your-own-pace activity. Yes, there's patrols and team work when camping or learning a skill at a troop meeting, but that's pretty much a non-factor at a Court of Honor, which honors individual achievement. A scout misses that, he's only missing out on receiving his own awards and essentially being a spectator for others.

 

On a sports team, he's a member of a unit, where missing a practice means tangible detriment to the rest of the squad. Same goes for a band. There are consequences on the many for the absence of a few. And if a coach is worth his/her salt, they're going to have tangible punishment on a youngster for missing a practice or a game to go pick up some patches at a Court of Honor. That's a no-brainer. And as adult Scouters, we have to realize and deal with that.

 

Scouting isn't the same as other activities. And, yes, sometimes it takes a back seat to things like sports and music, but if you're running your program correctly, you're not punishing a youngster for having many interests and activities, and you're providing incentive for him to stay in Scouting as much he can while budgeting his time with his other adventures. Why punish him?

[gcnphkr 11]

How am I punishing him?

[Horizon 97]

jet526:

 

I would say you are punishing him by withholding advancement recognition. If you are not letting a Scout wear his rank or merit badge patch for 3 months because he missed a meeting then in my opinion you are punishing him. In some cases the Scout might not ever wear that particular rank patch depending on timing (he earns First Class immediately after the last COH, misses the next COH, earns Star and then is presented that rank patch.)

[gcnphkr 11]

I do no such thing.

 

He is recognized the night of his BOR.

He receives his rank patch an the meeting following his BOR. I bring this with me to every meeting until he is there to get it. I've carried them for months.

He is recognized again at the COH even if he is not there.

He can get his merit badges or temporary patches any time he wants by calling the advancement chair and making arrangements.

[Gary_Miller 10]

jet526, "Every scout and situation is different. Every unit is different as well. Things that may work in a unit with twelve scouts may not work in a unit with fifty or a hundred."

 

Your right here. However, is not the purpose of this form to discuss scouting and what others have found that works or doesn't work. Or process or procedures that could be done differently to make a program better. As well as helping us to become better leaders.

 

jet526, "The dynamics in a LDS unit are different from a traditional unit."

 

Having worked a a leader in both LDS sponsored units and units sponsored by other organizations. I have not found the dynamics to be different at all when the program is done according to BSA guidelines.

 

As well, making blanket statements about units charted by a specific organization (ie: LDS Units) makes a number of assumptions that are prejudice, inaccurate, and possibly were not well thought out.

 

jet526, "Making blanket statements that any particular method is "foolish" or "childish" makes a number of assumptions that possibly were not well thought out."

 

Actually I was not making any assumptions. I was only stating my opion of a procedure/process in which you described.

 

jet526, "Certainly claims that things are "doomed to failure" when they are being done in what appears to be a thriving unit are ill advised."

 

Once again my statements was made based on my experience (27yrs) of working with youth in the BSA program. Which is when the adults place unrealistic requirements upon youth, the first thing that happens is the youth leave the program. My goal is to ensure that the youth stay in the program, because if I or the program can't have an influence on a youth who is not in the program.

 

jet526, "Unless what the person is doing is unsafe or against policy, it might be more helpful to restrict comments to what works for you rather than what you think the other guy is doing wrong."

 

However, your statement:

 

"Unless there was a very good reason to have missed (neither band nor football practice count as good reasons), they can wait until the next COH."

 

Is one in which forces a YM to have to make a decision in which I feel maybe detrimental to whole reason for the Boy Scouting program. Which is to have a positive influence in the lives of Young Men through out the world. So I guess you could say anything that could drive a YM away from the program could be against BSA policy.

 

You can't have an influence in a young mans life if he is not part of the program.