Scout age limit, circa 1940

[Twocubdad 665]

Here's your arcane trivia question for the week: Has the upper age limit for Scouting always been 18?

 

The reason for the question is that we were recently cleaning out my grandparents house and found my grandfather's certificates for earning tenderfoot, second class, first class and star ranks -- all dated circa 1940-41. Problem is, my grandfather would have been 24 or 25 during that time. Was that legal then?

 

It couldn't have been too bad as after the war he served as a Scoutmaster and Cub leader. And of his five grandsons, four are Eagles (and the fifth is working on it!)

[yaworski 10]

As I understand it, adults could continue to earn rank up to Eagle until the early '50s. Evidently there was no age limit on being a Scout and it wasn't unusual for someone to continue working on merit badges while in college.

[scomman 10]

As a former scout and present leader I wish there was a way for the leaders to earn merit badges and rank also today.

[scomman 10]

As a former scout and present leader I wish there was a way for the leaders to earn merit badges and rank also today.

[SouthPoleScout 15]

No offense sctmom, but I'm glad adults don't have a merit badge/rank program in Scouts. There are enough troubles with having boy run programs as it is.

 

Besides, there are awards that adults can work toward (I'm sure everyone has seen the various knots)

 

Just my two cents

[LauraT7 13]

having just come across some old historical info on our troop - much of it from that time and earlier - I wonder if the war effort had an effect on BSA - in that they may have extended time to finish ranks, or keep boys and men involved in supporting the war effort through scouting.

 

all the references, charter papers and record and newspaper articles on our troop from that time show lots of work supporting the country and the community for the war. maybe they let those boys who were otherwise occupied, finish up their scouting awards when they had time?

[willysjeep 10]

A merit badge doesn't prove anything but experience and proficency in a field, age not withstanding. I think honestly that having adults be able to earn merit badges along with youth wouldn't be a bad thing. I was kind of thinking about that. They should also offer the old discontinued badges as historical awards for completing the old requirements, only not count them ad badges towards ranks or anything. Giving adults the same reckognition as scouts for learning a useful skill would probably encourage more adults to keep active and encourage new ideas in the program too.

[acco40 95]

Adults ARE free to work on merit badges and any other of the requirements for rank. I do it all the time. The only difference from the BSA's perspective is that adults don't "earn" a badge. The best way to really learn the requirements of a merit badge; become a counselor for that badge.

 

You have to ask yourself, what are the goals of the adults? My goal is to help the boys have good citizenship, physical fitness and develop character (where have I heard that before?). Earning a merit badge for myself does not do a whole lot toward those goals.

[willysjeep 10]

Of course the main goal of all scouting is to benefit the youth, but being able to wear the badge to signify your own knowledge in a field has it's own advantages. If a scout sees anybody wearing a rifle shooting merit badge, a first aid merit badge, or any other badge they know they can ask that person a question about it and get a straight answer, that's some of the point of merit badges, to show others your experience, just like knots and service awards and leadership training patches. I bet nobody would probably object if an adult did have some badges on his uniform, unless there is a rule aganst it. After all, I don't remember seeing any age restrictions on any advancement other than Eagle. I could be dead wrong too. I think a little reckognition is deserved for anybody who wants to fulfil the requirements. In fact, I should ask somebody at national if adults are allowed to wear merit badges on their uniform. Any thoughts. I don't mean to steal the spotlight from any youth, but adults wear a lot of other symbols of accomplisment already, why not enclude merit badges?

[red feather 10]

Planning to put the merit badges that I counsel on the day pack that I carry to meetings. One reason to let the boys know which I counsel and the other to remind me of the ones I counsel.

 

yis

[Twocubdad 665]

Sorry Willy, according to the Insignia Guide, merit badges are for Boy Scouts only.

 

Merit badge counselors wearing the badge, maybe with a different color border or a "Counselor" tab, is an interesting idea, though.

[Bob White 20]

You will find that rank and advancement awards are not for adults to earn or display on their uniforms with the exception of the Eagle Knot and the Arrow of Light Knot.

Adults have ample recognitions that they are eligible to earn. They are awards that represent the areas of activity that adults need to be proficient in. Training, service, participation.

 

To learn more you should read the BSA Insignia Guide available at your local council service center.

 

Bob White

[willysjeep 10]

Thanks guys, now I know. Ah, the good ol days, before I was alive

[willysjeep 10]

OK, I have a similar question to pose here. Who knows what all of those knots mean besides the people who have already earned them. If a cubscout sees a person with the AOL knot on their shirt it just looks like another knot, but if he sees the arrow of light patch that he wants to get on his cubmasters uniform he is bound to know what it means. Likewise with the eagle badge, only eagles or those who make it their business actually know what the eagle knot looks like, but everybody in scouting can figure out that somebody is an eagle if they are wearing the eagle rank patch. It serves a better function than the "Scouter knot code" that only serves to give scouts a vague idea that a scouter has done something important at some time. Another thing is that actually wearing the patches tells everybody around you that you have completed them and (hopefully) are proficient in those skills. It serves a practical purpose to know who has lifesaving and first aid, or even orienteering or indian lore at a glance by looking at their shirt. I don't see how wearing awards that you have earned before turning 18 harms anybody if you continue to wear them after 18.

 

 

A man once said to me "Why would you want to wear a rank badge, to prove that you are as good as a 12 year old boy?" Well, yes! It doesn't matter that I'm over 18, I haven't forgotten the skills. I just think it serves no purpose.

 

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I like to complain a lot.......

[dsteele 20]

Willysjeep:

 

 

Actually, I remember looking at adult knots as a boy and looking forward to the day I could wear them (and earn them in most cases.) I had a healthy respect for the adults and knew that the red white and blue knot was Eagle and knew many of the others . . . because I asked.

 

I, like you, worked hard for my Eagle Scout patch and wore it proudly until I became 18. Then I realized that the award shined through my actions and that a knot is enough. I think the award itself belongs on a boy's shirt. Let the adult wear the knot as a reminder to himself to act like an Eagle Scout.

 

Perhaps, back in the day, adults were allowed to earn rank and merit badges. But that was back in the day. Personally, I like the old story -- and it if ain't true, it oughta be -- that when asked where to wear a patch on his uniform, BP replied, "On the shirt of a boy." If it ain't true, it oughta be.

 

But that's just my two cents. I'm a minimalist when it comes to awards.

 

DS