Stop doing rank requirements.

That’s fine with me if the Scout is working out his “recognition” and “progress driven” goals within the Troop. By that I mean within the Troop which is his fellow Scouts.

I think that Clarke and I are both nervous about the statement, “but without a focus on the requirements”. In my experience, this almost always implies adults meddling in the Scout’s program.

Adults should not be focusing or meddling or interfering. They should be training and sometimes coaching, and usually only the Troop leadership. If the Troop leadership drops the ball and Scouts aren’t advancing, then it’s not time to focus. It’s time to train some more. It’s time to emphasize the Oath and Law to the older Scouts. It’s not time to focus on the requirements but time to focus on training the Troop leadership, whose job is to Lead, Train and Inspire Scouts to attain First Class rank. As Scoutmaster, along with the other adults in the Troop, I didn’t focus on advancement or uniforming or adult association or outdoor program.

I focused on training the Troop leadership (the PLC, and particularly the Patrol Leaders) to do their jobs.

I didn’t measure success by how many patches the Troop handed out.

I measured success by how many young men were mentored, trained, helped and befriended by the leaders in my Troop. If my leaders were in uniform, the Troop was in uniform. If my leaders were advancing themselves and leading, training and inspiring, then my troop was advancing. If my leaders were gung-ho and excited about next months campout and the activities there then my Troop was excited about the outdoor program. In Scouting, I don’t count stuff. The Troop Scribe keeps attendance, but I never looked at it.

I paid very little attention to how many awards were given out at a Court of Honor. What do I pay attention to?

I watch my leadership and observe how they are interacting with the other Scouts. Two or three younger Scouts off by their tents goofing off? I’m not even going to notice. A senior Scout hollering at a new Scout fresh from Webelos? They will have my full attention. A bunch of Scouts making a mess in the woods cooking breakfast and taking four hours to do it?

I will hardly notice. A PL goofing off and not encouraging his Patrol to follow good practices and clean up their kitchen area after making a mess?

I am wide awake. How can I help the PL be more successful? The answer is NOT to jump into the middle of his patrol, right now, and fix things. But we will surely discuss it later, at an appropriate time. A brand new Scout aimlessly wandering around looking miserable? I’ll be off looking for a PL or Instructor to make a suggestion about how he might live out a portion of the Scout Oath and Law right now, right here, today. In training, I suggested that when they finished their term as SPL, the Scouts become Instructors. My Instructors were the primary contact leaders in the Troop for advancement. My constant question to my Instructor corp was, “What have you instructed today?” and “Who have you instructed today?” Over and over they heard it from me.

Never in front of the Troop and never in front of other Scouts or adults.

I would just quietly speak to them and remind them what they were to be about.

I have attempted to delegate this to my SPL, and have some success with that, but I had uneven results. A good SPL would keep the Instructors and PLs busy.

Other SPLs had mixed results, especially with some of their peers.

I don’t have a problem reminding their pals 🙂 If my Troop leaders are properly trained and motivated, then that young man who wants that recognition and wants to advance will have a whole cadre of Scouts ready and willing to assist him in every aspect of his goals. The only exceptions are for actually earning merit badges and Scoutmaster conferences.

Though a well trained youth leadership will assist all new Scouts with understanding how MBs and conferences work. “I have seen many boys in my time that have done the work, but don’t follow up on getting recognition that they deserve without making working on requirements a focus.” I’ve never seen this. If a Scout’s fellow Scouts, PLs, SPLs, and Instructors are doing their jobs, then the requirements naturally get signed off as the Scouts “do Scout stuff”.