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JLT required for Star?


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I heard recently that as of 2004, Junior Leader Training would be a new requirement before earning the Star Scout badge. If this is true, I have questions relating to this. I see no real reason to post a bunch of questions if it isn't true, so please, oh knowledgeable ones, let me know the truth .

 

Thanks,

Mollie

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I have not heard of such a change at this point. If it were to happen it is more likely that it would be TJLT and not JLT that would be required.

 

The difference you ask? JLT is a week long training course organized under the Council Training Committee. TJLT is a one-day workshop lead by the Scoutmaster. Since a Star, Life and Eagle Scout are all required to hold leadership offices, it would be reasonable to expect them to attend TJLT. We have for many years.

 

Bob White

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Requirement 5 states that while a 1st Class Scout, to serve actively for four months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop. On the surface, no JLT, TJLT, JTLC or many other alphabet soup courses used to train junior leaders are required. However, a Scoutmaster would be remiss if they did not offer training to their junior leaders. That is the SMs prime responsibility. A troop may also institute requirements for holding "office" for the youth leaders. Hopefully, those requirements, if any, are determined by the youth. So while not a black and white requirement, it may be an implied requirement for members of certain troops.

 

P.S. I love the added Format this Post feature!

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"it may be an implied requirement for members of certain troops."

 

The advancemnet policies of the BSA are quite specific that not person or unit has the authority to add to or delete from the requirements for advancement. The statement made above would imply otherwise. TJLT is a tool for the Scoutmaster just as much as it is for the scout.

 

I don't see how you can base a boy's advancement on a SM doing their job correctly. While the BSA encourages all junior leaders to attend TJLT as the second step of their leadersip training, it is not and should not be treated as a requirement, until the BSA specifically makes it one.

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Bob wrote: "...While the BSA encourages all junior leaders to attend TJLT as the second step of their leadersip training, ..."

 

What is the first step of leadership training? My son is just 11, but he wants to be a Den Chief. We have a Den Chief helping in one of the dens now, but he is as yet untrained--though he has purchased the handbook and has learned all he can independently. To my knowledge, there is no training offered within the troop for the boys, but there is a Den Leader Training in the spring and a JLTC in the summer.

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The first step is the "Introduction to Leadership" session conducted by the Scoutmaster. Its an informal discussion that takes place when a boy assumes a position of leadership in the troop. The Scoutmaster will talk about the job, the expectations, resources available, etc. There is a chapter in the Scoutmaster Handbook that covers training junior leaders.

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Thank you FScouter. I have the SM Handbook, so thanks for pointing me to a reference too. This may be done already, and we just didn't know because it would be done rather informally with the SM. I was thinking along the lines of something more structured.

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Bob White I respectfully disagree. For example, a CO may have a requirement for the Boy Scout unit (Troop) that it sponsors that all members be Roman Catholic. The BSA allows this. I think you would agree. Therefore, using logic, one could state that having membership in the Catholic Church is a requirement for Star rank IN THAT TROOP. Similarly, if a troop has a requirement that a Scout take troop JLT, council JLT or any other specified training to hold a youth leadership position (well within the guidelines of the BSA I believe) then having the training becomes a de facto requirement for Star IN THAT TROOP. Now, as a SM, I do not like requirements for the youth to hold leadership positions. Our troop has guidelines but no hard and fast requirements for these positions.

 

Now one could become bull headed about the issue. Similar to the argument some would make about being male is not a requirement for OA (youth) membership. While not a written requirement per se, one does need to be 1st Class, which requires membership in a troop, which requires a certain genetic makeup so one could arguably state that being male is a de facto requirement for OA (youth) membership.(This message has been edited by acco40)

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Acco says:

 

Now one could become bull headed about the issue.

 

But not in this forum. Nobody would ever be bull-headed about anything here. Nosiree. (At first I typed "Nosireebob", but I realized that might be misconstrued.)

 

Anyway, in my son's troop I know a boy must have attended the one-week JLT to be a candidate in the election for SPL. I am not sure if that is a requirement for ASPL or not (it just happens in the relatively short time I've been there that the losing candidate for SPL becomes ASPL.) I have a feeling there is also a First Class requirement for SPL but again I am not positive because the SPLs and candidates I have seen in that troop have been Star or above. I do not think there are any requirements for any other positions, and therefore JLT is not an "implied" rank requirement because of course there are many other POR's besides SPL (and ASPL.)

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Speaking from a youths prospective, I do beleive that any JLT course would be a great addition to what I call the Honorable Trio(Star, Life, Eagle).

 

Maybe, they could make TJLT required for Star, and JLTC require for Life. So when it comes times for one to work their Eagle project, the things they learned through the JLT courses would greatly assist them. I have went through TJLT, and JLTC, and have earned the Silver Stag, and it is greatly helping me on my Eagle.

 

Just my two cents. :)

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