Charge "Admission" to your meetings

[Mike Long 10]

 

Something we do to help the Scouts to "Be Prepared" is that we charge admission to our meetings. The fee is to demonstrate a Scout skill. One week it might be a clove hitch, the next it could be name the hurry cases. You could even do this with Scout history. Once the Scout successfully demonstrates the skill he is allowed in. We try to be sure the skill is something that we have taught recently but any skill will do. You can also vary the difficulty depending on the scouts ability. (Ya'll should have seen square knot night when our Eagle Scouts were asked to tie all the required Scout knots blindfolded. Everybody got a kick out of that one!) This is an open book test meaning if the Scout doesn't remember the skill he can go to the back of the line, look at his book and try again-after he has closed the book. The trick is that your Instructors, older Scouts and adults need to be there to coach along the Boys that are having trouble remembering the skill asked of them. The boys that have entered the meeting take care of dues or take part in a game that others can enter at any time. The test starts as soon as boys arrive for the meeting but the meeting doesn't "start" until the last scout is in.(This message has been edited by Mike Long)

[jmcquillan 10]

This is a really neat idea. One I haven't heard before, but definitely worth trying. I've passed it on to the current Scoutmaster and Committee.

 

Thanks

 

[Mike Long 10]

Glad you like it. Though that one up myself. (said while sticking out chest, adjusting shirt, and speaking two octaves lower. chuckle)

 

Something I though I should mention. We have a small troop (19 kids) so we form one line. Last week we had 22 Webelos visit and we ran them through the test too (square knot of course.) When you have a large group you need to form more than one line or you will never have a meeting.