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SC merit badge preseatation


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Richmond -

 

Not sure what you're looking for. We schedule a COH about 2 months after Summer Camp. That gives the guys some time to wrap up partials or clear up in discrepencies from camp. The boys give presentations about summer camp, including some retelling of stories and such. We'll have some pictures in a slide show that we'll show. After which, we'll present camp patches and merit badges they've earned.

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I agree with Eagle. At the Court of Honor, I like to see the boys called up one at a time, presented with the merit badges earned, and then stay up front until all are there. It is impressive to see how many Scouts have achieved recognition at the end of the ceremony.

 

Another way is to present all Swimming MB recipients, then Canoeing, then...

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How about inviting some of the Camp Staff as guests of honor?

Maybe the PLC could plan a song or a skit to highlight all the fun everyone had.

To late for this year but I have seen troops that keep a Camp Diary. Each day someone new takes over Scouts and Leaders all take a turn at it. Then the MC(The Scribe?)at the COH reads it in a very light hearted way.

Eamonn.

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I love the diary idea. It is too late for this year. But we do have a "digital diary". Two of us had our digital cameras and each took owell over 100 shots. Between the two of us, we can build a pretty good storyline.

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Another tradition in our troop is a certificate for each boy that went to summer camp. Each award recognizes some attribute or characteristic that distinguished the scout. It is meant to be playful and in a constructive spirit and should not be mean in any way. Do give the "nature boy" award to the scout who was into ecology. Do not give the "trashiest tent" award, although everyone knows one scout who has earned it.

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We've done the humorous awards in the past. You have to be careful and not offend anyone (accidentally did that once at a PW Derby, not fun).

 

Last year we had several boys cut their fingers in woodcarving (luckily none serious). We jokingly referred to their "Fingercarving MB". This year, we had a boy throw his retainer in the trash at the dining hall. One adult and three boys put on rubber gloves and went on a hunt (it was lasagna night). Luckily, they found the retainer. We're giving them a "Dumpser Diving" award.

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Awards should be presented in a timely fashion. IMHO, two months after it was earned is too slow. We try to hold a COH less than a month after summer camp. This year, our COH will be held three weeks after our return from summer camp. The extra week was due to the 4th of July holiday. If one waits for the boys to finish up partials, I have found that the wait becomes indefinite.

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All merit badges and rank advancements are awarded at the next meeting following the completion of the Merit Badge or BOR. This is usually done in a quiet informal ceremony by the SM during the SM Minute.

 

The fourth step of advancement states that the Scout deserves to receive reognition as as soon as possible.

 

We schedule COH 4 times a year. This is when the Scouts are formally recognized for their achievements during the previous 3 months. We are having our next COH the 1st Saturday in August and the format will be a family picnic/ceremony. This hopefuly gets as many of the Scouts family to attend as possible.

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I agree with Acco40. I hold a COH on Friday night at Summer Camp. I purchase all the awards at the Trading Post, fill out the required forms and attach all rank, MB earned to the proper cards and present them to the Scouts. All parents are invited up during that evening if they wish. By doing this the Scouts receive their awards at the close of Summer Camp. I don't have to wait two to three months to award advancement and we achknowedge the Scouts at a formal COH in the fall.

Dancin

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"I agree with Acco40. I hold a COH on Friday night at Summer Camp."

 

We tried this long ago (before my time) and I was told that about 50% of the awards made it home. Before you say, "How'd that happen?" let me tell you that we had a Scout lose his uniform while WAITING for our convoy leave on Saturday morning.

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We talked about doing a Friday night COH, but ran into too many roadblocks.

 

- Blue cards aren't given until Saturday. It then takes at least one meeting to reconcile the differences. There's no chance of getting them Friday night.

- Camp store doesn't sell MB patches, so we'd have to run to the Scout shop in the city.

- FOG's concern about them losing their awards. I usually find at least one award or card after each COH.

 

Our problem with quick recognition is that many of our families head on their family vacation after camp. We don't have a full group back until school gets underway. Also, we share a lot of leaders with the pack, so we have to work around their schedule as well. When we worked on scheduling the COH it was early September before we had a good opportunity. At least it's better than last year, we weren't able to do it until mid-October. That was WAY too long.

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We hold a COH in mid September where all the summer awards are passed out. While at camp one of our older scouts who is either taking the Photography Merit Badge or is a photo buff is designated the camp photographer. The troop pays for the slides and developing and he takes pics all week and makes up a slide presentation for our COH. We invite the upcoming Webelos to join us to get a taste of what camp is like.

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