Courts of Honor that Motivate

[qwazse 4344]

In another thread, SP notes:

<<A well done Eagle COH  can be an inspiration for young scouts.>> 

 

 

That is true.  Too bad regular Courts of Honor aren't similarly motivating.

So, what parts of your CoH's seem to motivate your younger scouts to work that advancement method?

[resqman 108]

To some degree it seems to be the actual Eagle scout.  Some speak well and others stand there like a sullen teenage forced to go through an ordeal.  If the Eagle is truly appreciative of the help he received along the way, and shows enthusiasm for the award, I see the younger scouts begin to think it is possible.  If the Eagle shuffles around and looks bored, then the younger scouts get the idea that earning Eagle is not very worthwhile.

[qwazse 4344]

I've found that all of our Eagles (the ones who've asked to have a CoH anyway) were sufficiently charismatic. I'd agree that a scout who lacks spirit would be a poor seller of the advancement method.

 

But, I am referring to regular CoH's as well ...

I hate to say it but our boys were mainly inspired by the treats afterword. But, maybe there are some things that boys out there do that actually make an impression on the younger scouts.

[MattR 2659]

I'm never too interested in encouraging advancement at anything but one on one with a scout that is not advancing. At COHs my interest is in encouraging participation and helping out. For the first we show pictures and tell stories. For the second we make a big deal of publicly thanking scouts and adults for their help.

[Hedgehog 334]

Does presenting rank advancement patches and merit badge patches at a COH encourage advancement?  Maybe, but not necessarily in a good way.  I've seen a couple of parents exchange looks which if I was to guess mean "why didn't you advance?"  

 

I think our COH's generate excitement for our outdoor program.  The SPL and ASPL talk about what we did over the last couple of months, the kids that were there remember how much fun they had and the ones that missed it wonder if they should have gone.  

 

However, I did notice that a bunch of kids and adults paid attention when my son received his National Outdoor Award for Camping and when our advancement chair explained about the award.  Between that and talking about the camping merit badge, the boys are now interested in how many nights they have camped and how many miles they have hiked.

[Stosh 3452]

Being a new troop with no older boys, our COH's tend to be more of a free-for-all with the boys havng fun.  All the boys (there aren't that many) come to the front and instead of getting a patch and handshake get to tell everyone how much fun/struggle they had in getting the award.  Parents like it because they get to hear from their boys as well as others on how things are progressing. 

 

It's one of the luxuries of beng a small troop.  Each boy pretty much motivates their buddies especially when it comes to MB's and a boy has a great time with it.