How many Packs award ranks at BnG?

[johndaigler]

I'm (CC, DL, and Pack Trainer) trying to convince my Leadership Team that we need to award rank badges (and other awards) as Cubs earn them. It's simple, it's the Program, it's the right thing to do. Unfortunately, by tradition we do this wing-ding of a BnG and everyone in the room gets a Badge or CS Logo coffee cup or a "Thanks" card, etc. I've heard most of the arguments and rationale for doing it this way and other locally unique ways. I'm not interested in debating the issue (again!).

 

But, ... How many Packs out there do it this way? Anyone have a way for determining this? One of the arguments I don't have a response for is, "Everybody else does it this way!" While I know that's incorrect, I don't know what the truth is.

 

My real problem is that District Trainers told our Pack Advancement Chair the BnG Big Event was the way to go. Gee, guys, thanks for that bit o' help!!

 

jd

 

 

[Laurie]

The Cub Scout Leader Handbook would help you with this issue, as the BSA states that immediate recognition is indeed important. How to get away from this? When I was involved in a pack, I wanted to see monthly advancements given out as awarded, so I gather the BSA documentation to support this, gave it the CC who put it on the agenda, and then during the committee meeting we decided to give it a try. Since B&G was typically the time for advancement and this was a concern for many, I suggested we save parent pins for B&G, call the boys up at that time for a second recognition along with their families, during which time they would present the parent pin. This was accepted better than simply changing, and it worked. The following year, the B&G had very little in the way of advancement as advancements had been given out each month. However, there were some awards and advancements; there was also a printed program that listed awards and advancements earned during the year so each family would have that as a keepsake. Hope something here helps.

[deltascout]

We do rank advancement at B&G and I think it is the best way to go. I think it sets a goal for cubs and leaders to get their requirements done and spend the rest of the year working on electives and other fun stuff. As a former CM I had the pleasure of running the program at B&G for 3 years. I would plan a skit that included every scout in the pack and followed a theme. At different points in the skit each scout would recieve his rank badge and the parent would recieve the parents pins. I tried to make things entertaining for the boys and kept things moving at a good pace. Our pack typically has 80-100 boys and the entire program usually took a little over an hour. We would also include a bridging ceremony.

Definitly give activity badges, beads, belt loops and recognize the scouts for achievments at the pack meetings but save the big stuff for a big event like B&G. IMHO

[packsaddle]

Back when I was a CM, we were also instructed to have the big wing-ding for the B&G. But we also recognized the need for immediate recognition (department of redundancy department). So we gave immediate recognition during the year and another recognition at the B&G. We also tried to do the AoL and crossing over as well. Probably a little long but it didn't leave time for the DE to make a speech (good thing, this) and we only did it once a year. I think the only people who didn't have fun were those who stayed late to clean up. But just once a year.

[Prairie_Scouter]

When I was with the Pack as CC, we handed out the advancements and awards earned at each month's Pack Night. Our B&G is our big event for the year and is timed to coincide with crossover and AoL. We do other advancements as well, but the Web IIs are the "stars" of this particular gettogether. We have a dinner and entertainment, so yes, it's a pretty big whoopdeedo.

[Greg Nelson]

Yeah, our pack does this (holds back rank advancements until B & G) as well.

 

I think it's a bad idea. What happens is that a lot of the boys don't do anything on ranks until early Feb., then turn in a bunch of achievements, all signed off at once. I think having a boy or two strutting around with his badge would do some good to motivate these stragglers.

 

Even worse, it sends the 100% wrong message to those Cubs busting their butts. It says right in their handbooks that they will get their awards at the next pack meeting. Instead, they have to wait (and wait and wait, in the case of some who work hard all summer and finish up by early fall). Why do they have to wait? For the other kids in the den to finish their work. Where's the incentive to excel? Do all Scouts have to be the same?

 

Also, what do these early achievers do between finishing the rank and the B & G? They can work on arrow points, but they can't get them awarded until March, since they don't have the rank badge. "Here, Johnny. Work on these Electives, and we'll reward you in 6 months."

 

I'm going to float that mother's pin idea at the next committee meeting. We have a lot of kids going into Webelos I this year, and I'd like the hard workers to be able to get a badge on their new uniforms early on.

[ScoutNut]

We do not HOLD advancements until the B&G. We do use the B&G as a goal to aim for to be finished with rank. Some boys make rank earlier, some make rank later, most finish up in time for B&G.

 

We hand out all of our "Thanks" awards at graduation in May.

 

 

[5570xr2]

Our pack used to push for the giant "everyone receives their rank" at the B&G. This year was different. We award them as earned. I totally agree that recognition needs to be immediate. And besides, the B&G is a celebration of Cub Scouting, not an achievement goal. We have our rank graduation ceremony at the May Pack meeting.

[resqman]

We award ranks at each Pack meeting montly. The B&G is mostly about AOL and Webelos II. We hold our PWD on Sat morning and the B&G Sat nite. We award all the PWD trophies and awards later in the B&G to hold the interest of the younger scouts so they will stay through the AOL ceremony.

 

We also award some badges at Den meetings. Rank and Pack wide activities (community service, summer reader, etc) are awarded at Pack meetings but individual badges such as arrow points, whitlin' chip, belt loops, etc are awarded at Den meetings.

 

Our Pack believes often and repeated celebration of awards encorages the scouts to work. We had two boys join and complete their Bobcat at the first Den meeting. The next week at the Pack meeting they were awarded the Bobcat badge. They feel a part of the den and the Pack. They joined last month.

 

Our B&G is Feb. It seems silly to make them wait 8 months for a badge they have earned. They are rising Web I so could conceivably earn they Webelos badge also by Feb. So they would be awarded two ranks at the same time following the idea that rank is only awarded at B&G.

 

The book says award the rank when earned. We follow that pattern.

[mschwartz]

We award rank badges as they are earned - and history (in our Pack at least) shows that they are almost never earned in time for the Blue & Gold. We've given some out in March, some in April, and I expect the rest at the May Pack meeting (which is also our AOL/Crossover).

 

B&G is a big party - we have a family dinner, entertainment, and a cake contest. We treat it as celebrating the birthday of Cub Scouting, and everyone has a blast.

[Cubmaster-Fred]

We award everything as it is earned. An award should never be held back for any reason. The boys need and deserve to be recognized as soon as possible for all the work they have done. This also instills the drive in other boys to get out and get the work done.

 

Our BnG is a celebration, and we concentrate on that. If we have any boys earn something then it is given out at BnG. We award renk advancements all year long.

 

IMHO holding back any award is just plain wrong.

 

CMF

[FScouter]

What the last 2 posts said.

[Laurie]

Slightly off topic in respect to the original post, but I think it fits. I described what the pack did when I was there. Year one was a harder sell as so many were used to a certain way of doing things, but year two was easier. The result of the B&G focusing more the celebration of Scouting along with bridging led to a discussion following that event: "why do we bother with advancements and parent pins? Can't we just do that monthly and not worry about it for B&G?" It may be the one thing I contributed to the pack, for I did hang in there and encourage immediate recognition, and it did lead to the way things should be. In one year? No, but it worked, and that's the key. Another thing that happened was that the AoL was held separately; it used to be that all ranks, AoL, and bridging were at the B&G. The Webelos DLs wanted to know if they had to wait and be part of the B&G or if they could have a separate and special AoL ceremony. I was thrilled; there was a separate ceremony, and the boys and families loved it. Good things happen when the BSA materials are used and the focus shifts to keeping B&G a celebration and advancement regular and immediate. That's when Cub Scouting, for me anyway, is a blast.

[Scoutndad]

We reserve BnG for Webelos II and make a big deal with it...the rest of the group is acknowledged as they move up rank, but no other awards are handed out.

Our Pack feeling is that this is the last big hurrah for our Webelos II as they move into Boy Scouts so we provide their decorations and have a big ceremony.

This year we are trying something different and having our Webelos I denner present the Bears with their Webelos neckerchiefs and books with the help of the other Webelos and welcome them into our den (minor ceremony).

[FScouter]

Maybe you could have a bridging ceremony for Webelos crossing over. The entire evening's program devoted to them. That might make it even more special, rather than tacking it onto the Blue & Gold celebration.