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Adult awards - square knots?


LauraT7

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I posted this under training, so ignore this if you saw it there....

 

I'm frustrated -

 

I used to have a tracking page for training - after it was completed, I could get my training square knot. It was a paper that you could fold into quarters to fit in your wallet. Can't find the durned thing! I think a number of my Troop co-horts would also qualify for this award, IF I can find it and check off the requirements for all of us. (the only place I can find it online - the link is broken) We are having a COH in a few weeks and have to get orders in early as our Advancement chair is going on vacation over spring break. Anybody have an online copy of this card/sheet they can e-mail me?

 

tlaurat7@hotmail.com

 

Also, We have a longtime ASM (30 + years in adult scouting) who has devoted his LIFE to the boys in our troop. he was a Life scout himself - who missed out on his Eagle because he was too busy helping another boy! I don't know if he has taken all the requisite training for some awards, but I would like to put him in for some official BSA recognition - esp as he has recently been in the hospital with a brain tumor. I'd like him, and the whole council to know how much this man means to our boys. Anybody have any suggestions as to what might be appropriate? Would the 'Award of Merit' be suitible/ allowed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Forms should be carried at your council office.

 

Look at: http://www.usscouts.org/awards/scoutertraining1.html

 

For the Boys Scout Leader's Training Award:

 

Training

 

1.Complete Boy Scout Fast Start training

2.Complete Basic Leader Training for your position.

 

Tenure

 

Complete a total of 2 years as a registered adult Boy Scout leader.

 

Performance

 

Do five of the following:

 

1.Participate in a support role for five overnight campouts.

2.Help with two annual unit and/or district Friends of Scouting enrollments.

3.Serve on the staff of a council or district training event.

4.Participate in a supplemental training course beyond basic training (local council or national-level

experience).

5.Participate actively in three troop parents' nights or courts of honor.

6.Help supervise or support a troop money-earning project.

7.Serve as a merit badge counselor for at least five Scouts.

8.Successfully complete Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge.

9.Successfully fulfill requirements of a troop committee function from the Troop Committee Guidebook.

10.Assist actively with a Webelos den for 6 months.

11.Participate in six Boy Scout roundtables.

12.Help organize or reorganize a Boy Scout troop.

 

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Print a PDF file of the record card from this site. http://www.meritbadge.com/files/34169-55.pdf

 

You could certainly nominate him for the district Award of Merit. It is the highest service award that a council presents within a distric. The numer of recipients allowed within a district is dependent on the number of units. Each district forms a selection committee usually headed by the District Advancement Committee to select the recipients. The award is normally presented once a year at a special occassion such as a District's Volunteer recognition Dinner.

 

Bob White

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I'm disappointed at the few hits this thread has taken... I really hope it picks up because I think that square knots can be a great way of motivating the scouts. Adults don't undertake the same type of advancement that the youth do but I get tired of hearing that "Its just for

the boys."

 

The Boys know if we're trying to stay up to speed, they certainly notice when someone announces that a leader has taken the time to go for training or has been presented with some honor.

 

We might not crave or "bits of color" as one of my over active / under trained committee members calls them, but our example is not lost on the boys. Laura, its great that you've thought to recognize someone who sounds like a great scout & scouter.

Bob

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First of all I would observe that not all the knots are square knots. Be that as it may, I wonder if it would distract from the boys' achievements to devote a few minutes of each court of honor to recognize the adult achievements. Any thoughts on this?

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in questioning some of my district scouters - here, it is the leaders themselves that track their own progress - which is why some units have leaders with lots of awards and others have none.

 

I came from a pack that never mentioned training, and while our cubmaster was great with the boys - organization wasn't his thing - everything was "winging it". I don't even know if the pack had a committee! LOL! the cubmaster kept track of all the advancements for the boys - how could he track adults, too?!

 

although we are volunteers, it's nice to be recognised for the time and effort we spend training and working on improving program for the boys. and while it would be nice if someone else "gave" us our rewards without being asked for, like the boys, we must keep track of our progress ourselves. Like Woodbadge, these other awards give the adults a direction, a goal - a "ticket" to work, advancing the program by their design and creating well trained adults. you can certainly provide a good program without them - but it's one way to encourage training.

 

As for the boys - in our courts of honor - the adults are always given participation patches for events along with the boys, anyway. I think it would be good for the boys to see their leaders get rewards - to know the effort the leaders put in for them. I would not let the adult awards overshadow the boys' awards, though. If there were more than a couple, I would schedule a separate event for the adults. many are given on the district level & up, anyway - not within the troop or pack.

 

Thanks for the help and suggestions for Scot, though - I sent a note to our CC and Adv Chair - I think we can get something in the works for him.

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Not sure if we are doing it right, but in our Council, the Knots are the responsibility of the District Training Chair.

District Awards Of Merit, are awarded at the District dinner, after everyone has had the chance to nominate someone, sad thing is that we don't get that many names. A committee is set up to go over the names, and make the awards. As a benchmark, we tend to look for people who have done work on a District Level. Of course it can be said that a unit leader who has ran a good unit, over the years has in turn worked for the District.

The Silver Beaver, is in our council only given to people who have worked to serve the council.

You might want to consider getting a James E.West. We have over the past few years bought this award for people who may already have the Silver Beaver, and are still after many years, working away. In the past we have sent letters out to everyone, requesting a donation. What has been really nice is not only do they send checks, but the letters are very heart warming.

These we put in a book and present that at the same time.

This has worked out well.

We have also taken $1000.00 a year from our District Golf outing to pay for these.

 

 

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The most complete site I have found is http://usscouts.org/awards/knots2.html

 

You might consider the Scoutmaster's Award of Merit...although designed for new SMs, if he has never received it, it would be nice. In my Council, adults fend for themselves...I try to provide blank forms for award applicaitions in all training sessions, but it's up to the Scouter to track his/her progress and get the paperwork submitted. There are two sides to that approach...one is that adults are expected to be adults and are not spoonfed, but the other side is very few of them bother to apply, either out of ignorance, or because of humility, having a "fruit salad" on their chest is just not important to them (that's not a criticism...just an observation.) I have an ASM who is a decorated Vietnam Special Forces veteran...I had to fill out his Scouter Training Award and submit it for him...because he was "just not into that stuff."

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Sounds as if Eamonn has the ticket. The district committee should be soliciting nominations for annual presentation. Our training chair checks records, but most of our apps come from units that are pretty good about training & recognition. (so they know the drill.) I was told about the process when I took Cub Leader basic years ago but no, I never checked the reqs until I joined district committee and my trainer asked why I had applied. Now as a DCmmsnr when I stress the value of an active unit committee I remind leaderw that everyone needs a job -- tracking training is important in light of leader turnover. Not all units enjoy the service of long term leadership.) AS Scoutldr noted many won't be recognized unlees its by by others.

 

 

I'm bothered by the thought that one might need to talk nicely to their District leadership. If its up to the volunteers to deliver the program that our chartered partners signed up for we need to build strong districts as well as strong units. That takes good volunteers at all levels; District Committe / Commissioner staff is there to serve.

 

Sorry, I think I need to review any Commissioning /District / Professional threads or start one!

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