Recently I was asked "how to get our first year scouts out of a Cub Scout mentality" because they were not pushing for advancement, but were expecting to be "given" ranks when they change grades -- like Cub Scouts. As a bit of background, the troop in question is all younger scouts, and this particular batch of first year guys are "tuning out" their leaders.
I'm going to answer in two ways, both of which are based on things I've done (and -- failed to do at times - sigh). First, we need to get the boys out of that "Cub Scout Mentality." where merely showing up is enough to get a rank. Although I will confess, I'm slightly guilty of fostering this. My troop's been debating about this. . . several of the leaders that were there when my older son joined in 2015 believed firmly that the scouts should only advance when they choose to do so -- and signal their desire to advance by coming to the leaders and asking to advance. ("Mr. Provart, when can I do Scout Requirement 4?") I believed last year that some of the early requirements should be scheduled out for them, much like Cub Scouts. . . and of the three scouts who joined in the winter of 2015-16, only one remains. The other two never reached Tenderfoot Rank and one actually left saying "if I can't advance, I'm going to do something else."
So this winter, I started as an Assistant Scoutmaster, advising the Troop Guide (and anyone else who wants to talk about the first year guys). I pointed out that 6 of 7 the requirements for the Scout Rank are things done either in "Scouting Adventure" or "Outdoorsman" for the Arrow of Light, so they ought to be very familiar to our incoming scouts. I wanted to give our boys a flying start, and so we set up to do Scout very quickly. A troop I serve as a Unit Commissioner actually had a Saturday session with the Troop Guide and SPL after their new scouts did their first meeting, so that they could do their Scoutmaster Conference at their second meeting. We didn't go that fast, but our New Scouts who joined the 3rd week of February finished their Scout Rank, without really realizing they were working on it, within their first 3 weeks in the troop.
Looking ahead, at the Tendrfoot badge, we've been working about 20-30 minutes a week toward it most weeks, and picking up a few requirements each week (and some 2nd Class Requirements as it makes sense to do so). A couple of caveats - first, some confusion on our schedule and a stretch of bad weather (mixed in with some overtime at work on the part of one of our leaders) canceled our March campout. Second, April event is traditionally a very long day-hike (20 miles), so our new Scouts have yet to camp as of this moment. Second, our council sponsors a First Aid Meet in late February, and so we pushed first aid very hard the first few weeks they joined.
As it stands right now after two May meetings, our boys have had the opportunity to complete all the Tenderfoot Requirements except 1(all parts), 2(all parts), 6 (6b and 6c), 6b is the physical fitness plan for improving scores. We did 6a, the initial measurements 3 weeks ago. One of the first year guys has completed 6b, and the others have not. Requirement 6c, the second physical fitness, test will be done on Monday, May 22. Requirement 7a, raising, lowering and folding the US flag will either be done at our Council Camporee next weekend or over Memorial Day.
If we do everything I expect to do on the camporee next weekend, and the weather is good on the 22nd, our boys will complete Tenderfoot Requirements 9 and 10 in the meeting on the 22nd and be ready for their Boards of Review on June 5.
Any requirements an individual scout missed can be made up at camp, or one one of our short-term camps scheduled in July and August.
As far as the 2nd Class Requirements, we've done the ones that fit naturally into our program, and there are a significant number of them scheduled to be done at camp.
Here's a rough breakdown:
The camping and outdoor ethics requirements will be done on our spring camporee (except the requirement to have 3 overnight campouts. The fastest boys can finish that in July.)
The cooking and tools requirements will be finished on the camporee, except the knots requirements which we're doing Monday. (Knots are an event at the camporee.)
The navigation requirements were mostly done in preparation for our April hike. None of the boys have done 3d, how to find directions day and night without a compass or electronic device. We'll do that one at summer camp.
The nature requirement will be done at camp.
The Aquatics requirements will be done at camp.
The first aid requirements were done as we got ready for the First Aid Meet in February, but will be reviewed at camp.
The Fitness requirements will be left to the individual scouts. My son is planning to do his 4 weeks of working out starting May 22, if we complete the Tenderfoot requirement that night. (That would complete his 4 weeks the week before we go to summer camp. It would also allow him to use the last week of school and some planned activities over Memorial Day weekend as a part of this)
The Citizenship requirements are a blend. 8a and 8b will be done both over Memorial Day weekend with the troop and again at camp. 8c and 8d about saving money and comparison shopping are left to the individual scouts. The service project requirements in 8e have already been done for all of our scouts. We're a highly service-oriented troop and we have a number of older scouts working toward Eagle. Scouts had the opportunity to do 12 hours of community service just in the last week. (Wednesday through Friday were building forms and pouring concrete for a local church as part of an Eagle Project and Saturday was landscaping the entrance to a local church camp.)
The personal safety awareness requirements in 9a and 9b will be done at summer camp.
10-12 will be done after everything else, of course.
The earliest one of our scouts joining in February could finish this would be late July. A more reasonable goal is before school starts in late August.
Thus far, the only 1st Class Requirements that have been done have been completed are the weather-safety requirements 5b, 5c and 5d. There were 4 inches of rain during our hike in April and we wanted to be prepared. Several of our first year scouts have also completed their service hours for 9d.
The Tools, Navigation, Nature, Aquatics and most of the First Aid requirements (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4a, 5a, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d) will be completed at camp.
The cooking requirements for our three scouts will be done by one each at our July, August and September camp-outs. We're talking this over with parents and walking the scouts through it at our upcoming patrol meeting on Tuesday, May 16.
It doesn't really show through, above, but there's a distinct change of philosophy as the ranks progress.
We really DID treat the Scout badge like "WEBELOS 3" -- if they showed up at the meetings and did what they were told, they got Scout.
We did schedule most of Tenderfoot, and each week I ask the boys for their books, so that I can sign requirements.
All but one of the boy currently has 2nd Class requirements complete that aren't signed. . . because to get them signed, they need to bring me their book and say "Is there anything that can be signed?"
It hasn't happened yet, but 1st Class requirements won't be signed unless they ask for a specific requirement to be signed.
You might also read between the lines and see that we've given the boys a LOT of responsibility -- the Assistant Patrol Leader's a first year scout, and he's going to be responsible for buying the food for the whole patrol at the July campout (the PL will be at a family function). Each first year scout has been given the responsibility of a meal at the camporee next weekend. If they don't take the responsibility seriously, they'll be unhappy on the campout.
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