-Really hard advancement times

[Kahuna 172]

The earlier post about requirement changes reminded me of a book I had read about the early days of the Columbia Pacific Council. Seems their first SE was a real hard nose (I'd phrase it differently if this wasn't a Scouting forum) who thought the Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class requirements weren't tough enough, so he added requirements. I don't know what the national rules were about that in those days (pre 1925), but I assume, like today, the requirements were the requirements.

 

Anyway, this guy required learning both Morse and semaphore and all candidates had to be able to recite from memory every member of the council board, make fire by friction and lots of other extras. Each was a one-shot deal. If the Scout couldn't complete the requirement, and they had to be done in front of a council professional, he had to come back a month later. Apparently, they had about 4 Eagles in the whole council.

 

So, a new SE comes in, says this is wrong, the requirements in the book are the only ones and the boys who had earned their badges "the hard way" just had to suck it up. There was a council-wide debate on the subject, but the SE stuck by his guns and just required "the book" requirements.

 

Interesting what you find in Scouting history.