Some requirements, like First Class Rank Requirement 1a, can be confusing; Since joining, participate in 10 separate troop/patrol activities, six of which include overnight camping. These 10 activities do not include troop or patrol meetings. On at least five of the six campouts, spend the night in a tent that you pitch or other structure that you […]
Evaluating Advancement Requirements
Podcast 232 – Let’s Get Started!
Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Hello! Back home and lots of catching up to do! I answer emails about signing requirements, Troop Planning, Eagle projects, and advancement. Plus an announcement for those of you interested in going to Kandersteg, Switzerland! Listen to Scoutmaster Podcast 232 Get The SCOUTMASTERCG APP Podcast Archive Podcast: Play in new window […]
Podcast 230 – The Internal Standard
Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers What kind of an internal standard is the aim of our work? We want our Scouts to form resilient character that they can call on as they move forward in life, we have some ofttimes overlooked opportunities to build an internal standard that will be a valuable asset. I’ll share how you can […]
Scout Service Projects 2nd Class, Star, and Life
Scout service projects are a basic element of any solid program, and participation in them is a requirement for advancement in rank. What service projects qualify for rank requirements? Let’s begin by looking at the requirements themselves: Second Class requirement: Participate in an approved (minimum of one hour) service project. Star and Life requirement: … take part in service […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 205 0- Evaluating “Leadership”
Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Scoutmaster Podcast 205 Announcing the new Scoutmastercg.com site, new features roll out this week! What standards do we apply for evaluating leadership? Should we create a set of standards that define when a Scout has achieved the fulfillment of their ‘leadership’ requirements? How else can we encourage our Scouts to be […]
Guardian of the Gate
Guardian of the Gate by F. Darnall Daley Jr. (advancement chair for Area 6 of the Northeast Region). Some of you appear to be standing guard at the gate. Like good guards you are not letting anyone pass who does not have the correct password. When someone appears at the gate who does not have the correct […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 192 – Evaluating Scout Spirit
Scoutmaster Podcast 192 In This Podcast In this edition of the Scoutmaster podcast we get an update on a previous podcast’s advice, discuss evaluating Scout Spirit, and answer questions about knives, Scouts getting credit for camping with Cubs, and helping the patrol leader’s council address a concern about their calendar. All this and your messages […]
Reading Scout Requirements
There are times that what I assume or the way I feel Scout requirements are fulfilled does not jibe with the actual wording of the requirement. I don’t sign off many requirements. Requirements for ranks up to First Class are almost exclusively signed off by our older Scouts. I do sign off requirements in the if I am […]
Four Steps to Scout Advancement – A Scout is Tested
Third in a series of articles about the four steps to Scout Advancement. (Click on the titles above to read the articles) … the standard of proficiency is purposely left undefined. Our standard for Badge earning is not the attainment of a certain level of quality of knowledge or skill, but the AMOUNT OF EFFORT THE BOY […]
Active in Scouting is not a Zero-Sum Game
What does ‘active in Scouting’ mean? Scouting, unlike many other activities, is not designed to monopolize our Scout’s available time. Beyond that Scouting considers Scouts being involved and engaged in their communities, families and schools as goal of the program. Most of the other activities our Scouts involve themselves with do not reciprocate. Teams, bands, choirs, choruses, clubs, youth […]
Three Tests for ‘Active’ Scouts
A significant addition the Guide to Advancement walks us through the sometimes thorny issue of evaluating active Scouts. I have struggled at times, as have many of us, with judging how to interpret this requirement. The guide has made this process simple and clear. Evaluating the ‘active requirement is a three step process: 1. Is the Scout […]
Reasonable Expectations for Scouts
Years ago there was some question as to whether one of my Scouts who was a candidate for Eagle had satisfied the ‘active’ requirement. He had not attended many meetings or outings in the last six months. He was a high school senior and a wrestler. We set up a meeting with him, his father and […]
What’s an Active Scout? – Ask Andy
When a rank requirement says ‘active’ what does it mean? How do we determine what constitutes an active scout? Here’s the policy – A Scout will be considered “active” in his unit if he is: 1. Registered in his unit (registration fees are current) 2. Not dismissed from his unit for disciplinary reasons. 3. Engaged […]
Recognizing Effort
Badges and awards are results; but Scouters understand the importance of recognizing effort. In his book Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People Psychiatrist Ned Hallowell concludes that acknowledgment of effort provides vital encouragement, motivation and inspires greater confidence, but also promotes moral behavior; “When a person feels recognized and connected to the larger […]
A Question of Scout Spirit
I recently received this question about Scout Spirit via email: I am a new Scoutmaster and I think I have a bit of background on Scouting. However, I have been reading your Eagle posts with some confusion and need some enlightenment. I have a Scout, who is a Life currently, and is 17 years 1 […]
What is Scout Spirit?
A reader asks: I would like to get your thoughts on how you evaluate Scout Spirit. Is it standard practice for a scoutmaster to ask a scout to write out what the scout’s interpretation of Scout Spirit is? Each rank in Scouting requires that a scout “Demonstrate scout spirit by living the Scout Oath (Promise) and Scout Law […]
Forms and Scouts
Here’s an exchange from Ask Andy about forms and Scouts. Hi Andy, I’m a relatively new Assistant Scoutmaster. I’ve been instructed that Scouts seeking ranks beyond First Class, in this troop, are required to complete a “Scoutmaster Conference Worksheet” before their actual conversation with the Scoutmaster, which they then submit for their board of review. […]
Scout Rank Requirements and Policies
Our nationwide organization of some 2.8 million youth and 1.3 million adult participants is defined by written Scout rank requirements policies and procedures. Individual understanding, subject to an individual point of view, can lead to some misinterpretations if we do not read requirements, policies and procedures with an open mind. As an example look at these Scout […]
Evaluating Leadership Tenure
Star, Life and Eagle rank all require leadership tenure. For each rank the requirement states: “serve actively (x) months in one or more positions of responsibility ” The word ‘actively’ can be a pinhead on which many angels dance. In my experience Scoutmasters often read this word and start instituting metrics to evaluate the term. […]
Scouts and Community
In my early years a s a Scoutmaster I was upset when my Scouts chose to miss a meeting or outing in favor of another activity. It would not be too much to say that I took it personally (at that point I was doing most of the planning and leading anyway!). My initial response […]
