award badges individually or as a patrol?

[Scoutfish]

Okay, I have another question.

 

Tonight, I signed off on 5 out of 6 boys ( in our newest patrol) as earning their scout badge.

 

The one who didn't earn it yet just needs his family to do the family phamplet and he needs to study just a tad more on the parts of the scout badge.

 

He should easily be able to do it next Monday night, but will be out of town on a family trip ( our school spring break).

 

So I went ahead and asked our advancement chair to pick up 6 badges anyways.

 

A little while later, the Sm asks me if I want to go ahead and award the badges to te boys who earned them next meeting , or wait until we can give the whole patrol their badges at one time.

 

So here's my arguement for both side:

 

As a patrol, they should stick together and work together. If one is having trouble, the others should help him out. But it would be at a minimum - 2 weeks , longer if he doesn't study up in that time.

 

But the other side is that: why should you hold back on awarding what was earned just because another hasn't reached that point yet. Kinda like the boss not giving a raise or promotion until everybody in the office meets certain standards.

 

So right now - unless somebody can give me a good reason otherwise - I am going to tell the SM to go ahead and award the scout badge to those who have been signed off.

 

They can still encourage the other boy and help him out. But they also get to wear the badge that they earned.

 

 

edited to add: I do not think this is something the SM or troop does on a regular basis. I think he only asked since this patrol is brand new and this is the first week of being in the troop.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[dg98adams]

You need to leave the "den mentality" in the pack.

 

Scouts earn recognition/advancement individually.

 

Sure the Patrol ID is something to be fostered, but not at the expense of 1 Scout.

 

Scouts may advance or not on their own schedule.

 

Believe me, after several months or years each 1 could be at an entirely different rank.... and that's ok.

 

Don't try to save the Adv. chair/SM any time picking up awards/recognition, by getting ahead of the game.

 

 

 

[Shilue]

In Boy Scouts, advancement is done individually, not as a patrol. Holding back until everyone in the patrol has completed it is too similar to Cub Scouts, which this is not.

 

Also, a suggestion, if you can afford to keep a supply of badges on hand, give the boys their rank badges at the meeting that they earned them, instead of waiting a week.

[Tampa Turtle]

I agree, individually. Boys will start making individual choices as they start getting more active in school and extra-circular activities. The "advancing group" should get more and more ragged.

 

That said if there was a deadline for a COH I might offer to give the boy an extra opportunity to finish up. I have met with boys between meetings if it was a big issue--that way if they don't well it was there choice.

[Eagledad]

This is going to be a difficult change for you and its normal for most new adult troop leaders. The parent side of us hates the watching one in the group being left behind.

 

As we raise our kids, we parents take up the slack of our kids weaknesses so that we dont suffer our childrens struggles. We just hate to see our kids hurt. If you really want to understand what Im talking about, consider that the one scout you are talking about is your son. What would you be inclined to do with the rest of the group so that your son isnt left outside the group?

 

Boys learning from their experiences is the foundation of scouting. It is what make scouting so powerful, if the adults are willing. As I like to say, scouting is real life in a boys size. The troop is one of the few places left in our society today where our sons can learn from hard lessons and have fun in the experience. Real life isnt going to be so kind. But you will have to be willing to let them struggle. Easier said than done. LOL

 

What we know in our heart but are afraid to confront is that struggle, stress and failure are where we humans learn the most and the fastest. Success strangely may feel good, but it doesnt force us to change our habits or behavior like failure, stress or struggles. The adventure of the outdoors and the the experience of leadership provide the average boy with the opportunites of growth.

 

In your situation, the scout left behind either will be intimidated by the group leaving him behind and feel motivated to catch up, or he might be confident himself that he has plenty of time to catch up. Either of those attitudes are healthy. Where the mentor (you) come in is guiding the scout when he is confused and not sure how to handle his struggles, if he has one. You guide him to look at small steps that lead him toward bigger rewards. You want to guide him to learn habits of maturity. That is the growth you are looking for.

 

To be a good scout leader, you need to learn how to not take each scouts failures personally. Dont get upset with Their failures, just get ready to mentor them if they come to you. This is what we do. If we do it well, then our scouts will grow to be mature moral decision makers who will lead good lives as husbands, fathers and community leaders. They will learn that serving others willingly is their greatest reward. They will learn how to confront hard work successfully and how to grow from failures.

 

However, for you to be a good scout leader, you will have to humble yourself that you need to learn more and faster than the scouts just to keep up with them. Your adventure is just beginin.

 

By the way, this is why I started encouraging Webelos Den leaders to award their scouts their activities pins at each Den Meeting. Then I would recognize them at the Pack Meetings in front of everyone by presenting them their cards. The boys get used to individual instant recognition and the Pack still gets to see their accomplishments at the Pack meetings. Worked very well.

 

Barry

 

[perdidochas]

As Advancement person in our troop, I give out badges to the boys at the closing of the meeting that they earn it. Fortunately, we have a supply of rank advancement badges sufficient for our needs. We replenish after submitting the advancement report. As a Cub Scout leader, I never held back advancement either. If only 2 boys out of my 12 Webelos got their Webelos badge, they would be awarded at the next Pack meeting. If 11 of the 12 got their Webelos badge, they would be awarded. I don't have a problem with that. The only time I would have a problem is if a boy earned it, and didn't get it.

[Oak Tree]

Individually. Absolutely, definitely, for all the reasons stated above.

[Scoutfish]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I was planning on having the SM hand out the badges to those who have earned it unless any of you gave me a good argument otherwise.

 

The only reason I considered waiting was because I was thinking of patrol camradieri.

 

 

Even at the den level, we awarded anything earned based on the individual and not as a group..but usually in cubs, the whole den works on something at the same time, so unless you miss a night or really just don't get it - all the cubs (mostly) earned things at the same time.

 

Matter of fact, the SM called me earlier today and I let him know to go ahead and plan on awarding them at the next meeting to the 5 who did earn them already.

[dg98adams]

There are patrol ID things, flag, yell, competitions with other Patrols....Earning Honor Patrol...just not adult driven.

 

There you go, they are beyond Den level things, or Cub Scouting... it does not apply to Boy Scouting.

 

At the Boy Scout level, they are not gonna have a melt down (seen Cub age do that) if all they have is recognition (and you present the patch at the next meeting/opportunity) at a Troop meeting anyway.

 

Since Advancements have to have an advancement sheet to turn in to council to purchase them, you really should not have a ready supply on hand anyway.

[Scoutfish]

Wait.

 

Am I missing something? I never said, not did I indicate or plan on treating a patrol like a den.

 

I didn't try to use my experience in the pack to justify acting like a den in the troop.

 

I didn't even bring up the initial cub scout references.

 

 

My question was about camradieri in a brand new patrol who just got signed of on the scout badge at Monday's meeting. This was actually after the troop meeting, so there wouldn't even have been an opportunity to recognize them without the patch.

 

I also indicated that my plan was to go ahead and give them to the boys who met the requirements

 

UNLESS somebody else gave me a reason NOT to.

 

I do not have an issue understanding the difference between boy scouts and cub scouts.

 

But as a new (full time) ASM ( I have worked with/ camped with the troop many times) I just asked for some advice on the scout rank.

 

It's not like I was asking anybody to justify always having all the boys advance at the same rate and time.

 

It was something I was asked by another ( more experienced ) ASM in our troop. Until that point, I hadn't even entertained the idea in any shape, way or form.

 

Now, when I did reference Cub scouts in my second reply, I was only stating that - unlike what other packs may have done - my pack did not purposely maintain a set timetable on advancemenmt , nor did we intentionally and purposely group advance scouts.

 

Our cub scouts got recognition and patches/badges as they earned them.

 

But, one of the reasons that it could appear that some cub scouts ( from any unit) all advance at the same time is that it's done in the den and unless you miss a night or are just having a really hard time..they all usually reach the same advancement at the same time , and not because it was intended taht way by the DL.

 

But again, I was not originbally talking about Cub scouts, nor did I even bring it up.

 

So.......I just want to clear that up before the thread gets sidetracked and ends talking about why Cub scouts should not be given concealed weapon permits while attending a girl scout high adventure paramilitary camp.

 

[Basementdweller]

Scoutfish.....I would have another ASM or the SPL test and sign your sons book......

 

 

Will prevent loose talk and hard feelings.

[Eagle92]

I agree with Base 110% on having the SM or SPL sign off on your son's advancement. I'd also add any of the older scouts approved by the SM to do so. I can think of only 1 time that a dad signed off of any advancement for his son and there was not any loose talk or hard feelings. That was b/c dad was the only MBC in the council for the MB and son took it in a group setting. Heck dad was the only person I ever met who was qualified to teach the MB in all the councils I've been in.

[Scoutfish]

Actually, I did. I went over it with all the boys at one time, then my son did the review with the other ASM who asked me about waiting on the patches or not.

 

Not making that part clear is my bad. I tend to forget that you guys weren't there to see stuff like that.

 

I do not plan on signing off on anything of my son's unless I have to.

 

The only exception I can think of.....as of right now.....will be the first aid merit badge when the time comes as I am the only registered first aid MBC in my district...which honestly, is really surprising and disappointing to me.

 

But I am in the talks with a certified first aid/CPR instructor about training all of our leadership like I did with the pack. The troop committee thought that was a great idea when I told them we did that at the pack.

 

So I'm thinking after that, we should be able to get at least 1 more leader signed up as a MBC, if not a couple.

[Beavah]

I am the only registered first aid MBC in my district.

 

Holy Smoke!

 

At da risk of takin' the thread off to neverland (well, Scoutfish seems like he got his answer anyways)... How is this possible?

 

Is everyone doin' First Aid MB at summer camp? IMHO a terrible idea. It's hard to imagine only havin' one MBC for an Eagle Required badge in a district.

 

Maybe troops have just given up on registering people? That seems to be increasingly common.

 

Beavah

[Eagle92]

HOLY QUACAMOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

You should have several FA MBCs in a district.