When are ranks awarded?

[LongHaul 10]

Aquila,

       Being RECOGNIZED at a quarterly banquet is not the same as having to wait until the quarterly banquet to receive your rank advancement. So there are only two people present when you physically get the badge why is it diminished if all the parents and scouts are present when you are recognized. In the Troop the Court of Honor is when we present the pocket card to go along with the pocket patch which was awarded at the next regular meeting after the scouts BOR.   As Pack CC the CM and I are trying to rebuild a struggling unit.  We began in February with the new charter.  Along with a theme every Pack meeting (we are using the Program Helps guideline) we wanted advancement every month.  We got every excuse but a good one.  At the third Pack meeting a parent came to me and asked why we were doing advancement again when we had already done it twice, she thought it was just a waste of money to give out patches for everything and awards that sit in a drawer.  We introduced Brag Vests.  Got a bolt of red felt, made card board templates, had the scouts trace out vests and cut them out at den meetings and sat at the next Pack meeting with every scout sewing their vest together down each side with a basic spiral stitch.  You guessed it mom came up and asked if she had to sew all these useless patches and arrow points on this new vest.  CM told he "No, the arrow points go on the uniform the patches for Blue and Gold and Pinewood derby and such go on the vest!"

LongHaul

[Eagledad 2779]

You could try and suggest a slight change of tradition to present the patches at the next meeting and the card with a mothers pin at Blue&Gold. This is kind of what our troop does. The SPL presents the badge to the scout after they pass the BOR (usually that night). Then at the banquet, the SM presents the mothers pin to the scout for him to pin on his mother, which is great fun for all. Covers all bases, especially mom.

 

Barry

[ScoutDadof5 10]

Lots of great feedback. I''ll definitely have to take my CS Leader Book to the next committee meeting. I am definitely going to see if I can turn this around.

 

I did chat with my DE for a moment or two today and he did see the point of getting the recognition to the boys sooner than alter and even offered to see what he could do to help if I needed it. I did tell him I did not want to start an upheaval, but I do want to make sure that the boys get thier recognitions sooner than later.

[ScoutNut 147]

Your DE is not the person who you should get involved. Your CM, CC and COR are the folks to speak to. If you feel you might need an outside resource then contact your UC. Being a mentor to the unit is his job.

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

To amplify on what ScoutNut said, also have the UC visit with the COR in advance of the meeting. The COR can come in and say "Thus it shall be," and end the discussion. The Chartered Partner owns the license from Scouting, not the members of the Committee or the CM.

[ScoutDadof5 10]

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

Scoutnut...you asked about the Bobcat Badge...that was awarded at the same time as all the other stuff, at the end of the school year when they had the last COH.

 

In regards to appealing to the CC, that person is on paper only. The COR is also really a paper figure only. I think the CM may know who that is, but I am not sure anyone else really does. We do not meet at the COR''s location, but somewhere else. Not sure why, but that is how it is. So that leaves the CM and the UC and the Committee as a whole.

 

Knowing that the leaders of the pack form most of the committee, I have discussed with (with much patience) with at least 3 of them so far and the individual responses so far have been ...we wait until the B & G.

 

I am planning on discussing this with the CM and see if I can appeal thier on this. If that fails, I am not sure that I want to try and contact the COR and possibly alienate the leadership of the pack. It was suggested that perhaps I discuss that with our UC. I may be inclined to approach that avenue.

 

So there you have it.

 

What a sticky whicket! You would think it should be simple to just want to recognize the youth as soon as possible? The thought of a B&G where the youth must wait possibly monthes for thier awards...somehow loses a bit of my enthusiasm.

 

Switching packs is not that much of an option. My son has many friends there from the neighborhood and his school. So it looks like I am in it for the long haul. I really want to come up with a solution on this.

 

I have to admit, this has not been fun. A shame.

 

Thanks again for all the comments and feedback. It has been quite helpful.

 

 

[Scouting Mom 10]

This is my 4th year involved in Cub Scouts. We established at the beginning of the each year that our "goal" is to achieve rank by B&G. This is a realistic goal and most boys make it just about that time. Late comers may be later, but few make it earlier. I''ve seen some boys make it just before the January pack meeting, who didn''t get it until 2 weeks later at B&G. This doesn''t seem unreasonable to me. It makes it a little more special to wait that 2 weeks and have all the boys in the den get it at once.

 

However, this is the first year that we had most of our Tigers join in June. Five out of eight of our Tigers signed up at Tiger recruiting events last Spring. Three of those boys had Bobcat awarded by the end of September. The other 5 should have it awarded at the end of October. Two or three boys are more than halfway to earning Tiger. I can see some of them earning Tiger well before B&G. They are entitled to get it when they earn it. However, I can see the value of awarding them all together, as a sign of unity and so forth. I''m the Tiger DL and I''m thinking that I will talk it over with the parents and let them decide. My son is likely to be one of those earning rank early. If it comes to that, I will ask him what he wants. He''s mature enough to give an opinion and if he decides he wants it as soon as he''s earned it, then that''s what is going to happen.

 

[Venividi 35]

Scoutingmom,

 

You brought back some memories - thanks for taking me back down memory lane. I recall many years ago that most cubs earned their rank badge shortly before B&G because that was when it was awarded. Its the same philosophy as the homework is due on Friday, so why work on it before Thursday night? And then it can be a chore.

 

Awarding the badge when earned by an individual scout has two benefits: the scout that earned it feels really good about himself - he did something and was then brought up in front of the entire pack, where the CM made a big deal out of recognizing his accomplishment. He will feel 10 feet tall. He then gets to wear that badge for the next month or two or three before everyone else in his den earns it. This provides incentive to some of the other members of the den. They WANT to work on requirements, perhaps even on their own, so they can get the recognition also. Boys are competitive by nature. Use that competitiveness to advantage.

 

[Pack212Scouter 10]

Our Pack always has a big Bobcat cerimony at the October Pack Meeting. The Boys love it and it is enough time for all of the new ones to meet the requirements.

[Scouting Mom 10]

Venvidi, you have a valid point. When my son got his Bobcat at the September pack meeting, he was one of 8 boys, mostly new wolves to do so. He seemsed uncomfortable being there with the group, but when, a few minutes later, they called him up by himself to receive another award, he was much more excited.

 

In the case of Tigers, it''s the parents who are going to mostly decide when things will get done. I mean, how many Tigers are flipping through the book saying, "Ooo, ooo, I wanna do this." Some maybe, but it still requires the parents to set up the go-see-its and other things. And you are right that many will wait until crunch time. But on the other hand, 5 areas of achievements in 5 months is a good pace, especially since the holidays interfere with some of our den meetings.

 

But like I said, if there are any finishing early, they have the right to be awarded that badge and I will leave it up to them to make the decision to follow the rules or follow the tradition. I don''t think our CM or CC or anyone else is so steeped in tradition as to try and stop them from getting the award early, but I''m not above telling them to stuff it and give my boys their awards.

[msnowman 10]

When I first became CM of Nephew''s pack, the tradition was to award ranks in June, at bridging over. Well that totally stunk for the boys - no incentive to get things done, no chance to show off their rank and arrow points, etc. The very first thing I changed, in the first month of being CM was to award ranks WHEN they were earned. Now, we have held off awarding rank until the rest of the den is ready if (only if) the boy ready for it wants to wait. We had one boy ready for Wolf in January which is pretty dominated by PWD. He asked if he could wait until B&G because his dad and brother would there, but nobody was going to be at Pinewood. Sure thing, that''s your choice. Last year we had Bobcat ceremonies in 4 different months. That''s what it took for different boys to be ready, so that''s what we did. We will probably do at least 2 different Bobcats this year.

 

The boys and their families work hard to make rank. They should be recognized when they earn it, not just when its convenient or traditional for the Pack.

 

YMMV

YiS

Michelle

[John-in-KC 311]

ScoutDad,

 

Indeed, you''re in a sticky wicket. It may be time to look at your leader training and take an objective look at your Pack. Is it delivering the promise of Scouting, using the Aims and the Methods of Cubbing? Is the premise for the kids KISMIF? Are the Scouters getting genuine pleasure out of raising up young boys? What does your Commissioner see as well?

 

Only you can decide if change is worth the battles. Change is often resisted. You may find it easier to simply take your son (and perhaps your whole Den) to a Pack where things are done right in the first place.

 

No one here can make that decision; you have to go with a combination of head and heart knowledge and do what will be best by the youth!