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Entertaining thread about the Rank Requirement changes in 2014-2015


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It would be nice to have a heads up. Looking over the National strategic report is vague on this point.

 

The only hint is that all ranks, programs will be change to incorporate New health and fitness aspects as well as further promote environmental stewardship.

 

Also, as seen from many of the merit badges scheduled to come out, technology is embraced and best practices for using technology in the program are being developed.

 

Finally, it is a major goal for BSA to be considered the top youth org for leadership development.

 

Put these altogether and who knows what we'll get.

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I don't have a problem with promoting environmental stewardship and better physical fitness. Both could be accomplished as part of an active, outdoor, program. Maybe making hiking/backpacking/cycling/swimming (one/some combo) a required badge for Star or Life would be a way to build existing fitness-oriented elements into the middle of the advancement program.

 

I don't see the BSA as a competent leader on the tech front, considering how remarkably poor the BSA's own IT capacity has been.

 

 

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Past behavior being the best predictor of future performance, I'm guessing we're in for another round of policies and guidelines which ensure every boy advances regardless of committment or effort.

 

-- "Do Your Best" will be the standard for completing Boy Scout requirements too. Only the Scout himself will determine when a requirement is complete and will sign his own handbook. As with merit badges, once a Scout signs a requirement, the unit has no choice but to accept it as complete.

 

-- Since troops are obligated to provide a First-Year-First-Class program, Scouts not earning FC in one year will be considered to be victims of their units' failure. Consequently, all Scouts will be awarded First Class automatically one year from joining.

 

-- Scoutmaster conferences and boards of review will be limited to discussing three happy events in Scout's life. Since Scouts cannot be burdened with the responsibility of requesting a SMC or BOR, both will be held in the Scout bedroom. Adults should wait quietly until the Scout wakes up. Serving breakfast in bed is still optional, but will be added to the list of gold standards for Journey to Execellence.

 

-- Time for active participation and positions of responsibility will count from birth, although the advancement team will publish articles buried on Scouting.org which defines "birth" as "any time in the past".

 

-- In keeping with the philosophy that we are preparing boys to function in the outside world, trips to the mall will count as troop activities for the first and second class requirement.

 

-- Merit badge counselors should make every effort to count school classes. Any passing grade in the following courses will be considered completion of the corresponding merit badge: PE>Personal Fitness; Social Studies>all three citizenships; Science>Environmental Science and Chemistry. Scouts who can earn, find or mooch $10 and contributes it to Friends of Scouting will be awarded Personal Managment. All Scouts who complete elementary school will be assumed to have completed Art, Pottery and Basketry. Since it is the obligation of the school to deliver quality educations to the students, students failing these classes will be awarded the Merit Badges anyway.

 

 

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I hate to say it, but I see it as more indoors stuff. Why do I say that?

 

1) The current Boy Scout handbook has little to know info in it on basic outdoor Scouting skills. When I did IOLS in January, I ended up using 2 websites (THANKS KUDU) and my old BSHBs and Fieldbook to make a booklet on outdoor skills for the folks to use.

 

2) They royally screwed up Green Bar Bill's quote that "OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING." Sorry, butit is NOT 2/3s.

 

'Nuff said.

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(1) How about "A Mom is honest": The requirement is complete when the scouts mother rushed up the Scoutmaster with a YouTube video of their son doing the requirement even if the boy is not there.

 

(2) A similar rule will be "the Dad hovers": The MB requirement is automatically met when the dad is within 3 feet of the MBC and Scout.

 

(3) A night of camping includes any church youth-group indoor lock-in provided a sleeping bag was carried from the car to the gymnasium.

 

(4) A verbal description of any requirement, even if it is merely a restatement of the question, counts as meeting the requirement. Hence saying the magic words "Demonstrate two half-hitches" means you have mastered it since you can ask your I-Phone that if you need to do it.

 

(5) The Scout Rank will be reduced to memorizing the phrase: "Be Prepared to Dial 911"

 

(6) "10 is close enough" means 10 year olds can join anytime.

 

(7)FCFW: First Class First Week if you plan that first campout right.

 

(8) E2Y: Eagle by 2nd Year. 13 is too late. If you are a teenager you got something else to do.

 

(9) The new Scout Handbook will have a tear-off Eagle requirements page with the title "college application addendum" on top.

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